Holiday Inn

jaxjax123

About 3 months ago we booked with Holiday Inn at Luton airport for August. We booked an advanced saver £91. Which can not be cancelled or changed

Today we were looking on their website now intentially looking at that we were looking at something else but we happen to come across the price for the hotel we are staying at has dropped to £77 for the same advanced saver. They also have a price of £58 for a fully flexible rate that you can cancel or change.

So we contacted them and they said "tough" prices go up as well as down and you can't expect to change it now. We just thought that we would get a good rate booking in advance. It seems madness.

gingerdad

If it had gone up would you have phoned them? I doubt it. its the game that gets played you have the piece of mind from booking early. they need to fill the hotel so will play what every games they can.

so i'd say you win some you loose some

susancs

Sometimes hotels have sales or reduce prices to fill hotels and if it is not a very popular location or in the sale, I would probably pay slightly more and book the flexible rate, so that I could cancel and rebook if I found a better deal later on in that hotel or another, but still have the hotel reserved in case I needed it. It is always annoying when you miss out on a better rate by booking in advance, it has happened us before with airline flights and indeed holiday package deals. Now I tend not to look after booking.

paddyrg

Often you do get a deal booking in advance, and indeed you were happy enough with the deal at the time. It doe shappen the other way round, too - prices can go right up, especially if there's a function or similar on, or the hotel takes a wedding booking.

jaxjax123

Thanks for the replies, I understand it's just business and that's how it works. Just leaves me a bit miffed 'advanced saver' does not sound like the most expensive option but apparently it is.
Additionally I wouldn't expect the Advanced Saver to go down in price. I would have thought they may call it something else when they reduce the price. I wouldn't have bat an eyelid in that case. Like the 'flexible' rate is lower but that doesn't bother me that's now what we booked.

I'll know for the future.
Thank again.

paddyrg

jaxjax123 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, I understand it's just business and that's how it works. Just leaves me a bit miffed 'advanced saver' does not sound like the most expensive option but apparently it is.
Additionally I wouldn't expect the Advanced Saver to go down in price. I would have thought they may call it something else when they reduce the price. I wouldn't have bat an eyelid in that case. Like the 'flexible' rate is lower but that doesn't bother me that's now what we booked.

I'll know for the future.
Thank again.

My personal preference now is to try trivago close to the travel dates if it's just for a couple of nights. Friday nights are often cheap in business hotels (for instance Birmingham city centre, 4*, £49), but weekday bookings can get dearer closer in unless you're really flexible and prepared to take a chance!

jaxjax123

paddyrg wrote: »

My personal preference now is to try trivago close to the travel dates if it's just for a couple of nights. Friday nights are often cheap in business hotels (for instance Birmingham city centre, 4*, £49), but weekday bookings can get dearer closer in unless you're really flexible and prepared to take a chance!

That is the thing it's Tuesday night at an airport. I wouldn't have thought in August they'd have to make a reduction in the price to encoarage sales. I would have liked to do last minute but with 2 children in tow it make it tricky to do that with a 7o'clock flight. We have to check in at 4 so we don't even get breakfast .

alexmole

jaxjax123 wrote: »

About 3 months ago we booked with Holiday Inn at Luton airport for August. We booked an advanced saver £91. Which can not be cancelled or changed

Today we were looking on their website now intentially looking at that we were looking at something else but we happen to come across the price for the hotel we are staying at has dropped to £77 for the same advanced saver. They also have a price of £58 for a fully flexible rate that you can cancel or change.

So we contacted them and they said "tough" prices go up as well as down and you can't expect to change it now. We just thought that we would get a good rate booking in advance. It seems madness.

Holiday Inn and HI Express you need to ensure not to book too early as you end up paying the list price. Basic rule of thumb is a HI Express should be around £50 and a normal HI around £70, much more and its a bad deal.