Hotels - Direct reservations vs. Priceline,Expedia, etc

ebeeeee
Tue, 13 Jan 2009 08:32:36 +0000

Agree with hmom. There are some people who are never happy anywhere. They never eat a good meal, never stay in a decent hotel, etc. They always ask for a discount after the meal is eaten or they are checking out of the hotel. I call them “professionals”. Unfortunately some of the pros post a lot on tripadvisor.
They consider themselves expert travelers.
It is a great site though for figuring out which hotels are noisy, which have bedbugs, which feel unsafe. If there are multiple pictures of filth in the same room it is probably not somewhere you want to stay.
I’ll also add that unfortunately two people can actually have widely different experiences. You check in at 4pm and the manager who is about to go off duty checks you in personally. Decides to upgrade you because he/she is having a good day, nothing to do with you. You are there for an anniversary. You go offsite and have a great meal. The room is clean and comfortable.
Couple B checks in ten minutes later with a clerk who just came on and just got off their first job. Clerk is exhausted and worried about a sick kid at home. You are staying at the hotel for a friend’s funeral. Need I say more?
You get the idea.