Agoda vs Booking.com/hotels.com and Parking

[husky]

Recently we have been making weekend trips to Bangkok.  We have a small compact car we drive up in.  One hotel a couple of weeks ago said 'There is no parking whatsoever and we said so on our website'.  We found garage parking and I ended up checking when I got home, agoda mentioned nothing.  Next time I booked on agoda and asked out of 8 hotels if they had parking.  I got two responses.  Luckily the one who said 'we have parking for 1 car' (which I meant to take if you and your wife drove up with separate cars you were on your own with the second vehicle, but actually meant the entire hotel had one car parking spot) actually had the one spot available.  Now for booking for next time I called one hotel, 'no parking'.  I thought this can't be this difficult, so I started looking at different sites, booking.com and hotels.com which clearly state whether each hotel has parking or not.  I have seen parking specified on agoda but very very rarely (so I believe I know where it would be stated).  I'm pretty sure I'm looking over all the info as it is right there on the booking and hotels website.  Anybody else ever notice this?  Also I have parked in other areas in Bangkok without problems, Lumpini/Silom seems to be the no parking zone, any other drivers of cars notice this??  Is Agoda slipping?  I used to use them exclusively but am now switching. 

Edited June 11, 2017 by husky

[South]

Why give 15+% of your booking to an online booking company? For what, one email?

Contact/book the hotel directly, possibly save some money and get your questions answered directly.

Easy.

[Here It Is]

Not sure if this is Agoda's fault.  You'll probably get the same response if you emailed the hotels direct.

[Madgee]

26 minutes ago, South said:

Why give 15+% of your booking to an online booking company? For what, one email?

Contact/book the hotel directly, possibly save some money and get your questions answered directly.

Easy.

Most hotels/resorts charge more on their websites than online booking companies. Fact. 

Example: I recently went to Koh Lanta for a few days. Checked resort websites, some my wife phoned and ALL were more expensive going direct than using an online booking company. Some were nearly double the price if booking direct.

Part of the deal online companies insist on is that THEY are cheaper than the hotel/resort direct. If the hotel/resort breaks this contract they are no longer listed online by the companies involved. Hard but good business sense for both parties concerned. The hotels/resorts are represented online in a busy marketplace and save on admin costs, a huge advantage over an independent who has to do his own marketing. 

 

I was in a related industry for over 30 years and was slightly involved in the initial beginnings of online marketing.

Edited June 11, 2017 by Madgee

[petesc55]

Agoda has a search option to limit results to places that have a car park.   Use it.  :)      

[Here It Is]

21 minutes ago, petesc55 said:

Agoda has a search option to limit results to places that have a car park.   Use it.  :)      

Can you show us how it's done?  Thanks.

[BEVUP]

35 minutes ago, Madgee said:

Most hotels/resorts charge more on their websites than online booking companies. Fact. 

Example: I recently went to Koh Lanta for a few days. Checked resort websites, some my wife phoned and ALL were more expensive going direct than using an online booking company. Some were nearly double the price if booking direct.

Part of the deal online companies insist on is that THEY are cheaper than the hotel/resort direct. If the hotel/resort breaks this contract they are no longer listed online by the companies involved. Hard but good business sense for both parties concerned. The hotels/resorts are represented online in a busy marketplace and save on admin costs, a huge advantage over an independent who has to do his own marketing. 

 

I was in a related industry for over 30 years and was slightly involved in the initial beginnings of online marketing.

Correct as I look through the sites then tap into the resorts site 

I look at Agoda, Booking & trip adviser ( especially at the comments )

Agoda has no idea as to how its site works (emailed them a few times ) EG: go to book room & add one child - tells me it's 1000 bht extra when hotel policy is child using existing bedding stays free ( but i am always willing to pay for the extra breakfast) EG 2 : One of these sites offer 2 rooms since there is no room for extra bedding if a child is over a certain age 

I just give up on them & book it for wife & i only & sought it at the hotel

[petesc55]

2 hours ago, Here It Is said:

Can you show us how it's done?  Thanks.

 

Check this box.

There's a similar option on the tablet/phone app.

 

 

 

 

 

[South]

11 hours ago, Madgee said:

Most hotels/resorts charge more on their websites than online booking companies. Fact. 

Example: I recently went to Koh Lanta for a few days. Checked resort websites, some my wife phoned and ALL were more expensive going direct than using an online booking company. Some were nearly double the price if booking direct.

