Heads up when booking with Agoda

[watcharacters]

Just a reminder for those who use Agoda when booking hotels in Thailand or elsewhere. Generally speaking, I'm completely satisfied with the service Agoda provides but it's possible to make a fairly serious mistake easily when booking with them.

Just today, I'm booking hotels for an upcoming trip to Saigon (HCMC).

While I've wondered in the past how the same apparent room can be different prices, today I managed to not trip over the same stone twice.

As an example, the Junior Suite at the Hotel Continental Saigon which sounded like a pretty reasonable deal is two different prices. The room descriptions were absolutely identical. Then I realized, as I one time failed to do for a hotel in Vientien, that the 2. USD lower priced room was for SINGLE occupancy. That can be a very expensive and difficult to correct mistake to make.

You have to carefully watch out for the little figures in the second column on the hotel room price page. They show the allowed number of guests for a particular room. I can easily forget to take note of that.

Good luck

[Rooo]

Moved to travel forum.

[fey]

I use booking engines for a couple nights max.

Just a tool to know where to go off the bus or plane and have somewhere to store your bags while you scout for a decent room.

You get a crap room every time, because it's already paid.

[Diplomatico]

I don't use agoda much for a couple of reasons:

a. They advertise prices that exclude tax which can make for a significantly higher advertised price, and;

b. The ridiculous requirement to download a certificate and take it with you at check-in.

Agoda's prices are, IMO, not any better than any of several online booking sites.

[Newguy70]

I don't use agoda much for a couple of reasons:

a. They advertise prices that exclude tax which can make for a significantly higher advertised price, and;

b. The ridiculous requirement to download a certificate and take it with you at check-in.

Agoda's prices are, IMO, not any better than any of several online booking sites.

The taking the certificate with you(what year is it) is a joke as it's 2014. This is why we carry id...

My only problem with them is they deleted my hotel reviews. Other than that they are ok.

[umbanda]

Check Asia Rooms site.

Same or lower prices, great customer service.

[NanLaew]

I don't use agoda much for a couple of reasons:

a. They advertise prices that exclude tax which can make for a significantly higher advertised price, and;

b. The ridiculous requirement to download a certificate and take it with you at check-in.

Agoda's prices are, IMO, not any better than any of several online booking sites.

Agoda clearly states on the payment page the cost is minus the local taxes but does list what the tax rates are beside the base price. This is BEFORE you enter ANY payment information. If one has a problem working out 15% or 15% of the base rate and adding it on, then maybe the old fashioned way by phone is better for you. If one is unable to comprehend why the 'bargain' base price is lower than the final price once the payment is made... maybe better stay at home.

My last 5 agoda bookings, I never printed the certificate from the email but had it available to view on my clever-as-all-get-go phone. Never been denied a booked room yet.

[phuketrichard]

use booking .com better cancellation policies and full rate shown

and as agoda an booking. are both owned by Priceline.....

[songhklasid]

I once pre-booked a resort in hoi-an, vietnam with agoda,1 day after checkin there was a big banner hung at the front of resort,LOW SEASON HALF PRICE, I told reception a mate was arriving soon, how much for room, sure enough about half what I paid, surely agoda would know the seasonal price differences, I complained, wrote 2-3 e-mails demanding difference back or credits, funny I never got1 reply,do your homework.

rgds S.S.

[stevenl]

I once pre-booked a resort in hoi-an, vietnam with agoda,1 day after checkin there was a big banner hung at the front of resort,LOW SEASON HALF PRICE, I told reception a mate was arriving soon, how much for room, sure enough about half what I paid, surely agoda would know the seasonal price differences, I complained, wrote 2-3 e-mails demanding difference back or credits, funny I never got1 reply,do your homework.

rgds S.S.

Blame the hotel, they set the prices, not Agoda.

[NanLaew]

I once pre-booked a resort in hoi-an, vietnam with agoda,1 day after checkin there was a big banner hung at the front of resort,LOW SEASON HALF PRICE, I told reception a mate was arriving soon, how much for room, sure enough about half what I paid, surely agoda would know the seasonal price differences, I complained, wrote 2-3 e-mails demanding difference back or credits, funny I never got1 reply,do your homework.

rgds S.S.

Blame the hotel, they set the prices, not Agoda.

Exactly! Any hotel 'in house' special promotions are generally not available via aggregator websites such as agoda. booking.com etc..

If you want a 'belt-and-braces' approach, use agoda (and others) like you would an airline aggregator like kayak (and others). As you would check directly with the airline for any 'specials', check with the hotel website directly to see if there's any specials that beat the aggregators prices.

[Gweiloman]

I like using Agoda. Have gotten lots of free room nights using just my points from previous bookings and reviews

[Diplomatico]

I don't use agoda much for a couple of reasons:

a. They advertise prices that exclude tax which can make for a significantly higher advertised price, and;

b. The ridiculous requirement to download a certificate and take it with you at check-in.

Agoda's prices are, IMO, not any better than any of several online booking sites.

