Hotel Booking / Which Sites Give Full Price Upfront

[PattayaParent]

^never had a hotel or airline travel voucher declined yet in around 7 years.

[lopburi3]

I posted as just used booking.com and it did not require prepayment or vouchers and check of many hotels on there website confirmed no prepayment was required (but that a hotel could pre-authorize a credit card in some cases) - I paid at hotel after seeing room. I did not say you could just leave but at most one night would be payment at most hotels I checked.

Most hotels do not require prepayment with booking.com including the example location in above post. The official policy is

We guarantee

Booking is safe. When you book with us your details are protected by a secure connection.

Your privacy is protected. Your details will only be used to guarantee your booking.

No booking fees. You only pay the hotel. Booking.com will never charge your credit card.

Best Price Guarantee. Found your room online at a lower price? We'll match it.

[PattayaParent]

^I thought they charged their 10% commission to your credit card and the balance you pay at the hotel?

[lopburi3]

There is no commission paid by client. Indeed the hotel I stayed reduced the rate as was able to provide connecting rooms and one bed in such a case was a lower price than two bed reservation. My only payment was direct to hotel when checking in.

[PattayaParent]

One thing that annoys me about HotelsCombined is that the pice filter often doesn't work and there's also no choice of filter for Sukhumvit or Asoke area hotels so you have to look through pages of hotels that you're not interested in to find one you want.

[scotinsiam]

That sux reading all the bad reviews about Agoda. I've always have great success with them. I've used them maybe 20 times in Thailand, plus Japan, Korea & Hong Kong. I have always gotten the advertised price, with no surprises after booking. And never noticed that prices were cheaper through other avenues. Maybe I've just been lucky, and maybe they've changed their business practices for the worse recently. I do accumulate points pretty quickly which translated to reduced prices every 3-4 stays. I always recommend them to my friends, but I'll be taking a closer look based on some of the comments here.

BTW, they are now part of Priceline. I don't know when that happened; maybe it's been forever. But if it's a recent change, it would explain their deteriorating business practices.

I have used Agoda for a number of years and in all fairness I find them to be okay, I have had one issue with a shit hotel which they would not assist with. I have probably used them 60-70 times so one mistake is okay. However I am a bit pissed at the way they convert the currency to where your credit card came from (UK) and charge you in that currency and fuc_k you on the rate - this is fairly new as they used to charge in Baht and I got a decent rate from visa.

I like hotels combined site so agoda can <deleted> off

[PattayaParent]

I have used Agoda for a number of years and in all fairness I find them to be okay, I have had one issue with a shit hotel which they would not assist with. I have probably used them 60-70 times so one mistake is okay. However I am a bit pissed at the way they convert the currency to where your credit card came from (UK) and charge you in that currency and fuc_k you on the rate - this is fairly new as they used to charge in Baht and I got a decent rate from visa.

I like hotels combined site so agoda can <deleted> off

Agoda give you the choice to bill in the currency of your card or THB.

HotelsCombined is a consolidating search engine, you do not make the booking with HotelsCombined so if you want to book a hotel with the cheapest rate and it is offered by Agoda you will be redirected to the Agoda site to make the booking.

Edited May 1, 2012 by PattayaParent

[THAIPHUKET]

But even if you chose THB as billing basis , the ultimate debit to your home credit card will still be in that currency, right?

On my last bill they converted THB into USD and then into Euro, most likely not to my advantage.

[PattayaParent]

But even if you chose THB as billing basis , the ultimate debit to your home credit card will still be in that currency, right?

On my last bill they converted THB into USD and then into Euro, most likely not to my advantage.

Wrong.

They will bill THB to your credit card and then your credit card company will convert the THB to your billing currency.

That's how it works in GBP anyway.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

But even if you chose THB as billing basis , the ultimate debit to your home credit card will still be in that currency, right?

On my last bill they converted THB into USD and then into Euro, most likely not to my advantage.

Wrong.

They will bill THB to your credit card and then your credit card company will convert the THB to your billing currency.

That's how it works in GBP anyway.

Depends on the booking system. Sawadee started using DCC(billing you in your home countries currency according to the card that you use, even though the bill is in Thai Baht; at a disadvantageous exchange rate).

Told them to reverse it and to charge me in Thai Baht. They 'couldn't', so I never used them again.

[PattayaParent]

^Some websites give you a choice, like Air Asia and Agoda (at least last time I used them in March).

[Jiu-Jitsu]

^Some websites give you a choice, like Air Asia and Agoda (at least last time I used them in March).

Air Asia don't give you a choice. They simply don't use DCC in the first place. They just tell you that you are being charged in a different currency than denominated on your card.

Don't know about Agoda as I've only used them once.

[bangkokburning]

I am not impressed with hotelscombined.com - why not just go to booking or agoda? Lopburi stated that hotels.com is more expensive, I've not found that but it's worth checking more than one site for INCLUSIVE taxes. I have checked more hotels in SIN and looks like many are a bit more expensive booking direct - BUT, it is always work trying. Hell, I got a 22US room in Vegas on strip - direct. Also, if there are any problems - THEY have to deal w/ it, no excuses. I always try to do everything direct: buses, boats, guesthouses, air tickets - everything.

Currently looking for a room in SIN and prices are about same - easy to spot the hotels w/o tax. Incidently Lopburi, I think Agoda site does state - exclusive of tax. Anyway, I would like to recommend that you select PAYPAL and then just enter some BS in the fields. Yeah, it's tedious but it will give yo the price.

For me I guess it's booking and hotels. Agoda site never operates properly no matter what Internet device I am on - So I am fearful of trusting my card to it.

Anyway - I just wanted to pass that Paypal tip on.

Edited May 4, 2012 by bangkokburning

[PattayaParent]

I am not impressed with hotelscombined.com - why not just go to booking or agoda? Lopburi stated that hotels.com is more expensive, I've not found that but it's worth checking more than one site for INCLUSIVE taxes. .

The beauty of Hotels combined is that it checks ALL the sites for you AND includes taxes.

So then you just go directly to the one you want instead of having to input search data in half a dozen different websites.

[simon43]

Commenting on booking vouchers from the hotelier's point of view, I do prefer customers to fully prepay for their rooms, such as is required by Agoda and Wotif group. This places me in a stronger position should the customer not show or decide to cancel at the last minute.

Companies like Booking.com encourage customers to book rooms in the safe knowledge that they will not incur any charge if they decide to cancel or change their travel plans at the last minutes. That may be nice for the customer but is not appreciated by the hotel who may be unable to resell the room at the last minute.

For situations like this you might suggest that I just charge the cancellation fee to the customer's credit card. Not at all easy in Thailand, where it is very difficult for smaller businesses to get authorisation for 'Card not Present' charges

Simon

[bangkokburning]

PP fair enough - but I would really only use hotels.com or booking.com - or book direct if possible. All those other onine comapnies - I just don't trust them with the transaction or my card details. We have heard here many stories about Agoda. I can never get the site to work correctly incidently. Then there is Otels.com - that has to be a scam. What a name.

Honestly, really detest booking ahead and generally have no qualms just fronting up somewhere.