We're hopefully traveling to Paris in July and I'm trying to change our return flight from Rome to Paris as we speak. In the past when my husband and I have traveled to Paris we never worried about hotels as far as pre-payment but, with the Euro so strong I thought it might be a good idea to find a travel wholesaler and book here in U.S. dollars instead of paying there in Euro. I hoping I can find a company that might have negotiated rates last year for this year so we might not be paying quite so much? Just a thought. Does anyone have a recommendation for a website or company they use here in the USA to pre-pay your hotel only? Most websites I've come accross seem to require you book airfare or car rental along with the hotel. We're looking for hotel only. The only two companies I know of are Otel.com and ClassicVacations.com. Any other suggestions?

Thank you!

Priceline and Hotwire and GTAHotels.com and Accorhotels.com .

Accorhotels will charge in the local currency. It doesn't make any difference per se, whether you prepay in dollars or Euros, but just what the final total cost to you is. Sometimes the hotel's own web site offers a prepaid rate, such as the various Holiday Inns.

Sometimes the prepaid rate is a good idea, and sometimes not. For Priceline (rather tricky in Paris) and Hotwire (can be OK in Paris) info, see www.betterbidding.com . I would only prepay if it offers a significant discount, because you are assuming risk by doing so.

doesn't Expedia make you prepay? One reason I won't use them, not that I usually use hotel booking sites like that, anyway.

I wouldn't think many booking sites are negotiating rates with Parisian hotels to fill rooms a year ahead of time, but could be wrong. Maybe those big business hotels, but I would be surprised if any small to medium size Parisian hotel did that.

Try www.hotels.com, also, they have prepayment. I checked one hotel on there, and there was a slight discount over rack rate in that case. For the Edouard VI hotel in Paris in mid-June, they want $228 a night for a twin room plus $12 booking fee, which is about 150 euro. On their own website, you can get an internet special for 162 euro (including booking fee), but you don't have to prepay. Also, you can book a double room online, not just a twin which hotels.com demands.

You can pre-pay on Orbitz and hotels.com.

Thank you both for your help! I'm looking at the GTA website which looks a lot like Otel.com. I'm wondering if GTA is the UK version? In any case, there are many good deals on several 4 star hotel that are offering 3rd night free so this is a huge help and will offset the cost of my changing our return!

Christina, I know that travel wholesalers--like American Express or Delta Vacations do negotiate rates with any hotel they offer and it's not continously ongoing. I don't know when it happens but, I know it happens at some point every year and they typically negotiate for a specific period of time---whether that be 6 months or 12 months. Last August I was able to book the George V for $700USD per night for a trip to Paris scheduled in December but, I had to cancel because I needed surgery. In August on the Four Seasons website their rate was $900EU per night. When I went to rebook this Spring the wholesaler had obviously renegotiated because it's well over $1000 per night at this time. They've apparently renegotiated...oh well.

I don't know if Expedia makes you pre-pay? I haven't used them in a while but, when I did I don't remember prepaying???

I appreciate your help. Thanks again!

Maybe I should have rephrased the question to, "have you seen any good deals on Paris hotels?" I would prefer to stay in the left bank but all the deals I've seen have been the right bank. We typically stay at 4 or 5 star hotels. I wouldn't use a Priceline or a "Top Secret" mystery hotel at a lesser price because I want to know where I'm staying. That's just me. If you've seen a great deal, let me know. Thank you! RMC

Part of the answer would be does the agency offer the hotel you want? Chains and larger hotels may be part of network, but smaller ones may not.

I would also wonder, as good business practice, if companies and hotels would not in their agreements not have a clause to adjust prices based on currency fluctuations.

I'd search for your hotel, if you have one in mind. Sometimes one or booking agencies will have it in their portfolio, then you can compare to hotel published rate. There are so many out there, for example...

http://www.travel-in-paris.com/hotel...me/english.htm

www.myhotelinparis.com/hotels2/023.htm

We stayed at the Hilton Paris last September with Hotwire for $120/night. The hotel's web rate was €330/night. I was certain, based on recent bookings reported on www.betterbidding.com that the hotel would be the Hilton.

While the hotel would not have been my first choice, and the location was not quite as convenient as I would have wished, for the ridiculously low rate I didn't care. The savings more than covered a few taxis. And, the hotel was significantly nicer than any other hotel I could have booked for that rate.

We also stayed at the Waldorf Hilton in London with Priceline for $120/night. Again, I was certain, based on recent winning bids reported on www.biddingfortravel.com of the hotel.

While you cannot always be certain of the hotel you will get with Hotwire or Priceline, you can narrow down the possibilities, check reviews, and take a chance if you like.

I just want to confirm before I book, I assume GTA is a reputable site and people here use them to book their travel without incident? I would assume so but since I've never used them I just want to make sure! Thank you!!

Lots of people here have used GTAHotels successfully. They are part of the huge conglomerate Travelport and their sister sites are HotelClub, RatestoGo, and numerous others.

But it is not associated with Otel - that's a Turkish company - although the inventory can look very similar.

I guess it's more the design of their websites that made me think they might be related. Thank you very very much, you've been a tremendous help! 57 days and counting till we leave!