Comments on: Getting the Best Deal When Making Hotel Reservations

By: Why It’s Important to Complain - SavingAdvice.com Blog

Why It’s Important to Complain - SavingAdvice.com Blog — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 07:01:18 +0000

[...] recently described my frustration in dealing with a reservationist at a higher-end hotel chain. The reservationist was seemingly incapable of determining the best [...]

By: spicoli

spicoli — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:42:50 +0000

You forgot to mention that a lot of hotels also offer discounts for members of the US Military.

By: Horlic

Horlic — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:30:47 +0000

Yeah, true enough third party sites normally offer cheaper rate. Importantly don

By: Persephone

Persephone — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:46:42 +0000

I don’t like staying at hotels. When I go on vacation, I like to stay at bed and breakfasts. Where can I find deals on b&b’s? Thanks.

By: Snowy Heron

Snowy Heron — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:36:54 +0000

My recommendation would be to never use Hotels.com. I made reservations through them and had a change that was completely out of my control and they were “unable” to change the reservation. They said it was in the hotel’s hands, the hotel said it was Hotels.com’s policy. So basically I was screwed. I will never use them again.

By: Anne

Anne — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:29:16 +0000

I guess I can’t edit my comments here- I meant to write “article” not “hotel” in post #4. Obviously, the hotel would not recommend it…

By: David

David — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:01:22 +0000

The author did EVERYTHING I too suggest people do to find the best rates offered by hotels. My book in fact tells readers to check various sources, including 3rd party sites and do research..

But I also WORK in a hotel (albeit in California) and some of the observations made are off base.

Firstly, a hotel will ALWAYS try to get the highest rate it can when you call. Many people would assume $309 was a great deal and book it – which is fine with the hotel. But you cannot expect a hotel person to tell you to try a Priceline or Hotwire. Most hotels do not even offer rooms on Hotwire and Priceline anyway but no employee is going to suggest you try a discount site like that.

Plus, hotels have internet rates which are lower so that people WON”T call a hotel and use up a clerk’s time. If you don’t wish to book it yourself online, you should expect to pay a higher rate. That does not mean you can’t get it at the lower rate, you should just realize internet rates are just that – for internet bookings, which saves hotels money.

That said, almost every hotel I know will always match the lowest price you find. And it won’t be on Expedia either. Hotels tell 3rd parties how much they can charge and have to offer the public a free night if they find a lower rate than they offer, so there is no way a hotel will NOT match a 3rd party rate. Sometimes they know the 3rd parties are ‘closed off’ and do not have the room anyway, so they may tell you a higher rate knowing you can’t get it cheaper anyway.

The best advice is what Steve and David did – research first, find the lowest rate and call the hotel direct and then periodically CHECK the rate to see if it has been lowered. We adjust our rates weekly according to bookings and while that is not the norm, many hotels follow suit. If you see an internet rate lower on a hotel’s website and then call the hotel, tell them what rate you saw. Don’t play games by asking about ‘in state’ or govt. rates – just say you saw it at $279 and ask if they will match it. If they won’t, then book it online and be done with it (unless you check the rate every so often).

Remember, the hotels are trying to get the HIGHEST rates they can to offset the huge discounts given up to the 3rd party sites just like you are trying to get the lowest rate offered. It’s a game-learn to play the game and you will save money on every booking.

By: Anne

Anne — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 01:58:45 +0000

I was surprised that the hotel does not mention the possibility of Priceline or Hotwire. I recently got a 4* hotel (Intercontinental) in downtown New Orleans for $64/night for a week in July (work/play trip as well). Although Priceline isn’t for everyone and it does have its downsides, in a compact downtown area, it pays to consider bidding…but stopping short of the the best hotel rates you’ve found.

By: Ann

Ann — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:05:20 +0000

Excellent advice! I’m actually planning a short trip in the next couple of months and this will come in handy…. if I can figure how how long of a drive my knees will tolerate in a day before I’m ready to go!

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:53:27 +0000

Yes yes yes. I was in St. Pete last weekend for a concert, and so I too had to book a hotel room. I checked all online rates at Expedia, Orbitz, etc. Then I checked the hotel’s site for a lower or comparable rate. The hotel’s online rates were slightly higher than Expedia’s. So I called the front desk to see if they were offering a lower rate to direct callers. In the end the best rate came via Expedia. The only site that’s given me lower rates than Expedia is Priceline, but they (Priceline, that is) don’t always tell you what you’re getting until after you’ve booked. This applies more to flights than hotels: Priceline does give you a guaranteed price, but no departure or arrival options or even the name of the airline until after you’ve booked at the non-refundable rate. Once you book, you’re stuck. Again, that’s fine if you have a lot of flexibility, but for more options I always go Expedia.

Oh, and here’s something I discovered when driving from Florida to Vermont last summer: If you’re a state or federal employee, hotels offer big discounts. (At least the Holiday Inn in South Carolina does.) My rate went from $95 to $77–a much bigger discount than AAA.