When booking your next getaway, book direct with the lodging property – NOT through an OTA. What is an OTA? Online Travel Agent such as Expedia / Booking.com / Tripadvisor / Orbitz / Kayak, etc. Here are the facts:
#1 – What happens when you DON’T book direct?
- You don’t have access to ALL the available rooms (not cool)
- You don’t have access to ALL available booking dates (REALLY not cool)
- You’ll miss out on any special offers / savings that may be available (bummer)
- You won’t have a chance to add activity packages or special add-ons (direct bookers see all the good stuff!)
- You will have a challenging time changing your dates or canceling. (frustrating)
- And did we mention possible hidden fees???
#2 – What’s in it for you? Why is booking direct the BEST way to go?
- Get the best rates, best offers, and details on any specials
- Get a FULL choice of rooms & suites available
- Get the FULL choice of available dates
- Be able to easily add fun packages or add-ons to enhance your getaway
- Better flexibility with booking dates, date changes, and easier cancellations
- BIG bonus – Have direct access to the innkeeper who can answer questions about the local area, help you customize your getaway, and assist with special needs & preferences. Tell us if you are celebrating anything special. You deal with a REAL person who actually cares and wants your getaway to be awesome!
#3 – Are you REALLY on the actual website?? Don’t be tricked! Check the URL to be SURE that you are actually on the property website. When in doubt, just call the property. Shown below is one popular way that folks get tricked & lured to an OTA without realizing it. (don’t be that guy)
BEWARE OF THE BLUE BAR on GOOGLE! When you hit that blue
“BOOK A ROOM” bar on Google, you are NOT going to the actual property website. Sneaky, huh? See infogram below:
