Sick of Agoda, Tripadvisor etc blocking personal access to hotels

[retoohs]

Everytime I try to find email address or website to hotels all search's lead to one of the several online booking companies. Sick of not being able to make direct contact with places. I guess there is no way around this but it annoys the hell out of me. Anyone have any email addresses for clean budget places in Ao Nang and Railay Beach?

Cheers

[Seligne2]

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ao_Nang

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rai_Leh

Edited March 17, 2015 by Seligne2

[Chivas]

More to the point who uses Agoda and other booking sites !! Have never once found them cheaper than contacting the Hotel Direct which is what the OP wants !!

If you have telephone numbers of the places wanted try calling for an email address ??

Several times I've come up against what you say but a bit of persistance and you can normally obtain it. Whilst no assistance to you but I always keep a Hotel Card from everywhere I have ever stayed which helps obviously for the future....

Edited March 17, 2015 by Chivas

[nidieunimaitre]

You are right, when you search for a hotel, first you will find the booking companies that have this hotel in their lists.

But as you search the results further, you will eventually hit the hotel's website (if they have one).

Frustrating indeed.

[cooked]

More to the point who uses Agoda and other booking sites !! Have never once found them cheaper than contacting the Hotel Direct which is what the OP wants !!

If you have telephone numbers of the places wanted try calling for an email address ??

Several times I've come up against what you say but a bit of persistance and you can normally obtain it. Whilst no assistance to you but I always keep a Hotel Card from everywhere I have ever stayed which helps obviously for the future....

I have never, ever, booked a hotel in Thailand and often enough I have got prices below the official one on the hotel's website. These places are always half empty unless it's the New Year's holiday. I use Trip Advisor on my phone shortly before arriving and drive there to ask. Rarely gone on to another hotel.

I have also a few hotels on my list that are perfectly adequate but are not using Agoda and company, found by asking locals.

[retoohs]

Thanks for the replies and Seligne2 most helpful

[Thongkorn]

Agoda , do not up date their information , and get the prices wrong. also they don't let you know the Hotel/rooms are full . I have found

[mogandave]

You've booked a room on Agoda and found the hotel full when you got there?

Did you pay for a room on Agoda and have the hotel force you to pay more because the price you paidvon Agoda was too low?

[gk10002000]

It is their way of making it difficult for you to go independent. But you can search for the hotel on your own and get the information you need, assuming the hotel has a website. I haven't seen great price deals so in general I could accept the idea of booking with a reputable broker. But unfortunately my experience in Thailand the majority of the time is that the hotels really do try and give you the "worst" available room. You really should check out the room in person before paying. They give the room next to the noisy elevator, the loudest Air con unit, etc.

[alyx]

I hope you have found what you are looking for but I would like to react to the content of your post and the different comments I have read so far, which leave me kind of puzzled.

1) Trip advisor definitely doesn't block the hotel's details. On the contrary, there is even an icon leading to the hotel's website. Other sites do not have this policy but, by just googling the hotel, the matter can be solved easily.

2) I have booked quite a few hotels and, more often than not, the deal was better through the booking sites than the hotel's.

Obviously, I am not referring to guest houses and 1 or 2*.

It is time consuming to get the best deal and one has to visit a lot sites before succeeding, but I am certain that contacting the hotel directly usually doesn't work.

Now, correct me if I am wrong, most hotels have an agreement with the booking sites, not to sell cheaper than them.

One can get a better deal with the latter when they are left with a few unsold rooms from their quota.

Edited March 17, 2015 by alyx

[retoohs]

All what you have replied is true. I have not arrived at a hotel and found no room but have booked through Agoda and been given a not so good room and have both found better prices and more excessive prices when I've extended my stay at different places that id booked with Agoda. I lost my visa card and can't get it replaced until I return where it was issued so for now can't book online. A real hassle for hotels and air travel.

[retoohs]

Alyx I've emailed several thanks to the replies. I'm not sure if the hotels have an agreement with the booking companies but suspect you are right but doubt if they honour this if it means an empty room for the night

[Mcffee]

Only had positive experiences with Agoda, love that app.

