Think everyone reading these threads needs to be mindful of the fact that many people relentlessly praising travel agents in this thread are agents themselves.

As a pure leisure traveler I:

1) Consider price first. If FHR is the same price (sometimes) or cheaper than an agent booking, I will usually book FHR for that 5x MR back (which makes FHR cheaper). If booking direct is cheaper (very often, especially with the bigger chains, I will book direct unless the price difference is negligible. The stay 3 pay 2 (and variation) rates are OK but IME not as a big of a deal as they seem given that hotels often offer similar rates elsewhere. It also requires you to stay at those intervals.

2) Compare perks, which are usually a wash. I love confirmed upgrades on booking so that’s the only thing that would sway me. Direct bookings might have less innate benefits but I prefer to have much more cash in my pocket and only buy hotel breakfasts when it actually makes sense to do so.

I strongly urge people to look into programs like Noble Travel, FoundersCard, and even AAA for cash discounts at luxury hotels. I seldom book through my agent these days because it is often so much cheaper (30%+) to book myself.