Want the cheapest rate for a hotel room? Do what I do

The OTAs have a tremendous overview of the hotel market, and that makes them invaluable when you’re doing your research. Say you want to book a hotel for a few days in Noosa. You’re not too fussed about staying in any particular hotel, you just want the best bang for your buck.

Head for Booking.com, Expedia or another major booking site, search “Noosa” and your dates and you’ll get a list of hotels in various price brackets. Choose a hotel, but then go to that hotel’s own website and check the price. Compare like with like – cancellation policies, deposit, whether breakfast is included. Almost certainly your chosen hotel will have a better price. If not, take a screenshot and ask the hotel if they can match the OTA’s deal.

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If you want to book a particular hotel Google the name and you’ll usually get a box with prices from several OTAs, and sometimes the hotel’s own price.

OTAs have price parity agreements that prevent hotels from undercutting the OTA’s prices. While booking direct with a hotel might get you the same price as via an OTA, there are still plenty of good reasons to do so. There are subtle ways that a hotel can add value for guests who have booked direct, such as room upgrades, earlier check-in and later check-out, free in-room Wi-Fi. Guests who are members of a hotel’s loyalty scheme often get a warm welcome at the check-in desk. That’s rarely going to happen to those who book regularly through an OTA, and those bookings don’t earn reward points.

Booking direct establishes a relationship with the hotel. If you have a problem with your booking, if your room has a faulty air conditioner or a delinquent shower, the front desk is far more likely to go an extra mile to sort out your problem if you’ve booked and paid them rather than an OTA. That applies even more so if it’s a small hotel, or if it’s one you plan to visit regularly.

Bottom line, I’ve bought 300-plus hotel room nights this year and more than 95 per cent have been direct bookings with the hotels, the remainder via Booking.com.