Hotel ads can be annoying because they aren’t always based on reality. A hotel room is not just a hotel room.
For those of us in the travel industry, whether on the agency or supplier side, Trivago is today’s prime violator. It mocks those who don’t use the price comparison site and claims they aren’t getting the best deal or may be paying too much for a room.
Now, yes, there are times when literally all travelers want is a place to sleep and maybe take a shower. The room itself doesn’t matter, nor does the service. But those times are fewer than most people think.
With these online sites, we’re not talking about tiny roadside motels with a quirky front desk clerk, like in Schitt’s Creek, but generally chain properties. And hotels/motels all have better and worse rooms, which may vary by travelers’ priorities. (For example, I have some clients who want as high a floor as possible for views and others who feel more comfortable on as low a floor as possible. Some clients want rooms near the elevator so they don’t need to walk much, while others want one at the end of the hallway with the least traffic.)
You can ask at check-in or call ahead, but it’s unlikely a website will request personal preferences.
As I’ve written, when you get to check in, the clerks know exactly how you booked and how much you paid. A booking from a preferred travel agency, brick-and-mortar, or OTA does get more priority. Ditto a booking from a large tour operator who sends the hotel a lot of business. And something booked directly with the chain gets more priority than a random third-party site.
Even some two- and many three-star hotels will offer breakfast to preferred agency customers. Most chains have help desks for agents to reach out to properties we don’t know, which good agents will take advantage of.
How you book can matter even for short stays, too. Recently, I had a client want a one-night booking in London after a redeye at a moderate hotel near Paddington Station, not expensive or fancy, but I was able to get the hotel to prioritize early check-in due to our relationship.
The nicer the hotel, the more how you book can matter.
Does it always work? No, but hotels are more likely to be booked with a preferred agency. There are so many programs, via preferred agencies, credit cards, etc., where a room comes with breakfast, food beverage, or other credit. Not to mention priority for upgrades and early check-in/late check-out. In a few cases, booking through a preferred agency can also mean a waived “resort” fee.
If you save $20 on a room, even if you don’t care if it’s small, and pay $30-$50 or more for two breakfasts or for a few drinks that might have been included in a hotel credit, you’re not coming out ahead.
This isn’t to say that sometimes you don’t want the least expensive room, period, with nothing included and no special accommodations needed. But just don’t automatically take any website’s word for it that you are getting the best deal.
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Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
