Anyone used Orbitz or Expedia for hotel room??

[minniern]

I am trying to decide where to stay for our upcoming DL trip. Out of curiosity I checked hotel websites and then checked Orbitz and Expedia. The prices were significantly lower. Has anyone ever booked through one of these sites?? What were the results (positive or negative)? I guess I have this fear that I will prepay for the hotel through one of these sites and there be some "catch" that I was not aware of making the price higher? Some of you veteran travelers please calm my fears!!

 

[daannzzz]

I have used Expedia many times for hotel, airfare and car rental and not had one problem. I have used Orbits once for hotel and once for airfair and had no problems with them. It seems to me that Expedia has better deals than Orbitz.

 

[jlima]

I just used Expedia for our recent stay last weekend at the Embassy Suites on Harbor Blvd. I made the reservation last Tuesday; they quoted $110/night. I called the hotel on Thursday & they were selling at $135/night. So, I guess I did OK.

HOWEVER . . .

. . . had the hotel dropped its rate below what I paid I would have been out of luck in asking the hotel to re-rate the room, as I pre-paid room & tax to Expedia, who is getting a wholesale rate & is probably only paying $79 - $89 for the room. This is the biggest downside to using a wholesaler . . . you have to work with a third party.

 

[flyingcircus]

I have had better luck directly calling the hotels and/or going online thru their national websites and checking on the AAA rate. I have booked once thru Expedia, and the room I got was a DUMP- of course it looked like the Taj Mahal online!!LOL!
Couldn't get out of the room, cuz I had already paid for it in full. I prefer to go with booking when I can cancel up to 6pm that day without a penalty.

Also- if you are enrolled in that hotel's frequent guest program, many times you won't get credit for a stay booked thru Expedia or Orbitz!

 

[ADisneyPrincess]

I've booked the Disney hotels through Expedia twice and had no problems either time. For the Grand Californian we were even upgraded to a park view room at no extra cost.

 

[tink2dw]

We booked thru Expedia and paid alittle more than we wanted but we wanted seperate sleeping areas,so we booked thru Expedia. When we got to the room it just wasn't what we thought we had reserved after a terrible night,we complained and requested our money back,Opps NO WAY!!

But we were REALLY LUCKY that the Manager was able to move us to a room that was like what we thought we had reserved.

The only way I would book thru Expedia again,would be for a really cut rate to DLH or GC,that I couldn't find anywhere else!!

 

[Julia M]

I have twice used Expedia to book a last minute reservation at the Paradise Pier Hotel, in March 2002 and June 2002. In March, we paid $93 per night. In June (the weekend before 4th of july) we paid about $400 for 3 nights. Both were significantly cheaper than what we could have done through the Disneyland reservation line.

However, for the most part, I like to make reservations that can be cancelled at the last minute. These rates were just so good, we had to make them.

 

[year2late]

I have missed out on better deals using Expedia. I think my deals through Expedia have given me a fare price, but I do have the regrets of "I wish I would have".

At this point, unless I am staying on site or the Candy Cane I go through Priceline 3 star Disney Area. I have stayed at Hilton/Marriott/Hyatt Regency/WestCoast Anaheim - all at below $40 and usually in the low $30 range. I most frequently get Hyatt Regency...which thrills me because for a little extra they have always let me upgrade to a kidsuite. All the above hotels have every 30 minute shuttles (at least the last time I stayed).