Internet Booking vs Travel Agent Booking.

[get me outta here]

I have PMd you a site to look at.

What you have to do is look at Marriott and note your preferred hotels and the prices. Look elsewhere and find a cheaper rate - rates can change everyday. When you find a cheaper rate, go back to Marriott site and book a refundable rate room (EXACTLY the same type), and then tell them which site the cheaper rate is on. There is a BRG form to follow. You need to do it all on the same day.

There are hotels in Long Island City (LIC) that are close to a subway. Have a look at Tripadvisor for LIC hotels. The, you can get more for yr money and travel to Manhattan very quickly.

No, I went to the Marriott site that Google threw up, and punched in the dates.

It gave me 142 hotels - most of which had the Marriott logo - and the cheapest were 20 to 60km out of town. The dearest were in Manhatten. The best value one I found for someone wanting to go to Manhatten was the Fairfield Inn some 6 kms out of town in Long Island, and 1.3 km from the closest subway. The one I have booked is a block away from the subway, and most reviewers thought it was pretty easy for getting into the middle of Manhatten, and to the subways that take you to other places. There were some hotels closer to the subway, but the reviewers complained about train noise.

Please PM me your link. I can cancel my booking if I find something better.
Regards,
Renato

 

[get me outta here]

Here's the TA site to see which hotels rate well. Get one close to the subway and at least incl brekky. Some are very new which is nice, eg the Hilton.

I have PMd you a site to look at.

What you have to do is look at Marriott and note your preferred hotels and the prices. Look elsewhere and find a cheaper rate - rates can change everyday. When you find a cheaper rate, go back to Marriott site and book a refundable rate room (EXACTLY the same type), and then tell them which site the cheaper rate is on. There is a BRG form to follow. You need to do it all on the same day.

There are hotels in Long Island City (LIC) that are close to a subway. Have a look at Tripadvisor for LIC hotels. The, you can get more for yr money and travel to Manhattan very quickly.

 

[sausagefingers]

I tend to shop around for the best price when planning a holiday, I will usually select 1-2 hotels for each location and price them using TripAdvisor, expedia etc.
Then I will forward the itinerary to a flight centre and a friend who works at Helloworld.
twice I have booked with Helloworld, and once I have done it all individually, I have never booked with Flight Centre, but I enjoy getting their quotes just so I can feel good about the price I am paying.

 

[burmans]

Thanks. I tend to favour Booking.com because of the way they present their reviews - Aussies first, then English speakers, then others.

Well you can of course use booking.com to look at reviews and another site to book.

 

[Renato1]

I tend to shop around for the best price when planning a holiday, I will usually select 1-2 hotels for each location and price them using TripAdvisor, expedia etc.
Then I will forward the itinerary to a flight centre and a friend who works at Helloworld.
twice I have booked with Helloworld, and once I have done it all individually, I have never booked with Flight Centre, but I enjoy getting their quotes just so I can feel good about the price I am paying.

Interesting that your experience with respect to Flight Centre hasn't been that great compared to Helloworld. I can see why you would be cheerful.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

Well you can of course use booking.com to look at reviews and another site to book.

After spending hours or days on Booking.com, it becomes an effort to check on other sites - especially as I am unsure that the other sites will necessarily cheaper.

Today I spent several hours looking at the site that Mr. get me out of here kindly provided me, and comparing select hotels on it to Booking.com, and there wasn't any difference. Though it wasn't a wasted exercise, as I realised I had made an error in my booking that I had to correct. And then there was a special at one hotel (at both sites), which has me pondering if I should spend A$700 more to stay in the middle of New York.
Regards,
Renato

 

[burmans]

It's your time but not sure why it takes you hours on booking.com, I'd spend 5 -10 mins finding the best revised hotels, the use a consolidator like hotelscombined, openrooms or or trivago to find the best price.

 

[Renato1]

It's your time but not sure why it takes you hours on booking.com, I'd spend 5 -10 mins finding the best revised hotels, the use a consolidator like hotelscombined, openrooms or or trivago to find the best price.

For me, I have to read the reviews - the hotels themselves may be well reviewed, but in the actual detail one reads that while they are good, they may not be in a nice or very savoury area. For example, when planning my driving trip to Munich last year, I discovered that all the hotels on the east side with parking, were basically in a sex district - so I shifted the search to the west side of the city. Even then, there were plenty of hotels with good reviews there, but when I checked their room size, they were ruled out as they were only tiny 16 square meter rooms, which we dislike intensely.

For New York, after ruling out the inexpensive ones as looking like rubbish, I had to figure out where central NY was, then where the subway stations were just outside Manhatten, then click on the map for hotels near those stations, checking prices and reviews. I rejected stacks of them before coming across some that seemed okay. Similarly for San Francisco - with on-site car parking of up to US$51 a day, it took quite a bit of searching to find a hotel of good quality, with free parking and with a tram in front of it that took one downtown in a few minutes.

