The Benefits of Booking Direct
Travel planning has changed drastically in recent years. It was only a few years ago that consumers mostly relied on their travel agents’ recommendations, using airline brochures, or friends’ recommendations to assist them in making vacation plans. Today many rely on websites such as Trip Advisor, Expedia, and Booking.com to explore different islands, cities, and countries’ accommodation and tourist attractions.
While this shift in travel planning is beneficial for allowing people the opportunity to easily explore their options and purchase their airfare and hotel at what appears to be substantial savings, it has also led to the loss of the many benefits of booking your hotel or resort direct with the property.
At Ports of Call Resort, we believe guests that book direct maximize their chances of a better overall hotel experience. Below is a list of reasons why you should consider booking direct for your next stay with us:
Price Match Guarantee
While on-line travel sites advertise that they have the lowest rates, they may not include the taxes, service charges, or miscellaneous extras that the hotel rate does. Rooms advertised on these sites are usually the least expensive or desirable rooms that a hotel or resort has to offer. Most hotels, including Ports of Call, will match any on-line rate and specially to repeat guests. If you feel that you have found a better price elsewhere, it may pay to consult our reservations department. For more information, click here.
Added Perks
Guests booking direct with most hotels, including Ports of Call, receive added perks such as:
- Ability to request a specific room, location, or even bed type (King or 2 double beds)
- Complimentary room upgrades, where available
- Flexibility on early arrivals or late check-outs
- Flexibility on last-minute travel changes (no penalties for changes and extending sale rates for additional days, if available)
- Smaller deposit requirements with final payment due on check-in as opposed to full payment up-front with most on-line travel sites.
When you book with an on-line travel site, they are essentially acting as vendors of hotel rooms and work with whatever rooms are available. Everyone has their different needs and preferences which does not always get communicated to the property. However, when you book direct, our hotel staff and team will go above and beyond to ensure your special requests and preferences are accommodated.
More Flexible Cancellation Policy
Cancellation policies are another large reason why you should book direct. People do not usually consider this at the time of booking. It is only when they must cancel a reservation or depart early that they realize that it is next to impossible to get a refund from a third party on-line travel site. When you book direct you will generally find the hotel much more flexible in working out a win-win arrangement.
