Why it pays to book hotels direct

Looking to save on your next holiday? Avoid booking websites and go directly to airlines and hotels to get the best deal, a new survey suggests

UK's consumer site Which? compared the cost of 30 overnight stays in ten hotels across nine different websites and found booking direct rather than using a booking site offered the cheapest price half the time.

Key takeaways

• Comparison sites again proved useful, however, returning the best, or joint best price on multiple occasions. Kayak and Trivago were most frequently successful, finding the lowest, or joint lowest price on 12 occasions, while Skyscanner was close behind with 11 times;
• Hotel booking sites, on the other hand, were more likely to source the highest prices. Agoda returned the most expensive price on 14 out of 30 occasions, while Expedia and Booking.com each had the dearest prices on 13 out of 30 occasions;
• "Comparison sites can be an excellent starting point, scouring the internet to take the hard work out of your decision-making. Once you've narrowed down your selection, book directly," the consumer site recommends.

Get the full story at the Daily Mail