And when I finally do have a candidate or two for a city, I then have to get my wife to look at the details and pictures, and get her agreement. If it turns out to be a stuff-up, it will be a joint stuff-up.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

For me, I have to read the reviews - the hotels themselves may be well reviewed, but in the actual detail one reads that while they are good, they may not be in a nice or very savoury area. For example, when planning my driving trip to Munich last year, I discovered that all the hotels on the east side with parking, were basically in a sex district - so I shifted the search to the west side of the city. Even then, there were plenty of hotels with good reviews there, but when I checked their room size, they were ruled out as they were only tiny 16 square meter rooms, which we dislike intensely.

For New York, after ruling out the inexpensive ones as looking like rubbish, I had to figure out where central NY was, then where the subway stations were just outside Manhatten, then click on the map for hotels near those stations, checking prices and reviews. I rejected stacks of them before coming across some that seemed okay. Similarly for San Francisco - with on-site car parking of up to US$51 a day, it took quite a bit of searching to find a hotel of good quality, with free parking and with a tram in front of it that took one downtown in a few minutes.

And when I finally do have a candidate or two for a city, I then have to get my wife to look at the details and pictures, and get her agreement. If it turns out to be a stuff-up, it will be a joint stuff-up.
Cheers,
Renato

While I understand the time you spend, I just look at the areas of town that have most of the luxury 5 star branded hotels. I then either choose Hilton as I'm part of their program or look for other hotels in the same area. I figure that in most cases their locations are pretty central to everything, so follow them.

I also recently booked an amazing penthouse in Dubai for 5 days across the road from the Hilton and other 5 star hotels for a reduced price via Airbnb.

This is a property that is rented out and managed by an agent so not someone's person house that they rent during the weekends. It has a kitchen 2 bedrooms 3 bathrooms ect... And should have great views. The complex has a pool / gym and other amenities. My first time using Airbnb so will see how it goes.

 

[Renato1]

While I understand the time you spend, I just look at the areas of town that have most of the luxury 5 star branded hotels. I then either choose Hilton as I'm part of their program or look for other hotels in the same area. I figure that in most cases their locations are pretty central to everything, so follow them.

I also recently booked an amazing penthouse in Dubai for 5 days across the road from the Hilton and other 5 star hotels for a reduced price via Airbnb.

This is a property that is rented out and managed by an agent so not someone's person house that they rent during the weekends. It has a kitchen 2 bedrooms 3 bathrooms ect... And should have great views. The complex has a pool / gym and other amenities. My first time using Airbnb so will see how it goes.

Thanks. Don't forget I'm just a budget concious retiree nowadays. Yes, five star places are nice and I have booked some good deals on them in the past, but frankly we just don't make any use of their extra facilities to warrant paying the high prices - since we usually just wear ourselves out during most of the day sightseeing.

Interesting that you got those reduced hotel prices on AirBnB. I must confess to being fairly negligent regarding AirBnB.

The problem with Dubai is defining what is central. We have settled on the Radisson Blu in Deira Creek - after two stays it feels like home to us now.
Regards,
Renato
.

 

[get me outta here]

Just an observation, in the NY boroughs, almost all airbnb is illegal and you will have no recourse if it turns out to be a scam and you turn up and have nowhere to stay. Having said that, I stayed in a warehouse sort of apartment in the LES and had a wonderful time and it was a legal.

I have another one coming up in AUH in the Emirates Towers looking over the palace and it's much cheaper than a hotel, is all new and modern ensuite.

Thanks. Don't forget I'm just a budget concious retiree nowadays. Yes, five star places are nice and I have booked some good deals on them in the past, but frankly we just don't make any use of their extra facilities to warrant paying the high prices - since we usually just wear ourselves out during most of the day sightseeing.

Interesting that you got those reduced hotel prices on AirBnB. I must confess to being fairly negligent regarding AirBnB.

The problem with Dubai is defining what is central. We have settled on the Radisson Blu in Deira Creek - after two stays it feels like home to us now.
Regards,
Renato
.

 

[Renato1]

Just an observation, in the NY boroughs, almost all airbnb is illegal and you will have no recourse if it turns out to be a scam and you turn up and have nowhere to stay. Having said that, I stayed in a warehouse sort of apartment in the LES and had a wonderful time and it was a legal.

I have another one coming up in AUH in the Emirates Towers looking over the palace and it's much cheaper than a hotel, is all new and modern ensuite.

Thanks for that information about BnB in NY.
Very interesting about Abu Dhabi - I might be stopping there next year. I was there for one day last year in early Novenmber - darn it was hot.
Regards,
Renato

 

[coco50]

I've just finished the booking details of accommodation for our vacation to the USA later this year - to New York, Washington, Los Angeles, San Diego, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and San Francisco.

My travel agent uses Helloworld and gave me quotes on a hotel for each of those cities. I checked each against the price for the same days at Booking.com. And in each case, the Booking.com price was dearer. Only marginally dearer for the most expensive places - New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco - and for the Grand Canyon. But significantly dearer for the other towns.

