Why I stopped booking hotels through third party sites after a mess in Nashville

Last spring I booked a room in Nashville for 50 bucks a night through one of those discount sites. Got there at 11pm after a 12 hour drive and they had no record of my reservation whatsoever. Called the booking company and they put me on hold for 45 minutes before hanging up on me. Ended up paying double at a Super 8 down the road because everything else was sold out. Now I only book direct with the hotel even if it costs a little more up front. Has anyone else gotten burned by those third party sites or did I just pick the wrong one?

2 comments

2 Comments

terryh206d ago

Heard this same thing happen to a buddy of mine who booked a place in Austin for a music festival. Showed up, hotel had zero record of his reservation and said the third party site never even sent them the payment. He spent two hours on the phone with customer service while sitting in the lobby watching other people check in. Ended up having to crash on a friend's couch that weekend. He still books direct with hotels now too, says the peace of mind is worth the extra 20 bucks or whatever. Third party sites just don't care once they got your money.

the_charles6d ago

What worked for you? I just call the hotel directly now, saves so much headache.