Book Hotel Rooms Direct and Save?
SYDNEY, July 25/Medianet International-AsiaNet/ --
Book Hotel Rooms Direct and Save?
Book direct and save, best available internet rate, best price guarantee, best rate publicly available, best
online rate guarantee … these are words that hoteliers use on their hotel website to persuade customers to
book direct.
These influential words can save hoteliers paying up to 35% commission to online travel agents. But are
hoteliers living up to their price guarantee? Hotel price comparison website HotelsCombined.com conducted
research in four metropolitan cities to determine if randomly selected hotel chain websites and independent
hotel websites offer the best available rate*.
City: New York City
Hotel: Hilton New York
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: $433.21
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: US $316.00 AsiaTiv.com
City: London
Hotel: Le Meridien Piccadilly
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: GBP £222.07
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: GBP £163.47 GtaHotels.com
City: Paris
Hotel: Best Western Opera Saint Lazare
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: EUR €109.00
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: EUR €87.61 BookinHotels.com
City: Sydney
Hotel: Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: AUD $289.00
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: AUD $274.00 AsiaRooms.com
To see full results of 24 hotels visit:
* Rates are in full amount which include taxes and service changes. Best available rate is for the cheapest
available room for check-in 29 August 2008 and check-out 30 August 2008. Rates are true and accurate as
at 21 July 2008.
The results indicate that hotel websites do not always offer the best available rate. What’s more consumers
cannot count on hotel price guarantees as most guarantees must be carefully documented if consumers are
planning to file a claim. Even then it can be difficult to extract the guarantee. Without this guarantee,
however, it leaves loyal customers no choice but to book through online travel agents which offer better
deals. And how are online travel agents offering better deals? They make hotels sign a lowest rate
guarantee contract.
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About HotelsCombined.com
HotelsCombined.com is a hotel price comparison website that helps travelers’ worldwide search for hotels
across a multitude of hotel websites. HotelsCombined.com searches established online travel agent sites
such as Booking.com, Priceline.com, Hotels.com, Orbitz.com, ReserveTravel.com and hotel chain sites
including Intercontinental.com. Searching is done in real-time so that results show the latest pricing and
availability and travelers’ are redirected through to partner websites to book. HotelsCombined.com is
headquartered in Sydney, Australia and was founded in 2005 by former executives from HotelClub.com,
Contact:
Vicki Byrne
Business Development
Phone: +61 2 8011 4192
SOURCE: HotelsCombined.com
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