What are the worst hotel booking sites I should avoid?

Many hotel booking sites like Expedia and Booking.com have poor customer service, often making it difficult to obtain refunds or make changes to reservations.

Prices listed on these sites do not always reflect the final cost after taxes and fees, leading to frustration for travelers.

Sites like Trivago and Hotels.com have been criticized for a lack of transparency regarding hotel availability and pricing, sometimes listing hotels that are fully booked.

Bookings made through third-party sites may not count towards hotel loyalty program benefits, diminishing the value of using these services.

The travel booking site Agoda consistently provides the worst prices for hotels in Europe, particularly in popular destinations like Paris and Rome.

Investigations have found that hotel booking sites often use misleading tactics like "only one room left" pressure sales to encourage bookings.

Hidden fees and "destination charges" can suddenly inflate the advertised nightly rate by 30% or more on some booking platforms.

Aggregator sites like Kayak, while allowing comparison shopping, do not always display the full final costs upfront, leading to surprise charges later.

Booking directly with the hotel can sometimes yield better rates and more flexibility than using an online travel agency.

Hotel availability and pricing can vary significantly between different booking sites for the same property, making it difficult to trust any single platform.

The practice of "rate parity," where hotels are required to offer the same rates across all booking channels, has been criticized for limiting competition and consumer choice.

User reviews on hotel booking sites may not always be reliable, as some properties have been known to incentivize or even fabricate positive feedback.

Overseas bookings through certain sites can result in additional foreign transaction fees or unfavorable exchange rates, eroding potential savings.

Loyalty program members may find that their benefits, such as room upgrades or late checkout, are not honored when booking through third-party sites.

The proliferation of resort fees and other mandatory charges by hotels can make it challenging to accurately compare prices across booking platforms.