Travel Agent - Online Booking Site - Direct Contact With Hotel

I use booking. Com for initial research
Sometimes I book directly with hotel on their website
Sometimes I book on booking. Com
Have never had any issues

appears you are just fine contacting the hotels directly

We have always contacted hotels directly via email stating our needs and have usually gotten a reply within 24 hours. When availability is confirmed, we simply telephone them (it's not that expensive) and give them the credit card info. There are many who do things differently -- to each his / her own. This is simply what we have done and we've never had any problems. Our thinking is that if a problem does arise, it'll be simpler to deal directly with the hotel rather than a third party.

There are multiple booking channels now (both direct and indirect) due to the rise and popularity of comparison sites like Booking.com, etc. that allow someone to filter across variables they are interested in. Both work perfectly fine (I use mostly Booking.com and appreciate being able to access reviews and have a pool of hotels to compare). The term "posted rate" really only applies to the smallest mom and pop places that use fixed pricing mostly based on seasons. Most larger hotels have gone the way of airlines in using dynamic pricing based on demand and other factors - so there is no single "posted rate" but rather a variety of rates. There are also loyalty programs (e.g. hotel's own programs such as advanced pre-paid booking, discounts on third party sites for frequent users, credit card points for business hotels like Hilton Honors, etc) that apply to each booking channel and affect the total price.

My method is to compare all booking channels (third party and hotel's direct website) and go for the best total price, inclusive of any taxes and fees. If you want confidence that you are "set" if booking with a third party, all you have to do is email the hotel and confirm in writing the dates, room type, check-in/check out times, cancellation policy, etc. Once you have an electronic trail and a unique confirmation number, you are considered set. Same applies with a direct booking.

I generally book thru the hotel's direct site and have never had a problem in France, UK, Belgium and Netherlands. I have had a hotel negotiate a rate for me as the rate on their site was higher than booking.com. I emailed and mentioned that and they came back with a lower rate. I am NOT one to haggle over prices and I was basically just asking why it was different.

In your research also check to see if they have a FB site as you can sometimes get a free breakfast using a FB code.

I've also had free things offered if it happened to be a hotel chain with an app - thinking the Accor chain here and got a free breakfast for booking thru the app. Then I could also check in the day before with the app and things were ready when I got there.

I use the same approach as ChristineH. I also have had positive results with Booking.com. The site is user friendly and their follow through has always been reliable. All in all great customer service.

Want to feel confident that my hotel rooms are reserved and there is very little chance for problems.

I would consider myself a prolific traveler averaging 2 trips to Europe a year since 2014.
I never have had a problem with 3rd party site like Booking.com or Accor Hotels.
I have even used the Booking.com or Accor Hotels ap to book something on short notice on the go.
Sometimes on 3rd party sites like Booking.com the price is cheaper for frequent users they call Genius members.
The industry has improved communication wise from technology advances.

There are probably as many approaches to booking hotels as there are forum members. I've used third party aggregators like Booking.com and booked directly with the hotel or B&B. I try to book direct if dealing with small establishments mostly because I don't want them to have to pay a commission to the aggregators.

What ChristineH said. Never had a problem.

I suggest you research and book on your own rather than using a travel agent or a booking site. Some people prefer the convenience of a travel agent or a booking site, but the hotels have to pay them a steep commission (18%-23%) that could instead be a discount to you. It might seem intimidating at first, but it's really pretty easy and hotel direct booking websites are generally relaible and secure.

The only time I used a third party booking website, the hotel had no record of my reservation, even though I had a written confirmation with the "correct" dates. It took the front desk staff a few minutes, but we ended up with a better room for less money than what I had booked.

I tried to post a review of my experience on the third party's website, but it was removed because it was in violation of their guidelines.

Booking.com is a good search tool because it has useful filters and reviews only by people who have actually stayed at the hotels. But it charges hotels a hefty commission. Also, I don't like the way it tries to rush you into a booking by warning "only one room left" or some such, usually not true. So I book directly with a hotel's website and get a confirmation number directly from the hotel. That makes it easier to make any changes or get any clarifications that may be needed later, and ensures that whatever I pay will all go to the hotel. I've never had to pay more by booking directly than on a third-party site.

