Hotel reservations online are very common but you should take into account some of these tips so as not to be surprised when you arrive at the hotel.
Traveling today is much simpler thanks to the Internet; among the many advantages that it offers to travelers is the possibility of making a reservation from the computer.
The only problem is that there are many pages and search engines to book online and not all are the same, some more serious and safe than others, so in this article I am going to recommend the ones that I myself use as well as some useful tips to avoid suffering unforeseen.
Beware of offers
ALL sites to booking hotel online use a very poor marketing strategy where the lower value of a tourist package is promoted, but you have to read the small print of the conditions, that when we arrive we will not find a surprise such as the room in it doesn’t really have the services we thought we had hired.
Let’s give a very clear example, in Despegar.com, which is the one that I use the most, they use this technique, we can always find promotions like this:
When entering, what you have to do is use the filters to sort the hotels from lowest to highest price and indeed we find a hotel like cambridge hotel Gatwick at the advertised price but only for the range of dates that they tell you, pay attention:
Now we are going to suppose that you did not realize it, you carried out the selection process, you registered, you entered your credit card details and when you see the price correctly you realize that it is not what they had told you.
Read the recommendations of other guests
A serious hotel search engine should be able to leave comments from the guests who stayed at the hotel, these recommendations are very important and it is better to listen to them, if someone who has already visited the hotel you are looking for and had a negative experience, it is possible the same thing happens to you.
In the case of the booking hotel online that we just saw, we are going to find these recommendations:
Now we have a more solid idea of the hotel and its facilities.
Attentive to the conditions
When we buy a tourist package in flight + hotel or similar offer, we must read the conditions since it is likely that there will be no refund and that they will even charge you a penalty called “No show” which is nothing more and nothing less than ” I charge you for booking and not showing up “, keep in mind that unforeseen events exist, your flight may be delayed and the cost for no-show will be deducted from your credit card (that is why you can only pay with a credit card in the pages to book hotels and flights).
You could also hire travel assistance plan and in case your flight is delayed don’t lose money. Do not miss my article: What is the traveler assistance and what it does.
Don’t take anything for granted
The worst mistake is to believe that the booking hotel online has X service, for that is the description on the page where you book the hotel , if you need WiFi in your room make sure that the description clarifies it and if it only says “WiFi” then send a query because WiFi is likely only in the common hall.
The same happens with other services; whenever you need something makes sure that the hotel clarifies it in its description.
Search engines and pages to book recommended hotels
In this case, I am going to recommend you a couple of sites that I myself always use when I have to book a hotel on one of my trips, it should be clarified that they do not pay me to recommend them and I do it because I think they can really serve you like me.
Despegar.com
Despite its terrible advertising strategies, which in some cases are even totally misleading and false, its system is currently the best, and not only for the number of hotels but also for the prices that are obtained and for its mobile application that can save you.
The Despegar.com application has a function to search for last minute offers and also to search for nearby hotels, ideal if you travel unexpectedly and need to stay one night in a local hotel.
Don’t miss my article on the best free mobile apps for frequent travelers.
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LBN Hotels
A very popular site in Europe, its activity is worldwide but it takes advantage of it in the search for European hotels, it also has a mobile application with interesting functions
(Update) Watch out for names
It is not the same hotel and hostel or inn, hostel or residential, if they were the same they would be called “hotel”, before booking make sure that you are paying for a hotel.
If you’ve always heard about the famous “Hostel” but never really knew the difference, I invite you to read my article: What is a Hostel and what difference does it have from a Hotel?
Do not forget, before booking read each word well.
Now it’s your turn, what advice would you give other travelers when booking hotel online?
