Book Hotel Rooms Direct and Save?

Sydney, Australia, July 29, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Book direct and save, best available internet rate, best price guarantee, best rate publicly available, best online rate guarantee … these are words that hoteliers use on their hotel website to persuade customers to book direct.

These influential words can save hoteliers paying up to 35% commission to online travel agents. But are hoteliers living up to their price guarantee? Hotel price comparison website HotelsCombined.com conducted research in four metropolitan cities to determine if randomly selected hotel chain websites and independent hotel websites offer the best available rate.

Best Available Online Hotel Rates*

City: New York City

Hotel: Comfort Inn Manhattan
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: US $308.48
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: US $248.00 OctopusTravel.com

Hotel: Hilton New York
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: $433.21
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: US $316.00 AsiaTiv.com

Hotel: Radisson Lexington Hotel New York
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: US $373.02
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: US $233.15 BookinHotels.com

Hotel: Hotel Pennsylvania
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: US $263.13
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: US $228.50 OctopusTravel.com

Hotel: The Franklin
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: US $342.49
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: US $309.00 Booking.com

Hotel: The Muse Hotel New York
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: US $512.55
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: US $337.12 ReserveTravel.com

City: London

Hotel: Quality Crown Hotel Hyde Park
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: GBP £90.42
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: GBP £72.94 BookinHotels.com

Hotel: Le Meridien Piccadilly
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: GBP £222.07
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: GBP £163.47 GtaHotels.com

Hotel: Days Hotel London Waterloo
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: GBP £99.00
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: GBP £66.88 AsiaRooms.com

Hotel: London Bridge Hotel
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: GBP £119.00
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: GBP £88.89 OctopusTravel.com

Hotel: Duke of Leinster
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: GBP £75.00
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: GBP £67.60 BookinHotels.com

Hotel: The Strand Palace Hotel
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: GBP £79.00
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: GBP £72.21 GtaHotels.com

City: Paris

Hotel: Best Western Opera Saint Lazare
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: EUR €109.00
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: EUR €87.61 BookinHotels.com

Hotel: Ramada Paris Tour Eiffel
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: EUR €130.00
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: EUR €92.30 BookinHotels.com

Hotel: Holiday Inn Paris La Villette
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: EUR €131.00
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: EUR €124.40 Hotel-Board.com

Hotel: Hotel Lotti
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: EUR €280.00
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: EUR €196.00 GtaHotels.com

Hotel: Hotel Splendid Etoile
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: EUR €220.60
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: EUR €186.10 Hotel-Board.com

Hotel: Le Meurice
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: EUR €820.00
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: EUR €718.95 Hotels.com

City: Sydney

Hotel: Shangri-La Hotel
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: AUD $333.00
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: AUD $310.94 ReserveTravel.com

Hotel: Swissotel Sydney
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: AUD $215.00
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: AUD $210.18 Hotel-Board.com

Hotel: Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: AUD $289.00
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: AUD $274.00 AsiaRooms.com

Hotel: The Grace Hotel Sydney
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: AUD $238.00
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: AUD $212.13 Hotel-Board.com

Hotel: The Castlereagh Boutique Hotel
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: AUD $200.00
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: AUD $188.00 HotelClub.com

Hotel: Harbour Rocks Hotel
Best Available Rate on Hotel Website: AUD $225.00
HotelsCombined.com Provider Best Available Rate: AUD $219.00 HotelClub.com

For full results go to: http://www.hotelscombined.com/aboutus/press/bookdirectandsave.aspx

* Rates are in full amount which include taxes and service changes. Best available rate is for the cheapest available room for check-in 29 August 2008 and check-out 30 August 2008. Rates are true and accurate as at 21 July 2008.

The results indicate that hotel websites do not always offer the best available rate. What’s more consumers cannot count on hotel price guarantees as most guarantees must be carefully documented if consumers are planning to file a claim. Even then it can be difficult to extract the guarantee. Without this guarantee, however, it leaves loyal customers no choice but to book through online travel agents which offer better deals. And how are online travel agents offering better deals? They make hotels sign a lowest rate guarantee contract.

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About HotelsCombined.com

HotelsCombined.com is a hotel price comparison website that helps travelers’ worldwide search for hotels across a multitude of hotel websites. HotelsCombined.com searches established online travel agent sites such as Booking.com, Priceline.com, Hotels.com, Orbitz.com, ReserveTravel.com and hotel chain sites including Intercontinental.com. Searching is done in real-time so that results show the latest pricing and availability and travelers’ are redirected through to partner websites to book. HotelsCombined.com is headquartered in Sydney, Australia and was founded in 2005 by former executives from HotelClub.com, RatesToGo.com and Stella Hospitality Group. For more information, please visit www.HotelsCombined.com.
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Vicki Byrne
+61 2 9212 2145
www.HotelsCombined.com
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