Agoda or book with hotel directly?

[standard]

Agoda , many many  hotels they recommend its all rubish, one example comes up first in White Beach PI sucks and so badly , If you use them choose by customers reviews, and then go look again on Trip Advisor,  not what  Agoda they recommend because Agoda they havn't got a clue , beware

[simguy_jp]

This subject has been covered allot. Bottom line is there is nothing wrong with Agoda and you see the final price before you pay. If you find it cheaper else where then fine use it, if Agoda price is cheaper then use them. In my case I have about 90% of the time found the Agoda end price cheaper. Also the cancellation policy is not set by Agoda but by the hotel.

Also as mentioned the rewards system the more you use Agoda the more points you get so you can save on your next trip.

I almost always use Agoda when I can and have never had a problem.

[Steph34]

Use the booking site (agoda, booking.com, etc.) to locate the hotel you want, then always book directly. Booking direct will always be cheaper.

When you book through a website they always take a cut and the hotel gets less money for the room as opposed to a direct booking. The website fee is usually 10-15%, so if you try to bargain with the hotel that is what you have to work with and they still end up better.

Also not all hotels will put all of their inventory on the booking websites. If they are smart they will only load 5-10 at a time on Agoda, Booking.com, etc and when those 5 get filled they load more.

Booking direct with the hotel is the best option. Also re-confirm your booking 1-2 weeks before arrival to make sure it was processed correctly and so you don't get a nasty shock on arrival. Sometimes paperwork gets lost or there is a glitch in the reservation system, it happens often.

Strange. I had two hotels in Bkk telling me that they are not allowed to give cheaper prices then Internet. I asked for WiFi password and booked the room in the lobby right before their eys...was a funny experience