YOU should never book the first hotel deal on a price comparison website – as it isn’talways the cheapest option.
Money Saving Expert warn holiday bookers to avoid clicking on the top deal to avoid being caught out.
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A study by the website found that hotel deals highlighted by the price comparison sites were up to 21 per cent more expensive than the cheapest deal.
Analysing 100 hotels across Kayak and Trivago, the investigation chose a range of cities including London, New York and Paris, as well as different lengths of stays and number of people travelling.
They then looked at the top five hotels listed – and found the “most prominent listing” was on average 2.5 per cent and 2.9 per cent more expensive, respectively.
The biggest difference was 20.6 per cent on Trivago, while on Kayak it was 11.8 per cent.
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We also found similar cheaper listings – for example, the first deal for a week in Tenerife was advertised at £69, but cheaper deals could be found for just £63.
A long weekend in Egypt offered the first deal for £16 a night – but was just £13 a night elsewhere.
To avoid being caught out, it is worth checking all of the deals and not just the one highlighted.
You can also sort the deals by price on the website, instead of by recommendation – if you really want the highest rated, you can sort by previous guest reviews.
AIR FAIR Momondo has been named as the cheapest flight comparison website
Guy Anker, deputy editor of MoneySavingExpert.com, said: “Comparison sites such as Kayak and Trivago are a good place to find cheap hotel prices but our investigation shows you need to be on your guard and double-check everything or you could inadvertently overpay.
“Whatever their excuses I’m sure these sites know exactly what they’re doing by highlighting pricier deals to boost their coffers as they’ll know people often click on the most prominent link. But if you spend only a few seconds more checking the detail it could be worth its weight in cash.”
However, price comparison websites have taken steps to advise customers about the way they sort their hotels.
Kayak explain in a pop up above the first hotel listing how they order their listing.
They wrote: “With hotels, the ‘Recommended’ algorithm is based on a few key factors. We mainly rely on the price, the hotel’s guest rating and its popularity (measured in clicks). We also factor in the average revenue potential for KAYAK from each hotel result.”
A spokesperson told Money Saving Expert that they are based on a “competitive score” and that they highlight the cheapest deal in green, even if it isn’t the main deal advertised.
Trivago have a similar warning, although less easy to spot at first glance: “The ranking results reflect your search criteria and our assessment of the attractiveness of the offer compared to other offers available on our site. It also reflects the compensation paid by the booking site.”
A Trivago spokesperson also said they have a “number of relevant factors” for ordering.
Online booking websites could be making your hotel more expensive, due to the commission charged by comparison sites which hotels then pass onto guests.
Google now have their own price comparison feature which lets you find cheap deals.
The best and worst travel comparison websites have been revealed, with GoCompare not faring well.
Sun Online Travel contacted Kayak and Trivago for comment.
