Tarntawan place hotel

[Nirish guy]

Shower of cunts the lot of them, sticking us all up like kippers they are ! We all think we're being smart shopping around and in reality it's the same few firms running rings round us with fancy marketing and bullshit offers and "deals' to make us THINK we're winning when all along it's then setting the over all base rates anyway, Same as those comparison shopping and insurance websites too which have all been outed as having been bought up and controlled by the very companies we think we're working around to get a better deal. Yep, a shower of cunts the lot of them for sure !

[colmx]

....and I was surprised to find out that Hotels.com is actually Expedia.

Expedia own: Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Hotwire.com, trivago, Egencia (formerly Expedia Corporate Travel), Venere.com, Expedia Local Expert, Classic Vacations, Expedia CruiseShipCenters, Travelocity, Orbitz and HomeAway

Priceline own: Booking.com, Priceline.com, agoda.com, KAYAK

So there are only really 2 players in the market

[Nirish guy]

So I wonder about the other few main sites - hotels combined.com etc / Otel rooms.com etc etc ? Any ideas there.

I guess at some level apart from the fact they are controlling things it is possible to "perceive" you're picking up a lower rate on one site than another or getting free breakfast etc, where in effect all they're doing is moving the deals around no doubt I guess it still makes you feel you've achieved something if you "hit lucky". Still, wouldn't it be just lovely and cut the crap and gave you one site, with the right / best rates ALL the time instead of making you jump through hoops - but I guess the hoops are exactly how they make money, small bits of additional profit on LOTS of sales - a tried and tested sales method.

Although when you see SOME of the differences between exactly the same hotels on the same dates for the same rooms etc when you consider it's all the same company banging out those different rates perhaps SMALL differences in profit isn't QUITE the right term !! Robbing gouging bastards when they feel they can get away with it more like !

[fountainhall]

I have several times recommended hotelscombined.com. This gives you 12 to 15 comparison sites with just one search. Other booking engines it searches for you include amoma, Skoosh (I have booked several hotels at their rates), HotelInfo, venere, getaroom, HotelQuickly, otel.com, Elvoline, Hotelsclick and Hotelopia. The cheapest rate for a random date in May at the Ibis Sathorn is on amoma. It will give you not only the cheapest rate for the cheapest room but the rates offered by each site for most room types. It also shows prepurchased rates as well as pay on arrival rates.

[Nirish guy]

I have had this discussion (full on bitchy who knows better argument) with my BF re hotelscombined and agoda etc and he says the same as you FH ie it checks ALL the sites - BUT it seemingly doesn't as I have now enough times to both prove my point and really annoy him PROVED to my BF that I can get cheaper prices on agoda and booking, com etc that hotels combined and I guess that might be that it doesn't include those sites in it's searches ( which would be logical) but it does give the impression that it probably will !

So, I don't claim to know or understand how it all works but I DO know that no one site consistently out performs the other and it is still a case of shopping around it seems, which somewhat defeats the purpose of those sites for us I guess - but not for the owners no doubt - leading me back to my original point, that they're all nothing more than a shower of money grabbing cunts anyways! :-)

[fountainhall]

So, I don't claim to know or understand how it all works but I DO know that no one site consistently out performs the other and it is still a case of shopping around it seems, which somewhat defeats the purpose of those sites for us I guess

I agree entirely! Even when HotelsCombined offer a best price, I will still do a bit of extra checking. But having made many dozens of bookings using HotelsCombined as my starting base, I can tell you that most of the time they do offer the most competitive rate.

If you want to be 100% certain, I guess the only way is to check all worldwide sites, especially those in places like Romania, Bolivia, Botswana and so on where people are less likely to afford western rates. How you find those sites even if they exist? Beats me! And even if you get a deal, you'll probably be screwed on the exchange rate!

One thing I have discovered relatively recently is that if I want to be in a certain hotel (as I am at present in Taipei), the cost of upgrading from the basic rather small room type is far cheaper when I arrive and pay at the hotel itself than if I had paid the higher price by booking that better quality room on any of the booking engines. The saving on the upgrade is often as much as 50%. Why this should be? Haven't a clue!

