KJA: Again, I have been told many times by hotel managers and staff, that people who book directly, rather than with booking.com, will get a preference in room selection. I had a long discussion about this not long ago in Madrid when the owner/manager of my hotel....Sra AF, told me that she always gives priority to those who book directly, She gave me several examples of this, which I will not go into here.

Two rooms might be in the same category but one might be much nicer than the other, especially if the hotel is in an older building where all rooms, even in the same category (example: "superior double room with one queen bed") may vary quite a bit.

Not only that, but if you book directly, an upgrade is much more possible than if you had booked with a third-party site. I've received upgrades several times in past few years, including during my current 8-night stay, at a small hotel in Puglia. I doubt very much if this would have happened if I had used booking.com

Eks, I'm not disputing your experience and, if you read carefully, you'll see that I haven't argued against booking directly with a hotel. All I'm saying is that there's a lot one can learn from booking.com -- and some cases, one can even choose a very specific room based not on "category," but on all sorts of information, including detailed pictures.

Thanks. I am familiar with Booking.com.and I do read reviews if I want to compare several hotels. I can be a valuable site when researching for a trip.

You are so right Ekscrunchy!
Thanks to your guidance we only book directly.

It was a lifesaver especially last trip in 2024 when I was so concerned about having extra seating in the room due to my bad knee but I did not want an " accesible room" as they sometimes have other drawbacks ( surprisingly smaller or locations in high traffic areas)
It was clear upon arrival that the fact I booked directly with hotel was the determining factor in obtaining a complimentry upgrade on several occasions.

I've no idea how many hotels are on booking. Maybe between hotels and apartments a million? I'm sure you'll find hotels that do all sorts of things.

I've been upgraded or allowed early check ins or otherwise well looked after when using booking. Does this mean anything? No. My anecdote is me and those hotels

IMHO how you're treated is more related to how you act . Not how you booked. I've seen guests literally screaming at desk clerks. Demanding things from maids. In general being rude to staff. I've little doubt nobody went out of their way for those guests.

@ ak_rc -- I'm sorry we've ventured so far afield of your questions!

Traveler_Nick captures my experience and my sentiment. Like him, I've been upgraded (without asking), allowed early check-ins or late check-outs, given complimentary bottles of wine, etc., at hotels booked using booking.com. In fact, the only problems I've had with hotels have been with hotels I booked directly -- rooms that don't meet the specified criteria, rude service, etc.. But my experience is too limited for me to feel comfortable saying one strategy is better than another. And there are other issues, too -- ease of booking, traveler needs and preferences, etc. If the pros and cons are of serious interest, maybe someone should start a thread about it. Otherwise, maybe we can return this thread to the OP's concerns?