Can you recommend the best Australia-wide accommodation and travel online sites?
September 17, 2010 5:42 AM Subscribe
What would you recommend as the most comprehensive and helpful online site for searching for accommodation and holiday deals in Australia?
I know that there's a million out there, believe me, so I guess what I'm asking for are personal recommendations from people who travel a lot and do most of their organising online.
There's just so much chaff, I'd like to know which are the most efficient in your view.
I'm in Brisbane, Queensland but looking for Australia-wide sites.
I know that there's a million out there, believe me, so I guess what I'm asking for are personal recommendations from people who travel a lot and do most of their organising online.
There's just so much chaff, I'd like to know which are the most efficient in your view.
I'm in Brisbane, Queensland but looking for Australia-wide sites.
For hotels, I've had great luck with http://wotif.com
posted by krunk at 6:08 AM on September 17, 2010
posted by krunk at 6:08 AM on September 17, 2010
Best answer: I like Wotif and Last Minute.
posted by shazzam! at 7:02 AM on September 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by shazzam! at 7:02 AM on September 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Most accommodation venues use more than one booking site. I use the following sites to advertise our accommodation business:
Take a Break
Rent a Home
Book it Now
Airbnb
It also depends on what you are looking for. Wotif is great for hotel rooms but small accommodation (less than 3 hire-able rooms) venues won't be listed. Other venues don't join booking sites at all but rely on you googling 'accommodation in xxx' to find their venue. That's because they don't want to pay the commission payable on bookings through booking sites.
I know the accommodation offerings for Australia quite well as I research it as part of our own marketing. Drop me a me-mail if you want a link to our accomm or discuss other venues I know.
posted by Kerasia at 2:09 PM on September 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Take a Break
Rent a Home
Book it Now
Airbnb
It also depends on what you are looking for. Wotif is great for hotel rooms but small accommodation (less than 3 hire-able rooms) venues won't be listed. Other venues don't join booking sites at all but rely on you googling 'accommodation in xxx' to find their venue. That's because they don't want to pay the commission payable on bookings through booking sites.
I know the accommodation offerings for Australia quite well as I research it as part of our own marketing. Drop me a me-mail if you want a link to our accomm or discuss other venues I know.
posted by Kerasia at 2:09 PM on September 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I have used www.stayz.com.au for small operators (ie to rent a holiday house). I use wotif to find hotels BUT only as a guide, because I have found that usually when you go to the hotel's own website, it is cheaper again than wotif (by $5-15 on a hotel between $120-165/night).
posted by AnnaRat at 5:12 PM on September 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by AnnaRat at 5:12 PM on September 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: AnnaRat is correct about using an accommodation site like Stayz or Wotif as a guide but then going to the venue's own website. Accommodation services pay a commission or fixed rate for every successful booking through a third-party site and will often discount their rates to you by that amount when you book directly.
Also, when booking directly, it's ok to bargain. Let the operator know what you can/can't afford and they may be willing to discount more to get your booking.
posted by Kerasia at 5:55 PM on September 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Also, when booking directly, it's ok to bargain. Let the operator know what you can/can't afford and they may be willing to discount more to get your booking.
posted by Kerasia at 5:55 PM on September 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Slightly off-topic because you need to be a member, but I think the NRMA is good for this kind of thing.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 6:00 PM on September 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by AmbroseChapel at 6:00 PM on September 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Hot buttered sockpuppets at 6:07 AM on September 17, 2010 [1 favorite]