Agoda clearly states on the payment page the cost is minus the local taxes but does list what the tax rates are beside the base price. This is BEFORE you enter ANY payment information. If one has a problem working out 15% or 15% of the base rate and adding it on, then maybe the old fashioned way by phone is better for you. If one is unable to comprehend why the 'bargain' base price is lower than the final price once the payment is made... maybe better stay at home.

My last 5 agoda bookings, I never printed the certificate from the email but had it available to view on my clever-as-all-get-go phone. Never been denied a booked room yet.

Nice of you to speak for me. Never said I didn't understand the agoda booking process - said I didn't like it.

If one has a problem with reading comprehension then perhaps one should not post on public forums.

[rdg_john]

Check Asia Rooms site.

Same or lower prices, great customer service.

I wouldn't.

Used them once and booked a room in KL for Grand Prix, pre-paid. No record of booking when I got to the hotel, ended up paying twice.

No answer on the 'Help' line. No replies to my emails.

[krisb]

I don't use agoda much for a couple of reasons:

a. They advertise prices that exclude tax which can make for a significantly higher advertised price, and;

b. The ridiculous requirement to download a certificate and take it with you at check-in.

Agoda's prices are, IMO, not any better than any of several online booking sites.

The download requirement is for your own sake, proof you paid for the room, not stupid at all imo. In saying that, you can always show the hotel the email confirmation on your phone.

I have turned up without the print off before and had no issue at all. It's on the hotels computer, but lucky for me, it might not have been.

Back to the op....

I like Agoda. Always used them, I suppose it's because never had an issue with them.

One thing with them is if you change I think it was the currency, it's cheaper. Maybe it was the language??

Example if you change the currency to Thai baht, it's a cheaper price then dollars.

Try it.

[ryanhull]

I don't use agoda much for a couple of reasons:

a. They advertise prices that exclude tax which can make for a significantly higher advertised price, and;

b. The ridiculous requirement to download a certificate and take it with you at check-in.

Agoda's prices are, IMO, not any better than any of several online booking sites

Always used agoda and never needed to print anything off, usually just say my name and they have the booking up, also agoda do have the best prices.

[NanLaew]

I don't use agoda much for a couple of reasons:

a. They advertise prices that exclude tax which can make for a significantly higher advertised price, and;

b. The ridiculous requirement to download a certificate and take it with you at check-in.

Agoda's prices are, IMO, not any better than any of several online booking sites.

Agoda clearly states on the payment page the cost is minus the local taxes but does list what the tax rates are beside the base price. This is BEFORE you enter ANY payment information. If one has a problem working out 15% or 15% of the base rate and adding it on, then maybe the old fashioned way by phone is better for you. If one is unable to comprehend why the 'bargain' base price is lower than the final price once the payment is made... maybe better stay at home.

My last 5 agoda bookings, I never printed the certificate from the email but had it available to view on my clever-as-all-get-go phone. Never been denied a booked room yet.

Nice of you to speak for me. Never said I didn't understand the agoda booking process - said I didn't like it.

If one has a problem with reading comprehension then perhaps one should not post on public forums.

Where on agoda do they ever 'advertise prices'?

If one doesn't understand how to use it, then maybe one shouldn't complain too much about it.

[Diplomatico]

I don't use agoda much for a couple of reasons:

a. They advertise prices that exclude tax which can make for a significantly higher advertised price, and;

b. The ridiculous requirement to download a certificate and take it with you at check-in.

Agoda's prices are, IMO, not any better than any of several online booking sites.

Agoda clearly states on the payment page the cost is minus the local taxes but does list what the tax rates are beside the base price. This is BEFORE you enter ANY payment information. If one has a problem working out 15% or 15% of the base rate and adding it on, then maybe the old fashioned way by phone is better for you. If one is unable to comprehend why the 'bargain' base price is lower than the final price once the payment is made... maybe better stay at home.

My last 5 agoda bookings, I never printed the certificate from the email but had it available to view on my clever-as-all-get-go phone. Never been denied a booked room yet.

Nice of you to speak for me. Never said I didn't understand the agoda booking process - said I didn't like it.

If one has a problem with reading comprehension then perhaps one should not post on public forums.

Where on agoda do they ever 'advertise prices'?

If one doesn't understand how to use it, then maybe one shouldn't complain too much about it.

Again, thank you for speaking for me. I never said agoda advertised prices "on agoda." They do allow their prices to be advertised on Kayak, Tripadvisor, and a number of other "price comparison" sites.

Gee, look at that - now you're 0 for 2 in trying to make use of your condescending bum-wipe attitude on this thread.

[fey]

have you considere using booking?

the links are on every thread and i guess that mskes them the best and most popular choice for thai expats.

plus your support goes to a good cause

[keestha]

In the area where I live, one hotel has a large sign at the side of the road advertising rooms for 800 Baht. The same place is listed at Agoda for 1200 Baht.

I would advise to contact the hotel directly. Agoda takes at least 13% from the hotels, so they have more wriggling room when you deal with them yourself.

[puuchaibaa]

Agoda's been ok for me. Never had to print a voucher but have been asked for the confirmation nbr in which case I just show it from my phone.

