2017 RANKING & REVIEWS
TOP RANKING HOTEL BOOKING SITES


Finding The Best Website to Book Hotels

Hotel booking websites are the best way to find the most affordable deals on any kind of travel accommodations such as hotel rooms, vacation rentals, hostels, and even bed-and-breakfasts.

Hotel booking sites provide users with the ability to compare hotels in order to choose the best one for their price range and travel dates.

Best Hotel Booking Sites Red Award Emblem

Award Emblem: Top 6 Best Hotel Booking Sites

For users looking to find hotels that fit within their budget, making sure to use the best hotel booking site can make a world of a difference. Often, the best site to book hotels will be one that gives you a variety of different accommodation options while aggregating various price points to choose from.

To help users save time and money on their vacation accommodation search, we’ve compiled a comprehensive overview of the top hotel booking sites. Below we’ll provide information on the best hotel booking sites and what users can expect when using the various hotel reservation sites.

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List of the Top 6 Best Hotel Booking Sites

List is sorted alphabetically (click any of the Booking site names below to go directly to the detailed review section for that booking site):


Top 6 Best Hotel Booking Sites

Booking Sites

Homepage

Booking.comhttp://www.booking.com/
Expediahttps://www.expedia.com/
Hotels.comhttps://www.hotels.com/
Hotwirehttps://www.hotwire.com/
Pricelinehttps://www.priceline.com/
TripAdvisorhttps://www.tripadvisor.com/

Table: Top 6 Best hotel Booking Sites | Above list is sorted alphabetically



Differences between Hotel Booking Websites

With so many commonalities between hotel booking websites, it is important to be able to discern between them.

Differences between Hotel Booking Websites

Image Source: Pixabay

There are a few distinct features that vary between hotel comparison sites. Differences in hotel inventory, search filters, rates, and visuals are all important factors to keep in mind when deciding on the best hotel booking site.

With many of the best hotel booking sites you’ll notice increased hotel inventory, giving you the largest selection of hotels to choose from. Extensive search filters within hotel reservation sites allow you to choose between price ranges, discounted rates, prepaid, corporate, or even flexible rates.

With the best hotel websites users will be able to select amenities that they prefer, hotel star rates, and other important filters. Certain hotel booking sites also offer better visuals to help make your hotel selection easier and more true to life.

Overall, the biggest difference between hotel bookings websites is the amount of personalized selection they offer users.



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Why Consumers Use Hotel Booking Sites

Before heading into an in-depth overview of the best website to book hotels, it is important to understand why users turn to hotel reservations sites for their booking needs.

1. Personalized offers and recommendations. With so many viable hotel options available, booking with a website that aggregates tons of choices allows users to compare hotels and begin the personalization process. Hotel reservation sites are able to recommend hotels that fit into the consumer’s exact preferences.

These custom-tailored results make hotel reservation sites an incredibly convenient way to plan trips and vacations.

2. Verified reviews from guests. The best hotel booking site will provide consumers with verified reviews from guests who have previously booked a stay at the hotel in consideration. These guest reviews on hotel booking sites gives users the opportunity to compare hotels on their ratings and the personal experiences of others.

Hotel booking websites take the mystery out of booking, helping consumers avoid a nightmarish situation with the process of staying at a less-than-extraordinary hotel.

3. Hotel details. The best hotel booking website allows users to know everything possible about the hotel before booking their reservation. The best hotel booking site will include helpful visuals of the hotel, their guestrooms, and various amenities on the premises.

Hotel booking sites will list out amenities, nearby attractions, the distance of the hotel from the airport, and hotel policies. The best hotel websites understand how important it is for users to know exact details in order to better plan their trips.


 AdvisoryHQ’s Selection Methodology

What methodology does AdvisoryHQ use in selecting and finalizing the credit cards, financial products, firms, services, and products that are ranked on its various top-rated lists?

Please click here “AdvisoryHQ’s Ranking Methodologies” for a detailed review of AdvisoryHQ’s selection methodologies for ranking top-rated credit cards, financial accounts, firms, products, and services.


Detailed Review—Top-Ranking Best Hotel Booking Sites

Below, please find the detailed review of each firm on our list of top hotel booking websites. We have highlighted some of the factors that allowed these hotel comparison sites to score so high in our selection ranking.

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Booking.com Review


Booking.com is a world leader amongst hotel booking websites. Booking.com is based in the Netherlands and owned and operated by the Priceline Group.

