Internet Rates - Hotels
 

I am not a very experienced traveler - please explain..I called the Mirage, Las Vegas and was quoted $239 per night. I found $129 on travelscape.com. I never reserved a room via the Internet before. Is there something I need to know? Is this just as secure as booking via the hotel? Downsides? How can there be such a huge discrepancy in price? Thanks

Hotel rates--nowhere moreso than in Las Vegas--vary tremendously, from week to week, sometimes hour to hour if rooms are filling quickly. <BR>To answer your question about the wide discrepancy at the Mirage: many travel booking companies (such as 1-800-96HOTEL, etc) will make agreements with large hotels, such as the Mirage, to sell blocks of their rooms. The deal is that the hotel gives the company a reduced rate since the company is doing a lot of 'legwork' to provide occupants for the hotel, the company passes savings on to you, but still makes money since they're receiving a commission for every room they sell. You get a better rate, the company makes a few bucks, the hotel fills up more quickly. Of course hotels which are filling easily on their own and those with very large profit margins will seldom use booking companies....they don't need to. So while you can find deals on Hiltons and Radissons and Holiday Inns at every turn, you won't often find a discount rate on the country's best Four Season's or Ritz Carltons. <BR>As for safety...no problem booking through a well run internet company. Make sure they've been in business awhile, etc. If you have questions, call the hotel and make sure that the hotel has an agreement with the booking company and that your reservation will indeed be honored. <BR>I actually got a $119 rate during a sold out weekend at the Four Seasons in Las Vegas once, but that was quite a rare circumstance, I believe.

Do you request a particular view when you check in and what is the liklihood of getting it? When I called the hotel to compare rates, it was much more expensive than travelscape.com butthey were willing to guarantee a view for $20. How do you get a view with internet?

Carol, I think you just have to make a choice. I haven't heard any horror stories about booking through hotel discounters, but read the terms at Travelscape carefully. The discount hotel sites often are noncancellable reservations whereas booking directly through the hotel normally gives you more flexibility. <BR> <BR>If a view is worth an extra $130 to you then book through the hotel. Once you're standing in front of the desk clerk you're at their mercy.

Carol, <BR>I use www.hoteldiscounts.com to book my hotel reservations. I have used them in the past, and am using them again this year. I called the hotel directly and got a rate of $225 for a standard room. Through hotel discounts I got a rate of $129 for a premium room. I didn't ask about a view because that isn't important to me. The only drawback to using hotel discounts and other websites like it is that your credit card is billed when you make the reservations. I've never had to cancel, but if you do hotel discounts charges you a $50 cancellation fee and your credit card is credited for the balance. <BR> <BR>Kathy <BR>

Carol: <BR>There are tradeoffs when you you get a discounted rate through an online booking company. For one, you won't be able to get any particular room type. <BR>In fact, I've found that at some nicer hotels, you're almost treated with a little less respect or given a bit less 'consideration' because the front desk people know you got a great deal on the room and they don't feel like doing you any extra favors. <BR>So you have to decide what's important. <BR>But if you save enough $$ on a better rate, heck, pay the desk clerk $20 on check in and get a room upgrade or view or whatever, if they'll take it.