| If you happen to see a great deal on a hotel booking | | | | from the time she told me that she can only match the |
| site, such as hotels.com, it is likely that that hotel | | | | price on the hotel's own website. I tell her that is |
| booking site gave you the hotel deal not because it is | | | | offering $104 per night and she offers to match the |
| such a special site, but because it has better relations | | | | price. Clearly, the hotel itself decides what the deals will |
| with that hotel than other websites. I'll give you guys an | | | | be and the websites simply advertise these rates, |
| example... | | | | determined by the hotels. Who ever has the better |
| Magnolia Hotel, the first hotel you see in the search | | | | relationships with hotels gets the better deals. From the |
| results of for the Omaha area, at the time this article | | | | the research I've done so far, has the most offers in |
| was written, has a deal for $104.30 per night for a | | | | their standard listings of hotels. By standard I mean |
| stay between May 19th and May 21st. Orbitz had the | | | | listings of hotels only, not packages which might include |
| second lowest price, $139.69, clearly a lot more than | | | | things such as a hotel, flight, and/or rental car. |
| what has. I called the Magnolia and was quotes a | | | | Rather than just looking for hotel deals online, you can |
| really high price, $159. I kindly asked, "Is that the lowest | | | | also try calling the hotel itself. Often, they will have |
| you can go?" I mentioned to her that I've been | | | | special deals which you can only get by calling them |
| browsing online. Knowing that that $159 price is much | | | | directly. Regardless, if you are booking a hotel in a |
| higher than anything online, she tells me: "Yes, we can | | | | popular area and/or at a popular time, the discounts |
| match any price online". She gives me a lower price, | | | | you see online will likely be the best you can get. In the |
| slightly lower than the $159 price, which she gets from | | | | end, there is no "best" way to find a hotel. You can get |
| the hotel website. I ask her if she could go any lower. | | | | good deals both online and by dealing with the hotels |
| She says yes, "we can match any price online", a far | | | | directly. |
| cry away from the original $159 and very different | | | | |