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Hotels.com vs Booking.com

JEDI

JEDI

Lifer
So i've been using hotels.com to book my hotel stays.
book 10 nights, get 1 free (up to the avg value of the 10 nights).

today, i discovered Booking.com.
the same hotel for Feb 2023 is 8% cheaper (saving $6.50/day) but it doesnt seem like they have the gimmick of book x nights, get 1 free.
8% x 10 = 80%

so it looks like hotels.com wins if you stay 10nights in y time frame.
 
Sometimes you can get a better deal booking direct through the hotel. Wyndham Rewards can sometimes get you one free night after 5 nights of stays.
 
I usually just book directly with a hotel. I don't stay in enough places a year on trips I book myself to make most rewards with it, and it's usually the cheapest.

Though, I am also looking at a capital one's travel portal for my next hotel booking: 5% cash back when you use one of their cards.
 
I haven't used hotels.com or anything like that in probably a decade. The cheapest prices are always direct with the hotel in my experiences now a days.

I will sometimes check those sites to compare to the direct sites but the prices are never any different and sometimes more, and you don't have to worry about something happening with a middleman when going direct.
 
purbeast0 said:
I haven't used hotels.com or anything like that in probably a decade. The cheapest prices are always direct with the hotel in my experiences now a days.

I will sometimes check those sites to compare to the direct sites but the prices are never any different and sometimes more, and you don't have to worry about something happening with a middleman when going direct.
Click to expand...
I could see some small benefit to secondary booking sites if prices are the same or close, and you don't stick to one hotel family: collecting free nights or additional airline miles (ie, AA's hotel booking partner offers bonus AA miles if you book through them)
 
purbeast0 said:
I haven't used hotels.com or anything like that in probably a decade. The cheapest prices are always direct with the hotel in my experiences now a days.

I will sometimes check those sites to compare to the direct sites but the prices are never any different and sometimes more, and you don't have to worry about something happening with a middleman when going direct.
Click to expand...

I've had a different experience outside of the major chains. About 25% of the time they're cheaper directly with the hotel. About 50% its the same as the cheapest of the major aggregators. About 25% of the time one of the major aggregators is cheaper. If they're the same I'll normally use one of the aggregators since I can try and use whatever loyalty program they offer plus I usually have a ~5% CB option through one of my credit cards

Major chains I always book direct to get status recognition and to make sure I get elite night credits and points for the stays
 
BoomerD said:
Trivago.com.

They've been pretty good at finding the best rates, regardless of the actual booking site.
Click to expand...
Ramada site is $84/night.
booking.com is 10% off so $76/night.

Trivago is $58/night!
but you have to prepay and $23 cancellation.
(other 2 is just reserve and put down your credit card. free cancellation till 1 week before)


edit:
Trivago is using Traveluro.com to book my hotel.
Google reviews says RUN AWAY. RUN AWAY QUICKLY! 😱
www.sitejabber.com

Traveluro Reviews - 1.4 Stars

430 reviews for Traveluro, 1.4 stars: 'I searched for a hotel availability in Cleveland on Kayak, my reservation on Kayak went through Traveluro. They have never responded to any inquiry via online or by phone. You can't contact them by phone either, it is an automated system that provides no...
www.sitejabber.com
Yike!

sticking with booking.com
 
Last edited:
Missed a flight this morning and basically shifting everything back a day on our trip.

Since I had booked with the hotel direct from their website, it was much easier than had I booked with a third party. And this was for a prepaid, non-refundable, non-modifiable booking.

Just something else to keep in mind when using the 3rd party sites.
 
JEDI said:
Ramada site is $84/night.
booking.com is 10% off so $76/night.

Trivago is $58/night!
but you have to prepay and $23 cancellation.
(other 2 is just reserve and put down your credit card. free cancellation till 1 week before)


edit:
Trivago is using Traveluro.com to book my hotel.
Google reviews says RUN AWAY. RUN AWAY QUICKLY! 😱
www.sitejabber.com

Traveluro Reviews - 1.4 Stars

430 reviews for Traveluro, 1.4 stars: 'I searched for a hotel availability in Cleveland on Kayak, my reservation on Kayak went through Traveluro. They have never responded to any inquiry via online or by phone. You can't contact them by phone either, it is an automated system that provides no...
www.sitejabber.com
Yike!

sticking with booking.com
Click to expand...

Trivago just harvests deals from the other booking sites...you can always find a deal you like, go to THAT site and book it.
 
Hotels.com vs Booking.com
Click to expand...

I had hoped for more from this thread, such as the execs from both companies locked in a room, a few broken pool cues and bricks on the table, and only one holiday booking company leaves.
 
I’ve had better luck with it when I needed to change dates last minute—they didn’t give me a hard time and sorted it fast. I used it recently to grab an orchard road hotel for a weekend trip, and it was smooth. Prices were close across both sites, but the cancellation policy made the difference for me.
 
Last edited:
i never,ever book with these sites, their only use is as an easy reference to what can be rented

purbeast0 said:
Missed a flight this morning and basically shifting everything back a day on our trip.

Since I had booked with the hotel direct from their website, it was much easier than had I booked with a third party. And this was for a prepaid, non-refundable, non-modifiable booking.

Just something else to keep in mind when using the 3rd party sites.
Click to expand...

yeah it's multitudes easier to deal with the airline/hotel etc directly than a 3rd party
 
KMFJD said:
i never,ever book with these sites, their only use is as an easy reference to what can be rented



yeah it's multitudes easier to deal with the airline/hotel etc directly than a 3rd party
Click to expand...
There are some reasons to use a booking site for a hotel over direct. I can think of two big reasons: 1) synergizing with airline status - getting big bonuses for booking through the airline's portal, and 2) at least in Japan, many hotels' websites were kind of crappy for booking, there were too many choices, and many use third parties, so a big, third party booking platform can be useful.

Of course, keep all the potential pitfalls in mind when using them. I'd definitely never book a flight through one.
 
Recently did a road trip from Las Vegas to Chicago and back. $90 motels these days are the $29.95 motels of a couple decades ago. 2 had no TP in the bathrooms. Luckily I noticed before I needed it. 😊
 
JEDI said:
So i've been using hotels.com to book my hotel stays.
book 10 nights, get 1 free (up to the avg value of the 10 nights).

today, i discovered Booking.com.
the same hotel for Feb 2023 is 8% cheaper (saving $6.50/day) but it doesnt seem like they have the gimmick of book x nights, get 1 free.
8% x 10 = 80%

so it looks like hotels.com wins if you stay 10nights in y time frame.
Click to expand...
Booking.com did the best job for me in planning a recent round trip on Spirit Airlines. I used it twice, not as a round trip but once for flight out, once for flight back. Other booking sites were inferior in what they came up with.
 
IBMJunkman said:
Recently did a road trip from Las Vegas to Chicago and back. $90 motels these days are the $29.95 motels of a couple decades ago. 2 had no TP in the bathrooms. Luckily I noticed before I needed it. 😊
Click to expand...
People usually go from Chicago to Las Vegas. What were you looking for in Chicago? Pork belly?
 
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