this entry is brought to you by hotelreservations.com.

i can’t remember the last time i went to a travel agent. i’ve been booking airfares and hotel rooms online for the last 8 years or so, and i am amazed at how safer and simpler booking over the internet has become over the years. really, what does one need a real, live travel agent for? as long as you have time, booking online gives you so much more control and options than a travel agent could or would be willing to offer. you can browse at your leisure, make your choice when you’ve found something that fits your criteria, and book whenever you’re ready. with a bit of advanced planning, you can even save quite a bit on ongoing promos and discounts.

for example, there’s hotelreservations.com. the site allows you to book hotels not only in the states and europe, but also in asia, australasia, south america, and even in south africa. the interface doesn’t look that impressive, but at least it’s simple and user-friendly. just choose your destination, and indicate your preferred dates. or you can search a hotel based on the amenities you require, or the location where you’re headed to, down to a specific street. you can choose the rates to be displayed in dollars, euro, pounds or swiss francs.

now, for those looking to cut corners, here’s the clincher: the website promises to deliver “guaranteed lower rates“. if, within 24 hours of booking your “special internet rate” reservation, you find a lower rate elsewhere, they will either match the lower rate or cancel the reservation without a cancellation fee. and for those staying for 3 nights or longer, just print out and fill up this coupon, and you can claim up to $100 in rebates!

you can book your rooms online using your credit card, but for those who’d rather speak to someone, you can simply browse the web for possibilities, and when you’re ready to book, just dial the toll-free numbers (1-800-447-4136 for those in US & Canada, 00-800-1276-3549 for those in western Europe and Australia, and (1) 817-333-5105 for everywhere else).

all in all, i think reservations.com is a good, comprehensive one-stop web address for searching hotels. i just wish there was a feature where guests can rate the hotels and give feedback. when we booked our mallorca hotel a few months ago, the customer feedback on holidaycheck was our lifeline. when travelling to a place totally unfamiliar, reading other people’s feedback is immensely helpful. on the main page of reservations.com, i see a link to “write reviews” but it doesn’t seem to be working. perhaps a feature allowing customer feedback is indeed on the way.

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