elmohasit

I reserved some hotels in America using booking.com, it gave me the price in Australian dollars but then said u will pay in local currency of a new price. It came out cheaper so I am not sure how this works using my credit card. It sounds good but does anyone know if I really will b getting it a lot cheaper

happytrailstoyou

In the USA I find it is almost always better to book directly with hotels. The web sites of most big hotel chains offer the best rates available and no matter what the exchange rate is, it is the best you can get.

On those sites the rate doesn't change (but the exchange rate changes all the time).

In my experience the "cheaper" deals on booking web sites are no cheaper than the same room on the Marriott, Hilton, Best Western, or other leading chain web site.

HTtY

janisj

Actually -- there are often better deals on booking.com. But usually, when I've found a good deal on the site -- I call the hotel to see if they will match. And frequently they will.

>>I am not sure how this works using my credit card.

Myer

You should always pay in local currency and let your credit card convert it.

I have found that if I allow the hotel to charge in my home currency they will have their bank or some other convert it to their currency and the rate you will pay is sometimes outrageous.

I didn't realize this was happening to me on one trip to Paris. When I saw what had been done I contacted the hotel and eventually they determined the rate of exchange by the credit card purchases I made on that same day.

I sent sent them my credit card statement for the date I paid the hotel bill and they had their bank use that instead of what the bank tried to charge. There was a 5% difference on a hotel bill for 5 nights.

Gretchen

I agree with Janis re the booking sites--you can get some great deals and they ARE locked in.
Bring a copy of your booking info they email you.
And of course you will/should pay in USD in the US.

Christina

I've used booking.com for foreign countries, basically the rate they show you is some conversion rate from the quote they have from the hotel. If conversion rates change by the time you pay your hotel bill, your rate can be slightly different.

In fact, I wanted to be sure, so just emailed the hotel after the booking to make sure they had it recorded (a good idea in any case), and I asked them what the rate was they had for me based on the booking, and they told me in local currency. So then I could make sure the two lined up.

You misunderstood about expecting it to be cheaper, it can be different, that's all, up or down.

I have never had a hotel agree to change their rates based on booking.com from what they would have charged otherwise, and I've gotten cheaper rates that way a couple times (from booking, not the hotel). I don't really see the point, anyway, if it's the same exact rate. I don't want to spend my time haggling for no reason, I dislike that concept of trying to beg for lower rates. Also, you would really need to get that in writing.

mlgb

I do sometimes get better rates on booking.com, expedia.com, and other 3rd party sites. Not always, but sometimes. Other times joining the loyalty program and looking at the hotel website either matches the rate with added perks. Sometimes you can find better rates via the hotel site especially autoclub or Senior.

Be sure to understand whether that cheaper booking.com rate is prepaid nonrefundable. So you match apples to apples when comparing to the hotel website.