Hotel pricing advice from AARP

[Bill4728 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Bill4728]

The following is some neat advice off the AARP web site re: hotel pricing.

Don't be fooled that you're getting the best hotel bargain by booking online. Websites such as Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity, and hotels.com buy rooms from hotels at a discount price but then charge you a markup of 24 to 48 percent, says Greenberg. "Instead, if you see a hotel room advertised online for $100 a night, call the hotel directly and offer $85. At the typical markup, you have to figure the hotel is offering it to the discounter at about $65. The hotel still stands to make a $20 profit by booking it from you rather than through the website." Tip: negotiate directly with the on-duty manager or sales director rather than a lower-level reservations operator or desk clerk.

[Tom52 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tom52]

Bill, just experienced exactly this same thing 2 weeks ago. I booked a one night stay through travelocity.com. When I checked out the woman behind the desk asked why I booked through travelocity. I told her for the convenience. She suggested that if I visited in the future, to call ahead and make the reservation direct with them. The price she quoted for the same room was 40% less! She was not comfortable giving me this information but from now on I will no longer assume a hotel price on line is the cheapest available. In addition, the hotel would not even give me a receipt for the room since it was booked through travelocity!

Tom

[Sydney Contributor - Bronze Find all posts View Profile Close Sydney]

That's great advice Bill, thanks. Have thought of doing that before and glad to know it's worth a try for future reference.

[vlariano Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close vlariano]

That doesn't work in some areas. I was staying at a Days Inn in Scottsdale and wanted an extra night. The girl at the desk was quoting $20 more to people on the phone than I could get online and told me to go book it online because she couldn't give me the same price as wherever it was that I booked it. (It's been awhile so I've forgotten exactly which site, but now I always check both ways.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Another secret is to dial the local number and not the 800 number because they think you are a local person and they are willing to give you a better deal. We have tried this and it worked. They know that local people know who their competition is. If there is no competition then it may not work.