Booking.com - is this reliable and will they overbook?

tashalove

Hi guys,

I just booked 3 nights at a hotel in Nice with Booking.com and have received a confirmation email. This is the first time I have booked via a third party website and just wanted to find out if it is reliable?

When I made my booking, it said there was only 1 room left but now Ive noticed there is still availability. Are they overbooking by any chance or is this due to cancellations?

Sorry for the questions, I'm just a bit nervous as all I have is confirmation from Booking.com and nothing from the hotel themselves. Contacted the hotel via email for confirmation of booking but have heard nothing back. Should I be worried?

ibizafan_2

I have used Booking.com several times and have never had any problems. I would not hesitate to use them again, and will be doing so next year. They have a really good selection of hotels.

Westin

I've used them and never had a problem. Actually found them very good.

Could it be just one room left at that price? The new rooms being shown are priced differently?

Either way, I don't believe Booking.com would be overbooking. They just take a XML feed of hotel room inventory either from the hotel directly, through the chain hotel site or thought an intermediary.

I'm sure all will be fine. Stop worrying and look forward to your trip.

needaholiday

I agree and think it's to do with the pricing. Thomson do exactly the same thing.

Cranny44

I have used them a few times in the past and never had a problem either. And as others i will be using them again next year if they are the cheapest.

dzug1

tashalove wrote: »

. Contacted the hotel via email for confirmation of booking but have heard nothing back. Should I be worried?

Not really - booking.com may have an allocation of rooms and not actually tell the hotel who they've sold them to, either until shortly before the date or even at all. They will be blocked off in the hotel's own booking system.

Steve_xx

I've used them in the past and had no problems at all. They've been around a long time.

However, these days they are seldom the best value, I've found. I've often booked at the same hotel with another provider for a good deal less than Booking.com and the alternative has provided breakfast too!

[Deleted User]

I was told that a lot of people from other counties although they speak English they cannot read it, so emails take time as you have to wait for the right member of staff to be on.

hcb42

Booking.com will not overbook a hotel (well it wont be their decision if they do). They either sell live inventory, or as can often be the case, the hotel themselves upload inventory to the website and update this regularly.

Hotels decide to overbook, not agents. If the hotel does not put enough inventory then they may be showing as limited avaialbility or one room to sell, even if the hotel has 50 left..!

If hotels which are not live connected forget to update their inventory to 0 when they are full, then of course they could receive a booking from booking.com (or any other agent which does not see live availability)

You shouldnt have any problems with them

hcb42

dzug1 wrote: »

Not really - booking.com may have an allocation of rooms and not actually tell the hotel who they've sold them to, either until shortly before the date or even at all. They will be blocked off in the hotel's own booking system.

this isnt true, hotels get an email confirmation at the same time the guest does. We get them at all hours of day or night, and a separate confirmation for each and every booking.

Hotels do not generally block the inventory off for this kind of agent, as there is no guarantee they will be sold. They only do this for contracted allocations, which is not "normally" the contractual relationship with booking.com.

Many hotels don't reconfirm bookings though, as booking.com will have already done that, (and also booking.com do not pass on the email address to the hotel, although laterooms.com do) but if OP is worried, they should just ring the hotel and check they have received the booking.

SandC

I have used booking.com in the past with no problems and am using them for my trip to Barcelona this coming weekend. Have used them for both overseas and UK hotels.