now I know why I RV

I never use any of the 3rd party agencies for that reason. Just like campgrounds there's no guarantee that the hotels will be totally up front either, just makes it much easier to fix any problems.

Before I retired, I was responsible for "computerizing" our regional offices around the country. I was usually at each office for 4 to 6 weeks. But my company supplied a credit card for the hotels. I don't want to use their name, but their initials were E S. At least I had a two room suite and a restaurant in each of the hotels. But I still had to keep my shoes on to keep my socks from sticking to the carpet when walking around, and by marking the top sheet with a small mark, I found that one day's top sheet became the next day's bottom sheet, with a clean top sheet added. At least I had a microwave and a coffee maker.
In my RV, I know where everything has been. If I drop something edible on the floor, its next stop is the garbage can.

We did alot of traveling working around the US with the NAVY SPAWAR bunch out of Charleston SC and was able to drive the weekends to get to the duty stations.

My 4WD Truck and OFF-ROAD POPUP trailer sit outside a many of Embassy and Homewood Suites in the Ala, TX, and AZ areas. Then we got to do some local RV camping over the weekends. I'm a breakfast guy and the Embassy Suites sure know how to setup their cooked-to-order breakfast bars...

In the Phoenix AZ metro areas the Embassy Suites would allow us to change hotels over the weekends like staying at the Embassy Suite in Flagstaff AZ then come back to our room in Tempe AZ to go back to work (No extra charge)... Can't beat that...

I miss those grand days...

Roy Ken

I have worked hotels for many years now. I don't know of any employee that likes third party reservations. With so many people looking for the cheapest rate there is a demand for them. If we are out of rooms with two beds and you have 4 people you will end up in a room with a single bed. Here is the thing, we don't have anything to do with your reservation, it enters our system with your room preference which they set but now the guest is mad at us for the wrong room assignment. They tell people we have free park and fly (it's an extra charge) and I could go on. I groan ever time I see a new third party reservation.

I learned my lesson on a rare airline trip. Booked third party and missed my first plane (spent too much time at the breakfast bar). They told me if I had booked direct they could put me on another airline leaving in about an hour. But since I went third party the next flight was seven hours later. First and last time for everything.

SuperiorBound wrote:
I have worked hotels for many years now. I don't know of any employee that likes third party reservations. With so many people looking for the cheapest rate there is a demand for them. If we are out of rooms with two beds and you have 4 people you will end up in a room with a single bed. Here is the thing, we don't have anything to do with your reservation, it enters our system with your room preference which they set but now the guest is mad at us for the wrong room assignment. They tell people we have free park and fly (it's an extra charge) and I could go on. I groan ever time I see a new third party reservation.

Yes 3rd party reservations can be more work and when I say work I mean re-schooling guests about hotel amenities and similar. One 3rd party we dealt with constantly told guests about the "free" parking which was actually located at the Avis 2 doors down was farrrrrrr from free, had nothing to do with the hotel but there we were explaining Avis' policies:Z. I was so glad when the hotel ended their relationship with that group.

My traveling was in the days before 3rd party reservations, but I did use a Travel,Agent. There weren't too many unwanted surprises except one reservation in Key West. I wound up at a clothing optional joint. Wouldn't have even minded that except most guests were 70+!

Some things carried forward though. Despite the fact that I haven't hardly used a hotel in 20 years I went back East for a wedding a few months ago. There was a Marriott Courtyard at the Charlotte, NC airport and I made reservations there through the Marriott system. Turned out I'm a lifetime member of their awards program, and additionally I still had a bunch of points credit on the program. Only had to pay for one night of the two night stay, and my room was upgraded.