Flexibility is key to online bookings
By Lisa Singhania
Associated Press
The best way to get a hotel reservation on the Internet depends on how much time you're willing to spend searching and how flexible your travel plans are.
If you're not 100 percent sure you'll need a room but want to book one just in case, you have a couple of options.
You can go to an online travel agency site, such as www.orbitz.com, www.travelocity.com or www.expedia.com, and reserve rooms. You'll be required to register on the site, which is free. The advantage is that you can find out what hotels are available in a particular area, compare rates and make or cancel your reservation easily.
Read carefully what you're booking, however, and make note of any service charges or cancellation policies. Although most of the rooms on these types of sites have standard 24-hour notice or 6 p.m. same-day cancellation policies, some rates may carry special restrictions. Expedia, for example, offers hotel rooms at special, generally cheaper rates that have more restrictions. You may have to pay for the room immediately or have to cancel by a certain time to avoid being charged. Also be aware that the rates offered on any of these sites might not be the cheapest available.
Booking directly at a hotel's own Web site may save you some money. Many offer last-minute specials lower than the prices you would pay on other Web sites.
If you know you'll need a room and won't change your reservation, check out sites like www.priceline.com. The site, best known for its airfare deals, specializes in bargain rooms that require a gamble: You don't know what you're buying until after you've paid, and there are no refunds or schedule changes. You just decide what type of hotel you want, based on a system that ranks accommodations on a scale of one to five stars, and then bid.
"A lot of people are afraid to use Priceline because they think of airline tickets and how they could get stuck with an early flight or bad route. But with hotels you don't have to worry about that, because their hours are set," said Sascha Segan, author of Frommer's Fly Safe, Fly Smart.
If you don't want to bid, another alternative is www.hotwire.com. You just state what city or location you want to stay in and for how long. Hotwire provides you with a list of available lodging identified only by a star ranking and a price. You select one and pay, but don't know the hotel name until after the transaction is complete. As with Priceline, there are no refunds or cancellations.
Both Hotwire and Priceline offerings are limited to companies they partner with. Read the Web sites to find out more about what types of accommodations you're likely to get.
Also, both guarantee a double-occupancy room, but it's a good idea to call the hotel ahead of time to confirm or make any special requests. Be aware that the price you pay may not include extras such as parking, energy or other surcharges. The more upscale the hotel, the greater the chance you'll end up paying for a few extras — but you won't know that until after you've booked and paid.