[bubba]

I frequently use booking.com but I have not yet found an instance where it was cheaper to book direct. In fact, I have found cases where the direct rate was higher with the hotel than booking.com, ask them if they could just give me the booking.com rate, but they told me that the discounted rate could only be booked through booking.com. Since booking.com charges a commission, go figure...

[MaeJoMTB]

All what you have replied is true. I have not arrived at a hotel and found no room but have booked through Agoda and been given a not so good room and have both found better prices and more excessive prices when I've extended my stay at different places that id booked with Agoda. I lost my visa card and can't get it replaced until I return where it was issued so for now can't book online. A real hassle for hotels and air travel.

You don't have a copy of your VISA card?

Front and back photo on your smartphone, job done.

[retoohs]

I had to cancel my visa card but next time I travel I will do that. Great idea.

[mogandave]

Have you called your credit card company? I can't speak to other countries, but it has been my experience that US credit card companies will send a replacement overnight when you are traveling.

I have used Agoda, and their pricing seems to be the same or lower than if I direct book. A lot depends on where you are staying. Many cheap hotels don't really have a good way to book online. If the pricing is the same or only slightly better I generally book direct.

Also, using you do have a fair amount of protection with your personal and credit card information. The downside is that you have to pay in advance and as the venue nets less on the booking, I guess they may put you in a crappier room, but this has not been my experience.

In all fairness to Agoda, using what I think we would all a agree is a great search engine, and then moaning about the resource not making it easier to circumvent the portion of their site that generates revenue seems a little odd to me. It's a business, not a charity.

[retoohs]

Yes I'm in conversation with my bank and have had new card sent to my daughters. They will not activate it because I'm not in physical possession of card unless I accept all liability. Crazy in Thailand, I had trouble with fraud here before. All I need are the numbers for online bookings of air travel and hotels. I'm trying to resolve it with the bank

[samuijimmy]

Some hotels, / resorts do not have their own web sites... which is why you cannot access them directly.... they only have access through the booking companies...

I have been though this recently with trying to sort places for people to stay....

When using say Google, you have to look for the direct access/ website link to the resort you are looking for. Some have some do not....

I have rarely found the booking companies provide "better deals"...

[bkkjames]

While no major fan, I do use agoda regularly and have no issues. Sure I might be able to save a couple hundred baht searching and comparing, but my time is worth more than that.

[Seligne2]

All what you have replied is true. I have not arrived at a hotel and found no room but have booked through Agoda and been given a not so good room and have both found better prices and more excessive prices when I've extended my stay at different places that id booked with Agoda. I lost my visa card and can't get it replaced until I return where it was issued so for now can't book online. A real hassle for hotels and air travel.

You don't have a copy of your VISA card?

Front and back photo on your smartphone, job done.

And be sure you don't lose your phone!

[Razzler1973]

I have never had any issues with Agoda, absolutely never booked and then found a place full

If you search hotels you always get booking sites top of searchs but look down or 'hotel name telephone number' and it generally raises them up the search

[siam2007]

Agoda , do not up date their information , and get the prices wrong. also they don't let you know the Hotel/rooms are full . I have found

what a nonsense.

The HOTELS are responsible to maintain all the information and prices on agoda's website, they are being tought how to do so.

Agoda is only offering the SPACE to sell the rooms, as has been pointed out here in TV many times already (some members here are even Hotel owners themselves).

Hotel full ? Well then the Hotel sold their rooms on agoda even they did not have availability. it is never agoda's fault in that case as agoda doesn't even know when a hotel is full - only the hotel knows.

[craigt3365]

It's relatively easy to find the hotel's website. It probably won't be on the first page displayed by Google, but it will probably show up. Eventually.

I've gotten great deals by using a booking engine, and gotten the same or better by going direct. Depends on the hotel, the time of year, the manager, the position of the sun and the moon. Confusing.

