MichaelBKK

I thought I'd post this, as I've mentioned Agoda for hotels a lot. I got a newsletter from them last week where they announced they'd been acquired by PriceLine. The announcement said there would be no changes in policies or services, but we've all heard that one before, haven't we?

I guess I better use those rewards points real soon.

bmttokyo

MichealBKK,

Thanks for the heads up. I'm surprised I have not heard from them. I normally get their monthly Travel news & have not gotten the Dec email update as yet.

Several weeks ago I redeemed 2 nights stays through them for our trip to Chiang Mai in March & already have all the details in our possession. I still have quite a bit of points that they would not release to me though. I'll keep an eye on it.

Thanks again.

MichaelBKK

I doubt that any changes will be immediate, and if you've got confirmed reservations I'm sure they're fine.

I'm more concerned about the rewards system, since Agoda was one of the few booking sites that had one. I'm worried that they might one day announce that all my points are gone, or that I have some ridiculously short period of time to use them.

I've always wondered what they meant by 'pending' points. I guess they're the ones you can use.

jcasale

As I have been surfing different sites to see how to best reserve our hotels for Phuket and Bangkok, Agoda routinely comes up the cheapest. But should I be concerned about putting in a new reservation given this information? The savings would be in general less than $50 for both reservations, but that could buy us a massage ! Or maybe even two!

kimberlyb

After reading several posts on this board, looking to use either Agoda or Sawadee to book our last night in Bangkok in April. I've never used any discount booking agents and appreciate the feedback.

I'm relieved to hear that no one has had any problems with either company, specifically about not honoring their reservation.

Just curious if anyone has used Agoda since they were acquired by PriceLine? If so, any problems with your reservation? (Agoda rates are less than Sawadee and both are considerably less than booking hotel directly.)

MichaelBKK

I continue to use them without any problems. I doubt there would ever be an issue with having reservations honored. The changes I am concerned about have to do with policy rather than anything to do with reservations. One of the reasons I've used Agoda for so long is that, once I've got a voucher, I never have any problems with the reservation.

When comparing prices, be sure to note that the initial price Agoda shows does not include tax and service charges. This is also true of Sawasdee, but other sites do show the full rate.

For Thai hotels you need to add 17% to Agoda's rate to get the full cost of the hotel. This often puts the actual rate close to, and even more than, the rates of HotelClub or AsiaTIV.

rhkkmk

i just did my first booking with them....i noticed a CT phone number, which is where priceline is headquartered....

how well does the 'cash-back/bonus money' work....?? how fast does it appear in you account...??

bmttokyo

Booked with them again last week for our overnighter at the airport- still the cheapest option I found. MBKK, so far, agoda has given me the best prices for ALL the bookings I have made since the summer. I was hoping to let you know what "pending points" meant once my account was cleared up but since I still have not cleared that issue, I am hoping you know something about it now.

Panda, the points are converted to $ which you can use towards any booking you have in the future. I like this better than some loyalty points since you can choose from a whole lot more hotel brands & the prices are rock bottom. I had no problem using $125 worth of points towards my Chiang Mai booking soon after the points were posted. I got a $125 discount on my total bill.

I booked with Lebua twice last summer & it was offering a double point credit. I got my basic points credited a month after check out. The double points came in 2 months after the 1st check out and a month after the second one. They erroneously gave me an adjustments (52,601 points) I assumed it was given for the late crediting of the double points-but when I tried to use it for another booking, they would not release it. I asked the regular customer service agent why it was there, no one could tell me. I was referred to Rewards Dept but still no explanation except that it was not suppose to be there. I have been requesting them to purge it from my account for the past 2 months, to no avail. In my statement it is posted as Points Pending. I figured I won't spend any more on overseas calls to clarify that. Maybe one of these days, they'll get to it.

Customer Service has much to be desired although I have gotten an exceptionally great agent on the rare occasion.

bmttokyo

Ooops, did I say Panda, I meant Bob.

kimberlyb

Thanks MichaelBKK. Are there any other hidden fees with Agoda (outside of the 17% hotel tax)?

How do you get the voucher? Can everything can be done via email?

bmttokyo

They have the usual 17% fees - no others that I have encountered. Everything can be done by email on regular bookings as well redemption transactions . However, I had to call to do the point redemption since the website was not working the day I needed to book.

MichaelBKK

The 17% is tax and service charge - for Thailand. These vary from one country to another. Agoda has no booking fee. Some sites that only collect a partial payment have a booking fee.

kimberlyb

Thank you both. Since you have used Agoda, I would like your opinion for a different booking.

We will be in Phuket for 4 nights and then traveling to Bangkok for one night (we have an early morning flight the next day).

Originally I was only planning on booking the Bangkok hotel via Agoda since the Agoda rates for the Phuket hotel are only a few US dollars less than booking directly with the hotel.

The benefits to booking directly with the hotel are: better room selection, no pre-payment necessary, includes roundtrip airport transfers, plus additional package perks.

However, if I book the Phuket hotel via Agoda too, could I redeem the Agoda points earned in Phuket towards the Bangkok stay? It would actually translate to a nearly free stay in BKK. Are there any restrictions that would prevent this?

In your opinion, should I book directly with the Phuket hotel (Katathani) and get complimentary roundtrip airport transfers, etc. or try to get a free night in Bangkok with Agoda points? (staying at a budget hotel since we are there less than a full day) Both options include breakfast and I'm guessing that a taxi to/from the Phuket airport to Kata would be less than $60US roundtrip.

bmttokyo

It it were just a few dollars difference, I would book directly with the hotel considering all the other benefits you will be getting. I would suppose your budget hotel in BKK won't be too expensive either. Sure, a free night sounds great but depending on the property, you could be stuck with a run of the house room. That is always my fear with 3rd party reservations. It really depends on the hotel- sometimes even just the Front Desk agent whether you're treated any differently than guests who have paid the higher price.

In all my agoda transactions, I consider 40% or higher discount over direct hotel booking a good deal. Not all agoda deals are better than direct booking but it just so happened with the hotels I have chosen since using them this summer.

rhkkmk

you are forgetting the 17%...it is included in thailand bookings on agoda and that is significant...i generally would prefer a direct booking too but i find no difference in my rooms booking with the discounters...

GiuliaPiraino

Many people don't realize that Agoda also has great prices on European hotels as well. We got almost half price off the London Gatwick Sofitel through Agoda. Same with Rome Hilton Airport. I'm planning on using them for the Renaisance Barcelona this year. I haven't been able to beat their prices for the big European chains.

MichaelBKK

I don't believe the Agoda points are redeemable until after you check out, so you can't use points earned from one stay to get a discount on another hotel during the same trip. It just isn't feasible.

rhkkmk

i think the points are not posted until 30 days after check-out

bmttokyo

MichaelBKK,

Agoda finally updated my account- although they still have not purged the extra 50+K they "gave" me- it is still in the balance column. Where there used to be PENDING POINTS, it now says Points will be available 30 days after departure date.

No worries for as long as they keep my available points available.