petal

I just finished booking a lovely hotel at a discounted price for in Burford, Cotswolds.. and I believe they made a mistake in the price. I tried in about 10 different booking sites, and 50% had one rate and 50% had this erroneous rate, probably all generated from a single data input error. I am paying 85 GBP for what I believe should be 135 GBP. I believe they are charging a single rate for what they meant to be a double rate.
Frankly, the only way I would stay at this hotel, albeit quite lovely, is at the lower rate, since 135 GBP is way over my limit for one night in a 21 day stay.
Am I responsible? I have contacted the Hotel to make them aware that I appreciate the discounted price offered at the online booking site... in the hopes that they will honor the booking. And if they choose to NOT honor the rate offered on site, I want to know now so I can book somewhere else.

The booking details read:
Room type: Double (max 2 adults)
Room name: single
Adults: 2 (It allowed me to choose 2)
Children 0
Number of rooms 1
Cost: 85 GBP

Alternatively...
Double (max 2 adults)
Room name: Double
etc...

It seems like every time I turn around with this trip I run into something....

TopMan

Your "belief" that they "made an error" is a major assumption that could easily be incorrect.

If you have a confirmation of the rate then I believe the rate should be honored when you arrive. Take documentation. Nobody here can change what has happened.

kimerley

Petal,
if you do a search for most hotels you get many various prices on each site.
I booked a hotel for my husband in London for 45 pounds...where other sites for the same hotel were 99 pounds.
Same for Barcelona..he paid 120 euro..other sites same hotel 180 euro.
As Topman writes, if you have a confirmation email/letter of the room type: double and rate they will honor it.

bettyk

I also found the same thing when booking rooms for our recent trip. Most websites showed the Rubens Hotel rate at over GBP149, but I was able to book it for GBP 106 thru laterooms.com and they were the only ones to have that rate.

As long as you have confirmation, you should be OK.

lisa_b

Have you not paid already? I would agree that if you have the confirmation then thats the price. I booked a Holiday Inn here at £35 per night, the price then jumped to over £100, but the confirmation showed the rate. Also if you have contacted the hotel and they have said they will honour it then relax and enjoy the trip.

lisa_b

Just re-read your post, whats this Room nameingle? That sounds to me as if it is a double for single use? I know it allowed you to put 2 people down but that could be an error! Call the hotel and simply ask them what they have for your booking,i.e how many rooms and how many persons per room.

ira

Hi petal,

Just fax or email the hotel and ask them to confirm your booking of 2 people in a double room at 85GBP.

They will tell you if it is an error.

Christina

You don't say what booking site you used, but I just think you have to be clear that is the rate for both of you in the room. I would be very leery, also, as the confirmation calls the room name "single". Some British hotels and booking sites, more than any other I've seen, quote rates per person rather than per room.

It could be some meaningless name thing that it says single instead of double, however, that is a very wide price difference for single one vs. two persons in the same double room. Usually, if there is any price difference for single occupancy, it is around 10 GBP (solely for minor service differences). If it is a lot less, it is because it is a smaller room.

TopMan

I just had another thought..have you had an answer yet from the hotel? If so, what did they say?

RufusTFirefly

Many places in Germany also quote prices per person--especially smaller establishments.

petal

I emailed promptly after receiving one of those canned confirmation notices, thanking them for the discounted room rate and advising that my husband AND I would be there (the single room bothered me, even though it followed with 2 adults in a double bed) and asked for non smoking (even though it was a non smoking hotel) just to have a firm confirmation from someone who had eyeballed the transaction.

The web site did call this a special internet rate on the booking page notice, but it just LOOKS wrong.
On the main web site for the hotel the prices are significantly more than ANY of the prices on the discounted site. The main web pages describes. I was hoping to hear back from the hotel today, confirming the reservation. I suppose I could call them by phone.
If you want to look at the web page and see what you think..
http://www.baytreeclassic.activehotels.com/DTB. This is the discounted web site that took my booking via cc for 85 GBP. I hope they will honor it.

