London Hotel Deal - how did you find yours ?
 

I am wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience.

I got a rate of MUCH lower than the lowest price I found on the internet for a boutique Knightsbridge hotel. I got this by emailing the hotel directly and asking them if they had a room without a bath. They did (with a shared bath down the hall) and were happy to offer it to me. These rooms are nor advertised on the internet or the hotel web site.

And yes, I found the room quite satisfactory - large, comfortable, with with basic amendities (TV, phone, washstand, but no a/c...which i don't care for anyway).

I often e-mail hotels directly and ask them for their "best rate" for the type of accommodation I want and the dates, etc.

Sometimes I get an offer than "beats" the hotel's website listing and sometimes I don't.

I just had a very similar experience booking a hotel in Amsterdam. I e-mailed the hotel directly and got a deluxe room for the same price quoted for a superior room on the hotel's website.

What was the price difference?

I've had the experience both ways. My Stockholm hotel (that I booked via e-mail) was cheaper than what I was expecting -- compared to the hotel's own website and the net.

But usually I can find something cheaper on the net compared to what the hotel quotes me.

It seems like if you want to save money, then you need to check a few sources. Usually I stop after a while when I feel like I'm tired with the process. I know that I'm still leaving money on the table (unfortunately).

I think it depends on your dates, I mean, if your date is very near they are willing to book you at a better rate if you email them. But if it is an advanced booking, I don't think they offer you anything better that their offers in the website.

To Kenderina: I booked a couple of months in advance and the dates were regarded as 'high season'. The price difference I got was about 100GBP, compared to the lowest webrate.

Thanks for the advice, curiousx !
Next time I will try the email thing as well :)
I've had what I think to be a good rate at Hilton.com this time but I will ask in the future, sure.

..I think it always pays to do your homework. I think checking several internet sites and calling/emailling/faxing a hotel directly after you are aware of published prices is the way to go. For example, I was invited to a wedding. The bride had arranged for rooms to be set aside for guests at a preferred rate. I checked the internet and found a rate $30 less per night per room( and I read the fine print re taxes, inclusions ect). I then called the hotel with this info. They gave me a rate $5 more than the internet site but with the advantage that it could be cancelled up to 3 days before.

Agree that you should do your homework by checking a variety of different websites, including the hotel's own site. I have found some great deals months prior to my arrival using the Best Western website as well as Hilton's. I also have gotten good deals by emailing the hotel directly.

For our last two visits to London, I booked the Rubens HOtel thru londontown.com. Their rate included breakfast but not VAT but it was still the best rate I found anywhere.

I booked directly with a hotel onour last trip to London (The Montague) when they were having a special rate but then about 2 weeks before we left, I noticed an even better rate via the internet only so I booked via internet and cancelled my original reservation and saved 50 pounds. I just keep checking the internet and see what is out there.

I've stayed in a lot of London hotels (and lived in London for year) so I feel like I know the areas and options fairly well. So, London became my first priceline foray this year. We got the Thistle Charing Cross for about $125 (the best website price was 115 pounds). I'll try it again sometime when I want to stay in a decent hotel (4* or 5* by priceline standards) but am not too fussed about the exact location and won't ruin my holiday if I get a lousy "priceline" room (e.g. if I'm just in London for a quick stopover). Otherwise, for London and other cities, I usually shop for a cancellable rate several months in advance, make a booking and then monitor the hotel's websites and a few other websites to see if I can find something better. When I get close to departure time and I'm 100% sure that I'm going, I consider booking a non-refundable rate through a discount site like cheaprooms.com or superbreak.co.uk.

I'm a bit nervous about Prague and Krakow. I've searched and found rates ranging from $90 to $180 for the same room on the same nights. Of course I went with the lower price, but in hearing lots of reviews that state "WHEN WE ARRIVED THE HOTEL WAS OVERBOOKED AND THEY SENT US ELSEWHERE", I can only assume that they are going to send their lowest-paying guests elsewhere and have the higher-booked customers stay on.

I'm just afraid that by getting the best bargains we'll also be putting ourselves in some tricky situations?

That sort of overbooking and "walking" probably has more to do with whether you show up early or late, rather than price. I've certainly heard of overbookings and being "walked" by hotels from people who paid the full price, although not specifically in Prague and Krakow.

If you are concerned, and you're willing to pay in that price range, have you considered bidding for a Prague 5* hotel on Priceline?

After spending a few days in London at a subpar hotel for $100US per night (many years ago when the $ wasn't being killed by the L) I tried Priceline the next time and would never book a London hotel any other way. I've paid from $65-$100 per night for a 4* hotel and I've never gotten a dog (am paying $70 in August for the Copthorne Tara near the HSK tube). Do your research first on Biddingfortravel or betterbidding and you can usually narrow it down to 2 or 3 likely hotels that you'll get.

And a really great side benefit is that once you are booked, you are booked and you can spend the time you'd be continuing to search for bargains searching for great places to visit, eat, shop, etc. :-)

For the person who's looking for Prague, you might check out BFT and see what's coming up on Priceline, I also just booked my Budapest hotel for $70 per night and it looks like a great hotel.

I agree with Priceline...I use it for every major city I go to. With some research you can really get great deals. Stayed above Victoria staion for less than 75 US per night 4 star. Downtown Seattle...walking distance to Pikes Market...65 for a 4 star etc.

Does anyone have direct experience getting a 5* on Priceline? Their selector says the suggested retail in London is $271, and they claim a typical discount of 40%.

Well, 60% of 271 is 162 - so what's the strategy? Bid 150 and see if they offer something for more? Or hope to win a 150 that's worth it?

Yes - people do get 5 star places in London (though some of what PL calls 5 star are actually 4 star properties)

What you need to do is access biddingfortravel.com. Not only will you see which hotels are being "won" in which zones - you will find bidding strategies.

Take a look at biddingfortravel for 5* in London, I saw some posted but can't remember what they were going for. if you want a 5*, you bid for a 5*, they won't give you a lower star grade although if you bid four, you could get a 5*. That hasn't happened to me in London but I did get upgraded a level in another city.

I tried for a 5* in London(Nov. 2004) and didn't get it at $200. We did get the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum for $75, which was a wonderful bargain and perfectly acceptable hotel. Couldn't get a 5* in Rome for $225 that same trip (Nov. 04). BUT-- I got a resort in Florida a few months later during the ultimate winter high season for $80 per night (a condo).

But what seems capricious to me is, I guess, a combination of existing inventory, lead time, the actual bid, and the vagaries of random selection in the PL computer program.

I find contacting the hotel directly can be best -- I do the same with the airlines...first checking Orbitz, et al, then checking directly to see if their rates are better.

In our case, we're returning to London in September, and I e-mailed the hotel we're staying at and told them I was a repeat customer, and they knocked another 5 BP off the price. Not a big discount, but they were pleased that we chose to come back and stay with them again.


Jules