So I turned down her recommended hotels at New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and used Booking.com to find less expensive places a bit further out. But I accepted her other quotes, as there was a total A$1400 saving over the Booking.com prices.

I mentioned this to the chap who first introduced me to AFF, and his thoughts were that that was pretty good. As when he uses Flight Centre, they can rarely do any better than the Booking.com price.

The only negative experience I have had with travel agent booking was last year, where I got similarly good deals below the Booking.com price in Budapest, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur, but where the hotel in Budapest gave me a run-down room the first night, before giving me the good room we were supposed to have had for the rest of the stay.

What has been your experience with travel agent vs internet booking of hotel rooms - cost and quality wise?
Regards,
Renato

I have just booked hotel rooms in Texas and New Mexico online. I researched the usual sites like booking.com and found that they were more expensive than booking with the hotel direct. I would also say that TAs have access to wholesale accommodation tariffs and can probably do better than direct booking online. I know my TA has saved me thousands over the last 8 years.

 

[Renato1]

I have just booked hotel rooms in Texas and New Mexico online. I researched the usual sites like booking.com and found that they were more expensive than booking with the hotel direct. I would also say that TAs have access to wholesale accommodation tariffs and can probably do better than direct booking online. I know my TA has saved me thousands over the last 8 years.

Thanks. I can't say I've noticed any advantage going directly to the hotel site in Europe or Middle East, but from your experience it seems to be the case in the USA.

Interesting to see that travel agents have saved you a lot of money.
Regards,
Renato

 

[rickm]

I always use sites like Booking.com to find availability but always check the price with the accommodation provider directly. The Online Travel Agents (OTA’s) charge huge commissions to the property (between 10% and 25%) and there is usually a deal to be made, especially with the smaller privately owned properties. Mention you saw them on Booking.com and ask for a deal.

 

[prozac]

For the life of me I cannot recall what I used to book accommodation in Northern Europe a couple of years ago except that I checked reviews on Tripadvisor before completing the booking. A couple of times a just made a generic search for accommodation in a general area and came up with some interesting local sites which specialised in say farmhouse accommodation.
More recently I had success with very good rates in Canberra at The Burbury using Hotels.com. In this case I would use another site to verify the rate.

 

[PaulybGC]

I've just finished booking a trip to the US in Aug. Started with Flight Centre to see there recommendations and prices then cross-checked with TripAdvisor for reviews & finally price checked with Booking.com & Priceline.com . I have found Priceline to be good for US booking particularly flights and also have name you price options for hotels in a certain area.
After deciding the hotel i wanted i found the best price on priceline but non-refundable after joining up to Hilton Honors(free) i was able to get that same rate with free cancellation and no up front payment.
After receiving a QFF email on Monday for the leap year sale i couldn't resist & booked with Qantas for the same price to receive 12 x FF points
Its worth noting that the Flight Centre price was over $1000 more for a 7 night stay at the same hotel.

 

[RAM]

Mixed experience over many years.

Historically I would do some research using different sites and more often than not using google to search particular descriptive terms like "close to XYZ". Found two places in Munich that way that the various TAs I would get to bid for my business (sent them the flight details etc and accom details) along the lines - "I can book this for $X. I am getting 2 other TAs to bid for it. Send me a (fax/email) with your best bid by 10.30am and that is final.

From early 2000s to 2011 or so - worked very well with prices offered showing >10% saving (or more when compared to using their own web site).

More recently, roughly every second time, Booking.com has been 20-35% better. Most recent example as a check I did not tell them what price I had but asked for their prices for exact flights and accom, best quote for airfare and 20 days accom from 3 TAs was 36% higher than Booking.com's price.

One aspect that I find can sway it in favour of online sites vs TAs (for chains not boutique places) is that many offer free cancellation as close as 3 days out. TAs mostly present their bids with non-cancellable accom.

 

[Renato1]

I always use sites like Booking.com to find availability but always check the price with the accommodation provider directly. The Online Travel Agents (OTA’s) charge huge commissions to the property (between 10% and 25%) and there is usually a deal to be made, especially with the smaller privately owned properties. Mention you saw them on Booking.com and ask for a deal.

Very interesting thanks.

Are you ringing them or emailing them when asking for a deal?
Regards,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

For the life of me I cannot recall what I used to book accommodation in Northern Europe a couple of years ago except that I checked reviews on Tripadvisor before completing the booking. A couple of times a just made a generic search for accommodation in a general area and came up with some interesting local sites which specialised in say farmhouse accommodation.
More recently I had success with very good rates in Canberra at The Burbury using Hotels.com. In this case I would use another site to verify the rate.

Well, that's one way of doing it. I recollect trying to find a one night stopover place in Croatia last year, and found one place in the country side that looked pretty good going for 5 Euros a night. Though in the end I decided to go for a 40 Euro place which had an usual menu selection in their restaurant (bear steak, bear prosciutto, bear stew).
Cheers,
Renato