Which Hotel-booking website???
 

We'll be traveling for 30 nights in China, staying in mid-range (3-4*) hotels.
I'm overwhelmed by the abundance of online booking sites, and ask your advice.
I'm not looking for "the cheapest", but one that is
- reliable (rooms actually waiting),
- offers best terms (no prepayment necessary,
- flexible, (no heavy penalties for changes/cancellation) and
- good service - responds to problems.

Your advice would be appreciated.

The conditions you are looking for tend to not be associated with booking sites but with direct booking. Most, if not all, agents require prepayment for all but hotel published rates (which you can book directly with the hotel). Cancellation or changes almost always incur a charge, even if well in advance, unless you have booked directly with the hotel. You are least likely to have a problem with a direct booking, and the hotel would be the best party to deal with any problems.

Short answer, book directly with the hotel to have your conditions met.

Booking sites need a deposit to hold your reservation. Many will accept a one night deposit, you pay the remainder to the hotel on arrival. Some take a one night deposit and require the rest be paid perhaps two weeks before.

Booking some hotels directly will require a one night deposit, but many will hold your rooms with just a credit card guarantee.

thanks kim & kathy. i'll compare booking-site rates to the hotel direct rates. obviously i don't want to pay rack rates, but where the rates are close, i would also prefer to deal direct.
which booking sites do you recommend?
Thx

I almost always use Agoda.com (used to be Planet Holiday). They usually have the best rates (among discount sites - hotels sometimes beat them) BUT you do have to pay them in full before arrival.

AsiaRooms.com is another oft-mentioned site for China, but reviews on their service are mixed.

I used to use asiahotels.com all the time. They were purchased by another company and their customer service declined sharply. I understand they have been sold by that company, so it's worth looking at their site again. (I have not used them in the last couple of yaers, so if their rates and conditions look good, ask for recent experiences from others)

Also look at Ctrip which we used well on a 3 month trip round China.

You could try http://www.nongasia.com/china.html , I think they go into Hotelclub, but for most deals except last minute you probably would have to pay in advance, if you are in USA you could also try this,
http://www.res99.com/hotel/deals/100...ng_hotels.html
That's Beijing but they most do other places too, and other places, you can also do it by phone if you are in the USA, I think they may do the pay 1 night only but not sure, I spooted it when there was a USD 129 rate for the Novotel Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok which was a good deal.

I have recently and successfully used asiahotels.com and wireddestinations.com Last year I used octopustravel.com too.