Booking over the internet
 

Has anyone ever had any trouble booking hotels over the internet or through sites such as Venere?

I had trouble the first time I booked a room via the internet. The London hotel room looked nothing like that was on the hotel's website. For instance, the room on the website was big and bright and clean. My room was small and dingy. On that occasion, I relied solely on what I saw on the hotel's website and paid a heavy price for an awful room.<BR><BR>This time, I went to Italy and France and thoroughly researched the hotels I was interested in (even after looking at their websites). I didn't pick any hotel that wasn't recommended by at least 2 different sites/books. I have to tell you that my diligence paid off because I had a wonderful time and all 5 of my hotels were really nice. Every one of the hotels honored the rates that were quoted via e-mails without hassle. <BR><BR>Research the hotels first before booking them!

I had trouble last year booking a room in PAris through Hotel Boulevard.Com. I reserved a room, got a confirmation and then was called by the service about 1 month later telling me the room I had booked could not be had for the amount they had confirmed . They then told me I would have to pay almost double for the same room. I had made a deposit and had a written confirmation. I would stay away from HotelBoulevard.Com/ Jador.Com and they use a third name which I have forgotten

I am leaving for London in 13 days and have already booked a hostel via internet. I felt it was ok and hope don't have any trouble!! :)

I've had great luck booking accommodations over the internet. Two years ago I planned an entire two weeks in Italy that way--hotel in Florence, hotel in Rome, hotel in Pisa, and even an apartment in a small Tuscan village--and they were all at least as good as I had hoped, some even better. No problems with the reservations, either; each place we showed up knew we were coming and had our room ready. Maybe I just got lucky, but it worked great for me. I did the same for an upcoming return trip (same country; different locales), so let's hope my luck holds!

I think there is a difference between using an internet booking service or the hotel directly on the internet and then what you actually get.<BR><BR>We just returned from Rome, Sorrento and London.<BR><BR>Venere.com is excellent for booking. You immediately get the room availability and rate and a day or so later a confirmation and number. We booked 2 hotels that way for Rome and it worked out fine. You can cancel within a short period before the trip at no cost (check the site for number of days).<BR><BR>The fact that we were not very pleased with one hotel (only a few recommendations on this site) and very pleased with the other (many, many recommendations on this site) is more a function of reasrch and luck rather than internet booking.<BR><BR>For London I used Londontown.com to start with and recommendations on this site for a final decision. Again the hotel was fine but the room was so small we had to use innovative tactics to unpack and hide luggage. The hotel offered to upgrade us at no charge but being there only 3 days and having plans each evening (shows and 'Jack the Ripper Walk') we didn't have the time or energy to repack and move.<BR><BR>

I've used several without problems, venere, reserve the best and relais et chareaux. I have also booked individual hotels from their websites , again with no trouble. <BR>Ask to see the room if you don't like it ask for a change. They certainly can't put everyone in the pictured room, and I'm sure the picture is always of their best room

I ahd a different experience with Venere. We booked a hotel and then cancelled the same day. They neglected to pass on the cancellationa and now we are being charged by the hotel as no-shows. The Hotel (Manfredi) refuses to refund our money even though I sent them a copy of my original cancellation email. When able call hotels directly.

The one time I booked over the internet was a total disaster - the service booked me at the wrong hotel for the wrong dates and for the wrong number of people. I've never tried it again. I call the hotel (what could be easier?) and speak with a REAL person and get the REAL details hammered out. And I ak them to fax me the confirmation, which I print out and bring with me in case there's any confusion at the front desk when I arrive.

I have used www.france.com for several years and have never had a problem. I like it because you can see customer comments, as well as the types of rooms available and the rates for each, so when you are booking, you are booking for a specific type of room at a specific rate (no discount--the same rates that the hotel posts). I prefer it to phone calls because of that specificity and because I get confused if I am offered several types of rooms on the phone. I am then referred by e-mail to a URL on their site with all the info, which I print up. They even e-mail you a reminder of your reservations a week or two before.

The only times I've booked over the internet I was dealt direct with the hotel, not thru a booking services. It worked out fine.<BR><BR>(Agree with comment above to get several recommendations not rely on the looks of a website - travel BB's like this one or Rick Steves or Lonely Planet, plus guidebooks, travel magazines, specific city hotel guides, etc.)

We just returned from Germany, Luxembourg and Alsace and booked every hotel via the internet. Sometimes through a website registration form, sometimes using e-mail. We didn't encounter a single problem. Every hotel had our reservation in their system.<BR><BR>One point of caution. Prices can vary considerably depending upon where you book through. For some hotels, the best prices were obtained by going through a clearing website. For other hotels, the best rates were secured by dealing with the staff directly via e-mail.

I always book over the internet but always through the hotel's website. I have frequently used the same email address to ask questions about the area, transportation, restaurants, activites while I do my planning. By the time I get there sometimes I feel like I know the hotel staff. They don't seem to mind.

I agree w/Grasshopper. I book all hotels directly. Nowadays, it's all so simple as you can email them about the exact type of room you want,if you want non-smoking, a balcony, etc. And practically all hotels secure your reservation by credit card all done via email. And it's true if you have concerns you can email the hotel back and forth and someone will always respond quickly.<BR><BR>It's alot better than dealing with a middleman (internet booking agent) because you control what you want and won't pay a higher hotel rate because of an added commission.

Do a search on-- a trip report of sorts<BR><BR>That will bring up a thread I posted a while ago detailing my experience trying to book several hotels via internet for a vacation we plan next September.

Julie, that thread was very interesting. Thanks. I have had the opposite experience. I tried booking hotels in Bayeux and Honfleur via their websites and got no response whatsoever; one hotel responded about a week later saying they were full (I probably should have tried the phone). Likewise, I tried booking the Champs de Mars in Paris via their e-mail; they replied, saying nothing, but attaching a fax which I couldn't open. So I called them to find out what was in the fax, and ended up going to Kinko's to send them a fax. Arghh! And contrary to the poster in your thread about france.com, I have always gotten instant feedback (no e-mail) and they do not claim to have the lowest prices. The rates they show are exactly the same rates published by the hotel and posted on the doors of the rooms. Perhaps a cheaper rate could be had (during off season?) by calling direct. I get stage fright. Perhaps the poster was thinking of another booking site (hotel-france.com? because it does operate on an e-mail basis).<BR><BR>The URL for Julie's thread is<BR>http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...=2&tid=1355499