Anyone had problems booking with Expedia or Opodo?

demon_princezz

I've priced up holidays to Las Vegas for New Year through both websites and the hotel we really want to stay in is only available through Opodo - even trying the hotel direct shows no availabiliy - I was confident to book until the OH asked if they were reliable which then put doubt in my mind.

I've searched online for reviews of booking with Opodo, but they all seem to be negative with some real horror stories there...:eek: So I thought maybe we'd book with Expedia for a different hotel instead, except I searched for reviews for them too and they seem just as bad with hardly anyone having anything good to say..!

I know people are more likely to complain than give praise, but was just wondering what other people's experiences were..?

I tend to book more expensive holidays on the high street after haggling down from online prices, but I don't want to risk a £2000 holiday by booking from a website that may turn out to be more hassle than its worth...

Feedback gratefully received

nw_man

Been to Vegas many, many times and have never booked a hotel anywhere except via the hotels own website.

Most of their deals are refundable should you find something more to your liking, they will even honour rate drops if they advertise a lower rate AFTER you have booked.

In fact we tend to double book ourselves a couple ( or even 3 ) hotels, then cancel them as we get closer to the time and we have decided.

Try here for deals www.smartervegas.com

Also, check out tripadvisor and the Vegas thread on this website.

As for Opodo and Expedia, used them both a lot for flights, never any problems.

demon_princezz

nw_man wrote: »

Been to Vegas many, many times and have never booked a hotel anywhere except via the hotels own website.

Most of their deals are refundable should you find something more to your liking, they will even honour rate drops if they advertise a lower rate AFTER you have booked.

In fact we tend to double book ourselves a couple ( or even 3 ) hotels, then cancel them as we get closer to the time and we have decided.

Try here for deals www.smartervegas.com

Also, check out tripadvisor and the Vegas thread on this website.

As for Opodo and Expedia, used them both a lot for flights, never any problems.

Thanks for the advice - we've been to Vegas before, but thought we'd splash out and book ourselves into a suite at one of the 5* strip hotels to see the New Year in.

I've priced up the rooms via the hotels' website but they've come out far more expensive then either Expedia or Opodo - I guess because it's New Year and prime time to rake it in - so not holding out much hope they'd have any promo deals on for then...

I guess I'm attracted to the simplicity of booking flights + hotel through one place instead of having to book them separately - just a bit wary after reading all the bad user experiences!

CG77

Hi,

I (together with my DH, my brothers and their families and my Grandad) booked a few nights in Prague for my parents for their 60th birthdays earlier this year and booked a lovely looking hotel through Expedia. It was a nightmare! They arrived at the hotel to find the hotel hadn't been booked at all by Expedia and they were fully booked! The hotel wanted to send them somewhere else so they had to go wandering off down the street with their bags to their 'sister' hotel which was dirty. Mum and Dad were upset as they knew it wasn't the hotel we had intended them to stay in. They went back to the original hotel to complain, and on their way out met another couple who were arriving at the hotel, also from the first hotel, also having not been booked in by Expedia!! Expedia were no help whatsoever-just offered another hotel, miles from anywhere. Eventually, after we and my parents kicked up a fuss the hotel (not Expedia) gave in and allowed them to stay in the original hotel, but said the next guests to arrive would have to be relocated!!! This of course didn't make us feel great and certainly wasn't what we'd hoped for their special trip! I had used Expedia a couple of times before and had no problems but this has put me off for life. I will definitely not use them again.

Good luck with what you decide to do and have a fab holiday!

CG. x

M4RKM

People read reviews and take everything they say as gospel. In my experiences, people are more likely to complain, than to comment that everything went off without a hitch, or they got good customer service.

I've used expedia in the past, and never reviewed them, as nothing ever went wrong.

M

CG77

markymoo wrote: »

People read reviews and take everything they say as gospel. In my experiences, people are more likely to complain, than to comment that everything went off without a hitch, or they got good customer service.

I've used expedia in the past, and never reviewed them, as nothing ever went wrong.

M

Just to add I've never reveiwed them either-not even now I've had a bad experience. I'm just sharing my story now the OP's asked us to share our experiences.

CG. x

luci

I've only once booked a hotel + flight with Expedia and that was to Vegas. It all went as it should with no problems. Didn't even know I could review them.

I agree with the advice on booking direct with the hotel, but there are occasions when 3rd party site are cheaper.

McAzrael

I've used Expedia loads of times without a hitch. Don't forget Quidco.

wannaberichbtch

I've recently come back from Barcelona where I had 2 bookings with Expedia for a hotel, all went well, and I posted a positive review, so would use them again. These overbooking issues seem quite common at the moment regardless of who you book with. It seems that hotels with a less popular "sister hotel" overbook purposely to fill their inferior second property. A search on tripadvisor will sometimes alert you to a hotelthat does this regularly.

bagand96

Opodo and Expedia are both massive travel sites and both reputable. With regards to reading reviews and horror stories, remember that people are far more likely to write a review of a negative experience than if everything went fine; for every horror story there will be hundreds, even thousands who had perfectly fine experiences with these sites.

Opodo is owned by a group of major European airlines including British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, Lufthansa and a few more.... Sure you will have no worries booking with either, but if opodo has the hotel you really want then surely that answers the question?