Hotels

[arthur]

I was wondering if anyone know of a decent method of booking cheap hotels. There's websites like Hotels.com, Laterooms etc which claim to be able to get cheap rates but ive yet to see a decent rate on any of these. Any standard Premier Inn is better value especially during their sale months. Is there a systematic way to use these websites that claim to get great deals for users.

[Jimmyredcab]

Try Trivago ---------------

External Link/Members Only

[arthur]

I try a variety of these sites every few months and give up after a bit. Even the rubbish unknown hotels charge 50-60 and the rates don't differ much from the hotels own site. IMO the comparison sites are aware anyone on the site has no alternative and will end up booking if they desperately need a hotel on a specific day. I've also never seen an option on any site to be flexible on check-in dates to get the best rate. Maybe bigger cities like London get more competition and better chance of a bargain.

[ProtocolDroid]

I try a variety of these sites every few months and give up after a bit. Even the rubbish unknown hotels charge 50-60 and the rates don't differ much from the hotels own site. IMO the comparison sites are aware anyone on the site has no alternative and will end up booking if they desperately need a hotel on a specific day. I've also never seen an option on any site to be flexible on check-in dates to get the best rate. Maybe bigger cities like London get more competition and better chance of a bargain.

The owner of a B&B I stayed in last year told me that booking.com has bought up almost all competitors operating in the UK, and as a result more or less has a monopoly Whether it's true I don't know but it certainly would explain why there's often so little difference between them (compared to what you see in some other countries, where there appears to be more competition so the free market still does its work), and why the prices aren't that low.

The B&B owner in question suggested that next time I stay with them I should get in touch directly, as they undercut booking.com by about 10-15%.

[Anadin]

byhours.com if you only need it for the punt

[charming_red]

For those that use sites for daytime bookings such as byhours, between9and5 and dayuse-hotels - are these guaranteed bookings?

I ask because you don't pay up front but only at the hotel and I worry that some hotels may choose to book in guests anyway because its a guaranteed booking for them. So that could end up leaving them without any rooms (or the one you chose) by the time you arrive and send you to a sister site.

Has anyone experienced this?

[Taggart]

I think the answer for the OP is it all depends on date/time/location.
Last week I was looking to book a Premier Inn in London for July and they wanted upwards of £150.  That time of year tourists and tour groups take block bookings, so remaining prices rise, so I've had a re-think.

The other option is the Travelodge or Premier Inn saver rate, but you cant get a refund if the WG or punter cancels. Cheap hotels in big cities are getting like rocking horse droppings. Three or my last four punts have been incalls to the girl's flat or rented apartment, when once I was nearly always a hotel man.

Lastminute.com may have 'secret' hotels but I like to know where I'll be, exactly how far from public transport and how easy access for the WG is.
Every town has small private hotels but seldom suitable for punting, and there's cheap ones, but you risk bed bugs!

[arthur]

The hourly booking sites look promising, I was going to ask in the original post but didn't think they existed; could be very good for punting if they take off. I wonder if anyone has any experience of using them

[Reiver]

Easyhotel in Edinburgh had a room for £20 a night recently was tempted to book an outcall there .

[spkmstr48]

Your almost always better booking direct but look for a website for the actual hotel. Many brands are not hotel owners or managers but just franchises, brands or marketing organisations.

It is not true that booking.com have a monopoly and often will say very few rooms available when actually there is plenty of room at the hotel.

Oops did I just reveal what industry I work in?

Premier Inns are good quality for the money but not always if you book last minute.

I'd love to be able to tell you all that there was a simple solution, unfortunately...

[broksonic]

byhours.com if you only need it for the punt

That site isn't even in English. 

[Anadin]

That site isn't even in English.

Actually it is although it's a Spanish site and they're not great at translating as they've sent me e-mails in Spanish but there is an option to select the language and currency.

Hidden Image/Members Only

[iPad3]

Air B&B is worth a look, I've not used it yet but you can get a whole apartment at good rates sometimes

[sticko]

I had a great day-rate outcall punt in central London recently (report to follow later today), and I used byhours.com, which, yes, is a Spanish site but which has a fairly obvious 'change language' option.  Looks like they only serve London in the UK though - perhaps they'll expand into other cities as they have in Spain at some point.

Anyway, I identified the best location / price option for a 3-hour booking and then, because the check-in / check-out options weren't ideal for me or the WG (byhours tells you that for a 3 hour booking you have to check in after 10 and leave by 4, for example) I rang the hotel knowing they did day rates and negotiated a slightly more expensive (£60 vs. £50) 3 hours but with times that worked better.

If this service takes off it'll make our lives a lot easier.  I'll certainly use it either as a research tool or to book again.

S

[Aspen]

Air B&B is worth a look, I've not used it yet but you can get a whole apartment at good rates sometimes

I'd stay clear of airBnB. They are B & B places in peoples homes. So having prostitutes visit is a bit tricky to say the least.

[lancspunter]

I find that with sites like booking.com and late rooms it is far better to wait until the last minute (that's another site.) Example, I booked Jury's Inn, Liverpool on a Saturday night but paid the slightly higher rate of £149 because I could cancel anytime up until 2pm on the day of arrival. On the Saturday morning I checked again and the same room was £96. I cancelled completely and got a better deal elsewhere. If it is a hotel in a popular city then also check what events are on on that particular day - a Man Utd home game or a marathon etc. You are unlikely to get a good deal on such days - especially in advance.

[doc14]

We should all group our purchasing power and say as members of UKP we want a discount...... then again.

[closeshave]

We fined to form a company to use for these matters

[Aspen]

We should all group our purchasing power and say as members of UKP we want a discount...... then again.

Some hotels just want to fill the rooms. I hate meeting WG's in hotels, but that said a while back I did see one several times and she always had the same room which was larger than standard and much to my surprise she told me she paid the same rate as the standard room. They must have valued her custom because there was no way they wouldn't have known what she was doing. One time I saw a huge pile of damp hotel towels stacked in the bathroom.

[myothernameis]

I was wondering if anyone know of a decent method of booking cheap hotels.

Work place benefits, can also give you additional discounts, and in my work I can get 25% of the cost of a room

[closeshave]

And for the girl? What %

[Siadwel]

Without wishing to hijack the OP's thread......Has anyone been to see a girl at South Mimms?

It's so close to me and some tasty, well-reviewed girls work there quite frequently. The other day, I counted five separate girls working there.

If anyone's been there, how easy is it it to get past Reception? Lifts? Doors to rooms? I'm figuring it must be fairly trauma-free, as the Management MUST know what's going on there, probably getting some kind of kick-back or freebie.

Thanks for any replies.

 

[Steve2]

Lastminute.com may have 'secret' hotels

Often if you copy the text of the hotel description and put it in google , then the hotel comes up. You can then make a choice

@Aspen

AIRBNB often has whole apartments too BUT you don't get the address etc till you have booked and paid

[munterhunter]

A number of WGs use hotels for in calls. One I know tells me she and a couple of her mates are members of the Holiday Inn "frequent flyer" club and get deals. I've had reasonable deals from late rooms and booking.com getting a discount of bbetween 20 and50 but its very unpredictable. If I used hotels a lot I would try dealing direct with the hotel. If one has rooms on a discount site at £50 the site will want a handling fee. Try calling the hotel and negotiating a better deal. I mainly do in calls if I have a hotel out all its usually because I'm staying on business anyway.