A warning about booking sites: direct with the hostel saved me $12 a night in Lisbon

I just got back from Portugal and I need to tell you about a big mistake I almost made. For my stay in Lisbon, I checked a big booking site first and found a bed in a good hostel for $28 a night. It looked like a solid deal. On a whim, I googled the hostel's actual name and went to their own website. The same exact bed, for the same exact dates, was only $16 if I booked directly with them. That's $12 less every single night! The booking site was adding a huge fee I didn't even see at first. I booked direct, got a confirmation email right away, and had zero problems checking in. It took me five extra minutes and saved me over $50 on my trip. Has anyone else found that going straight to the source is almost always cheaper for hostels or small hotels?

3 comments

3 Comments

elizabethhayes28d ago

Man, I used to just grab the first price I saw on those big sites, thinking it was the deal. But after seeing a hotel chain charge way less on their own site for the same room, I always check direct now. Those middleman fees they hide are crazy, and it only takes a second to look. Feels good to not pay the lazy tax.

chen.casey19d ago

Yeah that $12 difference josephbutler mentioned is wild. Do you ever find the direct site has a better cancellation policy too, or is it just the price?

josephbutler27d ago

Holy cow, $12 a night is insane! I mean, that's basically the price of a whole meal right there. @elizabethhayes is totally right about the hidden fees, but I didn't realize they could be that big. I gotta start checking direct every single time.