The search for interesting holiday destinations always comes with having to find a hotel that matches our needs. To make it easier, we often end up taking a shortcut and using a booking agency. It’s important to remember that while these agencies do provide a quality service, they also take a commission from the hotel which can, but doesn’t have to, mean higher final prices of your reservation. Sometimes, you can manage to skip these costs. For those who are diligent, there is a way to book the desired hotel much cheaper, or gain additional benefits at the same price.

Where do we commonly look for hotels?

Traveling for both leisure and business means finding accommodation, which can be tricky. No wonders we resort to using tools that make the process easier. That’s why we choose booking websites and online travel agencies to make our reservations. Their advanced search engines and the ability to filter out specific services and features are an immense help when making a reservation. They also show you other guests’ reviews, all of which are verified, which makes them incredibly helpful in choosing the right place to stay. If booking websites and online travel agencies (OTAs) have so many upsides, why would you even want a different solution? The answer to that question is lower price and additional amenities which hotels can offer through direct reservation from their website. This way, you can often find discounts, free parking, welcome drinks, attractions for children, SPA treatments, and better food options.

Don’t forget about Google!

The world’s largest online search engine - Google - is an advanced tool that can easily find and verify countless amounts of information, including those about hotels. With Google, you’ll be able to find the right hotel in each specific location. Google also allows guests to leave reviews, allowing us to verify each business during search. It’s also worth it to give Google Maps a try, since it not only provides location and information about local attractions, but allows you to take a look yourself and measure distance from your hotel to airports, landmarks, and more. With Google Maps, you can find hotels, verify their services and reviews, and discover new attractions in the vicinity. What’s also important is that with Google you can easily find your hotel’s homepage for direct booking, which can save you a lot of money.

Why is it better to book a hotel directly?

In 99% of the cases, buying something directly from the manufacturer will be much cheaper, since you skip the middleman. It works the same with hotels as well. Direct booking, or booking directly from the hotel’s website, lets you skip all the middlemen and retain the lowest price. Very often, hotels provide additional discounts or free services (like free parking or breakfast) to direct bookers. Most of them also offer better package deals that way. Whether seasonal discounts or special events, you’re much more likely to find such deals on the main website than through OTAs. Summer vacation deals, Easter packages, and special events for kids are only some of the offers you won’t find on booking websites. 

Nowadays, booking your hotel directly is simple and easy. You can do it on the website, by phone, or by email if you prefer. You can also use a hotel booking system like Profitroom. Booking systems are intuitive tools that allow you to browse offers and make a booking with just a few clicks. Using them, you can pay the advance deposit, using quick and simple online payments.

A simple trick that can save you money

For many travelers, direct booking using Google might not be as intuitive as by using booking websites. You can, however, still use the tools these websites provide and continue to save money. Simply find your desired hotel using the right filters, and then look it up on Google for direct booking after comparing the prices. For better results, we recommend using a wider booking time span when using online booking services - just because there are no offers available there doesn’t mean you won’t be able to find one with direct booking. Try setting up your search dates as wide as possible to find the most offers, find the right hotel, and then book directly through the hotel’s website.

In most cases, direct booking can save you a lot of money on accommodation and help you find a better-fitting hotel at the same time. If you care about savings, continue searching for hotels in the most comfortable way for you - but always book directly through the hotel’s website.