Hotels Will Beat Online Rates

by Center for Personal Finance editors

When you hear "price war," you probably think of the airline industry.

But the meaning expands, as some hotels plan to start guaranteeing that if a customer finds a cheaper room rate at a discount Web site, the hotel will beat that price by 10%, according to The Wall Street Journal.

It's not as easy as you might think. To take advantage of the deals, hotel companies require the traveler to book via the hotel Web site.

First, go to the hotel's Web site and make note of the official room price. Then comparison shop on discount-travel sites. If you find a cheaper rate, return to the hotel site and book the room--at the official price.

To obtain the discount, contact the hotel by phone or e-mail and tell reservationists that you've found a better deal. The hotel will want to confirm the price you've found, so be prepared to provide the Web address of the page showing the discount.

According to PhoCusWright, a travel-research firm in Sherman, Conn., travelers bought $4.1 billion of rooms online last year, quadruple the figure just two years earlier--quite remarkable considering the current travel downturn.

Talk to a credit union representative today about your vacation loan needs.

Published July 29, 2002

  Home & Family Finance® Resource Center
  Copyright © 2008 - Credit Union National Association, Inc.