What I do is to use an engine like hotels combined, or just use multiple search engines separately. Then go to the hotel's web page directly, then call them to see what they can do. It's work, but I've saved a bunch of money this way. No one approach gets the best deals all the time.

Good luck!

[lumply]

Never had a problem with Agoda over many years of using them. Only gripe being that I've not figured out how to redeem my points. Any advice? Booked through B.com next month for the first time, the process was easy enough.

[nidieunimaitre]

It's relatively easy to find the hotel's website. It probably won't be on the first page displayed by Google, but it will probably show up. Eventually.

I've gotten great deals by using a booking engine, and gotten the same or better by going direct. Depends on the hotel, the time of year, the manager, the position of the sun and the moon. Confusing.

What I do is to use an engine like hotels combined, or just use multiple search engines separately. Then go to the hotel's web page directly, then call them to see what they can do. It's work, but I've saved a bunch of money this way. No one approach gets the best deals all the time.

Good luck!

QUOTE No one approach gets the best deals all the time UNQUOTE

Indeed.

My last 2 hotels in Chanthaburi - KP Grand and Rachan offered cheaper rates when enquired at reception!

But some months ago, they wanted a higher price than Agoda - they then even advised me to use Agoda on the spot!!!

As a poster pointed out, possibly this is because the receptionists are not capable / allowed to make deals.

[balo]

I used Agoda a lot in the beginning until I realized it was a big scam operation , especially when it comes to prices in SE Asia. You will always see , special promotion 50% off and when you contact the hotel you realize that the "sale" is not real , its in fact often a bit higher at Agoda than what the hotel offer. Only the big , more expensive hotel chains you might get a better deal through Agoda but they are overpriced anyway.

So the first thing you should do is to call the hotel directly and ask them if they have any promotion.

.

Edited March 20, 2015 by balo

[Thongkorn]

You've booked a room on Agoda and found the hotel full when you got there?

Did you pay for a room on Agoda and have the hotel force you to pay more because the price you paidvon Agoda was too low?

Booked a room Turned up the rooms where full, The owner said that they had informed Agoda, maybe the owner was edging his bet having his rooms full.

But miraculously he could find a room but it would be more money. I just said no thanks, the room was in phuket by the way.

[wooloomooloo]

Never had a problem with Agoda over many years of using them. Only gripe being that I've not figured out how to redeem my points. Any advice?

Okay, so you've just booked this hotel and about to pay and you're signed in to Agoda. You'll notice 'Agoda Reward Points' in the top righthand side of the screen right under 'Book now!'

Drill in to the '+' sign to drop down and you'll find the points that are available to you and can choose which increment you want to cash in. If I remember correctly each set of earned points last for about a year. Once you've made your choice and applied your discount then you can enter your credit card details to settle the remaining balance.

Edited March 20, 2015 by wooloomooloo

[crazygreg44]

I used Agoda a lot in the beginning until I realized it was a big scam operation , especially when it comes to prices in SE Asia. You will always see , special promotion 50% off and when you contact the hotel you realize that the "sale" is not real , its in fact often a bit higher at Agoda than what the hotel offer. Only the big , more expensive hotel chains you might get a better deal through Agoda but they are overpriced anyway.

So the first thing you should do is to call the hotel directly and ask them if they have any promotion.

I found it to be quite the other way around. I used agoda to book a Bangkok hotel (not a big chain hotel) for 3 nights, and afterwards wanted to extent for 2 more nights in the same hotel. When I asked the desk, they smiled and apologized that they were unable to give me the agoda room rate. I paid 1620 THB with agoda, and they asked for 2420 THB when directly booking !

As some poster here mentioned, this is not always the case, but generally speaking I do not agree with your "scam operation" remark. I use agoda and booking very often and I am very satisfied with both. Also, the booking company's give you a better description of available hotel facilities. The highlight is reading the good and the bad reviews so I always know beforehand what to expect. Hotel's own websites in most cases do not publish customers reviews

Edited March 20, 2015 by crazygreg44