Thread: Who uses online accommodation booking services?

Hi,
The last time I booked a room in a hotel I had to make a trunk call as it was out of our exchange area.
Cheers

easy and convince.

Thank you for this. I always wondered how much they gouge the hosts and why they didn’t quote cheaper on their own websites.

Coming back from an awesome trip in Mudgee this was very well timed.

Not me , also do not use Uber as the $ go straight to the US .

I reckon Dick Smith is a bit out of touch and unrealistic. I use Hotels dot com for the convenience of being able to book accomodation in advance without browsing 20 web sites and to see what variety of accomodation exists in a place I've never been to. They don't all cover all bases but they are a pretty good service for what it costs. We have had a few free nights accomodation as Hotels dot com have a 1 night free for 10 nights deal although I note that availability of where you can reclaim the nights has dropped recently.
The biggest benefit is that I can book and confirm my accomodation without talking to people at a time I want to. The trade off for a business is that to gain my custom they need to pay the service that attracts me to that Hotel.

Technological change brings disruption. If a motel does not see a benefit in listing with an accommodation site they are not going to get business unless they differentiate themselves. I rang the Hill End pub and booked some accomodation over the phone the other week. Why? Because they do not list on the Accomodation sites and they have something different to offer.

The "its not fair technology has broken my business model" is best left for Gerry Harvey to whinge about. Dick had a go at Aldi in the media the other day because they hire less people than Woolies and Coles and because they don't return the savings in their more efficient business model in wages than they are somehow evil. Sounds like a consumer choice to me and it's not like the other two are benevolent societies.

Regards,
Tote

Originally Posted by Fatso

Not me , also do not use Uber as the $ go straight to the US .

I use Uber because the cars are trackable, turn up, and the car does not smell like ass, another example of an outdated poor quality service whinging when disruption breaks their business model.

Regards,
Tote

I find that if after visiting the web site you then look locally you can often identify the hotel. Then call them and ask if they can beat the web price. Even if not the same hotel will most times do a better deal as they keep more of the booking fee for themselves. Certainly here in U.K most larger chains will offer same or better price guarantee if booked direct. Travel for work so in a new place most weeks and have saved plenty using this. Web has been up to 100% dearer than direct.

Not just hotels. Used to go to web to book hire cars. Now go direct as price better and excess much reduced. Am a regular customer and will get free car upgrades if available. Have seen excess of £3k on a Astra if booked on web. They do this to artificially reduce daily rate. You do not know excess until picking up car and hand over card to have amount blocked off. Seen some heated arguments in the rental office over the size of the card block.

Originally Posted by Tote

The "its not fair technology has broken my business model" is best left for Gerry Harvey to whinge about. Dick had a go at Aldi in the media the other day because they hire less people than Woolies and Coles and because they don't return the savings in their more efficient business model in wages than they are somehow evil. Sounds like a consumer choice to me and it's not like the other two are benevolent societies.

Regards,
Tote

Dick didn't make friends with me on that one either, and as for Gerry Harvey... However, he may well have a point here. Maybe ask a few motel owners.

I posted the link for people to make their own observations. Staying in motels happens to other people, IMO.