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30 October 2006

So, how does this work? →[More:]I booked a hotel last night for the Poshest Meetup Ever in Cambridge in a couple of weeks. I'm not driving 60 miles home after the meetup because next day I'm going to my sister's, and I'll be half-way to her house if I stay in Cambridge.

Anyway, after trying various places which were either full or had no parking, I came across the Best Western Gonville, centrally located, but very expensive. A single room was £130 for one night. That's around $250. For one night. In a single. Not a chance.

I couldn't find anywhere else that was central, so I went onto one of these 'compare cheap hotels' websites and put in my search criteria.

It came up with the Best Western Gonville, with three different options.

Single room only £130
Single room with breakfast £60
Single room with dinner and breakfast £58.

WTF?

So I phoned the hotel, and the chap I spoke to said he didn't understand how these travel websites work either. I asked if I could book at the £58 price direct with the hotel, and he said no, it'd have to go through the website, but that it would show up on his computer straight away and I'd get a receipt from Best Western, not some dodgy travel website, so I'd know it was legit.

So that's what I did. Obviously I won't be eating the dinner, as I'll be dining with the bunnies, but if I didn't have the dinner option and just the breakfast, it'd be £2 dearer.

How utterly bizarre!

post by: essexjan at: 12:52 | 5 comments

Some travel agencies negotiate rate schedules that are dramatically cheaper than the regular room cost directly from the hotel, maybe that's what you're getting in on?

posted by cmonkey 30 October | 12:58

Crazy stuff like that is why I went back to using a travel agent.

posted by jrossi4r 30 October | 13:03

I've also found, with Travelocity especially, that they'll sometimes stick you in otherwise undesirable rooms, which in my experience has generally just meant "really small." One hotel called the room I got a "European single," actually, and it was not available through their own website. But it was enough room for me, and I got the nice hotel experience without having to pay the nice hotel price.

posted by occhiblu 30 October | 13:06

Single rooms in UK hotels are generally very small. As long as it has a clean bathroom and sheets then I'll be fine for one night. Anyway, it couldn't possibly be any smaller than the 'room' I'll be sleeping in at my sister's the following night, which measures 8x6 feet.

posted by essexjan 30 October | 13:13

Have you considered a bed and breakfast instead? I've used the book and the website from this organization (beware of inferior imitators), many times, and you can also just phone them. Far more fun than a chain hotel, often much cheaper, and usually very friendly besides. The sole exception was when I used them to book Central London accommodation on very short notice; they had only a couple of openings and I picked the cheapest. That one wasn't great.

posted by George_Spiggott 30 October | 16:10

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