Booking a hotel on line in 2019

danjo-xx

Can anyone give an oap some tips about making a booking, whats is best and what to watch out for as I find so many options are blasted at you it can be very confusing.


Example:
Book direct with us and save 5%. But I am all ready logged into their hotel homepage and thought I WAS booking direct.


Their all the same, so what's changed these days when trying to book a hotel room in IRELAND?




Any tips appreciated.:)















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Nicetrustedcup

Just go to the hotels site and get a price

Then go to something like trivago and get a price.

Then book who ever is cheapest or contact the hotel with a screen shot of how you can get the room cheaper on another site and more then likely they will beat it and give something free booking derict with them.

Myself in Hong Kong I got a free room upgrade, free taxi back to the airport as I found the room for 50 euros cheaper over 10 days... Contacted the hotel and they bet it. The free room upgrade was worth 550 euros alone!!

dudara

For me, I don’t tend to worry about that kind of question. I focus on getting the best price, am I happy with the price, being clear on what’s included (e.g. breakfast) and what are the cancellation terms.

I rarely pay in advance as I want to retain flexibility as I may have to cancel. I know it costs me a bit extra but I’m happy to pay it to have flexibility.

The big hotel chains can be very good when it comes to price matching, if you want to play that game. But I think that the market is much tighter than it used to be, and big price differences don’t seem to really exist anymore.

L1011

I used to make hay on Radissons price match - claims online were that they were extremely difficult to get to honour it; but I always sent in good data for the cheaper prices and the team that process the claims for European hotels are in Dublin so that may have helped also!

Now you'll be damn lucky to find anything much cheaper than on the hotels own site and if you do, it'll be described in a manner that makes it unclear what you're getting.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

The Op is an OAP and to be honest, as an OAP myself, I've booked many hotels in Ireland online and found I got as good a deal, and sometimes better, by just phoning the hotel directly. Online there is seldom any significant difference between prices on sites compared to the hotel's own site. Indeed the hotels' sites offer better cancellation terms and packages like evening meal included or a higher spec room.

Sleeper12

I find that usually the cheapest option is booking directly with the hotel and booking online is usually cheaper than phoning them & booking over the phone.

danjo-xx

When I go on the hotel's own website, I get the option to 'book direct'
along with a range of other price options for the date I want.


Anyone else getting this book direct with us when they have gone to the hotels own website.




Maybe I have a virus could that be the reason i wonder.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Which hotel site is it, and I'll have a look.

danjo-xx

Mercy Warm Trolley wrote: »

Which hotel site is it, and I'll have a look.

The park hotel dungarvan is the latest.




https://www.parkhoteldungarvan.com/

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

danjo-xx wrote: »

The park hotel dungarvan is the latest.




https://www.parkhoteldungarvan.com/

Just "Book Now" options showing when selecting dates etc, I can't see any "Book Direct" except on the home page and it's just saying book here rather than the booking sites

danjo-xx

Mr.S wrote: »

They are just trying to convince you to book direct, with them, and not go via the likes of Trivago, Expedia etc.

Yeah but why are other companies allowed to advertise their price options on someone elses private website....


Is it all fair game now or something.

pl4ichjgy17zwd

danjo-xx wrote:

Yeah but why are other companies allowed to advertise their price options on someone elses private website....

It's not other companies. When I look at it I get book direct, book bed and breakfast and book Flynn hotel group. All the same company just different packages

corkboy38

Never go wrong with booking.com

Sleeper12

I don't think anyone has mentioned it here yet but many hotels offer an even cheaper rate online BUT you pay at the time of booking & there is no refund for cancelling. It's something to keep an eye out for. It can be a good & a bad idea

Credit Checker Moose

I have never in 20 years found a hotel cheaper direct than on a booking site.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Credit Checker Moose wrote: »

I have never in 20 years found a hotel cheaper direct than on a booking site.

Yet, I have - within Ireland - many times.

pleasant Co.

Mercy Warm Trolley wrote: »

Yet, I have - within Ireland - many times.

As have I, the 2 most recent bookings in fact.

SirChenjin

Mercy Warm Trolley wrote: »

Yet, I have - within Ireland - many times.

