TripHip - Travel Tips and Advice for Traveling on a Budget

Many people save quite a bit of time and money booking through a travel website, such as Expedia, Hotwire, Travelocity, and the many others that are out there. While this can be a convenient and affordable option, there are many reasons why it can be better to book directly through a hotel, especially in a bad economic climate.

The first issue is with using "opaque" (you don't pick the actual flight/hotel/etc) websites is that once you have purchased the room or the ticket, it's yours. This is not a bad option for flexible travelers, but not a recommended option for families, since there is often no guarantee that there will be enough beds.

Hotels are often more likely to fulfill the needs of a guest who is paying the hotel directly, since the amount of money most hotels make on such websites is negligible. Many hotels merely use travel websites as a way to ensure a high occupancy, to put "heads in beds." Thus, travelers with such websites are less likely to receive free upgrades and other perks.

Many hotels and airlines will not award frequent flier rewards to guests and passengers traveling with a third party website. Frequent travelers will often save more money and have a better experience in the long run booking directly with an agency or hotel.

Many travel websites will list their customer service number alongside the hotel's reservation number, and it is very easy to mistake the website's number for the hotel. Many reservationists who work for the travel site will not indicate that you are not talking to the hotel itself. Occasionally they will falsely verify that they are on location at the physical property you are booking with. This does not happen all of the time, but frequently enough to be a concern.

Travelers should always call the hotel directly to see if it is possible to book with the hotel at the internet discount. If a particular hotel won't, call another one. Many hotels do. Explain that you would rather book with the hotel directly, and that you are interested in any frequent stayer/rewards programs they have available. Take the time to find out what you would actually be getting for the rate that you saw online; many travelers arrive at a hotel to find that their accommodations are not what they expected based on a website.

Hotel front desk agents and reservationists have much more information at hand than many travel websites. Even exhaustive internet research cannot compare with the local knowledge of the hotel staff. A great hotel will always want to work with you to provide a great experience, so smart travelers should always call a hotel directly to ensure the best possible experience.