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Three quarters of British consumers are unaware they could be overpaying if they book a hotel through online travel agents (OTAs), according to new research.
According to the recent survey from InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), and conducted by OnePoll, some 76% of Britons choose to book through price comparison sites because they believe they can guarantee the best rates – with only one in ten (12%) always booking direct.
The findings also revealed 87% of British consumers believed that price comparison sites showed all available rates, which is not always the case, and three quarters of respondents admitted they wouldn’t use OTAs if they knew they could overpay for their stay.
IHG Rewards Club – the hotel chain’s loyalty programme – has estimated that British travellers could save up to 10% when they book their stays directly through a hotel company.
Meanwhile, the survey found that under 10% of Londoners book direct, coming in just above consumers in Wales (7%). The savviest shoppers were found to be in the South West with nearly 2 in 10 (18%) claiming to always book directly through a hotel company.
Matt Luscombe, IHG’s chief commercial operator in Europe, said:“Our research shows there are still misconceptions around how some booking sites work. Our guests like choice, but they also want to know that they’re not paying over the odds for their room.”
The research marks the launch of IHG’s ‘Lowest Price Promise’ – a guarantee that guests will get the lowest rates when they book directly with IHG.
