Cheap hostel accommodation - be very careful!
To all Budget Travellers
Please remember that when you pre-book accommodation on webswites such as:- www.HostelBeds.com www.hostelbookers.com www.cheaphostel.com www.hostels247.com www.Hostels.com www.hostelbookers.com/ www.hostelworld.com that these companies have ABSOLUTELY NO DIRECT COMMUNICATION WHATSOEVER with the hostel / hotel you are making a booking with. In other words.........when you think you have a confirmed booking made through them.........and then when you arrive at your accommodation you find that no room is available ..............problems!!!!!!!!!!! These booking sites will gadly take your 10% deposit and then leave you in the "lurch" when things go badly wrong - as they quite often do !! This post is merely to forewarn fellow travellers of a potential pitfall when booking budget accommodation online. Happy travelling to all ! Gerry |
Cheap hostel accommodation - be very careful!
On Jul 11, 7:39 pm, "Gerald Oliver Swift" wrote:
To all Budget Travellers Please remember that when you pre-book accommodation on webswites such as:- http://www.HostelBeds.comwww.hostelb...ostelworld.com that these companies have ABSOLUTELY NO DIRECT COMMUNICATION WHATSOEVER with the hostel / hotel you are making a booking with. In other words.........when you think you have a confirmed booking made through them.........and then when you arrive at your accommodation you find that no room is available ..............problems!!!!!!!!!!! These booking sites will gadly take your 10% deposit and then leave you in the "lurch" when things go badly wrong - as they quite often do !! This post is merely to forewarn fellow travellers of a potential pitfall when booking budget accommodation online. Happy travelling to all ! Gerry I'm not sure if you have ever used any of these Online Hostels and Budget Accommodation Booking Websites, or if you understand their Business, for the Business to work, they must have some commincation with the Hostels and Hotels, otherwise their business would never work. The point you made that these websites you listed, have no direct communication with the hostels and Hotels is far from the truth. The hostel and hotel owners will never allow some company to setup and just use their name to decieve customers and just take their money, without actually intending to help budget traveller to find accommodation. Most of these businesses are well established organisations, and between them have millions of customers, I'm one of them. So if Millions of people that booked accommodation with these companies, never actually got any accommodation, which they paid for, I'm sure there would be a Worldwide uproar. Usually, I would be the one pointing out to Budget Travellers and friends, to beware of pitfalls and lack of good customer care by some online booking websites, not just the Hostel booking sites but travel sites in general. But when I saw this post by you, I couldn't help but to get involved. I have booked some accommodation in the past with some of these websites, in different cities, Amsterdam, New York, Ibiza and Berlin, just to name a few. When my Booking was confirmed I recieved an email confirming my booking, the full contact details of the Hostel or Hotel were on the email. All these places I have been and booked my accommodation online, I got the room, I never turned up to a hostel or hotel and was told ther was no booking for me. I have heard about hostels and hotels over booking themselves, but its never happened to me. I'm not sure if you have had a bad experience booking accommodation with one of these companies, but my last travel to New York I booked with www.hostels247.com and I stayed in Candy Hostel New York, I had No problems. I have used Hostels247.com before my New York trip and I think they are very good, you can call them also if you don't want to book online and speak to someone. I also booked with www.hostelbookers.com a couple of years ago, and I had no problems with the accommodation I booked. The 10% I paid on each booking, was taken off the total booking amount, the remaining 90% I paid when I got to the Hostel or Hotel. I can understand if you said, that some of these companies don't have the best customer care, or some hostels or hotels are not up to standard, but to say that hostel booking website don't have any direct contact with the hostels and hotels is an unfair statement. I think the best way to make a valid critism, is not to exagerate, in that way you will be helping other travellers to gain an insight. Truth Be Told |
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