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  1. #76
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lostandfound View Post
    Of course common sense says call the owner direct.
    According to other posts on this thread it seems that I'm not alone in having turned up at hotel receptions to find that the best deal is indeed best made right there ... on my phone internet to a booking site.

    So much for what you refer to as 'common sense'.

    Oh well...I just hope none of the other owners have been trumptwats.

  2. #77
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    Quote Originally Posted by cyrille View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Lostandfound View Post
    Of course common sense says call the owner direct.
    According to other posts on this thread it seems that I'm not alone in having turned up at hotel receptions to find that the best deal is indeed best made right there ... on my phone internet to a booking site.

    So much for what you refer to as 'common sense'.

    Oh well...I just hope none of the other owners have been trumptwats.
    As an accommodation owner on Booking/Expedia I will always offer a better rate to direct bookings. You'll also find a bottle of wine or a vase of flowers on arrival if you book direct.

    When traveling I will check availability on an OTA then google and call property direct. It's a sad indication of the modern world that hotel staff are so disempowered that it is often better to book via the OTA. Worse, that consumers prefer to throw 15-20% of their travel budget at billionaires in LA or SF rather than pick the phone up and talk to a human being about their travel plans.

    We now just price in the 15% + tax into our regular rates.

  3. #78
    Being chased by sloths DJ Pat's Avatar
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    I remember booking a hotel in Cha Am via booking.com who said ''hurry! last room''

    When we arrived we were one of two rooms occupied in the whole place (17 rooms)

    The owner was furious.

  4. #79
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    Quote Originally Posted by DJ Pat View Post
    I remember booking a hotel in Cha Am via booking.com who said ''hurry! last room''

    When we arrived we were one of two rooms occupied in the whole place (17 rooms)

    The owner was furious.
    each hotel sets its allowance/quota on each booking engine, so just cause booking.com says full or last room, does not mean it's so

  5. #80
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    Yeah that little trick is rife isn't it.

    A big favourite with airlines too.

    l+f...your point about disempowered reception staff is a good one.

    In London for example they will mostly be working in a 'gig' environment.

  6. #81
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    I stayed in a hotel in Bournemouth a few weeks ago. I saw rooms available on Booking con, so called the hotel direct. The receptionist said they had no rooms and were full. So I booked the room on Bookingcon (at a very good rate) and checked in 10 minutes later.

  7. #82
    Being chased by sloths DJ Pat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lostandfound View Post
    so called the hotel direct. The receptionist said they had no rooms and were full..


    She couldn't understand english. East european staff. If they have trouble understanding they can just say that so they can hang up.

  8. #83
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    ^Indeed she was.

    On a related issue, owner direct booking sites like Holiday lettings and Owners Direct have been taken over by the big players. My bookings via these two sites have dropped 80% in the last two years.

    New niche players are starting up and are filling the shortfall. Guests want more and more packaged "experiences" for their weekends away, not just component accommodation.

    Some of the valuations on the sales of these companies now look hopelessly inflated.



    Last edited by Lostandfound; 01-04-2017 at 10:42 PM.

  9. #84
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    You must be doing brilliantly.

  10. #85
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    Troy's Avatar
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    ^^ Looks like someone has nicked a picture, leaving the frame (1st photo top left frame). Have they had any Thai MP visitors recently?

  11. #86
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    ^ haha

    We get some bits nicked. The feature wall is Regency era mirrors and frames.

    I leave 50+ pieces of costume jewellery on the master bedroom dressing table in a Victorian era silk lined jewellery case and Georgian era silver ring dish (worth £300 retail). We've list £10 worth of junk 9ct plate jewellery at auction prices.

    We do basic inventory checks. Just realised that id lost Banksy Wall and Peace £5 remaindered coffee table book. I should be far more upset to lose the 19c Gibbons Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire set. A sad sign of the times. The collection remains intact :-)

  12. #87
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lostandfound View Post
    ^ haha

    We get some bits nicked. The feature wall is Regency era mirrors and frames.

    I leave 50+ pieces of costume jewellery on the master bedroom dressing table in a Victorian era silk lined jewellery case and Georgian era silver ring dish (worth £300 retail). We've list £10 worth of junk 9ct plate jewellery at auction prices.

    We do basic inventory checks. Just realised that id lost Banksy Wall and Peace £5 remaindered coffee table book. I should be far more upset to lose the 19c Gibbons Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire set. A sad sign of the times. The collection remains intact :-)
    I once sold a large quantity of reproduction Staffordshire flat back figures to a Welsh Cottage rental company. The owner told me they made quite a bit from charging previous customers for stolen ornaments

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