Same here.

harr

In the last few years it’s about 50/50 that the hotels own web site will be cheaper and its definitely more common now than before to find the hotels are cheaper or in fact getting a better deal with the likes of breakfast or dinner included.
I always as someone else mentioned take the flexibility options incase I need to cancel.
My mam is as old fashioned as they come and for what ever reason she gets fantastic deals by ringing the hotels directly, she’s funny like that she likes to get the name of the person she is dealing with ...OP a lot of places do great deals for OAPs especially midweek prices

Sleeper12

Credit Checker Moose wrote: »

I have never in 20 years found a hotel cheaper direct than on a booking site.

As others have said above. I have within Ireland but also the UK & a hotel I stay in when in Portugal They all have a special rate when booked direct through their website. Usually if you phone to book they can't give you the special website rate as it's only available online.

Tippex

corkboy38 wrote: »

Never go wrong with booking.com

there are loads of instances where people have booked with booking.com to get notified a couple of days prior to arrival that their booking has been cancelled.

Tippex

Sleeper12 wrote: »

I don't think anyone has mentioned it here yet but many hotels offer an even cheaper rate online BUT you pay at the time of booking & there is no refund for cancelling. It's something to keep an eye out for. It can be a good & a bad idea

This is common it is called a nonrefundable rate and has been used more and more for the last 5-6 years it is a way for them getting their yield up early.
You will see this on booking.com / expedia/ hotels.com /trivago (last 3 all same company)
It is only the last couple of years that the hotels themselves have been doing it on their own sites.
You would be amazed what the hotels cannot do on their own sites it is bonkers.

joeysoap

I usually check out the hotels reviews before booking. Having decided look at the hotels website to compare, and as a lot of hotels now have that no refund policy, be careful ( or certain , I have used no refund)
Booking and other sites use the term ‘free cancellation’, but it not, it’s usually more expensive.
I got a good deal recently by booking directly in Italy (€680 vs €920) and it was really great.

I am currently checking out hotels in USA for a 4 nighter ( not cheap and lots of extras, tax 14.95%, resort tax or fee $29 dollars per night, and breakfast if you want it included. Hotels not great by booking direct, and I am leaning towards Ryanair as they offer a reduction in flights as a % of the holiday costs.

Forgot to post this. Booking have/had a booking price promise in which they said they will promise if you get a cheaper rate they will match it. But a few years ago, by accident, I discovered the same hotel cheaper but they didn’t acknowledge it, so I cancelled and booked the cheaper rebate. The hotel was cheaper on their own website, so I rebooked with them.

Nicetrustedcup

Credit Checker Moose wrote: »

I have never in 20 years found a hotel cheaper direct than on a booking site.

I did just last month saved nearly 600 euros as the hotel I booked direct with gave me a free upgrade as I found the room cheaper on another site

Mike3549

I always check booking.com first and when i find the hotel i want, check trivago. Usually you find some agent that is cheaper by up to 20% compared to booking.com or have something like free breakfast included vs none. The last hotel i booked was directly through the hotel chain, it was half price compared to booking or other agents. And i found out about it only because i checked trivago website

Xterminator

corkboy38 wrote: »

Never go wrong with booking.com

its a good site but it pays to check the direct price after you get your price on any of the brokers including booking.com.

many hotels will throw in a free breakfast or some sweetener because hotels will take a cut, and if you book direct the hotel gets more somey, but you pay the same.

Tippgirl74

I also like hotelscombined.com and kayak.com for comparing prices. I would also agree that in my experience best prices are never direct with the hotel. One exception was a group trip to Lourdes. We had agreed a price and once there the hotel treated us like crap...e.g. Worst rooms in the house, no bowls of salad or cheese course as other tables were getting, etc.

Osborne

If you see a rate on a third party site such as Trivago or Booking.com, that is the same or cheaper than the price offered by the Hotel, call them, explain the situation and 99% of the time they will do better.

If you book via a third party agent, a percentage of the rate will be taken by the agent. Hotels want you to book directly as they make more money. The percentage can be up to 30% so it's in Hoteliers interests to make it worth your while booking direct.

Tippex

Osborne wrote: »

If you see a rate on a third party site such as Trivago or Booking.com, that is the same or cheaper than the price offered by the Hotel, call them, explain the situation and 99% of the time they will do better.

If you book via a third party agent, a percentage of the rate will be taken by the agent. Hotels want you to book directly as they make more money. The percentage can be up to 30% so it's in Hoteliers interests to make it worth your while booking direct.

The standard rate for the likes of booking.com is 15% but as you mentioned it can be higher

Credit Checker Moose

Hotels.com routinely gives 10% off their marked prices either though discount codes or by getting a free stay for every 10 nights booked.