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What to Look For in an Online Booking Website
If you’re finally embarking on that weekend getaway, then you’ll need to prepare ahead of time so that you can cram in as many shenanigans as possible. This is only possible through utilizing the right booking website. “But there are so many travel websites to choose from! How do I pick?” Yes, this is true. But not to worry, party animal. This article’s got you covered.
Sweet DealsOne of the perks of booking online is that there’s a slew of promotions offered that you won’t get by visiting the reception desk at your destination. Book ahead, or be duped. Don’t count on receptionists to give you sweet deals. No, you must visit booking websites first, say the specialists from getyourstay.com, to find out about ways you can save serious cash on your trip. Keep in mind that these types of sites provide even more discounts and gift vouchers during the off-season or holidays. So, if you’re worried you may not have the funds for your friend’s birthday bash in Vegas, then think again. You might be in for one of the cheapest trips you’ll ever take.
Real-Time Booking
Your best friend is getting married, and somewhere in between all your deadlines at work and post-work glasses of wine, you lost track of time and forgot to book ahead by more than a couple of days. In this case, the site you choose must have a real-time booking. This feature means that you can automatically lock in your room through the website without waiting for confirmation from the hotel. It also allows you to view all the available room types and select one available on the date of your trip. With this option, you can be sure that you’re safe and won’t miss one of the most exciting days of your friend’s life—her bachelorette party!
Search Filters
There’s nothing more irritating than having to sift through a bunch of garbage options that don’t meet your requirements. Search filters are absolutely necessary if you don’t want to pour a bunch of time and energy into searching for accommodation when you could be drinking wine—or working towards that important deadline! If you have allergies or vegan meal requirements and want those options at your home-away-from-home, then make sure you see that the search filter for this exists on the site before you start browsing.
Payment Options
Another thing you should check right from the start is the payment options available on the site. The only thing worse than a site making it difficult to locate what you want is finding what you want exactly, getting excited about it, and then getting all the way to the checkout page and not having the card type required to make the purchase. Avoid this anticlimactic let-down by checking the payment options first.
Many sites will even allow you to book your room without a credit card, which is a fantastic, no-stress option. That way, if you decide to cancel, you can be sure that you won’t get pinged with fees or worse—have something go wrong and get charged for the room anyway. This also allows for those without the right cards to still book their dream getaway. Look for this option in the search filters on the website.
Email Integration
With every site imaginable asking you for your email address upon visiting their site, you might be turned off by giving your email to a booking site. However, once you’ve decided on which booking website to use, you’ll definitely want to provide your email address. Emails serve as digital receipts and records of everything you arrange for your accommodation. This assures that everything you’ve planned will actually be carried out. If it isn’t, you’ve got the proof of everything you paid for or arranged, and the hotel will be required to either find a way
to accommodate you or give you your money back.
Real-Time Booking
Your best friend is getting married, and somewhere in between all your deadlines at work and post-work glasses of wine, you lost track of time and forgot to book ahead by more than a couple of days. In this case, the site you choose must have a real-time booking. This feature means that you can automatically lock in your room through the website without waiting for confirmation from the hotel. It also allows you to view all the available room types and select one available on the date of your trip. With this option, you can be sure that you’re safe and won’t miss one of the most exciting days of your friend’s life—her bachelorette party!
Search Filters
There’s nothing more irritating than having to sift through a bunch of garbage options that don’t meet your requirements. Search filters are absolutely necessary if you don’t want to pour a bunch of time and energy into searching for accommodation when you could be drinking wine—or working towards that important deadline! If you have allergies or vegan meal requirements and want those options at your home-away-from-home, then make sure you see that the search filter for this exists on the site before you start browsing.
Payment Options
Another thing you should check right from the start is the payment options available on the site. The only thing worse than a site making it difficult to locate what you want is finding what you want exactly, getting excited about it, and then getting all the way to the checkout page and not having the card type required to make the purchase. Avoid this anticlimactic let-down by checking the payment options first.
Many sites will even allow you to book your room without a credit card, which is a fantastic, no-stress option. That way, if you decide to cancel, you can be sure that you won’t get pinged with fees or worse—have something go wrong and get charged for the room anyway. This also allows for those without the right cards to still book their dream getaway. Look for this option in the search filters on the website.
Email Integration
With every site imaginable asking you for your email address upon visiting their site, you might be turned off by giving your email to a booking site. However, once you’ve decided on which booking website to use, you’ll definitely want to provide your email address. Emails serve as digital receipts and records of everything you arrange for your accommodation. This assures that everything you’ve planned will actually be carried out. If it isn’t, you’ve got the proof of everything you paid for or arranged, and the hotel will be required to either find a way
to accommodate you or give you your money back.
Awards or Credentials
If you’re looking to book luxury vacation and want only the best of the best, then it’s helpful if the booking page lists any special credentials or honors that the hotel has been awarded. Many sites will give their awards to hotels with outstanding ratings or reviews by customers. So look out for those verified stamps when browsing for your getaway crib.
Whether you’ll barely be staying in the room, or if you’d like to spend most of your time on the resort you book, you should be able to find accommodation that perfectly suits you easily. By using a booking website, you’re giving them traffic on their page and thus helping with their domain’s authority. With that being said, don’t waste your valuable time supporting a website that doesn’t at least offer something useful to its users. Remember always to book ahead to get the most out of the deal offered to you, and always shop around to different sites to find the best promotions.
If you’re looking to book luxury vacation and want only the best of the best, then it’s helpful if the booking page lists any special credentials or honors that the hotel has been awarded. Many sites will give their awards to hotels with outstanding ratings or reviews by customers. So look out for those verified stamps when browsing for your getaway crib.
Whether you’ll barely be staying in the room, or if you’d like to spend most of your time on the resort you book, you should be able to find accommodation that perfectly suits you easily. By using a booking website, you’re giving them traffic on their page and thus helping with their domain’s authority. With that being said, don’t waste your valuable time supporting a website that doesn’t at least offer something useful to its users. Remember always to book ahead to get the most out of the deal offered to you, and always shop around to different sites to find the best promotions.