Is it cheaper to book hotel in central London on the net or negotiate the price on reaching the hotel ...?

Question

personally across the reception? I want to stay in a budget hotel near Earls Court area for two weeks commencing 12th September. My budget is about 50 pounds a night. How much discount can I ask on the Rack rate for fifteen nights?

Answer 1

book on the net much cheaper...sometimes 50%

Answer 2

From my experience negotiating once you're in the hotel isn't the best idea in London. If i was you I would call to book and sort out the discount in advance over the phone. Once you're in the hotel they know there is less of a chance you'll walk out and find somewhere else to stay so will give you a better deal over the phone.

Try the Oxford Hotel

Oxford Hotel
24 Penywern Road,
Earls Court, London,
SW5 9SU

(uk+44) 0870 7522235

Answer 3

I used to look up hotels online and then book them over the telephone. A normal double room would cost between £70-£90.

On a later occasion i decided to just go ahead and book online. The same room at a similar time of year cost £49.99.

I then rang up the hotel (pretending to be a new customer) and asked for the price of a double room for the same night, and again they quoted me a sum that was around £20 dearer.

Some of the websites for these hotels are not owned by the hotels themselves. The websites act more like brokers and can offer you a discounted rate.

Seems silly, becuase usually when you go direct to the source and cut out middle men it's cheaper, but not in this case.

Answer 4

The best On-Line broker I have found is www.octopustravel.com. I have a couple of friends that work at a hotel in the Paddington section of London, the best rate they could get me was 75 pounds a night for a double. That was about 5 pounds less then the big on-line sites. Octopus travel got me the room for 59 pounds a night. Worth checking out the site before booking. Enjoy your stay

Answer 5

Most hotels in London have fixed prices and won't negotiate. I live not far from Earls Court and know that to be true for all of the hotels in this area. They have more than enough business coming thier way that they don't need to offer discounts to anyone.

Answer 6

Honestly - book in advance. You are only really likely to get reductions from the rather more expensive hotels most of the time. Budget ones will tell you to "sling your hook" (ahem - normally not as politely as that) if you start trying to negotiate a reduction. Also, a lot of cheap places will be booked out in advance anyway, so if you don't have an advance reservation you won't get in. You are likely to get a better rate via some internet cheap deal too!

Answer 7

I work at a hotel and it is definitely cheaper to negotiate at the desk. 15 nights should automatically entitle you to a special "group rate". It is much better than the typical 10% discount most hotels give out. In most Hotels only the manager can authorize anything better than 10%, which is the norm.

Answer 8

there is a nice economy hotel right next to the London eye. I mean litrally right next to the London eye. It was about 60 pound or so a night. and it was the hotel chain that has a purple sign. I know we used that chain where ever we traveled throughout the whole of the UK from Fort Myers Scotland to South Wales. It is a good hotel near the London eye. Good Luck.

Answer 9

see if there are any travel lodge type chains that are running some special offers. Try the YHA and you could half your budget. If you can, go before the 12th and spend a day looking around, you ar bound to find something nearby or in Acton/Hammersmith area, there are many adds posted in newsagents widows.
Back to hotels I would expect about a 50% discount.
Good luck

Answer 10

I don't think there's much room for negotiation in London, more a case of "Take it or leave it", and as for that nonsense about stripey trousers, don't even think about it! I suppose it would be possible to negotiate for something like your fifteen nights, but to get a discount they probably want cash up-front. Even then it's doubtful, and you'd be much better off doing it by phone in advance. You never know your luck!

Answer 11

watch for pit pocket - they use razor blade and cut your backpack or purses


there is a travel agency in Europe - I join the tour for $ 48 /day including hotel, tour guide and tour bus. tip for the driver and tour guide is $5 the tour guide speak Chinese , English and Dutch

www.amttravel.com
www.GOEUGO.COM

or you can call The Netherlands phone number 31 10 213 02 08
it is very cheap and the hotel is very nice - it included morning breakfast buffet

do not forget to bring the water bottle w/ you - you cannot drink the tap water

do not forget to pick up a free map in the hotel lobby - if you want to buy
expensive stuff, eg LV purses. - you need to bring your passport to the store
and get the tax refund in the airport