Advance booking or walk in

[pankaj]

i am going pattaya 0n 20th april.

shold i do advance booking or book hotel by goig there.

my preference is a friendly hotel on baech road.

also suggest which site is best (if advance booking required)

 

budget is 1500-2500 bht per night (4nghts required)

 

thanks

[eXplosief]

As the 20th is the last day of Songkran, i guess it would be better to prebook

[Tomj]

Normally you can get a better rate by booking the room in advance. I always use expedia, and have saved a lot of money and been very satisfied with the service.

[gdaf123]

i am going pattaya 0n 20th april.

shold i do advance booking or book hotel by goig there.

my preference is a friendly hotel on baech road.

also suggest which site is best (if advance booking required)

 

budget is 1500-2500 bht per night (4nghts required)

 

thanks

I think you can get a better rate by booking in advance. I prefer to book w/ the hotel directly as long as their rates are competitive. Check out Agoda, but keep in mind their price quotes do not include taxes/fees. You can also find good deals at latestays if you're within a one month window.

 

As far as recommendations, I prefer August Suites - clean, comfy bed, good wifi, nice pool, ok breakfast.

[whitespider - RIP]

This argument always rears its head and here are some simple answers as there are two sides to the argument.

 

1. You will (probably) get a better rate online in advance - not always but probably.

 

2. Booking in advance guarantees your first choices - there are always rooms available in Pattaya but you may not get your first choice by walking in. Try walking in to The Vault or Pattaya Bay Resort for example and see how far you get. The best hotrels are usually full - end of story and regardless of the high or low season status.

 

3. Online bookers can negotiate low rates BECAUSE OF the upfront payment in full. This is how they persuade hotels to give them discounts. This is clearly the main downside to pre-booking especially online. You cant have you cake and eat it - if you want low rates this is the trade off.

 

There is NO definitive or correct answer. If you "walk in" you dont get whacked with upfront fees in full, but at the same time you will possibly not get your first choice hotel.

 

One possible solution, a half way house actually and used by many, is to book a few days online and in advance. Then extend or look around when you get here. Of course this has the problem that you mighyt have to leave a room you love if they are full beyond your original reservation.

 

Put simply, its a case of price and guaranteed room Vs flexibility.

 

Personally I always use Agoda to book but have sometimes used the short booking option if I am in a city or hotel I dont know well.