kenav

We will be in the Dordogne region in September and made a reservation for a standard double at Hotel de la Rhue (in Rocamadour) for 95 Euros/night. (Did this a month ago.) Just found a site (actually a couple of them) that gave a price of $75 Euros / night. I've just e-mailed the Hotel to tell them this information and to inquire if this is the same type of room that we reserved through them. Awaiting their reply. (I've already given them my cc information.)

Ever have this experience yourself? Did the hotel match the lower rate?

kenav

Oops. The name of the hotel is Domaine de la Rhue.

Paul1950

It just depends on the hotel. What is their cancellation policy?

kleeblatt

That's why I don't look at prices once I've booked. It's not worth the hassle and frustration.

Michel_Paris

Brings up the rumour (that I'm not sure has ever been resolved)...do you get a better room by booking directly, do booking agencies get the less desirable ones.

Any way to compare the rooms?

kenav

it is hard for me to compare the rooms, but my email tot he hotel asked if they were the same type.

Cancellation policy on the booking site is 2 days before - no charge.

bratsandbeer

Don't know if you get a better room dealing with the hotel directly, but I have read postings about how someone has booked a room through a booking site and when they showed up at the hotel their reservation was not honored.

Have also read that some have gotten bad/not so nice rooms when they didn't book through the hotel. It makes sense that the hotel would give their best rooms to those who made reservations with them at their price rather than someone who got the room cheap through a booking company.

kenav

bratsandbeer - Yes, it would make sense for the hotel to give a better room to someone paying directly, as they wouldn't have to pay the booking company a fee.

Still waiting the hotel's reply.

Paul1950

It might make some sort of sense, but we've never noticed any difference in the types of rooms we've gotten based on where we booked. We've gotten less then ideal rooms dealing directly with the hotel, and great rooms dealing through 3rd parties. And vice-versa. On occasion we've asked to change rooms and haven't had a problem either way, as long as the hotel had vacancies.

Christina

It certainly makes sense just from a customer relations viewpoint. Why wouldn't you give the poorer quality rooms within a category to a customer who paid a lot less? It would be bad service if you didn't IMO. To some extent, hotels always try to pawn off the crappy rooms as soon as they can, I think. And some hotel staff just don't care. For example, I've had hotels give me rooms next to ice machines and elevators and a back exit door when I specifically told them at check-in that I wanted a quiet room. This in a hotel that was 75 pct vacant.

Of course, I immediately went back to the desk without even going in the room to complain, and got one in the middle of the floor, but I think that desk clerk was just clueless, that's all, I don't think she intentionally gave me that room, she just had no standards as to what that would mean.

That is assuming you have some better and worse, of course.