to want to get some money back?

[TopDonkey]

It was my birthday last week and as a surprise my DH booked a hotel for a night away. We had our DS (5 months) with us so it was a nice treat and we had a lovely time.

DH did not want to tell me the price but I had a sneak peak on the hotel website and found what we had (superior double room only) was £84. I mentioned in conversation to him that I snuck a peak and he was shocked saying he had found a deal on latedeals for £104 reduced from £170 so booked a room around 3 weeks in advance.

Now, I am sure latedeals works with the hotel adding their own advert and setting their own price so why would they say an £84 room used to be £170? DH thought he was getting a good deal by paying £104 but he actually paid £20 more then their own normal website price.

Can I ask what you would do in this situation? We don't have proof that it said £170 reduced to £104 but we do have a screenshot of his receipt to say he paid £104. We had such a nice time but I just feel so ripped off!

That is the way it goes. It may be that they were trying to fill an odd room or to at very last minute, or the headline rate may not have included breakfast, been priced per person, not had a view or bath etc etc

Chalk it up to experience and move on.

I'm currently looking for a holiday for next summer. So far, for the same fortnight in the same hotel, same flights, meal plan etc...I've found prices ranging from £1700 - £3k.

I do feel sorry for the poor buggers who pay £3k but that's just life...your DH should have shopped around.

Afraid prices for the same room goes up or down depending on loads of factors. Always best to phone hotel direct to see if match or better internet price. Your oh booked at that time at that price. You had a lovely time. Just let it go.

No it doesn't work like that at all!

Hotels have their own listings on those sites, and they manage the content etc for their properties themselves.

The hotel will usually use software linked to their own booking portal which filters rates out to each of the sites they subscribe to, and will be correlated to their own price. It is very normal for price to be determined by lead time and occupancy, so if occupancy was still low shortly before your arrival then they will lower the rate - better to have some rooms filled at a lower price than sat empty. I think certainly most chains operate this type of flexible pricing system. Smaller hotels will play it more ad hoc.

However, the booking sites charge the hotel a commission of between 15-20% per booking, so often the hotel will price lower directly themselves.

Also the £170 would be the rack rate, which would generally only be charged a handful of nights a year.

Kind of like a dfs sale, the standard price is normally charged a minimal amount of time.

Maybe just maybe your dh would like to book a treat for you without you looking up the price, finding out you could have got it 20 quid cheaper and then pointing out his foolishness to him. That's a really good way to stop him booking a treat for you ever again