Q – Y’all lost me a few weeks back. My wife and I have been huge fans of both this site and the information you provide for the past five years. We’ve used your information in our travels and passed it on to friends. But you just about lost us with the idea that anyone who actually knows what a hotel room costs is paying “too much.” Can you just touch on that one again?
A – Sure. And thanks very much for your time on traveltruth. It is good having you visit from time to time. When you look for the best rate for a hotel you are looking at three possible sources: A so-called OTA (online travel agency) like Expedia, a travel agent, or, perhaps, the hotel on its own site. In most cases, they are working under rather strict rules that mean that you will find the same pricing from all three sources. Certainly, no hotel in its right mind is going to allow an internet site to charge less than it is charging on its own web site and then turn around and pay the OTA a commission as well.
But there is a fourth way to book a hotel and that is the method that will get you the lowest rate virtually each and every time. Hotels in major cities and locations around-the-world are willing to offer special, lower-cost, contracted rates to key travel agencies and tour planners within their own country. These rates are highly confidential and may only be used when they are included in an itinerary. Your travel agent will work with an On-Site office wherever you are traveling abroad who will be able to package hotel rates that are simply unobtainable online or in the States. The price is not broken down as that would reveal the confidential tariff. So, the way to get the lowest rate is to have it be a part of other services you are receiving where the lower hotel rate can be included in one lump sum. It is absolutely true that if you know what you have paid for a hotel room you have not received anything like the best rate. Hope this helps. It is a bit counter-intuitive.
