Hotel Booking Strategies

[Milk78]

for my trip later in the year I am thinking of booking the first week but then seeing where I end up. I have not done this before, I usually like to have a bit of a plan and book hotels in advance. 

What are your experiences of booking in advance or just rocking up and sourcing a hotel on the day (or the day before)? Do you find there is a difference in rates that you will pay - can you get a good deal as they try to fill rooms or is it better to secure better rates in advance? 

 

[vinapu]

I'd say it's a bit of lotter depending on hotel and time of year.

Certainly you won't have problem to secure a bed in  desired area with exception  of Christmas  and Songkran periods perhaps but price wise it may go both ways  , last minute discount or last minute spike. My experience is with proletarian places though, not digs for rich and famous like Amara, Montien  or Crowne Plaza

[tm_nyc]

You might be better off finding a hotel you like, at a price you are comfortable with, & booking that in advance.  As @vinapu suggests, it's very hard to predict.  You might end up paying more or staying in a less-than-ideal place if you leave it until the last minute.  Hotel prices for low & medium range places in BKK are a bargain to begin with so you probably aren't going to save that much anyway.   As for luxury hotels I can't comment on that either.

[gayinpattaya]

A Junior Suite at The Quartering is only $50 a night this week on Agoda! I snapped that right up! 

[fedssocr]

I typically use a site like Agoda when I book hotels (unless I'm booking directly with the chain) which have a limited number of rooms available at cheap rates. So my own personal style is to plan things out well in advance including hotels. My guess is that you'll pay higher rates last minute unless you're using Priceline or some bidding site. 

[spoon]

On my last trip, i booked first 5 days and last 3 days of my stay pre-departure. But the inbetween was left empty without bookings so i have flexibility with my pattaya sidetrip. I have not much issue booking hotels last minute in pattaya, but i am glad that i booked my last 3 days in bangkok early, as a friend didnt and he has so much trouble finding one, he had to stay in hostel lol

[PeterRS]

In many trips around Asia, I have almost always booked in advance, especially if I have made my plans some months in advance. As @vinapu mentions, a site like Agoda will typically have very good rates but it does not take much time to check a variety of booking sites.

Recently I only once booked ahead and then discovered that rates had fallen. This was partly a result of opening up after covid and a special offer to boost occupancy. I contacted the hotel, made a bit of a fuss and they reduced the rate I had paid.

Over the years I have asked some hotels about their walk in rates. If it's peak season, advance reservation has always been less expensive. With tourism in Thailand still way short of its pre-covid level, many hotels only have some of their floors open. And I read there are still shortages of staff which were laid off and have since found other employment. So I suggest it is best for now to book early. 

[TMax]

My usual method is to book well in advance (minimum 3 months before the trip), when travelling I research which hotel/s I will be staying at and book directly with them and I found there are some that give pretty good early bird discounts. My normal 2 to 4 week Bangkok trips I book and stay at just the one hotel. I never use online companies like Agoda or Booking etc (due to hassles a friend encounted with them) and I haven't used a travel agent in a very long time (due to what I considered a blatant rip off when asking them to get a visa for me for one Philippine trip), I always deal directly with hotels and airlines now.  

[Mavica]

51 minutes ago, TMax said:

My usual method is to book well in advance (minimum 3 months before the trip), when travelling I research which hotel/s I will be staying at and book directly with them and I found there are some that give pretty good early bird discounts. My normal 2 to 4 week Bangkok trips I book and stay at just the one hotel. I never use online companies like Agoda or Booking etc (due to hassles a friend encounted with them) and I haven't used a travel agent in a very long time (due to what I considered a blatant rip off when asking them to get a visa for me for one Philippine trip), I always deal directly with hotels and airlines now.  

Third party bookings do present risks.  However, though I haven't used Booking.com for BKK bookings I have use it for other trips .. and I've been 100% satisfied.

[Boy69]

IMO it's better to be spontaneous and not to tied yourself to restricted plan in advance.on my last trips I booked only the first 3 days to one week in advance and the rest of my trip made the bookings on spot it's sometimes cost more than book in advance but sometimes you can grab last time special deals.

