Alternative to booking.com

pmramsay

Are there no "pay at property" hotels available where you are going. Booking.com usually has certain properties which will allow you to book now pay later. They are often the fully refundable rates but they do usually have plenty available if you look. You may have to give your credit card to validate booking but you wouldnt be charged until check out.

callum9999

pmramsay wrote: »

Are there no "pay at property" hotels available where you are going. Booking.com usually has certain properties which will allow you to book now pay later. They are often the fully refundable rates but they do usually have plenty available if you look. You may have to give your credit card to validate booking but you wouldnt be charged until check out.

That's a benefit of booking.com but is exactly the opposite to what the OP wants!

I normally book via Hotels.com because they price match other websites (people complain about these schemes a lot but it worked fine the 2 times I used it), effectively give you 10% cashback with their stay 10 nights get 1 free scheme and usually have very high cashback rates on TCB or Quidco (though that's recently reduced if you use the rewards scheme).

I prefer paying in advance too. It's less hassle at check-in and Hotels.com accept my Amex much more reliably than a small hostel in a random Malaysian village etc. would!

HGS

Use any site to find the place you wish to stay and then contact the establishment direct. You can often get it cheaper and are not dealing with a third party that has in the small print that they are not liable for anything as they are just an intermediary.