Best Hotel Booking

As the oldest chain of hotels/motels, Choice Hotels are found in 35 countries with over 6,500 hotels. Of those properties, one can find something from every star rating and price range.  

Trip Advisor is not simply a hotel booking platform, but a travel community. The website is unique because it was one of the first travel search engines to feature user generated content. The website is supported financially with an advertising business model. You can simultaneously see deals from sites such as Expedia, Travelocity, and other booking services. Occasionally, content is provided directly from travel service provider websites. Operating in 48 markets worldwide, TripAdvisor has grown to be one of the largest travel sites on the internet. With over 340 million unique visitors each month, TripAdvisor has created the largest travel community in the world. They own and operate 24 other travel media brands including AirFareWatchDog and VacationHomeRentals. Their review portion of their business model has helped travelers make informed decisions when it comes to booking travel.

Hotels.com has been in business since 1999 and was acquired by Expedia.com in 2002. They are part of the Expedia.com group and act as a third-party booking site for discounted hotel reservations. Unlike some of their competitors, they focus on lodging rather than full vacation packages. 

Since 1998, Priceline.com has grabbed the imagination of travelers wanting to save money on their vacations, business trips, getaways, etc. with edgy advertising (who doesn't chuckle when William Shatner's Negotiator ads pop up) and a fresh twist on travel – mainly their trademarked "Name Your Own Price" feature. 

Expedia.com is one of the leaders in the online travel reservations. They have been in business since 1999 and have many cutting-edge features that their competition does not. Expedia.com offers online reservations for flights, rental cars, cruises, hotels, and vacation packages. The convenience of being able to book travel at one site can save time and money for many of their customers. 

Hotwire.com has been in business since 1999 as a portal for travelers to find the best deals on airfare, hotel accommodations and car rentals. Offerings by Hotwire.com are vast and easily customizable, making it easy to purchase exactly what one wants and needs for an upcoming trip. The convenience of having a one-stop shopping experience for a vacation is appealing to many customers and Hotwire.com delivers above and beyond the competition.

Hotwire.com states in their mission statement that their continued goal is to obtain "ridiculously low prices" for their customers. By comparison shopping with competition, we have found this to be the case in nearly every instance. 

Trivago.com is different from the other companies which we have reviewed in the discount travel category because they are a meta-search engine. They deliver results by scouring the internet and other sites to bring the best deals possible to your desktop, laptop or mobile device. As such, travel is not booked through Travago.com and one must go to the sites directly to do so. Two of the reasons which busy people cite in using the internet to research lodging costs are to save time and money. Trivago.com can help travelers do both because the legwork is done by searching around 200 sites simultaneously and delivering the results in a comprehensive package. 

Unlike the other sites which we've reviewed, Google Hotel Finder is not a third-party site or franchise site for discounted travel. This site is merely a tool using Google's vast resources to deliver concise results for travel anywhere in the world.

As Google has changed the world as we know it and how we access information, this site has the power to do the same with hotel booking.This site runs much like a Google search engine and has a familiar "feel." Results are easily scanned and compared to other offers with the speed for which Google is well-known. 

Founded in 2000 as backlash from the rise in third-party travel sites as a partnership of several airlines, Orbitz.com has become one of the most trusted names in travel. Orbitz.com is headquartered in Chicago. The road to success has been rocky for Orbitz.com, and by working to stay ahead of the curve, they have become a leader in the industry. 

Airbnb is the ultimate hotel booking platform for those looking to try something new and stay in unique hotel accommodations across the world. Based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb has helped over 60 million travelers stay in 34,00+0 cities (191+ countries) across the world. Since 2008, Airbnb has helped travelers stay in castles, villas, apartments, and other unique spaces.