In Reply to: Asia rooms booking experience posted by Deluxe on Friday, 7. December 2007 at 20:29 Bali Time:
on several occasions that although many websites advertise a rate they in fact have no arrangment in place with the hotel.
The websites show all these hotels to make it look like they have good inventory. They then offer at times good pricng at other times prices so cheap as to be unachievable. They wil take your booking then contact the hotel and try to get a wholesale deal.
This has worked when there have been quiet times in Bali after the bombings etc but now is not working as the hotels have had great occupancy in 2007 and are looking good for 2008. They are trying to support their industry partners (wholesalers) who produce the nice glossy mags you get for free in travel agencies. You will also find a walk in rate or direct comunication with the hotel to yield a higher price ie rack rate. This will not be the story with your smaller hotels who have don't agreements in place.
Te hotels get furious with these websites who "bastardise" the pricing. Once people have seen say $50 per night that's what they want. The fact that the hotels sells as twice that doens't count once someone has seen that bogus pricing. If you were selling something and false advetising was ruining your pricing structure you'd be upset too. It is something the Bali Hotels Association is working on.
The worst cases I've heard(twice recently) is that the websites will take your payment and then get back to you 5 days before travel and tell you that there has been a mistake at the hotel, they are overbooked and they can offer you another hotel like Jayakarta. Now if you have booked Padma or Kartika you don't want Jayakarta. When you decline and want your money back you are told ok but 12 weeks. This of course is devestaitng to many with a holiday just five days away and no hotel... Read the fine print. They make menton of this possibility.
I tell people who ask for my advice on this to contact the hotel and ask if they wil in fact honour a booking with the internet mob before you enter Credit Card details. You'd be shocked at what they are told.
Happy to see someone post about it as you so often only hear the happy stories.
Hapy travels
Nicno