Another ploy is to try and get the locals rate. Many hotels around Asia have a special rate exclusively for locals over weekends and certain holidays. If you know such rates exist, go direct to the hotel, use your charm and try to get those rates for at least part of your stay. This requires a touch of bending the truth but it can and does work. A bit like bargaining at Chatuchak when you know it's off season! The chances that the hotel will then charge you a higher price on arrival is slim - although it remains a slight possibility.

[a447]

they're all nothing more than a shower of money grabbing cunts anyways! :-)

Which is precisely why I gave up chasing "bargains" years ago. It's often just a total waste of time and causes more stress than its worth. I don't believe for a minute that these companies are ever going to do me any favours - they are only looking out for themselves and couldn't give a shit about customers like me. So I save time and worry (Did I get the best price? Could I have gotten it cheaper?) and just pay whatever they ask.

I think you'll find that whenever a cheaper price is offered, there is always a trade-off. Sure it's cheaper but you are having to sacrifice something.

I've been busy these last few days booking hotels for my upcoming trip to Taiwan, Okinawa and Bangkok. I find out what hotels are available by going to TripAdvisor.com and then book with the hotel directly. They all have "deals" - was $300 per night but now only $250. But look closely and you'll see that breakfast is no longer included and that the room is in the old wing of the hotel - or the room doesn't have a view. Or there's construction going on outside your window. There's always something. And in any case, how do I know that the room normally goes for a much higher price?

I've long believed that you generally get what you pay for. The last time I went for a "bargain" was when I stayed at the InterContinental in Singapore. It was recommended to me by a friend so I went onto their website and lo and behold, they were offering some rooms at a discounted price. Against my better judgement I booked a room but once I saw it, I knew why it had been discounted. And to make matters worse, they added VaT and service charges -19% I think - onto the cost of the room!

The hotel I booked in Okinawa has a strange policy. There are 2 different prices. Ii is cheaper if I pay now, rather than pay at the hotel. I don't know why that would be, as the booking can be cancelled at any time.

[fountainhall]

Which is precisely why I gave up chasing "bargains" years ago . . . I think you'll find that whenever a cheaper price is offered, there is always a trade-off. Sure it's cheaper but you are having to sacrifice something.

I have no idea how many hotels I have stayed in over the course of my career nor the number of room nights. Certainly 150+ and 3,500+. Frankly I don't agree that there is always a trade off. In fact, rarely if ever have I found this to be the case. Sure, occasionally I have had a dud room and once in The Singapore Hyatt (before it became the Grand Hyatt) I was in a "superior" room that was more like a broom cupboard. Usually the hotel will come to an arrangement to get me a better room. In the Singapore case, I complained vociferously that "superior" has a direct implication - that it is better than a more basic room. The manager stressed that this was standard industry practice. Of course I knew that perfectly well, but did not let him know I knew!! Within minutes I was upgraded to a "Grand" room at no cost!

The last time I went for a "bargain" was when I stayed at the InterContinental in Singapore. It was recommended to me by a friend so I went onto their website and lo and behold, they were offering some rooms at a discounted price. Against my better judgement I booked a room but once I saw it, I knew why it had been discounted.

Are you sure it was the Intercontinental? I ask only because it was for years my favourite hotel in Singapore - restrained luxury. Now sadly I cannot afford it. I always stayed in their "basic" rooms and loved them, as have clients I have accommodated there.

[Brad the Impala]

I have sometimes booked apartments/hotels in Thailand through http://https://www.sawadee.com

and have received competitive prices and good personal service. In the back of my mind is the thought that some of the agency percentage may actually be remaining in Thailand, but perhaps someone is now going to advise that it is actually owned by Expedia!

[a447]

Are you sure it was the Intercontinental?

Yep, that's the one.

Don't get me wrong; the room was by no means shabby - "restrained luxury" is a good description. But it was in what appeared to be an older part of the hotel. Up the stairs next to the coffee shop and through a door.

First of all, the room was much smaller than I thought it would be. Even though I stay in hotels by myself, I still like to have a large room with a lot of space.

I was kept awake by a noise, the source of which I couldn't find. It turned out to be the compressor in the fridge which was hidden away inside a cupboard.

Also, the curtains were very thin and did not block out the light from the lamppost right outside my window. I had to sleep with the eye shades I use on the plane.

Oh, and I sometimes came back only to find my room hadn't been cleaned and there was no newspaper.

It's a great hotel in a great location, but next time I'll ignore any discount and just pay full price. No stress, no disappointment.