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> Most of the times I booked through booking.com it was "cash on arrival", so these sites are nothing more than ads. Expensive ads. Cash on arrival does not me
by usrusr 9y ago
> Most of the times I booked through booking.com it was "cash on arrival", so these sites are nothing more than ads.
Expensive ads. Cash on arrival does not mean that the hotel does not pay a sizable commission. Roughly in the range as the cut iTunes, Play, Steam take for transactions that, unlike hotel service, create zero cost beyond the initial investment. Occasionally, hotels might even offer you a cheaper room if you cancel your reservation, to get out of that obligation. Maybe some sites are much cheaper, but the big ones like booking.com take everything they can, and they can take a lot.
- falsedan 9y ago> but the big ones like booking.com take everything they can, and they can take a lot. You mean, take as much as is offered? The hotels are free to let the rooms sit idle & refuse the bookings; they wouldn't pay these commissions if they didn't make business sense. A $100/night room that's empty generates $0 and costs $10-20 (amortised staffing and maintenance costs, insurance, permits, etc.) A $100/night room filled with a 30% commission generates $70 & nets ~$50. I think that most hotel managers would not list their preferences as: direct booking & ~$80 > empty & $0 > booking site & ~$50.
- kbart 9y agoMost of the times I book private apartments (I hate hotels), so I have to deal with their owners directly. None of them has complained yet that I've book through booking.com or offered an alternative way, so I assume the situation is not as dire as other commenters try to imply.
- briandear 9y agoiTunes charges 30%. Booking.com charges us 15%. 15% is a bargain considering they are an amazing source of customers who would have never found us otherwise.