Advice for booking hotels in Germany and Salzburg

Just guessing about possible hang-ups:

• Do you know for sure that the places you've contacted have 6 rooms that are doubles or larger?

• If they are small spots in isolated areas that don't get many non-German tourists, is it possible that they don't have an English-speaker readily available to deal with your email?

• Have you perhaps not allowed enough time for a response during what is probably their busy season?

I just checked on Expedia for the Salzburg hotel we prefer, Altstadthotel Weisse Taube, and there's rooms available - doubles & triples for June. I always just book on either Expedia or Booking.com although I know some prefer to reserve by e-mail, etc.

If you're contacting by e-mail, there's probably delays.

When I write for rooms in Germany (or Austria/Switzerland), I always write in German, and they almost always respond in German. When I arrive, about half the time I find they are fluent in English and could have understood my request in English, but about half the time they don't speak any English. So, I think there is a good likelihood that they didn't answer because they could only write to you in German. I would expect that even if they didn't have 6 available rooms, they at least would have responded with "Sorry, ...).

However, maybe it's just so far in the future that they put responding on a back burner.

I'm also wondering if they are concerned about your actually showing up. A lot of small places don't have many more than six rooms, and a failure by you to show would put a big crimp in their finances. Have you offered to pay in full in advance? And remember, a lot of small German places do business only in cash. They don't have any provision to run a credit card for prepayment.

Good luck.

I always just book on either Expedia or Booking.com

Not me. In fact, I might avoid a property that uses a booking website. I've found by experience that places that use booking websites are the higher priced places.

Like Jean, I use a booking site: HRS.com. I find it the best way to get superior, comparable information like the distance from the town center and the rail station. One handy piece of info is whether or not the reservation requires a credit card. I normally prefer to book without one. They only list hotels that have rooms available and will tell you how many. Good luck with it.

One problem with booking so far in advance is that hotels may not have set the next year's prices.

Hi,

For Pensionen (cities/towns) and small two star hotels in towns, I much rather call them up, speak to them in their language, ie German, regardless if I am calling from Calif or in Europe, tell them what I want and all the details, more effective that way. I would guess the places you contacted cannot accomodate your requests, or you are too early in making these reservations.

Jgunnink-
I too am planning a June 2017 Germany/Salzburg vacation. I recently inquired about reservations at a number of small inns/pensions and only heard back from a few. Of the ones I did hear from they informed me that they do not entertain reservations that far in advance and to inquire in January or February.
So perhaps this is the same reason you also haven't heard back from anyone. Good luck!

More than likely, you're trying entirely too early.

If you insist on 6 rooms, smaller hotels may not be able to accomodate you. There's nothing wrong with larger hotels.

Are any of the replies lurking in your spam folder?

You are trying too early. Plus, Bavaria is on school vacation right now, so perhaps try later.

I like using www.hrs.com to find hotels. I can filter out the amenities that I want or don't want including locations.

Thank you so much for all of your advice. I will wait until later and see if I can get my German teacher friend to help me craft emails. You have all been very helpful!

HRS is a perfect example of what I said above.

On my last trip to German, I spent 21 nights, 7 in a Ferienwohnung. I paid 300€, total, for a week in the Ferienwohnung, which is not shown on HRS. For the other 14 nights (4 in Munich) in 7 places, all of which I found on town websites, I averaged 74,50€ night, double occupancy.

Only one of those 7 places (2 nights) is also found on HRS, but I paid less per night than the HRS price, and I also got, for no additional cost, spa admission worth 32€ by booking a 2-night package price not shown on HRS..