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Unless they stop using the service then the company won't care that they're angry. What alternatives are people using?

by ghostpepper 3y ago

callalex 3y ago
Calling hotels on the phone. When I suggest it to my 30-something peers they look at me like I have two heads though.
- eric-hu 3y ago
  Do you first search online for the one you want to stay at?
  - callalex 3y ago
    Yes, I do a map search.
- ghostpepper 3y ago
  I think the biggest draw of booking.com is the blanket cancellation policy up to a few days ahead
  - potatopatch 3y ago
    That's a standard from industry that you will still get from most traditional hotels, unless you book them at a no cancelation discount rate through booking.com.
kxrm 3y ago
You really should just book direct. You'll often be treated better and will have better recourse on-site when things go wrong.
wombat-man 3y ago
I prefer hotels, and dislike how booking mixes in airbnb type places. I've been using google maps to find hotels and then just book directly with them.
- beezlewax 3y ago
  Agreed hotels are far better for most types of trips. Everything is catered for and you're not taking away from local housing. That said I've stayed in some really downtrodden "hotels" I'd booked on booking.com that looked OK in photos but were not up to scratch in reality.
matwood 3y ago
Go to the hotels website directly. Booking.com is terrible. They don’t even mediate any payments and simply pass all your CC details to the room provider. For a chain hotel, not great, but for some random B&B provider in another country - you might as well just hand your CC to scammers.
traceroute66 3y ago
> What alternatives are people using? Book online directly. The hotels hate OTAs (Online Travel Agents). You can typically find better terms direct on the hotel website (e.g. breakfast included or more flexible cancellation). If you are in a financial position where you need to watch every penny, then take the extra time and effort to book by phone or email, because in some jurisdictions the hotels have rate-parity clause which means the hotels can't advertise a lower rate on their website than you can find on the OTA website. This probably mostly applies in North America, this sort of thing is likely illegal (or verging on ) in Europe so you're unlikely to get a better deal than a European hotel offers on its website already. If you like the big US chain hotels (Hilton, Marriott etc.) and you travel reasonably frequently then pony up for an AMEX premium-tier card which gets you access to AMEX rates, and also some perks (e.g. premium WiFi for free, late-checkout etc.).
- onetokeoverthe 3y ago
  Hotels will usually NOT meet or beat the booking.com price even when i am standing right in front of them.
  - FireBeyond 3y ago
    Well, standing right in front of them, they have you over a barrel. What, are you going to call an Uber and go to another hotel in the hope that they have rooms?
    - onetokeoverthe 3y ago
      [dead]

Unless they stop using the service then the company won't care that they're angry. What alternatives are people using?

callalex 3y ago

Calling hotels on the phone. When I suggest it to my 30-something peers they look at me like I have two heads though.

eric-hu 3y ago
Do you first search online for the one you want to stay at?
- callalex 3y ago
  Yes, I do a map search.
ghostpepper 3y ago
I think the biggest draw of booking.com is the blanket cancellation policy up to a few days ahead
- potatopatch 3y ago
  That's a standard from industry that you will still get from most traditional hotels, unless you book them at a no cancelation discount rate through booking.com.

kxrm 3y ago

You really should just book direct. You'll often be treated better and will have better recourse on-site when things go wrong.

wombat-man 3y ago

I prefer hotels, and dislike how booking mixes in airbnb type places. I've been using google maps to find hotels and then just book directly with them.

beezlewax 3y ago
Agreed hotels are far better for most types of trips. Everything is catered for and you're not taking away from local housing. That said I've stayed in some really downtrodden "hotels" I'd booked on booking.com that looked OK in photos but were not up to scratch in reality.

matwood 3y ago

Go to the hotels website directly. Booking.com is terrible. They don’t even mediate any payments and simply pass all your CC details to the room provider. For a chain hotel, not great, but for some random B&B provider in another country - you might as well just hand your CC to scammers.

traceroute66 3y ago

> What alternatives are people using? Book online directly. The hotels hate OTAs (Online Travel Agents). You can typically find better terms direct on the hotel website (e.g. breakfast included or more flexible cancellation). If you are in a financial position where you need to watch every penny, then take the extra time and effort to book by phone or email, because in some jurisdictions the hotels have rate-parity clause which means the hotels can't advertise a lower rate on their website than you can find on the OTA website. This probably mostly applies in North America, this sort of thing is likely illegal (or verging on ) in Europe so you're unlikely to get a better deal than a European hotel offers on its website already. If you like the big US chain hotels (Hilton, Marriott etc.) and you travel reasonably frequently then pony up for an AMEX premium-tier card which gets you access to AMEX rates, and also some perks (e.g. premium WiFi for free, late-checkout etc.).

onetokeoverthe 3y ago
Hotels will usually NOT meet or beat the booking.com price even when i am standing right in front of them.
- FireBeyond 3y ago
  Well, standing right in front of them, they have you over a barrel. What, are you going to call an Uber and go to another hotel in the hope that they have rooms?
  - onetokeoverthe 3y ago
    [dead]