Today, I wanted to find a good deal on a hotel for my upcoming trip. I’ve used various booking sites before, but I wanted to be thorough this time and really compare prices across different platforms. So, I decided to properly try out some accommodation search engines.
Starting My Search
First, I opened my web browser. Nothing fancy, just good old Chrome. I typed in the names of a few popular search engines I knew: “Kayak,” “Trivago,” and “HotelsCombined.” These popped up readily in the search results, so I didn’t have to hunt around.
Inputting My Details
Once I was on each site, I entered my destination city, check-in and check-out dates, and the number of guests. It’s pretty much the same process on all of them, very straightforward. I made sure to double-check the dates because, you know, mistakes happen!
Browsing and Comparing
After hitting “search,” each site displayed a long list of hotels. I started by looking at the total price for the entire stay – that’s the number that really matters. I also checked if breakfast was included, as that can sometimes be a significant saving.
- Kayak: I found it pretty easy to sort by price and filter by amenities. The map view was helpful to see where each hotel was located.
- Trivago: This one seemed to focus on showing the lowest price from various booking sites (like Expedia, Booking, etc.). It was useful to see all those options in one place.
- HotelsCombined: Similar to Trivago, it compared prices from different providers. I noticed some price differences between this and Trivago, so it’s good I checked both.
I literally opened each hotel option in a new tab so that I compare the different options more easily.
Making Notes
To keep track, I just grabbed a piece of paper and jotted down the names of the hotels I liked, along with the prices from each search engine. Old school, I know, but it works for me! I also noted down some simple pros and cons, like “free cancellation” or “close to the subway.”
Making a Decision
After about an hour of browsing and comparing, I narrowed it down to two hotels. One was slightly cheaper, but the other had better reviews. I weighed the options and finally decided to go with the one with better reviews, even if it cost a little more. I clicked through from the search engine to the booking site and completed my reservation. Done!
It’s a very simple experience to use the search engines for comparing the different prices of accommodation.