Booking.com’s mission is to offer users, of either business or leisure stature, a simple-to-use interface in order to better compare hotels and come across the best rates and reviews. Booking.com prides itself on being the best hotel booking site for low prices and an extensive selection of hotels to choose from.

Booking.com - hotel booking sites

Image Source: Booking.com

Booking.com’s multilingual team of 11,000 people allows any and all users to voice their concerns and be assured that someone will be there to provide assistance.

Key Factors That Enabled This Website to Rank as a Top Best Hotel Booking Site

Below are primary reasons we selected Booking.com to be rated as one of this year’s top best sites to book hotels.

Highest Ranking Customer Satisfaction

In order to even be considered in a top hotel booking sites list, your customer satisfaction must at least be at an average ranking. However, with Booking.com, their average customer satisfaction rating is higher than many of the best hotel websites.

According to a J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Independent Travel Website Satisfaction Report, Booking.com ranked as the best website to book hotels in terms of overall customer satisfaction.

Extensive Selection of Accommodations

One of the key features that make Booking.com one of the most notable hotel booking sites is their high inventory of accommodations to choose from.

Outside of the typical hotel booking websites, Booking.com offers accommodations in:

  • Resorts
  • Vacation rentals
  • Hostels
  • Bed and Breakfasts
  • Homestays

Alternative travel accommodations are often difficult to come by and even more difficult to find great prices on. Booking.com has upped the competition by becoming one of the best hotel booking sites to find unconventional travel means.

Top-Rated Mobile Application

With a 4.5 out of 5-star rating from customers, the Booking.com mobile booking app surpasses many of the best hotel reservation sites. The mobile application gives you access to all of the hotel booking sites desktop search tools.

Booking.com’s mobile application has certainly saved it a spot as the best hotel booking site. The application also allows you to make use of a map and GPS system, and all your payment information is automatically synced onto the mobile app from your online account.

Related: The Best Sites to Book Flights This Year| How to Find the Best Flight Booking Websites



Expedia Review


Expedia is one of the best websites to book hotels on a budget. Launched from a small division inside Microsoft, Expedia has evolved into a globally recognized brand that offers travelers with access to many of the most notable hotel booking websites.

Expedia - hotel booking websites

Image Source: Expedia

Expedia’s goal is to be one of the best hotel booking sites to provide users with direct access to their hotels and destinations.

Key Factors That Enabled This Website to Rank as a Top Best Site to Book Hotels

Below we’ve compiled a list of some of our most compelling reasons Expedia has made our list of year’s top-rated best website to book hotels.

Partnerships

The Expedia brand of hotel comparison sites is incredibly wide-ranging, allowing them to provide users with the best hotel booking site.

Their portfolio consists of some of the biggest worldwide hotel reservation sites, such as:

  • Hotels.com
  • Trivago
  • Egencia
  • Hotwire
  • Travelocity
  • HomeAway
  • Orbitz
  • Venere.com

Travel on a Budget with Coupon Codes

If you happen to be traveling on a budget, Expedia is one of the best hotel booking websites to deal with. In comparison to many hotel booking sites, Expedia offers customers with some of the greatest ways to save money on travel and accommodations.

Expedia could be considered a best hotel booking site for their coupon page alone. On their coupon page, you’ll find the latest discounts and promotions that you can apply at checkout after you compare hotels and find the right one for you.

Sign up to the hotel booking sites email alerts in order to be aware of the next best coupons available on Expedia.

Rewards Program

An incentive rewards program is an amazing feature of hotel booking websites, however, not all hotel booking sites offer a rewards program.

Expedia nevertheless prevails as the best hotel booking website with their rewards program that allows you to earn points toward your next trip. Expedia offers customers 1 point for every $5 spent on flights, as well as a points system for hotels and vacation packages.

You can even use the hotel booking sites rewards program to gain points by purchasing hotels and flights for family members from your own account. All of these points earned will help you travel more frequently, making Expedia the best site to book hotels if you hope to travel as often as possible.

Avoid Service and Cancellation Fees

Unlike so many of the top hotel booking sites, Expedia is the best hotel booking site to use in order to avoid both service fees and cancellation fees.

Often times, with many hotel reservation sites, cancellation fees can add up to $75. As one of the most competitive hotel comparison sites, Expedia will not charge you for any changes that you make to your itinerary, including flights and hotel date changes.

Last minute changes can happen any time, so it helps to book with hotel booking sites that won’t overcharge you on a necessary cancellation.

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Hotels.com Review


Founded in 1991, Hotels.com is an award-winning online accommodation site. Hotels.com is the best website to book hotels in part due to their Best Price Guarantee.

