The revolution in hotel online bookings has seen user numbers soar and resulted in a faster, more efficient service. Bonuses include hassle-free reservations made from your office – no more being put on hold or transferred from desk to desk – multi-lingual support, being able to see images of hotels and swift, easy payment.
According to web analyst Greenlight, a whopping 10 million searches for hotel-related keywords were made in June 2010, with London the most sought out location, accounting for 10% of all searches.
It also revealed a rise in long-haul destination seekers to 2.1 million – more than one in five – with Las Vegas, New York and Orlando hotels coming out top. Overall, the term ‘hotels’ accounted for a massive 22% of all searches by UK consumers.
Little wonder then that sites like ebookers.com have trebled in size in the past five years. ‘A very small proportion of our bookings are now made via our call centre, with the vast majority of people preferring to book their hotels, flights or entire packages online,’ says Steven Rice, head of marketing for ebookers.com UK, France and Ireland. ‘Online bookings put you in control, allowing you to browse deals at your leisure and research the best hotel for your needs.’
Gemma Snelling, PA at luxury fashion cashmere company Crumpet, agrees. ‘I find booking hotels online gives me a lot of options,’ she says. ‘I tend to use search engines and then either book through these or go direct to the hotel’s site. Another bonus is that I sometimes get a reduced rate or special offer on the web, which helps keep costs down too.’
More control, hassle-free and money saving, but is there any downside to the online booking boom? The huge growth in numbers of hotel sites, reservation comparison sites and search engines means, for the average user, it can take hours trawling through dozens of websites to find suitable places, availability and the best deals available.
To help cut through the avalanche of information, here’s our guide to the best online sites, and which is right for you.
The key players
ebookers.com
The site
Simple to use, this mega site offers deals on 84,000 hotels around the world, making it one of Europe’s biggest sites. In addition to hotels, ebookers.com gives you the option to choose flights from more than 200 airlines, plus car hire from international companies and even insurance. There’s a customer service desk open 24-7 should you get into difficulty.
USP
Added benefits of hotel reviews written by people who’ve genuinely stayed there, as well as great extras like interactive maps, location finders and star ratings.
Best for…
People who want a wide range of offers and the option to build in flights and transfers too.
i-escape.com
The site
Has a much smaller offer than the big boys, but it’s gaining a good reputation among the jet set. It’s popularity comes from first-hand reviews of more than 1,200 small hotels, lodges and hip house rentals across 45 countries, which have been handpicked and visited by expert reviewers. The portfolio covers all budgets (from under £50 per room to over £500) and all types, from five-star city hotels to beach villas and tented safari camps. And if you want further help planning your trip, you can call or email one of i-escape’s team.
USP
Trustworthy, first-hand reviews and a highly selective portfolio of hotels.
Best for…
Anyone that doesn’t have time to wade through endless lists of mediocre hotels and wants the best of the bunch instantly.
expedia.co.uk
The site
A busy looking site, with more than 110,000 hotels in 55 countries, with full colour photos and currently around 500,000 user reviews. Choice ranges from five-star resorts to B&Bs and self-catering. There’s also flights, car hire, package, insurance and corporate options, plus lowest price guarantees and savings of up to 20 per cent if you put together your own hotel and flight package.
USP
Excellent promotions throughout the year and the only travel company where you can use Nectar points against deals; no cancellation fees for flight or hotel bookings.
Best for…
Those that want total security when booking and a very wide range of prices.
lastminute.com
The site
One of the most well known hotel booking sites, it’s bright, fun and aimed at a younger audience. Despite the name, you can book thousands of hotels around the world well in advance, plus flights, car hire, Eurostar, spas, restaurants and theatre tickets – so it’s ideal if you have to wrap up entertainment for your boss and clients too.
USP
Really great offers; hotel rooms and spa treatments for £20? Yes please!
Best for…
Booking a trip with trimmings, from a top hotel room to a night at the theatre; and last minute deals.
travelsupermarket.com
The site
A popular brand, which compares prices from the leading travel sites to ensure you’re always getting a great deal. In addition to hotels, you can compare flights, insurance, car hire, ferries and holidays, then book the best. Fun and well presented, there’s a ‘top destinations’ bar with world map, inspiration section and easy to navigate search tool to find your hotel.
USP
There’s a forum so you can ask other travellers and bookers questions; offers help with airport parking and transfers too.
Best for…
Anyone that likes clean, easy to use websites that aren’t full of flashing images and can do the job quickly and efficiently.
hotels.com
The site
Easy to use site which claims to have more than 120,000 hotels in more than 60 countries, making it the leader of the pack. There are more than one million customer reviews on site, so you really can get the lowdown on where you’re about to book. Despite its name, it can also help arrange flights and car hire too. There’s a 24-hour, customer support number in case you get into difficulties with your booking, a best price guaranteed ethos and excellent last minute deals and offers are clearly marked on the home page.
USP
Excellent travel guides, and if you sign up for a hotels.com account, you get one free night after clocking up 10 nights in any participating hotels around the world.
Best for…
Those that want the absolute best deal and some helpful advice pre-booking.
hotelzon.com
The site
A specifically corporate online hotel booking company with over 1,000 hotels in the UK and 100,000 worldwide. It’s designed for medium to large corporations and allows them to steer booking to selected hotels, which helps save money by concentrating bookings to reduce the average room price. You can also use the website to book venues for exhibitions, conferences and meetings.
USP
Hotelzon had the first mobile phone hotel book