Read About the 10 Biggest Benefits of Booking Directly With Hotels!

        You will be amazed at how many benefits of booking directly with hotels there are! A lot of travelers get sucked into the trap of booking hotels via online travel agencies (OTAs) and other websites. While these may save you money, they aren’t cost-effective all the time. As surprising as it may be, booking direct with hotels is actually cheaper. “Do you get a better room if you book direct with hotel” is among the most common queries faced by frequent travelers. So we asked a few travel experts exactly how the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of online hotel booking. Read about it below for an easier understanding of the benefits of booking directly with hotels.

Advantages of Booking Directly With the Hotel:

Fair-priced hotel rooms can be among the cheapest places to stay while on vacation. Although not as cheap as hostels, they will definitely offer better comforts for just a few bucks more. But booking directly with the hotel is the key to enjoying greater comforts. Even if you’re traveling somewhere on last minute flights, book the hotel room directly to save more. Our list of the best benefits of booking directly with hotels below will explain just how!

1. Hotel Loyalty Programs

This is among the biggest benefits of booking directly with the hotels. Hotels have loyalty programs you can enroll with and save on your future bookings. That’s not all. Many hotels will offer special treatment to their loyalty members. For instance, they will be offered free drinks and breakfast as soon as they arrive. They may also be offered free room upgrades if the hotel isn’t booked to the fullest!

2. Better Room Rates

While you may see super-cheap rates on third-party booking sites, the hotels themselves might offer rooms at cheaper rates. So why do hotels want you to book directly with them as opposed to an OTA if they can earn more there? Well, because that will save them the trouble of having to pay a percentage of their earnings to the third-party seller. They may well slash this price when you book directly with them.

3. Room Preferences

OTAs will offer you only a limited room choice as hotels advertise only a part of their rooms on third-party booking sites. Being able to ask for a specific room is among the best benefits of booking directly with hotels. You can ask the hotel for a room on the floor of your choice. You can also request for an extra bed. These kinds of preferences will not be possible to make if you’re not booking with the hotel directly.

4. Amendable Bookings

Do you need to make a change to your hotel reservation? That won’t be possible if you’re booking with a third-party seller who is authorized to sell you the room and nothing else. But among the best advantages of online hotel booking directly on the hotel website is that you can amend your booking. Simply call the hotel and let them know what changes you’d like to be made to the reservation.

5. Free WiFi & Other Amenities

A lot of hotels are getting picky about letting guests use their WiFi for free. This is especially possible if you’ve booked with an OTA. However, one of the biggest benefits of booking directly with hotels is that they will allow you free access to their WiFi, lounges, private areas, and other such amenities. Other perks may include free bottled water, discounts at the bar and restaurant, etc.

6. Better Customer Service

Good service is one of the most important things to look for when booking a hotel room. When booking direct with hotels, expect to receive the best customer service. This is because hotels will give priority to those who book directly with them. On the other hand, if you book with a third-party, you will have to deal with the customer service agent of that website. This will not be on par with the customer service offered by the hotel.

7. No Reservations Lost

One of the biggest disadvantages of online hotel booking with a third-party website is that your reservation may be misplaced. What this means is that when you arrive at the hotel, there may be a possibility that the hotel cannot find your reservation. This can be due to miscommunication between the hotel and the OTA among other reasons. Among the best benefits of booking directly with hotels is that you can avoid this whole thing.

8. Booking the Same Day? Book Direct With Hotel

If you are making a quick work trip on business class flights and don’t have a room yet, call the hotel directly. Call during the late afternoon as by this time, hotels have declared their “no-show” rooms and put them out for rent again. Chances of getting a discount on these rooms are also pretty high. You won’t have this advantage if you’re booking with an OTA.

9. Best Rate Guarantees

Several OTAs advertise their best rate guarantees to be the cheapest anywhere. This is simply not true. All you need to do is take their Best Rate Guarantee and call the hotel directly. The hotel will more often than not grant you the room at the same or even cheaper price instead of paying the OTA. But before you try doing this, find out which hotels allow the Best Rate Guarantee Claim.

10. Easy Cancellations

Your cheap international flights have been canceled due to some unfortunate events. You need to know cancel your hotel reservation but OTAs will not allow last minute free cancellations. However, you will be able to do this if you’re booking directly with the hotel. It’s one of the best benefits of booking directly with hotels. If the hotel finds your reason for cancellation genuine, they will waive off all charges. Sometimes, they will adjust the amount during a future booking.