Hotels.com is the best website to book hotels with as they offer consumers hundreds of thousands of properties to choose from in more than 65 countries. No matter where you’re headed, Hotels.com is a best hotel booking site, as you’ll be able to compare hotels in a wide variety of many different countries, cities, and towns.

Key Factors That Enabled This Website to Rank as a Top Best Hotel Booking Website

Below are some of the most significant reasons we selected Hotels.com as one of year’s top hotel booking sites.

Detailed Sorting Features

When compared to some of the most utilized hotel booking websites, Hotels.com offers extensive sorting filters that allow you to compare hotels with precise detail.

Some of their filter options to compare hotels include:

  • Price
  • Star rating
  • Guest rating
  • Area
  • Accommodation type
  • Themes

These filter options make Hotels.com the best hotel booking site for users that are looking for specific themes, features, or amenities. If you happen to be traveling with pets, children, or are in need of a hotel that is disability-friendly, the various sorting features can help you book your best hotel choice.

Best Price Guarantee

One of the key features that distinguish Hotels.com from many of the other hotel booking websites is their best price guarantee.

For those who are unfamiliar with the system, Hotels.com’s best price guarantee is a great way to book accommodations on a budget. If you happen to compare hotels and find a price for the same hotel shown on hotels.com for cheaper on various other hotel comparison sites, Hotels.com will match you on the price.

Simply submit your request into Hotels.com, and they’ll rebook your hotel for you based on the proof of the lower price or offer you the difference in the form of a refund or coupon to use on your next booking.

Straightforward Reservation Process

If you’re looking for an easy-to-use interface for booking hotel reservations, then Hotels.com is a best site to book hotels for your needs.

While many other hotel booking sites include dozens of steps to finally reach the booking process, Hotels.com simply requires you to provide all of your standard information.

Provide them with your name, credit card number, and room preferences, and you’ll quickly be booked. Another feature that makes Hotels.com one of the simplest hotel booking websites to work with is that they also accept PayPal, Google Wallet, and gift card payments.




Hotwire Review


Having launched back in 2000, Hotwire has become one of the best hotel booking sites for users looking to find the top discounted prices.

The Hotwire brand has helped guests save tons of money on their hotel booking experience by allowing customers to “secretly” compare hotels and then book with some of the best hotel websites without knowing what hotel they’ve been given until after they’ve booked.

Hotwire’s mission as one of the top hotel booking sites is to provide travelers with the best accommodations for affordable prices, helping them to experience life and the world.

Key Factors That Enabled This Website to Rank as a Top Best Website to Book Hotels

Below are some key features we used to rate Hotwire as one of this year’s top best hotel booking site.

Biggest Discounts on the Market

One of the key features that makes Hotwire stand out as the best hotel booking site is their enormous discounts on hotel accommodations.

Hotwire holds partnerships with some of the biggest hotel booking websites. These partnerships allow Hotwire to offer users huge discounts on unsold rooms from other hotel booking sites.

Booking with Hotwire is essentially comparable to drawing in the dark—you have no idea what you’ll end up with. If you don’t mind being unable to compare hotels for the sake of an extremely low price, then Hotwire is the best site to book hotels.

Trip-Planning Tools

The TripStarter tool from Hotwire is another fantastic feature that helps Hotwire stand out amongst many of the best hotel websites.

The Hotwire TripStarter tool provides users with information on:

  • Estimates of how much their trip will cost
  • Best time to visit a location
  • Sightseeing destinations

If you aren’t prepared to book your hotel on the spot, the Trip Watcher tool has also proven helpful. With the Trip Watcher tool, Hotwire will keep tabs on the dates that you wish to travel out on.

Hotwire will then keep you updated on fluctuating prices as they compare hotels to give you the best hotel booking sites experience.

Discount Rates on Local Events

For those of you planning to use the best hotel booking sites to compare hotels for your next big event, Hotwire may prove useful toward your budget.

Hotwire is one of the best hotel booking site in terms of their discounted rates on events and activities taking place in major cities. You may be able to discover huge discounts on concerts, major outings, and various events in a large city that you plan on visiting.

Although concerts and events aren’t a main component of Hotwire’s features, it is still an incredibly helpful way to save money while having fun on your next big trip.

Read More: Top Hotel Discounts | Tips for Finding the Best Hotel Deals



Priceline Review


Priceline is an innovative company in the sphere of hotel booking sites. Priceline offers up to 60% off discounts when compared to many of the top hotel booking sites.

