elaine

Hi
Under the current "don't use hotels.com" thread, someone commented that he/she compared rates from a group hotel booking service website to rates on a hotel's own website, found the booking service rates to be lower, and for that reason booked through the service.

I just wanted to comment here from personal experience that the standard rates on a hotel's website are not necessarily the last word on lowest available rates. Websites rates are most often set up once or perhaps twice a year with rates to be projected over a long time period. Websites can be difficult to edit; it's not something the hotel wants to do every day if they want to charge a lower rate.

But, if you email or fax the hotel directly, there may be a "winter special" or "August special" or just some other lower rate available that particular day because they don't want to get stuck with vacancies. I always inquire of a person, not just a website. And it's because of that that I can say after many inquiries, that only once in my experience has a hotel not matched a lower rate that I saw elsewhere ("elsewhere" being such websites as, londontown.com, expedia, venere.it, tripadvisor, go-today, etc.)

Whatever your own results are, it can't hurt to ask.

Singletail

I have had the same experience and often have found I get better rates from dealing with the establishment directly and as above, have usually had no trouble getting them to match or beat the so-called "lowest rate" offered by booking services, etc.

bettyk

Elaine, I have had just the opposite experience. I found the hotel's website "Internet Special" price to be considerably lower than what was offered by the hotel directly by email!

It just proves that you have to vigilant and try every resource. AND, right before you leave on your trip, scan the lateroom.com and lastminute.com offers to see if you can do better still!

BTilke

Along that line, I have to say that Accor group hotels do publish very good rates online on the Accor website, better than I have found for their hotels on other web sites. They frequently run their own Internet specials that offer excellent discounts--for example, we stayed at the 4 star (4* plus IMHO) Sofitel Le Parc in Paris for 175 a night, taxes and breakfast included; later this month, we're booked into the 5 star Dorint (now part of the Accor group) in Baden-Baden, Germany, for 159 a night (deluxe double taxes and breakfast) including use of their very good spa facilities. When I've contacted Accor hotels directly, I've been told that their Internet special rates are usually the lowest they offer and that I can't get a better price (or even as good a price) booking directly with the hotel.

David_London

I have had similar experiences to elaine but would add that I normally find better rates for large chain hotels on the web and better prices for small independent hotels by going direct.

elaine

now, this could be a very useful thread, especially for newbies.

I'm typing additional phrases here in case searches are done

Hotel rates
Cheapest rates
Best rate

Wesch

This is very good info! I will certainly try to get the hotel to "match" the internet rates I find. Is it better for them, financially, if I go directly through them versus going through the internet site (like hotels.com)? I would imagine that it would be...

The other downside to using net sites is that some (not all) charge you for the entire cost of the room at the time of booking. Then, if you should cancel, you have to wait for THEM to refund you your money (less the $25 fee, of course).

BTilke - those are GREAT rates for the hotels you mentioned!! I will check the Accor site first from now on. Thanks for that info.

Happy Travels,
Mindy

bobthenavigator

Good stuff Elaine.
The key idea is it certainly does not hurt to ask and compare.