booking.com?

[margot31]

Has anyone used this site before? How was it?

I found it while I was doing research on my parents time share. I wasn't planning on using it but now considering as a back up to WBC issue going on.

I saw lots of other places just like the timeshare and wondering how it was for that website. The biggest issue I need to watch is if we need to cancel our trip due to my husbands work so that is always a factor when looking.

 

[ParkHopperFan]

I have heard a few stories of Booking.com double booking the same properties. If you decide to use them please be careful.

 

[margot31]

I have heard a few stories of Booking.com double booking the same properties. If you decide to use them please be careful.

Thanks for that info. Thats why I wanted to see others opinions and all.

 

[Chippy4]

It's owned by the same company that owns Priceline and Kayak. I don't think it's any better or worse than the travel sites owned by Expedia (including Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotwire, etc.).

 

[TamaraQT]

I have used booking.com for the past 7 years and never had any issue. However, I have never booked more than 1 or 2 nights stay in Orlando. I use booking.com and bookit.com to find a quick, clean, inexpensive hotel/motel for a 1 or 2 night stay prior to checking into our week stay resort. I have cancelled, rebooked, cancelled again and went back and forth. Even with all the crazy confusion I have never had an issue with a refund or credit. In fact, booking.com also offers options to book some hotels that will allow you to be charged when you stay, so your credit card is not charged ahead of time. They give a good free cancellation period that is usually right up to the day before check-in. I am going to Orlando in August. I have 2 reservations on booking.com and I will decide within a week or two of my visit which one I will keep I am very confident there will be no issues. I recommend them for short stay reservations. I have never used them for long term stays of more than 2 nights.

 

[writerguyfl]

Pretty much all the Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) are the same. As Chippy4 notes, most of the big ones are owned by a couple of larger parent companies. If you can do everything yourself, they should not be any issues.

If you experience a problem, that's where it gets tricky. When you book with a travel agency (including OTAs), that agency "owns" the reservation. As such, you can't call up the hotel, airline, or car rental agency and make changes. Everything has to go through the travel agency. In general, OTAs are not known for stellar customer service.

As someone who worked for years in hospitality, my advice is to use one of the OTAs to shop for prices. Then, check the official website for the hotel/airline/car rental company. If the price is the same, book direct.

Sometimes, OTAs offer special prices or discount codes that will beat the prices on the official site. In that case, if I can save some money and don't expect to make any changes to the itinerary, I would go with the OTA.

 

[Woodview]

Booking .com is a highly used booking agent worldwide.
We live in Europe & use them all the time .

One problem with all these sites is that You " MAY NOT " be given Hotel Chain Points.

So it MIGHT be a better Option to Book Hotel Direct After checking out price Offered.