Room Services
Hotel Booking Sites Abound. How to Choose?

By Gary Lee
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, February 4, 2007

Where should travelers look online for discounted hotel rooms?

Three likely places to start: Hotwire ( http://www.hotwire.com/), Expedia.com ( http://www.expedia.com/) and Travelocity ( http://www.travelocity.com/). In its annual rating of independent online travel agencies, released in November, the marketing information company J.D. Power and Associates ranked eight popular Web-based agencies that offer discounted hotel rooms and other travel services. In a survey of 6,800 online shoppers, participants were asked to rate the agencies in six categories: best prices, ease of booking, usefulness of the information on the Web site, availability of booking options, ease of navigation and appearance of the Web site. The three agencies above gained the highest points in the order they are listed.

The other five agencies included followed in this order: Priceline.com ( http://www.priceline.com/), CheapTickets ( http://www.cheaptickets.com/), Yahoo Travel ( http://www.travel.yahoo.com/), Orbitz ( http://www.orbitz.com/) and Hotels.com ( http://www.hotels.com/). They're worth perusing, too.

But the online hunt for hotel deals shouldn't stop there. Several dozen Internet sites promise sharp reductions off hotel rack rates; any of them might offer a deal. The agencies negotiate special rates with hotels, in most cases add a booking fee (agencies decline to reveal the precise amount of the fee, but it ranges from $2 to $20 per booking) and offer the rooms to the public at a discounted rate. How big the discount is varies according to the hotel and other factors. Priceline.com pledges cuts of up to half off published hotel rates. Orbitz promises up to 70 percent off. But sometimes lower-profile brokers, such as the Hong Kong-based Asia-Hotels.com ( http://www.asiahotels.com/) have the better rates -- although they may not find you a room in Hoboken.

New sites keep popping up like dandelions. One, Hotelrooms365 ( http://www.hotelrooms365.com/), has a rebate program: Guests who book with the site and spend a minimum amount get cash back. Another new site,

TabletHotels ( http://www.tablethotels.com/), has an impressive range of deluxe properties worldwide, many at good prices. And Hotelbook.com ( http://www.hotelbook.com/) features only independent properties.

Don't forget to check the hotels' own Web sites. Chains and independent hotels, locked in a struggle with third-party sites, often try to better the rates offered by outside bookers. In a recent search for a room in Paris for early February, five agencies offered four different rates for the same room on the same nights in the popular Hotel California Paris Champs Elysees. The highest was $446 on Octopustravel.com; the lowest, $278 on Asiahotels.com. But the hotel's site ( http://www.hotel-california-paris.com/) offered the lowest rate: $271 a night. Many properties even post a lowest-rate guarantee: They will match a better price if one can be found elsewhere on the Internet.

Savvy shoppers often use the booking sites as a bargaining chip: They find a deal for a hotel on a third-party site such as Expedia or Hotels.com and check the hotel's site (or call directly) to see if it will match or better the rate. One advantage to this approach is that if rates drop at the last minute, travelers can usually renegotiate with the hotel if they reserved directly rather than through a third-party agency.

Before agreeing to any deal found on the Internet, click through to find the final rate, including all taxes and other fees. And pay attention to the fine print on changing or canceling reservations; sites have different policies.

Also, consider checking aggregator sites, which help guide clickers to the places offering the best deals in a particular city. Two of the most comprehensive: Kayak.com and

Sidestep.com. Kayak has links to more than 154,000 hotels worldwide; fill in dates and locales, and it lists dozens of options and directs you to the sites or third-party agencies where reservations can be made. It also lists different prices offered for the same property by different agencies. In a recent search for a Comfort Inn in New York, Kayak showed that three agencies were offering two different rates; the best was offered by the hotel chain's site. Sidestep, drawing from its roster of 150,000 hotels, also provides a list of properties available in a destination according to price, number of stars or other measures. It provides links to the sites or third-party agencies where reservations can be made.

Here are the best-known hotel booking sites and their pros and cons, along with examples of rates offered last week.

Biggest Players

* Hotels.com. Features rooms in more than 70,000 hotels worldwide. Its network covers major North American and European cities. (New York, Miami, Hong Kong, London are all strong points.) But it also has options in less-expected markets, such as Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Full prepayment for rooms is required. A big inventory of chain properties makes this a good choice for travelers who prefer a familiar hotel setting. But deals on independent properties pop up here, too. For late February, the site's rate at the Dream Hotel in New York: $215. The rate on the hotel's site: $278.

* Quikbook.com ( http://www.quikbook.com/). Offers more than 1,300 hotels in 75 destinations throughout North America, the Caribbean and in several European countries. New York, Florida and California hotels are a particular strength. Good for travelers who want a pretty sure deal in a high-quality property. One big plus is that with a few exceptions, guests reserve through Quikbook but pay the hotel directly at the end of the stay. Mid-February rate at South Seas hotel in Miami: $294. On the hotel's site: $326.29.

* Orbitz.com. Although better known for its airline booking features, this agency offers rooms at more than 45,000 hotels worldwide. Rooms must be paid in advance. Good for Europe-bound travelers. A double in February at the Avenida Palace in Barcelona: $137. On the hotel's site: $142.

* Expedia.com. The largest Internet-based hotel site, it has an inventory of 70,000 hotel rooms in more than 2,000 destinations in the United States and abroad. Covers many second- and third-tier destinations that other sites do not. Prepayment is required. Excellent deals often pop up here. A double in February at the Hawthorn Suites in Manhattan Beach, Calif., went for $109. On the hotel's site: $135.

* Travelocity.com. Offers more than 70,000 hotels worldwide. The inventory ranges widely, but some of the best bargains are in resort properties. Prepayment is required. Double at the Fort Lauderdale Grande Hotel & Yacht Club in mid-February: $170. On the hotel's site: $269.

