What's your tip(s) for surviving the cesspool of Hotel booking websites?

[albatross710]

I'm ok with the cashback providing some better pricing. But it's more than price. Are there other hacks that we have?

Achieving better flexibility?
Cancellation policy consistency?

I wonder what / who decide cancellation policies? Sometimes a venue will have non-cancel then next time I look the site will say can be cancelled up to 1 day before. Then next site will say something different. I think this is intentional confusion strategy as I sometimes even see things like "Yes has cancellation" then somewhere will say "for the next 48 hours only" yet I'm booking three months ahead.

Another one I see is "price range". I might set a price range at say $200-$300 then the search results will include $200-$400 properties.

As for location, "Sydney CBD" results will often include Parramatta hotels.

These last two are just booking site marketers being smart.

 

[laffer]

I have to say I am quite stunned at some of the prices Euro hotels are trying to gouge for in Winter. Hotels close to triple the price of what I have previously paid. Despite my searches there seems no relief in sight other than star downgrades and even then the prices are inflated. I taken up the option of an Air BNB in one city. Maybe I need to be more ready to book them?