Everywhere .. in every popup and description of the room it says double bed for 2, inclusive of BF.. I think whoever built the booking site cross linked some of the information.

I'll email them again.
.. what's your other thought Topman?

btw, I would really like to stay here for the 85 GBP.

obxgirl

Which hotel is it? Inquiring minds want to know!

janis

The Bay Tree is VERY nice. I haven't stayed there because I usually self cater by the week when in the area - but I have eaten there and stopp in for drinks.

£85 would seem to be a very, VERY good rate for this property. If it were me I'd give them a call. If the rate is OK you have won the lottery. And if it is a mistake, maybe they can make an adjustment and not charge you full rates.

janis

meant to add - the real reason I haven't stayed there (besides the self catering bit) is the Bay Tree is waaaaaay outside my budget for most trips . . . . . .

obxgirl

Whoops, didn't see the url buried in your post. The Bay Tree is a wonderful place to stay. Let us know what evolves!

petal

Just an update. I contacted activehotels.com because I wanted to be sure there weren't any problems with the hotel honoring my booking. (having printed out all the popups was a good idea I think) Anyway, the web site has been corrected for that rate being for single occupancy, instead of double occupancy. I am sure this is because I brought it to their attention. The disturbing part of this transaction is that they haven't answered my emails.
They changed the site and fixed the error.
I would have liked "Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Of course, we will honor your booking and have corrected our description on the booking web site."

There is a 40 GBP fee to cancel a booking. I think I need to call the hotel directly, but still feel that someone should have responded to my emails, especially if they have since modified the web site.

Robespierre

Beware: Confirm details before booking.

At wwte1.com, I entered search criteria for 5, and the site displayed a property whose details included "one double sofa bed and two twin beds, with optional additional twin." Sound like they'll put 5 people in a room, right?

Wrong. <u>After</u> the system accepted my reservation, I got an e-mail indicating that the property did NOT allow more than 4 people in a room, and that I should either reserve an additional room or cancel the reservation.

I canceled, and they charged me $30 for the privilege. The property, Book London, and wwte1.com are now on my permanent list.

petal

I finally received an email from active hotels. They state they have been in contact with the hotel and they will not honor my booking. They have cancelled the booking. No one is taking any responsibility for the erroneous presentation on the active hotels web site or offering any compensation. I guess, considering the previous poster, I should be glad they aren't charging me 40 GBP which is their non refundable deposit.
(at least they better not be)

janis

Petal: There are so many lovely places to stay in and near Burford and in other lovely Cotswold villages in every price range - I would not worry about using any booking site. Just find a property you like and contact them directly. The Cotswolds is not an area with a lot of large properties of the sort that normally offer discounts on booking sites.

petal

And of course, Janis, as usual, you are correct and that is actually how I stumbled upon this hotel, just browsing online for something that looked charming in Burford. But the website I was looking at had this link to book online and as one link leads to the next, I found myself forced to book via the on line booking site. In fact, I still have not found a direct email to the hotel website, but their web site has a phone number.

And for a update and finale, the customer service representative, after reading the full measure of my emails, just emailed me asking me to disregard the cancellation email and stated that the hotel would honor my booking at the booked rate of 85 GBP for my husband and myself. Apparently, I made a good case when I emailed my booking information in its entirety.
So.. my confirmed reservation is a go.

Robespierre,
Sorry about your negative outcome. I am pleased with this booking company in that, on further review, by the same individual, they reconsidered their stand and honored my reservation as I booked it. I will remember not to use the company you mentioned. I generally, just as Janis suggested, deal with the hotel/B&amp;B directly after finding one on the internet. The more pictures the better. I have had good luck with B&amp;B's so far.
I would certainly have disputed that 30 GBP cancellation fee generated from their miscommunication via a website.


Janis.. how do you find that GBP character on your keyboard? I can't find it.