Why are some hotel booking sites cheaper than others?

Like anything else you need to pay attention. One simple reason the third parties can be cheaper is the competition is more obvious. If you look at the hotel's own website you only see the hotels prices. If you look at a large city on something like booking.com you'll see many many hotels.



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Hotels use third parties to help them sell rooms for less money. But even those will have differences in prices. Online booking companies are paid fees and commissions for their services by the hotel. So if one charges more than another, hotels may raise the price to make up for what they're losing in commissions.

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- OTA's (Online Travel Agents or what you call 3rd Party) feature the hotel on their platform in exchange for 15%-20% or even higher discount commission rate. They also demand Price Parity, meaning that the hotel cant just quote a 15% higher rate on to them to make up for the commission they are losing.

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There are basically three types of websites we use to find hotels: OTAs (online travel agencies); the hotels' own websites, which may offer deals OTAs can't match (and you should always double-check yourself before booking); and aggregators, or meta-search engines, which don't actually handle reservations—they trawl ...

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If you have a loyalty status with the chain then yes, it's probably cheaper to book directly. Also, sometimes hotel offer discounts to incentivize people to reserve with them in order to avoid paying fees to a 3rd party platform like Booking.com. But the reverse can also happen. So just check both and compare.

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Sometimes the hotel site is cheaper, sometimes Booking is. Sometimes the hotel will match a lower Booking rate. If it is a lot of money and the hotel wants payment up front whereas Booking doesn't ask for payment till arrival -- that could be a difference maker. Cancellation policies can also make a difference.

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Best websites for finding hotels on a budget for leisure travel:
  • Booking.com. Booking.com is a popular online travel agency that provides hotel bookings, vacation rentals, and other travel-related services. ...
  • Expedia. ...
  • OneFineStay. ...
  • Agoda. ...
  • Priceline.com. ...
  • Vrbo. ...
  • Kayak.


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It's important to note that while third-party hotel booking sites provide convenience and a wide range of options, they may not always offer the best prices. In some cases, hotels may offer lower rates on their own websites or through direct bookings.

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The cost of using a travel agent is generally marginal, and often, they won't charge you at all. Much of their money comes from commissions the hotels and wholesalers pay them. Before you decide to book with a travel agent, inquire whether or not they charge fees.

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“Throughout the day of check-in, prices keep decreasing,” says Shank. “If there are still these empty rooms by 4 p.m. the day of arrival, the hotel will have a lot of certainty that they are not going to get filled otherwise. That's when they're really willing to put a really, super good deal on it.”

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Figuring out the best time to book a hotel isn't an exact science — there's plenty of variation throughout the industry. But if we're looking at statistics, the lowest prices for hotel rooms are typically found just 15 days before your stay. Yes, last-minute bookings are (usually) better.

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Calling to book a hotel ensures you know exactly what you're paying for. It also means access to better prices than you're likely seeing online. While it might not be the most obvious route to booking your stay in such a digital age, it's one that promises to be worth your while.

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Cheapest Day to Book Hotel Reservations Most travel agencies agree that the cheapest days to book hotels are Fridays and Saturdays. While these are the most expensive days for actually checking in and out, the best hotel rates are on the days when most people are traveling.

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If it's feasible, wait until the day you need the hotel room to book it. The later in the day, the better. After 4 p.m., hotels know the odds of selling a room are pretty slim, so you're more likely to get an even lower rate. On average, the same-day rate of a hotel room is 10% cheaper than booking in advance.

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Availability contributes the most to the price increases. As more rooms get booked, the remaining room prices go up. It's supply and demand. Looking for the cheapest hotel requires more research and a better understanding of what you need in the hotel.

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