| The purpose of this article is to compare the new | | | | they retrieve prices from numerous merchants, and |
| generation of price comparison websites against the | | | | then provide the links to those merchants who are |
| traditional vacation search websites or online travel | | | | able to offer the hotel room for the cheapest price. |
| agencies. This is in reference to finding the cheapest | | | | This latter sort of comparison website do not actually |
| deals for hotel stays around the world. | | | | sell anything to the consumers, they provide a free |
| When websites like Expedia and later Laterooms | | | | service to enable people to find the best deal. |
| were launched, they were revolutionary for | | | | Now the additional features of websites like Expedia |
| consumers. To find deals on accommodation | | | | have been transferred to the comparison websites |
| beforehand, you used to have to go to your travel | | | | like 2save.co.uk, whereby you can filter hotels by star |
| agent and rely on them to look at the prices of | | | | rating, amenities, specific location and read and submit |
| different hotels, but these websites put the power | | | | user reviews. These are not taken from the |
| of the travel agency systems in the hands of the | | | | merchant website, but rather are a separate source |
| end user. This enabled vacationers and business users | | | | of information. |
| to choose the best place to stay within their price | | | | So, which kind of website should you use to find |
| range. This was later enhanced by user reviews | | | | cheap hotel deals? Eventually you will end up at the |
| submitted by independent members of the public and | | | | former category of website, because these are the |
| providing an average score of many different | | | | companies that actually take payment and accept |
| experiences. | | | | bookings for your stay. Using the comparison website |
| So those are the traditional flight and hotel search | | | | is an extra step that is done beforehand (although |
| websites that are essentially online travel agencies. | | | | any loss of time is made up because you do not |
| The hotel price comparison websites are not | | | | need to search again on the second website). This is |
| agencies, because they search for and compare | | | | the step that lets you get the best price even after |
| prices between the different sites like Expedia and | | | | you are happy with your choice of where to stay in |
| Laterooms. It's true that the first part of a search is | | | | the city. So we thoroughly recommend that you |
| the same, in that when you select the destination | | | | compare and search all in one, rather than just |
| city, dates and number of people, they tell you what | | | | searching and hoping that you're getting a cheap |
| hotels have availability. But the next stage is when | | | | offer. |