Hotels.com, I love you
I love cheap and I love free, who doesn't?! As a result of my love for both of these things I am a very loyal Hotels.com customer. I have been booking with them since 2012 and can't see myself ever stopping. I think you should give them a shot too. Here's why.
1. They have loads of amazing properties all around the world, in every budget, at unbeatable prices.
Oftentimes they will be much cheaper than other travel sites or direct with the hotel. Booking with the hotel directly does sometimes get you free wifi or points with their loyalty program, but sometimes the benefits of booking direct with the hotel don't outweigh the deep discount you might be getting with Hotels.
2. The service is widely used and most properties have loads of reviews.
Hotel pages directly link to TripAdvisor reviews which are another great travel resource. For me, reviews are critical in choosing a place to stay because we tend to stay at less-than-luxurious spots. I want to make sure they are clean, safe and quiet.
3. You can find exactly what you are looking for by filtering your search results.
When looking for a hotel, you can use their filters to hone in on the properties that meet all of your requirements with a few clicks. For example I only look at hotels in my budget (usually less than $200 and more often than not less than $100), with average user ratings of 4 stars and above, full kitchen or kitchenette, and sometimes I need a pet-friendly spot. This helps me see a list of only what is doable.
4. They have the best rewards program, ever.
And finally, the real reason why Hotels.com is my favorite hotel booking website. For every 10 nights you book on the site you get one free night! The value of the night is an average of your ten nights so if you are booking $50 rooms then it wont get a you a night at a luxury property but this kind of loyalty program really helps keep us on the road and seeing the sights.
You can also earn silver or gold status as a member. Earning status gives you access to secret prices and upgraded customer service. Their service is already excellent but the status boost has helped me recoup cancellation costs when I accidentally booked the wrong property or forgot to change the date.