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The Hotel Booking Detail That Almost Cost Me $250

I’ve been traveling long enough that some things feel automatic. Booking hotels is one of them.

After 15 years on the road I’ve probably made thousands of reservations.

Recently I wrote a newsletter about small things I do to stay safe when traveling alone.

The response surprised me. Many readers said they appreciated hearing about habits that experienced travelers barely think about anymore.

That made me realize something.

What feels routine to me might be helpful to others.

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Last week, while booking a condo in Kuala Lumpur, I caught something that easily could have cost me hundreds of dollars.
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A Review That Made Me Look Twice

I was searching for a condo for a week. Nothing unusual. I opened my usual booking sites and started filtering by price and location.

Normally in KL we stay at this airport condo with a pool/gym which I've shared on my Facebook page.

So I have a good idea of prices in KL as the supply outweighs demand.

One place looked perfect.

The price was about $200 for the week, which is normal for downtown Kuala Lumpur.

Then I noticed a review that stopped me.

The guest said they ended up paying almost double what they expected because of fees they didn’t notice until the final booking page. They said it was technically their fault for missing the fine print.

So I clicked through the full booking screen on my short listed condo.

Sure enough, the $200 condo suddenly had another $250 added at the end. Cleaning fees. Service fees. A handful of extra charges that only appeared at the last step.

Technically the site wasn’t hiding anything. At the top it said “additional fees may apply.”

But most travelers would assume the price they see is at least close to the real cost.

What surprised me most is that I almost missed it myself.

And then I noticed all of these condos had final prices that looked like this:

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​The Only Extra Fee I Expect

When I book a hotel I usually expect one possible extra charge: a tourism tax.

Many cities charge a small nightly tax for visitors. Sometimes it’s included in the price. Sometimes you pay it at check in.

That makes sense because it’s set by the local government.

But cleaning fees or service fees are part of the accommodation itself. Those should really appear in the total price from the beginning.

I've seen Airbnb hosts charge electricity fees, which is actually common for month long rentals but surprises many people.

Seeing that listing made me slow down and think about something else readers often ask me.

How do I book hotels?​
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​1 Look at the Best Hotel Sites

My two main booking platforms are Agoda and Booking.com.

They look like competitors but both are owned by the same parent company, Booking Holdings.

That company also owns Priceline, Kayak and OpenTable.

Another major accommodation group is Expedia Group. They operate sites like Expedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo and Hotwire.

Years ago these companies competed more directly. Now most hotel bookings online run through just a few big platforms.

Check Both Agoda and Booking

Even though Agoda and Booking belong to the same company, they display prices differently.

Agoda usually shows the nightly rate before taxes and fees. You often see the full total only at the final step.

Booking.com usually shows the full price earlier in the process.

That’s why I check both.

I also look at the phone app and the desktop site.

They constantly say the app has better prices but that isn’t always true. Sometimes the desktop version is cheaper.

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If you're in the Americas also take a peek at Expedia

Although I book almost all long haul flights on Expedia, I rarely use it for hotels, but it can still be worth checking.

In Mexico I’ve found some surprisingly good deals there.

In Sayulita I once booked a hotel for about $20 a night. In Mazamitla the lowest price I found was also through Expedia.

Different platforms are stronger in different regions. I've found Expedia to be great for the Americas

2 Check Against Google listings

Once I've narrowed down the hotel I want to stay at I always google it. Not only do I have a method for checking photos and reviews (more info below).

But also Google actually lists the prices on the major platforms, including the hotel website. So if you really want the best price a quick google search will do it.
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When Booking Direct Is Better

Sometimes I skip booking sites entirely and contact the hotel directly. I find their phone number and check to see if they are on Whatsapp or have a Facebook page to message them directly.

For longer stays this can be much cheaper.

But not always.

Just last night in Ipoh I asked a hotel if I could extend my stay by one night. They gave me a price, but it was actually cheaper to book the same room again through Agoda.

So I did that instead. It also keeps the payment on my Visa card which makes tracking expenses easier.

In Mexico I've found they will provide great discounts to avoid costly credit card fees.

But in Asia they must pay less because they'll charge you the same or more because they gave a big bulk deal to Agoda.
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3 Don't Book Without Reading Reviews

Price matters, but reviews tell you far more about a place.

When I’m staying somewhere for several nights I read quite a few of them.

I’m not looking for perfection. In many parts of Asia even good hotels will have scuffs on the walls or sheets that aren’t perfectly bright white.

What I’m watching for are patterns.

On some sites like Booking.com it says where the travelers are from. I've found French travelers to be the most critical so if they like a spot it's a good sign. But if they complain I take it in stride and look for other comments.

And if a place only has five reviews and they all appeared in the same month, that raises questions.

Some of the condos I saw in Kuala Lumpur had exactly that pattern. Five perfect reviews from local guests who stayed one night.

Maybe they were real guests. Maybe not.

Either way I usually move on.​
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The Red Flag That Makes Me Walk Away

There’s one review that always gets my attention.

If a guest says they were told the room had a plumbing issue and they were moved somewhere else.

This happens more often with apartment rentals.

Someone books a beautiful place online. When they arrive the host says there’s a plumbing problem and offers a “similar” property instead.

Usually the replacement is far worse than what was advertised.

Even one review mentioning this makes me cautious.

4 Always Check Google Photos

Hotels NEVER look like the photos.

After reading booking site reviews I head over to Google, click on the hotel profile and look at the tabs like pricing and photos.

Google reviews aren’t verified, so anyone can leave a comment. But the photos are extremely helpful.

Hotel photos are carefully staged. Wide lenses, bright lighting and sometimes a bit of editing.

Guest photos show the room the way it really looks.

Someone might post a picture of breakfast or their suitcase sitting on the floor. The lighting is normal and the space suddenly looks much smaller.

Those photos often tell you more than the official gallery.
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If you've made it to the end let me know!

If you like these practical travel tips I will try too add more of them.

All of this may sound like a lot of work. But after years of travel it becomes second nature.

And that Kuala Lumpur condo reminded me of something simple.

Always check the final price before you click book.

If you have your own tips that you'd like to share hit reply and let me know!

Keep life delicious,

Ayngelina