Part of the deal online companies insist on is that THEY are cheaper than the hotel/resort direct. If the hotel/resort breaks this contract they are no longer listed online by the companies involved. Hard but good business sense for both parties concerned. The hotels/resorts are represented online in a busy marketplace and save on admin costs, a huge advantage over an independent who has to do his own marketing. 

 

I was in a related industry for over 30 years and was slightly involved in the initial beginnings of online marketing.

This has been an ongoing argument for a long time now. If a business can save money, it will. I think you will find that 'advertised' prices will be the same or more because of the OTA policies. Call them/go direct, and you will find that they can be quite 'flexible'.

Why give money to 'X' when you are paying 'Y'?

[Mahseer]

Agoda and Booking.com are the same company so you might want to look elsewhere.

[phuketrichard]

13 hours ago, Madgee said:

Most hotels/resorts charge more on their websites than online booking companies. Fact. 

Example: I recently went to Koh Lanta for a few days. Checked resort websites, some my wife phoned and ALL were more expensive going direct than using an online booking company. Some were nearly double the price if booking direct.

Part of the deal online companies insist on is that THEY are cheaper than the hotel/resort direct. If the hotel/resort breaks this contract they are no longer listed online by the companies involved. Hard but good business sense for both parties concerned. The hotels/resorts are represented online in a busy marketplace and save on admin costs, a huge advantage over an independent who has to do his own marketing. 

 

I was in a related industry for over 30 years and was slightly involved in the initial beginnings of online marketing.

 

When u sign up with agoda,booking,  expedia, travelasia u sign a contract that states you WILL NOT SELL ur rooms for less online.   If u do they will drop you. as many hotels get upwards of 60% of their bookings  ( maybe more in low season)they will not go against this agreement.

 

Each hotel has a checklist for the booking engine,  each hotel places what they offer. Each hotel sets is deposit, cancel terms,extra beds, breakfast etc etc.NOT the booking engine.

 

NOTE:agoda has more hotels in SE asia,  Booking .com is better for Europe
 

Quote

Agoda and Booking.com are the same company so you might want to look elsewhere.

 

NOT TRUE; although  both are owned by Priceline  both are run 100% independently.

[BEVUP]

5 minutes ago, phuketrichard said:

 

When u sign up with agoda,booking,  expedia, travelasia u sign a contract that states you WILL NOT SELL ur rooms for less online.   If u do they will drop you. as many hotels get upwards of 60% of their bookings  ( maybe more in low season)they will not go against this agreement.

 

Each hotel has a checklist for the booking engine,  each hotel places what they offer. Each hotel sets is deposit, cancel terms,extra beds, breakfast etc etc.NOT the booking engine.

 

NOTE:agoda has more hotels in SE asia,  Booking .com is better for Europe
 

NOT TRUE; although  both are owned by Priceline  both are run 100% independently.

Well aware it's the Resorts, but still a complete balls up (refer to my original post )

Also there are a lot of hidden perks not mentioned by the Resorts IE: no eating in rooms (even with room service), 3000 bht if your child accidently wets bed (for the price i paid & that was a special, not the 5000 p/n they wanted, i would say that should of been covered 

[4MyEgo]

14 hours ago, Madgee said:

Most hotels/resorts charge more on their websites than online booking companies. Fact. 

Example: I recently went to Koh Lanta for a few days. Checked resort websites, some my wife phoned and ALL were more expensive going direct than using an online booking company. Some were nearly double the price if booking direct.

Part of the deal online companies insist on is that THEY are cheaper than the hotel/resort direct. If the hotel/resort breaks this contract they are no longer listed online by the companies involved. Hard but good business sense for both parties concerned. The hotels/resorts are represented online in a busy marketplace and save on admin costs, a huge advantage over an independent who has to do his own marketing. 

 

I was in a related industry for over 30 years and was slightly involved in the initial beginnings of online marketing.

I always search the web, i.e. Agoda, Booking.com etc etc and ALWAYS find their information to be incorrect, sure dealing with the hotels is more expensive, but as others have said, you get the information in writing via email, so if there is a hassle, you just produce it and they back off, on top of this we always ask their price and when its more than the advertised agencies, i.e. Agoda, Bookings.com. we just copy and past the relevant/cheapest page to them and say, oh, it appears to be cheaper on Agoda or Bookings.com, should we book with them and they always come back with we have no control over the market, but we can match it, and I never give them more than 1 nights deposit, most times its none, as I tell them I don't have a credit card (true), those that say you can do an online transfer, get the 1 nights deposit, otherwise I pay cash the following morning when we get their after inspecting the room, because if it ain't up to scratch, they can keep it, and I keep my cash, however has only happened once out of say 20 times, once bitten, twice shy as the saying goes.

