When it comes to hotel booking, there are many websites available on the market. Not just direct hotel booking sites such as Booking.com, Hotels.com or Airbnb.com but also metasearch websites which allow travellers to compare hotels and room prices on different booking sites such as Trivago or TripAdvisor.

When I start planning a trip, I generally tend to check Booking.com to decide for the hotel, then browse all the other websites to compare prices. After doing my research, I always end up booking through booking.com. In this post, I will explain why I prefer Booking.com and how it became my favourite hotel booking website.

1- Booking.com is easy to use

Almost all other booking sites have the filtering option, and almost all have a pretty good variety of hotels. Unfortunately, sometimes they drive me crazy until I get to the level I actually see the details of hotels.

2- When you become a Genius member, there is literally no better deals online than Booking.com

Loyal customers always win but with booking.com, you can even find better deals than the hotel’s own website when you become a Genius member.

Secret deals are the best! If you are a genius member, you can even see prices from third parties if their prices are lower than those Booking.com provide.

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3- You get a welcome drink when you book through Booking.com

When you become a Genius member, hotels offer you a welcome drink when you book through Booking.com. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but being welcomed by a nice cold refreshment can change your mood immediately after a long tiring flight or a road trip.

4- Communication with hotels is easy through the Booking.com application

You are on a holiday and you realize that the hotel’s reception closes at 4 pm, which is before your arrival time. All you need to do is to open your app and use the chat option to write to your hotel about your arrival time. You can be sure that the message is delivered immediately.

This is why I don’t prefer Airbnb, as the hosts sometimes ask you to call them to pick up the house key when you arrive. And calling is expensive when you are abroad.

5-Free Cancellation option

This is my favourite. When I am not sure, I book my hotel room with a free cancellation option even if the price is a bit higher, knowing that I can cancel it even a few days before my arrival. Although some of the hotels or lodges don’t offer this option, there is always another hotel in the city with a free cancellation option. Plus you don’t have to worry if you don’t have a credit card because booking.com allows you to secure your booking with a debit card as well.

6- Detailed information, photos and reviews

I trust booking.com! Well, mainly the people who use booking.com. I read the reviews and they sometimes tell a lot about an accommodation, its cleanliness, staff and location.

I also like the fact that when I click on a hotel, I see huge professional photos of rooms and the hotel’s surroundings. The information provided is short and clear. In these details, you can learn about the nearest attractions, services free of charge, extra fees such as city tax and different review ratings by a different type of guests (couples, groups etc.). User experience is important and apparently, booking.com is investing a lot on it.

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