I use hotel websites for booking rather than e-mail or phone because it's easier. If a hotel doesn't have a website, or a secure method of taking credit card info (the padlock icon), then I probably won't pursue the booking. I may miss out on some "hidden gems" but I prefer to do business with folks who are set up to really do business. I'll use e-mail to communicate if necessary after booking, like to change the number of nights or ask for a specific type of room, and generally get a response from a named person at the desk or office. I keep a record of the hotel phone number in case I need to contact them on short notice during the trip, but haven't needed to so far.

Our experience has been similar to Dick's - ie we use booking.com for the initial search phase, taking full advantage of the very helpful filter and map features to narrow down our choices, then check to see if the particular property has it's own website. Have found on more than a few occasions that there can be a better selection of rooms as well as better prices on the hotel website versus booking thru a 3rd party - not always, but often enough to make it worthwhile to take the extra time to check.
After working our way thru just about all of the 3rd party search engines over the years we've settled on booking.com as our default - have never had a bad experience with them.

Another booking.com fan here as I can make reservations any time of the day and without any potential language barriers, although more and more European hotels have websites in English these days. Those work just fine too if uncomfortable with a hotel consolidator and/or you can land a more favorable rate. If you go that route, I'd still use booking.com to browse reviews, and TripAdvisor to browse candid shots of properties taken by guests.

I’ve encountered some “partially refundable” hotels on booking.com and when I go directly to the hotel’s own website the rate is as good or better and the rate was 100% refundable. 3rd party booking sites (and TAs) are in the business to make money either from you or the hotel or both.

And why people say a TA is convenient is beyond me. Convenience is knowing 100% that I made the reservation directly with the hotel and I have the hotel’s own confirmation in my hand..

I use booking.com all the time (average about 20 hotel bookings a year for decades). When they first became popular you might have gotten a better rate booking directly with the hotel itself but I have not found that in years. And even most of the smallest properties are listed (I've found some on both booking.com and airBnB). Many small places prefer to have booking.com handle the payments for them - it's easier for them and for the guest. I've talked to many hotel owners who say things have gotten a whole lot better for them since they went on booking.com so not sure how accurate it is anymore to say they would prefer you book directly with them.

Only two times in 20 years have I had a hotel room that I reserved not been available - and that was years ago before I was using booking.com. In both cases the property found me another place close by. Sometime I will email the property the week or two before my stay to ask about things like storing luggage before check in, or that I will be checking in late, etc. but that's not really necessary.

The only time I used a third party booking website, the hotel had no record of my reservation, even though I had a written confirmation with the "correct" dates.

It might be helpful to know which booking website this was.

Either a booking site or the hotel directly. I’ve never had a problem when using sites like Booking, Expedia, or TripAdvisor for hotels, and that includes both Europe and S. America. I thought travel agents went to way of travelers checks; nobody uses them. Just joking about the travel agents, but I haven’t used one in a couple decades.

Thank you one and all for your help. Making my hotel reservations is now so easy!!

vj,

I always book directly with the hotels, usually hotels that are listed in the RS guidebooks. The guidebooks have contact information for the hotels they list. I prefer to "eliminate the middleman" and deal directly with the merchant that's providing the service. I've seen a few cases where problems have occurred with a hotel that was booked through a third party, and in some cases these have been difficult to resolve as the hotel and the booking site simply "pass the buck" and blame the other for the problem.

Along the same line, I also prefer to book flights directly with the airlines, and don't use any of the travel booking sites.

I use Booking for research of lodging options, then compare to the hotel site. Sometimes booking from the hotel actually sends the booking to a third party.....so ge it.
What I find most successful is hotel communication either directly, or through Booking's message system. In particular, I always reconfirm my booking with the hotel a week or so before leaving home. As a solo woman traveler, the small personal connection starts some familiarity between me and my lodging. I also provide estimated arrival time and reiterate any special requests....quiet room, high floor, whatever.