Edited June 12, 2017 by 4MyEgo

[stevenl]

Quote

I always search the web, i.e. Agoda, Booking.com etc etc and ALWAYS find their information to be incorrect,

The only one to blame for that is the hotel.

[Gary A]

I had a one day unintended delay in Bangkok and needed a room for one night. I knew the area I wanted to stay and booked on Booking.com. YES, I know it was my fault. I should have found more information, but the hotel looked good and Booking.com gave it an excellent rating. My first inkling was the reservation area was spartan to say the least. My second warning was my room was on the 4 th floor and there was no elevator. The room was a whopping 12 square meters with no TV or refrigerator. The most shocking thing was that there was no bathroom. It was located down a long hall. Booking.com ratings are obviously manipulated. It was only 1,000 baht a night but was the ONLY room I ever stayed in that had no bathroom. I have stayed in some pretty crappy 300 baht a night rooms and all had an in room bathroom. I normally use Agoda and for sure, I will in the future.

[Here It Is]

54 minutes ago, Gary A said:

Booking.com ratings are obviously manipulated. 

This isn't our experience of booking.com.

 

About eighteen-months ago my wife and I booked a two night stay in an establishment advertised on their website in a popular European city.  The total cost was EUR 1,000.00 for the two nights.  I know, but we like our little luxuries as I'm getting too old for down market resorts.

 

Whilst the accommodation was habitable it wasn't quite what we expected for the money.  So I left a review on their website once we returned home.  It wasn't a terrible review but indicated that the property needed updating and gave it a low star rating which is obviously my prerogative and was a fair assessment, a view shared by my wife.  Blinking heck, not 24-hours later I receive an email from the owner asking whether I attached the review to the wrong property, LOL.  I didn't respond as I couldn't be bothered having an argument about our stay as I paid the money and it was now my turn to have my say and if the owner didn't like it then she shouldn't be advertising on a website that invites reviews.  Simple, really.

 

Next day my smartphone rings from abroad which is always suspicious and I don't answer my phone to numbers I don't know.  So I put the number into google and ... you guessed it, it was the property's number.  Jeez.  And, thereafter, my phone rings everyday for the next week for which I decline on every occasion.

 

Two weeks after our stay I receive an email from booking.com customer services.  It was a very amiable email and the rep informed me that the owner had been on to them to request that I amend my review as it couldn't possibly have been for their property, Christ on a bike.  This got my back up, to be honest, and I immediately replied to the rep providing a detailed analysis of our stay and concluded that, actually, I was quite tame and was well within my rights to write a far more scathing review based on our experience.

 

Booking.com replied within a few minutes with 'we'll let your review stand then', and it still stands to this day.  Never heard from booking.com or the owner again about the subject.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 13, 2017 by Here It Is

[Here It Is]

1 hour ago, Gary A said:

Booking.com ratings are obviously manipulated. 

Oh, and being a longtime user of both booking.com and Agoda, I'm always dismayed at the disparity between one mans palace to the next mans dive.  You pays your money and you takes your choice.

 

At least they're verified reviews, unlike TripAdvisor, where you have to separate out a lot of the tactical and vindictive crap.  But TA still performs a function, nevertheless.

 

 

Edited June 13, 2017 by Here It Is

[phuketrichard]

I  agree, at least to post a review on the booking engines you HAD to have stayed there;

TA is worthless as anyone can post anything at anytime.

I love how many of the "experts" are often wrong or out of date, (but  they do have many many posts  )LOL

[Ace of Pop]

If you Phone front desk and tell them Agoda or whoevers price they Book you in at that price anyway.?[emoji383]


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[Ahab]

You can filter the Agoda results to only show hotels with parking (or swimming pools, etc).

[Salerno]

13 minutes ago, Ace of Pop said:

If you Phone front desk and tell them Agoda or whoevers price they Book you in at that price anyway.?

On numerous occasions I've actually had to book online while sitting in reception when extending a stay as the hotels would not match the price on the booking sites.

[Ace of Pop]

On numerous occasions I've actually had to book online while sitting in reception when extending a stay as the hotels would not match the price on the booking sites.

I've never booked anything , my Wife does it, Thai Rak Thai I guess, never failed so far.?


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