[Anonymous]

[RoadKing]

Hi all

I had an experience this last Friday which I would like to share.

I flew in with a late British Airways flight and arrived at T5 around 22. This was an impulse trip so I had not made any plans in advance, e.g. no hotel reservation. Knowing the time of year and it being a weekend I expected to be able to land a good deal at the airport.

Once I was out of customs/immigration I walked over to the British Hotel Reservation Center. On my way there I saw an advert for Sofitel including a phone number, so I decided to call the hotel directly.

At Sofitel Heathrow they told me that I could have a room for the night for £123. Which I thought was a fair deal, considering the standard of the hotel. However, I was confident there could be a better deal, so I decided to go on and try the Hotel desk.

At the desk, the agent made a call, I overheard the conversation, where it was stated that Sofitel was full… Upon returning to me after hanging up on the call, he said he could get me a room at Marriot for £270 for the night…

I admit I got annoyed. I told him that I had just spoken to Sofitel and they had offered me a room for less than half that Marriot price. To which the clerk responded I should go and get it.

Considering this, I decided to check out Radisson Edvardian as well (thank God for internet enabled mobile phones), where I landed a night for £60 + taxes.

So, the morale is clear. Always get some numbers for local hotels and call them directly.

Nevertheless, my disappointment with the Hotel reservation centre persist. I thought they were there to provide service, not to throw the most expensive offer from a select few at you.

[AMcWhirter]

In general, this is good advice.

But it does seem there is a room glut at Heathrow right now.

It’s probably a combination of the tough times we’re seeing but I guess it’s also the fact that a number of new hotels (especially in the budget range) have recently opened in the Heathrow area.

Heathrow’s passenger numbers are either stagnant or in decline (because of the economic downturn) so there are more rooms serving fewer travellers.

The rates RoadKing obtained were good but not exceptionally so. I booked myself a night at the Sofitel for Friday Jan 9 and the online price was £89 or £102.35 including VAT. I have since checked the Edwardian and its online rate is only £55 (£63.25 including VAT).

What I found surprising is that these rates offered me flexibility. I could book when I wanted (assuming that a room was available at that price) and if my trip were to change I would be able to cancel up until the afternoon of arrival without penalty.

[JulieSavill]

There is a big difference between the standard of the Sofitel and the Radisson Edwardian, also the Sofitel is directly connected to Heathrow Terminal 5 via a covered link-bridge. the Hotel desk at the airport is an independent business so not necessarily privy to the best deals. If you had a good UK travel agent they could have quickly scanned for the best deal for you at the time (hotel rates can change constantly dependent on availablity)

Julie Savill
Personal Travel Counsellor
http://www.travelcounsellors.com/julie.savill

[usainbxl]

I’ve had the same experience with the British Hotel Reservation Center. After arriving late due to flight problems I wasn’t paying attention and thought the British Hotel Reservation Center was an information service to travelers, rather than the for profit business / travel agency that it actually is. The most disappointing thing about the British Hotel Reservation Center is that they don’t just take a fixed commission (which would be fare enough), but instead just offer very expensive rates compared to rates that one could easily find elsewhere.

As the original poster pointed out, being prepared with telephone numbers to book directly with a hotel is the best strategy to get a good price. I’m not a fan of using travel agents or other intermediaries, however, if you have a Blackberry I suggest downloading WorldMate Live. Even with the free edition you can search hotels and actually make a reservation immediately using your Blackberry. My favorite part about this is that it’s free, the rates seem to be the same as good rates that I’d find though kayak.com or other online search and it’s perfect for booking one night when you accidentally get stranded there at the last minute and have no idea which hotels are nearby.

[Author]

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