As a best hotel booking site, Priceline has enabled up to 100 million successful hotel, flight, and car rental companies to come into fruition.

Priceline also offers consumers a highly unique way to bid on their accommodations and flights through their Name Your Own Price®  tool.

Priceline works hard to help consumers travel on a budget while promoting the growth of many hotels, flights, and car rentals.

Key Factors that Enabled This Website to Rank as a Top Best Hotel Booking Website

Below are primary reasons we selected Priceline to be rated as one of 2016’s top hotel booking websites.

Name Your Own Price®​ tool

Priceline’s Name Your Own Price® tool is a fantastic way for travelers to save big bucks after they compare hotels.

The way the tool works is simple:

  • Select the dates and location of your next trip
  • Decide on the hotel star rating that you’d be happy with
  • Enter in how much you’re willing to spend
  • Find out instantly if you’ve won the bid

After you’ve placed your bid into the hotel reservation sites system, you will automatically be alerted of whether or not you won the bid on the hotel.

Priceline has been named the best website to book hotels many times due to their unique bidding system on hotels and other travel-related accommodations.

Instant Group Rate Quotes

While many of the best hotel booking websites requires users to call in to request a group rate quote, Priceline helps users to avoid this hassle.

As a best site to book hotels, Priceline allows you to fill out a simple group travel form that asks for destination, number of rooms required, and dates of travel. You’ll then be instantly redirected to a page filled with various quotes.

Book the price that works best for you, and then your reservation is complete.

Express Deals

Priceline serves as the best website to book hotels for enormous 50% off savings. Priceline’s Express Deals are short-lived deals that they offer them on the hush-hush.

When you go to book you may be surprised to find that the location you were looking to stay in was having an express deal. Priceline is the best hotel booking site for their extraordinary savings.


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TripAdvisor Review


TripAdvisor is one of the best hotel booking websites for users looking for consistent reviews as they compare hotels.

Founded in February 2000, TripAdvisor has steadily become one of the largest hotel booking sites, complete with intricate guest reviews and even an entire travel forum with engaging users.

TripAdvisor provides consumers with an Internet haven of online reviews, perfect for anyone hesitant about booking their first trip somewhere they haven’t been before.

Key Factors That Enabled This Website to Rank as a Top Best Site to Book Hotels

Below are some the critical reasons we were able to name TripAdvisor as one of this year’s top hotel booking sites.

Largest Database of Online Reviews

TripAdvisor’s database of online reviews is certainly one of the reasons for their ranking as a best hotel booking website.

TripAdvisor features millions of online reviews from guests who have stayed at each different hotel. Guest reviews are often times overtly honest, helping you to better compare hotels based on your preferences.

You’ll find reviews on hotels, inns, and every different type of accommodation from users all around the world.

Tons of Stunning Hotel Visuals

A clear indication of top hotel booking sites is the ability to compare hotels based on actual visuals of the place. Being able to see what the hotel looks like can make a huge difference in your perception of it.

TripAdvisor offers users tons of high-quality photographs of each hotel, making the selection process that much easier. Booking blindly can sometimes not sit well with many folks, so these photos are perfect for those who want to know exactly what they’re getting for their money’s worth.

Restaurant & Attraction Reviews

With TripAdvisor as your choice for best hotel booking site, you won’t only be able to sift through dozens of hotel reviews.

TripAdvisor also offers users the ability to leave reviews on nearby attractions and restaurants within the hotel or in the neighboring vicinity. With TripAdvisor, compare hotels and extracurricular destinations in order to guarantee the best trip for your budget.

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Conclusion—Top 6 Best Hotel Booking Sites

This concludes our in-depth review on the top 6 best hotel booking sites. We hope that this guide can be a reference point for you in your search to discover the best site to book hotels for your particular needs.

As you take our review into consideration, your choice for hotel reservation sites to book with should also depend on your travel wants and desires.

For example, if you plan on traveling within a tight budget and don’t mind the rush of booking blindly for the sake of a cheaper price, then Hotwire may be the best site to book hotels for you.

However, if you’re on the hunt for a hotel with amazing reviews and are willing to throw a bit more cash on your stay, then Booking.com may be your best hotel booking site choice.

Once you’ve decided on the hotel booking sites that best fit your needs, you can finally begin your process of planning out your next big trip!



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Reasonable efforts have been made by AdvisoryHQ to present accurate information, however all info is presented without warranty. Review AdvisoryHQ’s Terms for details. Also review each firm’s site for the most updated data, rates and info.

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