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I get very different hotel prices using my cellphone, my desktop, my desktop with chrome incognito vs safari, kayak vs skyscanner, etc, for the same search at t

I get very different hotel prices using my cellphone, my desktop, my desktop with chrome incognito vs safari, kayak vs skyscanner, etc, for the same search at the same time.

lotsofpulp 9y ago
Hilton/Marriott/IHG/Choice hotels do not offer different prices to different customers. They all might change prices, either algorithmically or manually, but those prices go out to everyone. However, pricing from a travel agent (such as a different non official website) might be different, but that's because travel agents want to make money as the middlemen. However, you should always be able to find the lowest price publicly available (i.e. not privately negotiated) on the actual hotel's website.
- _rpd 9y ago
  I have to say that this completely contradicts my experience. The room price listed on the hotel's official website is always close to the highest price on the internet. Discounting via other sites is so common that I now plan on it. I can often find half price rooms with modest effort.
  - lotsofpulp 9y ago
    I am in the hotel business, so unless there's a technical glitch, that's not supposed to be happening for the big chains. If it does, then you can even get free nights: http://hiltonworldwide3.hilton.com/en/best-price-guarantee/overview.html http://hiltonworldwide3.hilton.com/en/best-price-guarantee/o... http://www.marriott.com/online-hotel-booking.mi http://www.marriott.com/online-hotel-booking.mi https://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/customer-care/best-price-guarantee https://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/customer-care/best-price-gu... https://www.choicehotels.com/deals/best-rate https://www.choicehotels.com/deals/best-rate Why would a hotel want to pay 15% commission to Expedia or Priceline? Compare prices on kayak.com with roomkey.com and you will see that all the chain hotels are lower on roomkey.com (which is the website owned by the hotel brands themselves, hence no commission, and lower rewards member pricing).
    - _rpd 9y ago
      > Why would a hotel want to pay 15% commission to Expedia or Priceline? Well, they don't want to per se, but since you are in the hotel business then you know that a hotel room, like an airline seat, is effectively a perishable good. An unoccupied room is a revenue opportunity that is lost forever, and worse it is a source of costs not associated with occupation (interest, heating, fixed wages, etc). Like an airline, a hotel operator is strongly motivated to maintain as close to full occupancy as possible. As long as average room revenue is above occupied room overhead, the business is ahead financially. I suspect that, like airlines, hotels cover their overhead with "economy class" guests, and make their profit from "first class" guests who are not price sensitive. Hotels have a dilemma because they want full occupancy without conditioning consumers to expect discounted rates. Their solution has been to be to officially advertise "list price" while discounting as necessary through 3rd parties. However, I'll remember to check roomkey.com from now on, thanks!

I get very different hotel prices using my cellphone, my desktop, my desktop with chrome incognito vs safari, kayak vs skyscanner, etc, for the same search at the same time.

lotsofpulp 9y ago

Hilton/Marriott/IHG/Choice hotels do not offer different prices to different customers. They all might change prices, either algorithmically or manually, but those prices go out to everyone. However, pricing from a travel agent (such as a different non official website) might be different, but that's because travel agents want to make money as the middlemen. However, you should always be able to find the lowest price publicly available (i.e. not privately negotiated) on the actual hotel's website.

_rpd 9y ago
I have to say that this completely contradicts my experience. The room price listed on the hotel's official website is always close to the highest price on the internet. Discounting via other sites is so common that I now plan on it. I can often find half price rooms with modest effort.
- lotsofpulp 9y ago
  I am in the hotel business, so unless there's a technical glitch, that's not supposed to be happening for the big chains. If it does, then you can even get free nights: http://hiltonworldwide3.hilton.com/en/best-price-guarantee/overview.html http://hiltonworldwide3.hilton.com/en/best-price-guarantee/o... http://www.marriott.com/online-hotel-booking.mi http://www.marriott.com/online-hotel-booking.mi https://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/customer-care/best-price-guarantee https://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/customer-care/best-price-gu... https://www.choicehotels.com/deals/best-rate https://www.choicehotels.com/deals/best-rate Why would a hotel want to pay 15% commission to Expedia or Priceline? Compare prices on kayak.com with roomkey.com and you will see that all the chain hotels are lower on roomkey.com (which is the website owned by the hotel brands themselves, hence no commission, and lower rewards member pricing).
  - _rpd 9y ago
    > Why would a hotel want to pay 15% commission to Expedia or Priceline? Well, they don't want to per se, but since you are in the hotel business then you know that a hotel room, like an airline seat, is effectively a perishable good. An unoccupied room is a revenue opportunity that is lost forever, and worse it is a source of costs not associated with occupation (interest, heating, fixed wages, etc). Like an airline, a hotel operator is strongly motivated to maintain as close to full occupancy as possible. As long as average room revenue is above occupied room overhead, the business is ahead financially. I suspect that, like airlines, hotels cover their overhead with "economy class" guests, and make their profit from "first class" guests who are not price sensitive. Hotels have a dilemma because they want full occupancy without conditioning consumers to expect discounted rates. Their solution has been to be to officially advertise "list price" while discounting as necessary through 3rd parties. However, I'll remember to check roomkey.com from now on, thanks!