Quote Originally Posted by goldilocks View Post
Thanks JandMinJA, excellent info! I've used third party booking before, but always print out confirmation to carry with me and copy/paste it into an email directly to the hotel. I did arrive once and hotel had no reservation, but they accepted the confirmation that I carried with me. Would hotels be offended if we call them direct and ask for the bargain price we found on a third party site? I would rather just pay them cash directly if it helped them out more.
Speaking for the 3 hotels I'm a part of and all the hoteliers I deal with at brand conventions, etc., the answer is an emphatic NO! Not at all offended. In fact, we PREFER it. It's just smart business for us to match any rate you see. Now are folks in Jamaica offended? I can't answer that. I always feel like I'm being a bother when I ask (I am NOT good at haggling), but at the same time, I know the facts, and I know it's better for them and me if I book direct. For that reason, I can't imagine them being offended. On the other hand, maybe there's a cultural taboo I'm not aware of... Maybe a few vets around here could chime in on this one...