Hotel Aggregators and Hotel Search Engines

It seems like every week there’s a new way to find and book hotels online. But how can you figure out if these new sites are actually worth your time?

The new Web site Dealbase.com is an aggregator site, which means it looks at prices from several online sources.

What sets it apart is that it actually analyzes the freebies. Say a hotel package includes breakfast and a spa treatment, it figures out how much you’re saving.

This is a cool feature, but Dealbase relies on calculated estimates.

So it’s a good place to start, but it’s a helpful to call the hotel for the real numbers—like how much that breakfast normally costs and what it consists of.

HotelsCombined.com compares the best prices from online booking sites like Hotels.com and Expedia.

This tells your how low a property will go. But, you should also look at the hotel’s own Web site, and of course … call them directly to negotiate.

Microsoft’s Bing Travel also compares prices (full disclosure: Peter is a contributor to Bing Travel). But what’s cool is its “Rate Indicator,” which tells you whether the lowest available price is a good deal or not, based on previous rates.

Bottom line?

Every new Web site has its bells and whistles, and some can be useful.

But nothing beats the power of talking to an actual human being before making your final decision.

For more ideas, visit our Budget Travel section. Or get more ideas in our Hotels & Accommodations section.

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