Bargaining at a Spa?
 

Is it poor ettiquite to negotiate the price of massage and spa services? I notice that practically everything else is up for bargaining, and I was wondering if this is up too.

Also, PLEASE tell me that other people have had successful trips with asiarooms.com. I read earlier on this forum that this was one of the 'good ones' and booked our trip on this site, only to recently read that another traveler had a horrible experience with them! Please tell me this was a fluke!

My opinion would be that for the most part, you would not bargain at a spa. This would be the case at a hotel spa, esp at someplace like the Peninsula or the Banyan where I see from your other posts you are considering staying. Those are fixed price. At a stand alone day spa which is independently owned and operated, you might try it if you are having a very large number of treatments. If you are having a massage at a beach or a temple in Bangkok, i..e, not at an actual spa facility, then you could bargain (definitely on the beach massage.) I've lived in Asia for 10 years and am a big bargainer but I personally have never bargained for anything but beach massages in Bali; I would be curious to hear your results if you try this. The good news is that you would not necessarily be expected to tip.

I don't know asiarooms at all, but my general practice is to book directly with the hotel. I get whatever price I can off a website, and then contact the hotel and ask them to meet that price. The hotel is usually able to do so, and often can better the price or include breakfast or airport transfers, etc. I really prefer the comfort of having a confirmed reservation from the hotel itself, and also not having to pre-pay some third party. I had a bad experience many years ago with using a third party and stopped doing it. With e-mail and fax, it is so easy to make direct bookings yourself.

Nothing really to add...just agree. No bargaining at a spa.

And, I also book directly with the hotel in the same way Cicerone does with the same results. To date, I've always had the hotel give me same or often better deal than any booking site, and I never have to pay in advance nor do I pay change or cancellation penalties should my plans change.

I agree, no bargaining on spa services.

Others have reported having no difficulty with aisarooms.com; there is just the one recent post about a problem with them. Make sure you have printed out the confirmations you have from asiarooms, any receipts, etc.

Unlike Cicerone and KimJapan, I have NOT found that hotels are willing to match prices from internet booking services. Clearly, each place is different.

Have a great ime!

I agree with Kathie that I have found no hotels in Thailand or Cambodia that will match the internet rates. Give us an example of hotels that you have been able to get the same rate or better.

I've always gotten a better rate from the Oriental than I have through an internet source. Another good way to get good Oriental rates is through AmEx. The discount sites are MUCH more money.

The Peninsula Bangkok bettered the best I could find (which was asiahotels.com once and asiarooms.com once) by giving same rate with breakfast and tax included, plus round trip airport transfer included. This was for 3 stays, one a year until 2003. Haven't tried negotiating with them since the steep rate increases there as we haven't been to Bangkok. We paid the same rate of $185.00 incl for a deluxe suite with an extra bed and bfast for 3, tax and transfers for each stay for 3 years by simply asking that they match the rate from our previous stay.

In Bali, every hotel we've considered had a better rate than balidiscovery.com and balibagus.com when contacted directly and negotiated as well. These are all small hotels for booking over Christmas...including the Tjampuhan, Alam Sari, Bali Spirit, Maya Ubud, Alila Manggis...there are more that we checked.

I should add that at places where I frequently saty, I often can get a better deal through the hotel. But at places I'm staying for the first time, I've not had that experience.

I'll agree that some hotel sites are the best. I got the Penn for $137 (w/breakfast) while asiarooms had it for 190. On the other hand, asiarooms has the shangri-la (BKK) for MUCH less money than the SHLA website. Just pays to shop around!

Here's my 2 cents - tried to book direct with the Penn at asiarooms rate (high season, Feb 2006) - they said they could not honor the rate. I ended up booking with asiarooms. I would not hesitate to try the tactic again though with the Penn or any other hotel. As the above poster said, it pays to shop around.

Well, I feel a bit better that others have had good experiences with the site. I'll be sure to post if it doesn't work out...

This varies, within Thailand hotels charge huge rack rates, if I am a regular at a place then yes sure, I will get a good deal, but a firt timer it is not easy, it also depends on the size of the place, what sort of Yield Management system they have ( if they have one ), it varies a great deal.
A friend who has a place up North used to take bookings direct from people and never asked for a deposit, 3 months later discovering that over 60% of people who booked like this never arrived he now only accepts either full pre payment or directs them to book though a booking service.

Never take one complaint nor one suggestion as any guarentee of anything when it comes to hotels, airlines, booking services etc. As so often said comments and reviews are 'opinions' only and are not caste in stone.

When I book a place to stay or a flights I look at the range of options, if it's a flight the timings, aircraft, value for money not just the straight price. Hotel or resort location, overall with accommodation I look for choice of types and rooms, plus speed of confirmation and seeing a clear full price with nothing hidden or added on.

i have not found that hotels would budge much at all on their prices when approached directly....of course they may save face by offering other things which results in the same money saving...i think there are some thai regulations about this type of thing....i did find that when i had a rate at the Penn and then they lowered it on-line and added more extras and when questioned about my res they adjusted my price and added the extras...all done on-line...

Just to add, I agree that it is at least worthwhile to check the hotel's own website for special offers and promotions, also for address and location etc, not always, but sometimes you can find a real bargain.
The problem you will have there is 'finding the hotels own website'!!

Put in the name of most hotels and you will find huindreds of sites but not easy to find the hotel's own site. That's the problem unless you actually know the website address.

i am finding that as the econemy improves in bkk less and less bargaining is happening...markets yes, but far fewer shops bargain....a discount is often asked for and/or offered instead....the more you buy generally the cheaper things will be in one buying session....