Originally Posted by
1flyer
Sure. But many of the international chains frequently offer rooms for less than USD 50 in various Asian countries.
Sometimes OTA bookings are cheaper, sometimes direct bookings are cheaper. Cashback is available with chain hotel bookings, too. With them, too, you can frequently combine sales price, member discount, bonus point or night promo, extra points for elites, and cashback.
Making an apples-to-apples comparison is difficult. Because when I go with the chain, elite benefits can be much more substantial than with OTAs such as hotels.com or Expedia. It's also complicated to correctly value the points you get with a chain or with an OTA such booking.com.
Lastly, if an OTA offers a rate lower than the chain, the chain may match that rate via an BRG claim.
To me, there is no clear winner here. It depends on travel dates and the desired property as well as several other factors such as the value of elite benefits.
I'm glad to see that at least some people are questioning the
assumption many travellers make that an OTA will always be cheaper and suggesting that it makes sense to check various methods. I'd also like to point out once again that price and value are not the same thing. Hotel industry insiders (not OTA industry insiders) have made it quite clear that OTA bookings are the ones most likely to be put in a less desirable room, be 'bumped', etc. Even when the lowest price you find is on an OTA, it does not mean you will get the same value for your money.
Hotel Insider: Tips for Booking Hotels ? The Wanderlust Effect
Hotel insider reveals top secrets to getting most out of your stay | Daily Mail Online
There are a lot of insider comments here and some of them may surprise you.
https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-...-talking-about
Someone suggested farther up the thread that they have more faith in the intelligence and ability of the average traveller to make an informed decision. I do not have much faith in the average traveller doing that, it's true. My lack of faith stems from seeing the average person vote for Brexit or elect the Trumpet.