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

guesswho2000

I've used booking.com loads of times, all over the world, including making a booking one morning and turning up half an hour later, can't fault them at all.

tashalove

Thank you everyone for the replies, I am definitely more at ease now!

I have one more question, if I make a booking for a room that offers free cancellation, does that mean no money will be taken from your card for the stay if you cancel in time?

I've just made a booking for a night in Sept but I'm no longer going that day. Its free cancellation but in the policies section I notice there is also a part about prepayment of 50% being taken by the hotel on the day of booking.

Can anyone advise?

Steve_xx

tashalove wrote: »

Thank you everyone for the replies, I am definitely more at ease now!

I have one more question, if I make a booking for a room that offers free cancellation, does that mean no money will be taken from your card for the stay if you cancel in time?

I've just made a booking for a night in Sept but I'm no longer going that day. Its free cancellation but in the policies section I notice there is also a part about prepayment of 50% being taken by the hotel on the day of booking.

Can anyone advise?

Free cancellation means just that and there should be zero charge.

tashalove

Steve_xx wrote: »

Free cancellation means just that and there should be zero charge.

Thanks Steve. I've got a pending payment on my credit card for the exact amount of the stay but I've already completed the free cancellation. Very confused now

Steve_xx

tashalove wrote: »

Thanks Steve. I've got a pending payment on my credit card for the exact amount of the stay but I've already completed the free cancellation. Very confused now

A credit card refund wont show immediately. Could take some days!

hotelier

Although this site, and the other on-line booking sites, quote that there are "no booking fees" they do in fact charge the accommodation a hefty commission, Typically around 16% +VAT. (around 20% total).

Some will absorb these costs and some will increase the price accordingly. Either way, in the UK, if you contact the accommodation directly, tell them that you have seen their price on Booking.com and ask if there is any discount for booking direct.

Most will readily give a discount of between 5-10% on the booking.com price to avoid paying the commission charges.

Grumpygit

We've just used booking.com and hotels.com for the majority of our hotels on the trip that we have just come back from (two weeks biking around Europe) and made bookings in France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany and didn't have any problems with either of the sites.

One we did have to cancel as hubby booked the wrong date, but that was fine as well and we rebooked it through the same site for a different day and it was cheaper (yay!)

Just read your email though and take it with you - for some reason, some of the hotels are prepaid and some aren't - well, that's what happened to us this time - which can be good as it spreads your money out!

hcb42

hotelier wrote: »

Some will absorb these costs and some will increase the price accordingly. Either way, in the UK, if you contact the accommodation directly, tell them that you have seen their price on Booking.com and ask if there is any discount for booking direct.

Most will readily give a discount of between 5-10% on the booking.com price to avoid paying the commission charges.

Most hotels will have rate parity - as not to do so is in breach of agreements with most on line hotel websites.

Some hotels might give a discount, if you speak to the reservations department - but they may also not do this, as why have a rate strategy if you just make the prices up on the phone..some chains are dead against this - as again the agents expect not to be undersold