* PlacesToStay.com ( http://www.placestostay.com/). This site, based in Ireland, has 20,000 hotels, mostly in North American and European cities. They include a large number of bed-and-breakfast inns, villas and smaller properties, making it a good place for leisure travelers to look. Full payment required in advance. A double in February in the Elite Hotel in Prague goes for $102. On the hotel's site: $115.

* Travelweb.com ( http://www.travelweb.com/). Owned by Priceline.com, this agency lists rooms in 60,000 hotels in the United States and abroad. The major U.S. chain properties -- Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt International and Starwood -- are represented heavily here, so the site is best for travelers who prefer these brands. Rooms must be prepaid. Here's a case where a better rate might appear on the hotel's site. For a double at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis: $179. On the hotel chain's site: $149.

* Cheaptickets.com. Like several of its competitors, this agency also sells airline tickets and other travel services. Its inventory includes more than 65,000 hotels worldwide, including particularly good deals on midlevel resorts. Prepayment is mandatory. A deluxe garden-view double at the Castle Kiahuna Plantation & the Beach Bungalows in Kauai: $218. The rate on the resort's site: $239.

* Travel.Yahoo.com. Offering rooms at 150,000 properties worldwide, this site has a bigger inventory than most of its competitors. It is best for those who favor the major American chains since they dominate the inventory. Site seems to have fewer bargains than others. Mid-February rate at Le Pavillion in New Orleans: $199. On the hotel's site: $209.

Hidden-Provider Sites

* Priceline.com. Travelers booking a hotel through this site have two options. They can book a room at a discount rate from the agency's list of thousands of properties in North America, Europe, the Caribbean and Asia. Or, for a reduction of up to 50 percent off the published rate, they can bid on a room. Customers don't know the names of the hotels involved; they indicate the city, part of town, number of stars and how much they are willing to pay, and submit credit card information. (Check the independent Web site http://www.biddingfortravel.com/ for advice on how much to bid and other tips.) Only after a hotel accepts the bid is its identity revealed. The advantage is that some of the best bargains on the Internet are available here. One traveler on the site reported getting a rate of $149 at the Prince Waikiki Marina in Oahu; the lowest rate offered on the hotel's site: $229. The downside is that once the bid is accepted, your credit card is charged and only in rare circumstances can a room be canceled or a charge refunded.

* Hotwire.com. Bookers indicate the city where they are headed and are told the number of stars and the prices of available properties. After they select an option and enter credit card information, they are told the name and address of the hotel. The advantage here is that you are told the price you are going to pay before you give your credit card information. You are also told the percentage saved over what you would pay by booking directly at the hotel. A double at the Doubletree hotel in Tulsa, Okla., went for $60 here. The rate on the hotel's site: $89.

For Hotels Abroad

* Venere.com ( http://www.venere.com/). This Italian site features discounts at 12,000 hotels, guesthouses and bed-and-breakfasts all over the world. Particularly good deals pop up here on properties in Europe. Venere charges users one night's stay to secure the reservation. A double at the Hotel Torino in Rome: $142. On the hotel's site: $272.

* LateRooms.com ( http://www.laterooms.com/). This British-owned company offers more than 30,000 hotels throughout Europe. A feature that offers last-minute deals has particularly good bargains in the U.K. and France. Prepayment is required. Last week a room at the Hotel George in Edinburgh, was $145. On the hotel's site: $180.

* Asia-Hotels.com. This Hong Kong agency has an inventory of 20,000 hotels. It features deals in such pricey Asian cities as Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo as well as in Europe and South America. Prepayment is required. A double in February at the Banyan Tree Hotel in Bangkok: $203. On the hotel's site: $221.

* All-Hotels.com ( http://www.all-hotels.com/). Boasting an inventory of more than 120,000 hotels worldwide, this site offers options in just about every place leisure travelers go. The rates are not always the cheapest, but a column on special deals features bargains in such popular locations as Paris and Rome. A double in March at the Park Plaza Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin: $92. On the hotel's site: $108.

* MyTravelDream.com ( http://www.tiscover.com/). This is an Austrian-owned auction-style agency with a network of more than 20,000 hotels, guesthouses and hostels. Users can book a hotel at a discount rate. Or users can enter their destination, dates and amount they want to pay. A list of hotels willing to meet the price -- often including some surprisingly good options -- is provided within 24 hours. Users are charged one night's stay. The rest is paid directly to the hotel at the end of the stay. The site specializes in hotels in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Great Britain, Italy and South Africa. A double in February at the Mado Hotel in Cologne, Germany, goes for $70. On the hotel's site: $82.

* Utell.com ( http://www.utell.com/). This site lists more than 4,000 properties in destinations all over the world. It is one of few agencies with a good inventory of properties in Dubai, as well as in the developing world and all across Western Europe. A double in February at the Hotel Mision Reforma in Mexico City: $75. On the hotel's site: $85.

The Newcomers

* Tablethotels.com. If ever a hotel Web site had a hip edge, this is it. Features only 1,100 hotels worldwide, and all of them seem carefully vetted for style. Prepayment is required. A double in mid-February at the Viceroy in Santa Monica, Calif.: $389. On the hotel's site: $429.

* Hotelrooms365.com. This site has more than 30,000 properties in the United States and most major countries in Europe, Asia and South America. It's a good resource for last-minute bookers. Prepayment is required. A room at the Marcel in New York in mid-February: $179. On the hotel's site: $307.

* Hotelbook.com. Includes 5,000 hotels, with particular strengths in North America and Western Europe. Prepayment is required. With only independent properties listed, this is the anti-chain hotel site. A February rate at the Hotel Dauro in Granada, Spain: $76. On the hotel's site: $100.