[Londoner]

The advantage of Agoda is that you can cancel without losing money. I've never tried this , but it may be that, faced with PeterRS's situation, you could probably do so and rebook at the cheaper price.

To be honest, I wouldn't....Agoda's prices are usually good enough for us.

However, if there is a hotel at which you are " face"- a regular- a direct booking may well be the better option.

I have to admit that I envy those who don't book well in advance, as I always do. I'm a natural pessimist!  Perhaps rightly so;  our  hotel-booked well in advance- was full when we arrived a few weeks ago. Anticipation and then recollection of a trip to Thailand is an important part of my enjoyment, and any insecurities about flights and bookings would disrupt the anticipation.

[Moses]

There are some more tricks for to save money when you are booking via internet: don't use iPhone and Apple computers, don't use Chrome browser, use VPN from less developed country and may additionally save up to 30%.

 

For example: just two different browsers: Opera and Chrome.

[scott456]

Personally, I book hotel no later than 2 weeks ahead of my arrival at the hotel. 

[vinapu]

9 hours ago, Moses said:

There are some more tricks for to save money when you are booking via internet: don't use iPhone and Apple computers, don't use Chrome browser, use VPN from less developed country and may additionally save up to 30%.

 

one of my friends recently reported that he got better price on agoda app than desktop , the same hotel and the same dates so it seems there are all kinds of tricks to try

[vinapu]

19 hours ago, Londoner said:

The advantage of Agoda is that you can cancel without losing money.

not always , only if you book with ' free cancellation ' option. Some hotels don't offer it for their cheapest offerings

[Londoner]

You could well  be right but I can't remember an example off the top of my head. I suspect that  you are spot-on when it comes to the cheapest options.

I have noted that Agoda prices can change by the day, even the hour, in some instances.

 

 

[Boy69]

15 hours ago, vinapu said:

not always , only if you book with ' free cancellation ' option. Some hotels don't offer it for their cheapest offerings

Most of the time free cancelation is more expensive than no cancelation option.

[ggobkk]

Somehow it comes down to one's personality type.  Some of us want everything in order when we travel.  Others, like a friend in California will pack skis and a surfboard when he leaves as he can't make up his mind what he want to do.  My sense is enjoy the trip.

I would note - in case some rules come out of this topic...if you are arriving in the middle the night (pre-dawn) it is a good thought to book the first night if nothing else.  Example, international flight arrives 5AM.  Book a room for the night before so you can access the room when you get to the hotel.  

[vinapu]

7 hours ago, Boy69 said:

Most of the time free cancelation is more expensive than no cancelation option.

yes but sometimes difference is almost immaterial like 1-2 $ , sometimes is substantial like 20-30$

[vinapu]

4 hours ago, ggobkk said:

I would note - in case some rules come out of this topic...if you are arriving in the middle the night (pre-dawn) it is a good thought to book the first night if nothing else.  Example, international flight arrives 5AM.  Book a room for the night before so you can access the room when you get to the hotel.  

+1

 

I also book one extra night even if leaving late afternoon  / in the evening,  if only to make sure I have an access to shower etc plus it'll be gross to host last boy of the trip in staircase or elevator 

[18past19]

56 minutes ago, vinapu said:

it'll be gross to host last boy of the trip in staircase or elevator 

dont you think it could be quite exciting to show your extensive stamps collection in a public place? 

🤪

[scott456]

6 hours ago, 18past19 said:

dont you think it could be quite exciting to show your extensive stamps collection in a public place? 

🤪

Do the boy care what kind of place you stay after they have collected the sex money from you?

[reader]

59 minutes ago, scott456 said:

Do the boy care what kind of place you stay after they have collected the sex money from you?

Could you please tell us how your sex money differs from regular money?

[scott456]

1 hour ago, reader said:

Could you please tell us how your sex money differs from regular money?

That's exactly what I meant.  Does a plumber care what your place looks like after he collects his plumbing money?  And do you care what the plumber thinks about your place when you call for plumbing service?

[vinapu]

22 hours ago, 18past19 said:

dont you think it could be quite exciting to show your extensive stamps collection in a public place? 

🤪

no, I'm shy