When an airline or a hotel says they have a “Best Price Guarantee” hold onto your wallet. We have detailed the problems with airline “guarantees” and now new research shows that hotels are failing with their “guarantees” as well.
Hotelscombined.com conducted a study of “guaranteed” hotel-owned-site prices against others found on the Web. Their results were dramatic and they clearly outlined the exact discrepancies.
Their conclusions —
The results indicate that hotel websites do not always offer the best available rate. What’s more consumers cannot count on hotel price guarantees as most guarantees must be carefully documented if consumers are planning to file a claim. Even then it can be difficult to extract the guarantee. Without this guarantee, however, it leaves loyal customers no choice but to book through online travel agents which offer better deals. And how are online travel agents offering better deals? They make hotels sign a lowest rate guarantee contract.
The only guarantee is that if travelers find lower prices elsewhere, getting any refund will be guaranteed to be difficult.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
