Qantas Hotels - Seriously WTF?

[CaptJCool]

Agree, many times I have found the Qantas Hotels price is significantly higher than the price offered directly on the hotel's site. A few thousand Qantas points accompanied by zero support if problems crop up has ruled Qantas Hotels out on my travels.

Agreed

However some of the hotels have been barely A$100 per night so it’s hardly breaking the bank to book via QF IN Australian dollars

I too went and checked some hotel websites to book direct but that’s not always been as simple given many different languages

Also found some hotel websites more expensive or QF particularly didn’t have the room option I needed (eg twin beds not doubles) or on the dates I needed. There’s been a few booking.com as well with mobile discounts etc that ended up cheaper than direct and QF hotels.

After all, as a shopfront, hardly likely to be cheaper than E Who is the host…. The commission rate tells me this

 

[p--and--t]

I just book with the accomodation direct. No need for pesky third parties. Three is a crowd.

Except when the hotel wants to charge more than I can buy through a third party. Happened at least 3 times in last 2 years.

 

[tdimdad]

I also prefer to book direct when I can. Although sometimes this is difficult if not staying with a known chain, where there isn’t an English language web site. There are plenty of places in Japan, for example, with no English web site, and not a chain - independent hotels, ryokan, ski places etc that do not offer the option of booking direct.

In Taiwan I came across the same with a number of local properties: the only page that had anything valuable and access to booking was on Agoda. There was no hotel website or direct booking.

 

[CaptJCool]

In Taiwan I came across the same with a number of local properties: the only page that had anything valuable and access to booking was on Agoda. There was no hotel website or direct booking.

Agoda
Who themselves are owned in the Booking family

What most of us do not realise is while there are many brands …most of them are “horses in the one stable”

 

[Quickstatus]

“horses in the one stable”

More like the same horse - they are no different to Fine Cotton

 

[CaptJCool]

More like the same horse - they are no different to Fine Cotton

The analytics will tell them who’s got a more open spending pattern and low, medium or high price points - all useful information to them about your potential future spend of ‘share of wallet’

 

[RSD]

Strange. So none of the locals could type Hyatt in their phones so none of them picked up that the Hyatt was in a totally different location to the address provided?

Don't know - it was after midnight, very hot and humid and I was getting rather annoyed by this point.

 

[RSD]

The next is there's 3 "Hyatts" in Chengdu. Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Place and Hyatt House. It's likely that asking for the right one got lost in translation and they just sent you off to one of them.

I ended up picking a point on the Didi map that was very close to where the map on the QF Hotels site showed the Hyatt to be and went there - but there is no hotel anywhere near there - it is the backblocks of an industrial area - well that is how it looked at 2am when I got there. The nearest Hyatt is the Hyatt Place in its correct location - about 10km south of where the website shows it to be. The typed street address given in the booking confirmation certainly isn't the street that the Hyatt is on either - the street name doesn't even vaguely resemble the name of the correct address. Will sort it out with QF Hotels when I get back to Oz.

 

[CaptJCool]

So as I discovered

If QF is a sleeve for Expedia then E&OE are more than likely

I had one of them on this trip.
No reception after 11am daily checkouts. And instructions meant to be emailed to me so I knew which key box to open

Apparently they are NOT GIVEN your contact details email address so they had no means to contact me as any messages flowing back and forward are through Expedia as the 4th party booking agent - they can automatically occur if you put a comment in the Special Requests box on the QF Hotel portal but otherwise they the hotel and you are very much LEFT IN THE DARK - much like taking a camel for a ride…. Barmen anyone ?

 

[Flyfrequently]

Had a good experience with Qantas Hotels yesterday.
Needing an overnighter in Melbourne for November, noting our usual "go to" hotel wasn't showing up for my dates.

Called Qantas Hotels and was put through to Qantas Sales. The lovely Janelle was able to book it at same rate as on IHG website and apply $50 PC voucher. Very happy with the outcome.

 

[AIRwin]

The nearest Hyatt is the Hyatt Place in its correct location

Was it this?

https://www.qantas.com/hotels/properties/537593

Or this?

https://www.qantas.com/hotels/properties/928883

 

[elanshin]

Was it this?

https://www.qantas.com/hotels/properties/537593

Or this?

https://www.qantas.com/hotels/properties/928883

The problem is if you look up both of them they're not anywhere near the right roads on gmaps (and the maps on QHotel). The first one says Wanxiang rd ehich you're nowhere near but if you look at it on BaiduMaps, its literally sitting on Wanxiang rd.

The second one is just completely off. Again on BaiduMaps nowhere near what it says on gmaps.

 

[DC3]

Hope you get them to fix up the address. Nicely told story but one of the tribulations of travel!

And a good yarn to spin at dinner parties or AFF gatherings

 

[DC3]

... The lovely Janelle was able to book it …

Lovely

 

[RSD]

Was it this?

https://www.qantas.com/hotels/properties/537593

Or this?

https://www.qantas.com/hotels/properties/928883

The second one

 

[AIRwin]

The second one

https://www.qantas.com/hotels/properties/928883
NO.2 HUI GU XI YI ROAD, SHUANGLIU DISTRICT, Chengdu China

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

Address/location published on the Hyatt website:

https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/china/hyatt-place-chengdu-bio-town/ctuzb

No.1 Huigu Road, Shuangliu District, Chengdu, China, 610200

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

 

[Ansett Nostalgic]

Another reminder of why booking direct is preferable.

 

[RooFlyer]

For upcoming trip to Spain and Portugal, we will mainly avail ourselves of direct booking with Accor - I will be Platinum by then courtesy of their special offer and my Accor Plus credits.

Accor Plat will be great but unless you have fully booked please look at the Parador chain in Spain They have some wonderful places in old castles and grand homes and the like. Confiscated for the state in Franco’s time, but now absolutely fantastic hotels.

Apols off topic

 

[Spacetravel]

Agree, many times I have found the Qantas Hotels price is significantly higher than the price offered directly on the hotel's site. A few thousand Qantas points accompanied by zero support if problems crop up has ruled Qantas Hotels out on my travels.

Ive actually been lucky, I’ve found a “sweet spot” with Qantas hotels for some small non chain hotels in regional areas, I’ve found Qantas hotels to be cheaper than other options. One time it was the only place I could book the accomodation I wanted (even direct said sold out). But this is all in Australia, I would not trust Qantas hotels internationally and for chain hotels it is almost always cheaper booking another way.

 

[RealtimeY]

This reminds me of another thread on AFF where some said they preferred to book small, international, non-chain hotels via Expedia instead of direct so that there is at least some recourse in case of trouble.

Coincidentally, Qantas Hotels also books through Expedia...