Originally Posted by
Tourist in MSN
Some of the recent posts reminded me of an experience I had over a decade ago (2012).
All of the places I wanted to reserve a motel room at were either full or quite expensive. This was in Whitefish Montana, a lot of tourism business in that area. But I managed with internet searches to find a lower cost motel that did not pay the larger booking agencies to list them, thus you would not find them with Expedia or Booking or anyone else.
I called them to make a reservation. Was quite affordable.
I was taking Amtrak to get there, the train was running quite late. I called them in the afternoon and said I expected to arrive after midnight. They said they were a small family run motel, did not staff the office after 11 pm, so they offered to leave my key in an envelope that I could find upon my arrival. I got there at 2am, the key was in an envelope with my name on it where I expected to find it.
Sometimes those small places that are not listed on the booking agent websites are the best option, if you can find them.
I just did an internet search for them, they appear to have closed six years ago.
What happens these days when you don’t play. The reason these booking sites are so popular is two fold it’s a very convenient service for the consumer and it is a huge value add for the hotel operator. It’s not just exposure, It’s also assured payment, and most importantly, pricing guidance. Hotels are now able to constantly vary pricing based on demand conditions. Consumers can benefit from advantageous pricing during slow periods, but correspondingly pay the price during times of high demand.