We’ve joined the affiliate program of Hotels.com. Before we littered the site with too many advertisements for the online booking site, we thought it would be a good idea to check out just how competitive Hotels.com really is. Our first round of tests pits them against Booking.com. It turns out that it’s a close battle but Hotels.com does come out ahead. Booking dot ya? Booking dot no.
For this little experiment, we used Saturday, November 22, 2014 for our test date. We kept each as a room for two adults and went for the cheapest room in each of the ten hotels we chose. The hotels area a mix from around the world. Some are quite familiar. Some are high priced properties that I can’t afford to stay at, even at the discounted rates you can find through Hotels.com.
Note that the rates shown here were from the evening of October 2, 2014 and are in Canadian dollars. These are for information purposes only and are subject to change without notice.
Overview of What We Found
Each site has access to a very wide selection of hotel rooms around the world, from motels outside my backdoor in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada to the world’s most exotic like the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Pricing is typically quite similar. However, Hotels.com is NEVER more expensive than Booking.com. In some situations, usually away from North America, there is a fairly drastic advantage to reserve your room through Hotels.com.
The Detailed Results
1. Detroit Marriott at Renaissance Center – Detroit, Michigan
For a deluxe room for two adults, the price at either site was $200 with free cancellation. However, Hotels.com had a discounted rate of $160 for the same room but it was non-refundable. If you were positively certain that your plans in downtown Detroit would follow through, Hotels.com definitely has the advantage. By the way, if the thought of visiting downtown Detroit, Michigan scares you, think again. The core has been developed into basically a tourist area with all major sports venues and a few casinos packed into a tight area. If staying at the Ren Center, you need not even walk outside to visit many of the major attractions. The Detroit People Mover, an automated elevated train, loops around downtown and has stops right inside the Renaissance Centre, Greektown Casino, Joe Louis Arena and right beside Comerica Park and Ford Field.
2. The Fairmont Royal York – Toronto, Ontario
For this grand old hotel in the heart of Toronto, the lowest rate from either site was $219. However, Hotels.com had that rate for a standard room with a king size bed while Booking.com advertised the rate for a standard room with a queen size bed. Both had free cancellation. Slight advantage to Hotels.com.
3. The Waldorf Astoria – New York City
A bucket list hotel in a bucket list city. The rates from both sites for a deluxe queen room at the Waldorf might as well be a tie. Hotels.com had the room at $389 per night while Booking.com was a whole Canadian dollar more. Extreme slight advantage to Hotels.com.
4. Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay – California
You may have read our previous article on this hotel. It was the site of the wedding in the movie ‘American Wedding’, despite the fact that it was supposed to be located on the shores of Lake Michigan. Read that article here: Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay. Once again, the margin between the two booking sites is extremely slim. For a standard room with either a king bed or two double beds, Hotels.com comes in at $753 while Booking.com comes in at two dollars more. Another extreme slight advantage to Hotels.com.
5. Westin Peachtree Plaza – Atlanta, Georgia
Looking nearly identical to the main tower of the Renaissance Center in Detroit, we featured the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel in a previous article on skycrapers that define a city’s skyline. It was a look at iconic towers in North America that instantly tell in an image or on t.v. what city you are in. Read that article here: Iconic Skyscrapers. The Westin Peachtree is a bargain compared to mostly all of the other hotels we looked at. The $144 for a traditional king room is identical with either Hotels.com or Booking.com. This is a non-refundable value deal because apparently no one wants to visit Hotlanta in November.
6. Corinthia Hotel – London, England
Leaving the continent of North America seems to leave Booking.com behind. For the Corinthia Hotel in London, the difference in price for a superior king room is $99. Hotels.com has the room at $477 while Booking.com comes in at $576. Definite advantage for Hotels.com.
7. Marriott Sydney Harbour – Sydney, Australia
Another major difference between the two sites. Hotels.com has a room with a king or two doubles at $374. Booking.com has a deluxe double at $408. Both offer free cancellation and both offer a $37 add-on for breakfast for two. Advantage Hotels.com.
8. Hotel Conrad – Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong is a return to equality between the two sites with just that same ever so slight $1 advantage going to Hotels.com. For a superior king room, Hotels.com is $392 while Booking.com is $393. This is a non-refundable rate through either site. Extreme slight advantage to Hotels.com.
9. Hotel Elysees Opera – Paris, France
Back to Europe, back to a distinct Hotels.com advantage. For a superior double room, the rate with Hotels.com is $140. The rate for the same room with Booking.com is $154. Both are non-refundable rates. I’ve got to say, this is a rather good rate, either way.
10. Millcroft Inn and Spa – Alton, Ontario
Back home and a short distance from our home, we wanted to see just how great the range of these booking sites was. The Millcroft is a beautiful inn in the tiny hamlet of Alton, Ontario. I haven’t stayed there but hear often how amazing the whole hotel/spa/restaurant experience is. A bonus is that the place is haunted! Also, there may be a prominent Canadian pop singer from the early 1990’s living in the neighbourhood… The rate for a standard room with a queen bed was identical with either site at $220. No advantage but it’s good to know that the range is so wide and includes pretty much every hotel you would ever want to stay at – and some that you wouldn’t…
Looking To Book?
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We hope that this article has helped in your decision on who to use to book your next hotel. We will make more comparisons in the future between other booking sites.