One time I booked 1 pax instead of 2 by mistake. Agoda staff fixed it easily over the phone (note the 1 and 2 pax rates were the same).

I find their rates are usually about the same as every one else, but paying with my Citibank card gets me 7% off, plus another few pct using their rewards points. I have read that some people have had problems redeeming these reward points but I haven't faced any problems yet.

Edit: To take advantage of the Citibank discount (a joint promotion between Citibank Thailand and Agoda) you have to take care to complete your booking through the designated webpage below. If a hotel is eligible, it will show a green 'Promotion Eligible' icon next to the name.

http://www.agoda.com/citibankth

Edited October 1, 2014 by puuchaibaa

[cooked]

OK, I am not too experienced, but in three years of living in Thailand I have never booked a room in advance, including during peak periods, and have never had a problem finding a room. Arriving by public transport, I tell a taxi driver what we want. We find it, never had to go to a second hotel yet. In my car, I stop just before the destination and use Tripadvisor on my Android. Checking up in the hotel afterwards I ALWAYS find that I have a better deal than is offered by these booking.com scams. There are generally too many hotels in Thailand chasing after too few customers.

[Mencken]

I have always been a booking fan but they let me down on our trip to Japan. All rooms, all prices were less expensive. Booked, paid done.

[fey]

Having a tuk tuk or taxi take you to a hotel of their choice is one of the worst things you can do.

Your definately getting scammed and paying un-needed commission.

If you don't mind paying nothing wrong with it.

[NanLaew]

Agoda clearly states on the payment page the cost is minus the local taxes but does list what the tax rates are beside the base price. This is BEFORE you enter ANY payment information. If one has a problem working out 15% or 15% of the base rate and adding it on, then maybe the old fashioned way by phone is better for you. If one is unable to comprehend why the 'bargain' base price is lower than the final price once the payment is made... maybe better stay at home.

My last 5 agoda bookings, I never printed the certificate from the email but had it available to view on my clever-as-all-get-go phone. Never been denied a booked room yet.

Nice of you to speak for me. Never said I didn't understand the agoda booking process - said I didn't like it.

If one has a problem with reading comprehension then perhaps one should not post on public forums.

Where on agoda do they ever 'advertise prices'?

If one doesn't understand how to use it, then maybe one shouldn't complain too much about it.

Again, thank you for speaking for me. I never said agoda advertised prices "on agoda." They do allow their prices to be advertised on Kayak, Tripadvisor, and a number of other "price comparison" sites.

Gee, look at that - now you're 0 for 2 in trying to make use of your condescending bum-wipe attitude on this thread.

If you say so dear, if you say so. There's absolutely nobody here insisting that agoda is the best and we all have choices. My choice was to try and dismantle your parochial arguments against agoda. Your choice was to be a bit of a cock and take it all personal.

Hard to deny that you did indeed say in post #4 that "a. They advertise prices..." and only pulled "I never said agoda advertised prices "on agoda." out of your puckering arse in post #18 with waffle about other websites. It's alright to admit you were wrong, really it is.

Oh yes, your other criticism about agoda's printed vouchers has also been shot to all buggery by other happy agoda users.

[pomchop]

I use the expedias, agodas, etc to research various hotels and then find the hotels website and book direct with the hotel....IF IF IF in the rare case where hotel rate is shown higher than the agoda rate all that is required is to point it out and you'll get the lower rate...on the other hand if you book with agoda/etc and get to the hotel to find the hotel rate is lower you are out of luck.

The more people use expedia/agoda the more that most hotel prices will be driven up as the average yield to the agodas/expedia is 23% commission......over time hotels who depend on agoda/expedia will simply jack their rates to cover commissions.

BOOK DIRECT.

[harrry]

Check Asia Rooms site.

Same or lower prices, great customer service.

I wouldn't.

Used them once and booked a room in KL for Grand Prix, pre-paid. No record of booking when I got to the hotel, ended up paying twice.

No answer on the 'Help' line. No replies to my emails.

That is where the printed certificate is of help.

[cooked]

Having a tuk tuk or taxi take you to a hotel of their choice is one of the worst things you can do.

ISN'T

Your definately getting scammed and paying un-needed commission.

NEVER HAVE

If you don't mind paying nothing wrong with it.

WE GO BACK TO THE SAME HOTELS AGAIN AND AGAIN, ALL FOUND FOR US BY TAXI DRIVERS.

[mataleo]

I use http://booking.com

[krisb]

OK, I am not too experienced, but in three years of living in Thailand I have never booked a room in advance, including during peak periods, and have never had a problem finding a room. Arriving by public transport, I tell a taxi driver what we want. We find it, never had to go to a second hotel yet. In my car, I stop just before the destination and use Tripadvisor on my Android. Checking up in the hotel afterwards I ALWAYS find that I have a better deal than is offered by these booking.com scams. There are generally too many hotels in Thailand chasing after too few customers.

Not always cheaper doing a walk in.

We paid on a site for a room for the week once. Then we wanted to extend the stay for a few extra days only to be told the price had increased and we couldn't re book matching the online price!!

So that was it, we packed and went to a hotel up the road.