to book or not to book

[pattayaman 8]

well guys

do you book your hotel before you go online

or do you , like my mate

wait till you arrive and hope the accomadation of your choise is available

my friend has never had any probs with this method

[lounge_lizard 108]

I always book in advance.

 

Less hassle that way.

 

After a 18-hour trip (including to and from the airports) I'm in no condition to hump my bags around the resort looking for somewhere to stay.

[teelack 9,352]

Well for me I usually get into Pattaya at around midnight so meandering about town with a suitcase, carry on bag and a lap top is a bit excessive! On top of that a number of places have Internet rates and these can be very reasonable but you need to do the homework and look at the accommodations own web site rather than use Agoda or whoever.

 

Quite simply BOOKING ahead (not paying ahead) allows peace of mind, an easy transition after untold hours travelling and the possibility of maybe the best deal in the area that you want to stay in. Personally I would not do it any other way.

Edited January 13, 2015 by teelack

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

Most travelers from the U.S. arrive in BKK close to midnight after a journey of about 24 hours, so they get to Pattaya at 1.30 or 2.00 am. That's not the best time or circumstances to start looking for a hotel. Better to book a night or two if you're uncertain in which hotel you want to stay. But if you can book a hotel on line without paying for the full stay, what do you lose by doing it? Very possibly what you gain is a room that otherwise might be rented to someone else.

 

Evil

Edited January 13, 2015 by Evil Penevil

[forcebwithu 4,806]

Many times you'll get a lower price booking online than as a walk up.

[cicero1520 19]

Pays to ask re hotels, we have all been there.

[ZARIS 20]

Booking in advance for your entire holiday just to get peace of mind is for pussies.

 

I never book my entire stay in advance anymore, no matter which country.

 

Internet sites are marketing sites, so make the hotel look as nice as possible. Hotels own sites are even worse.Once you get there it can sometimes be deflating.

 

I once book a hotel in Cebu in which the website showed an aerial shot of hotel with white beach.When I arrived, no actual beach existed,just some stones on a foreshore. When I asked front desk, one of the staff eventually confessed they had "painted" the beach onto the photos.

 

Mind you this was before Trip Advisor was a power.

 

Add to that in a place like Patts you don't know current noise issues re constructions etc.Hotels you stayed in once may have had management/staff changes and may not be as agreeable as before.

 

As other have noted, arriving early hours sans a room is not advisable, so book say the first two nights, then have a look around and change if you want to.

 

I recently went to Bali for 14 nights and stayed in 4 different hotels, only booking the first night before arriving.It was a great holiday.

 

All part of the adventure.

[nus01 305]

Many times you'll get a lower price booking online than as a walk up.

the better the Hotel i would say the truer that is.

 

If its a small guesthouse and youre dealing with a desperate owner you might get a good deal,

 

If its a bigger place with a manager he might have 10-20% discount authority of standard rates whereas the discount you get online/special deals/website/promotions etc might be up to 60% of standard rate.

[BigDUSA 71]

the better the Hotel i would say the truer that is.

 

If its a small guesthouse and youre dealing with a desperate owner you might get a good deal,

 

If its a bigger place with a manager he might have 10-20% discount authority of standard rates whereas the discount you get online/special deals/website/promotions etc might be up to 60% of standard rate.

THIS ONLY WORKS IN LOW SEASON

 

When I was traveling with my family during low season. We would stay for three weeks. In the hotel business this is considered a long stay. Only the hotel manager has the authority to offer deep discounts. I'd make the effort to find out the manager email. I'd send him a email and tell him my arrival date and how much I'm prepared to pay. I'd also mention I'm sending emails to four other five star hotels in town. Whoever got back to me first with the best price would get our business. I found this works well.

[pattayaman 8]

Most travelers from the U.S. arrive in BKK close to midnight after a journey of about 24 hours, so they get to Pattaya at 1.30 or 2.00 am. That's not the best time or circumstances to start looking for a hotel. Better to book a night or two if you're uncertain in which hotel you want to stay. But if you can book a hotel on line without paying for the full stay, what do you lose by doing it? Very possibly what you gain is a room that otherwise might be rented to someone else.

 

Evil

from uk ypu usually arrive in bkk at either 7.00am or noon

[teelack 9,352]

from uk ypu usually arrive in bkk at either 7.00am or noon

 

Does it really make any difference? I think that most people here will advise you to book SOME accommodation whatever time you arrive. Take the advice or don't! Also like many others I have been delayed by up to a day, caught in a flood between Bangkok and Pattaya and other issues.

[Agent09 20]

Always book ahead in Bangkok... but then I stay in one or two regular haunts every time and don't really want to vary it. Usually for Pattaya in 'high' season, Book ahead especially pre Christmas and New Year but have often turned up in Pattaya in low season, April and May and just stashed my bags with a friend or a bar and then just gone out and done a walk round a few hotels in SoiMetro/Buakhoa area and haggled for a price. Or I just book one night somewhere and then look around if I do not like it enough.