As a side thread to my other Canadian Rockies one, is often the case that the big booking websites might now show availability whereas going direct will have results? I’d been trying to source a room or two for a single night in Jasper over the peak summer period and nothing was showing up on the likes of Trivago or Hotwire. Yet out of curiosity I went direct to one of the cheaper hotels and punched in the same dates. Several room options appeared.
I was wondering whether this was normal (and thus should try several other direct sites) or perhaps the hotel in question has a basic website that doesn’t keep up to date? I did email them just earlier but thought I’d sound out the collective and potentially search for more options via the direct approach.
Hotels have to give travel sites “a taste” of the booking fee. So, if a hotel has a room for $100, they may only get $90 of that if you book on Travelocity, etc. As such, most hotels would rather you book direct from their site. Therefore, especially during peak seasons, the hotels will not release all the rooms to the booking sites, because they know they will be full during that period. It is a bit of a gamble for the hotel, but, they know when to do this.
I travel quite often for work. I often go through the travel sites first, but, I have had a number of occasions where the travel site said nothing was available, but I was easily able to get a room booking direct with the hotel’s website.
Same experience as JSA. Also - check the Price Guarantee for all of the sites (direct and internet). We got a screaming deal on hotel rooms in DC last fall by booking rooms through the hotel directly and seeing a cheaper price on Expedia or one of those other sites.
I use Expedia.ca for hotels and Jasper definitely doesn’t post all of their rooms or even all of their hotels on the travel sites. Jasper also seems to have more non-chain hotels than most places, hitting up the individual sites or even emailing them directly is worth it. Don’t worry to much about location the whole town is walkable from anywhere.
A small plug for the Toquin Inn that is my jasper hotel of choice.
I use Expedia.ca for hotels and Jasper definitely doesn’t post all of their rooms or even all of their hotels on the travel sites. Jasper also seems to have more non-chain hotels than most places, hitting up the individual sites or even emailing them directly is worth it. Don’t worry to much about location the whole town is walkable from anywhere.
A small plug for the Toquin Inn that is my jasper hotel of choice.
Ben
Funnily enough Toquin was the hotel I emailed this morning!