Expedia vs. Direct Booking : A Traveler’s Dilemma Decoded

When it comes to booking your stay, the question arises: should you book your hotel reservation through Expedia, with the added advantage of their new rewards program, One Key, or directly on the hotel's website?

We’ll explore the convenience and advantages of using Expedia for booking hotels in Cabo San Lucas and elsewhere, highlighting why it might be the preferred choice for savvy travelers. Plus, we'll discuss Expedia's relationship with VRBO for condo and villa rentals and how One Key extends rewards and points across the Expedia family of brands.

Abundant Options Under One Roof

Expedia, now with the innovative One Key rewards program, offers an extensive range of luxury hotels in Cabo San Lucas and beyond. As you book through the platform, you can explore a vast selection of top-tier accommodations in one place while earning rewards and points that extend across the Expedia family of brands, including VRBO. This convenience allows you to effortlessly compare different properties, making it easier to find the perfect match for your preferences.

One Key: Expedia Rewards Program

Expedia offers not only exceptional one-stop-shop convenience but also rewards you for your loyalty with points that can be used across the different brands and websites owned by Expedia: VRBO, Hotels.com, Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotwire, and others, opening up opportunities for future travels.

Competitive Pricing and Special Offers

Expedia's negotiation with hotel chains makes the platform often secure exclusive deals that extend their advantages across the Expedia family. While hotels may offer similar promotions, the scale , purchasing power and reach of Expedia can result in better deals and more substantial savings.

Convenience of Package Deals

Expedia is not just about hotel reservations; it also offers bundled vacation packages that include flights, further streamlining your travel planning process and earning you even more rewards. These packages can save you both time and money, giving you a more comprehensive and rewarding experience than booking separately. For those who enjoy villa or condo rentals, Expedia's partner VRBO is readily available in case you decide to go that way.

User-Friendly Interface

Expedia's user-friendly website and mobile app provide a hassle-free booking experience. You can easily filter and sort results, view images, read reviews, and make reservations within a few clicks, all while accumulating points for future travels. This streamlined approach simplifies the travel planning process, especially compared to dealing with multiple hotel websites individually.

24/7 Customer Support

The convenience of 24/7 customer support can be a significant advantage, especially when facing unforeseen circumstances during your trip. Waiting time to speak with a live person in peak travel seasons can take some time; however, booking through Expedia ensures you have dedicated support at your fingertips.

My Personal 2020 Experience

In early 2020 I was all set for my summer vacation in France, but it turned into a challenging adventure. I had planned to stay at six different hotels during the trip, however, we all got hit with the pandemic and the worldwide travel cancellations that followed.

That was when I noticed the big difference between booking with Expedia and booking directly with the hotels themselves.

I used Expedia for three of my hotel bookings, and for the other three, I booked directly. Little did I know that the pandemic was about to turn the travel industry upside down, affecting my well-thought-out travel plans. Expedia was impressive in terms of being reliable and quick to respond to the changing situation. The one night deposits I had made for a couple of rooms through Expedia were promptly refunded in a couple of weeks after everything was shutted down.

In stark contrast, the reservations I had made directly with medium and large French hotel chains painted a different picture. The French government had extended a lifeline to the struggling hotel industry by granting them several months to return deposits, a measure intended to aid an industry severely impacted by the events of spring 2020.

As a result, the refunds for these reservations took in some cases months to materialize. However, the most surprising revelation came from one of the largest hotel chains in France, a behemoth with over a dozen prominent hotels scattered across the country. This particular establishment failed to return my two-room, one-night deposit, not for a lack of trying on my part. I made numerous, persistent calls – no fewer than 20 to 25 – requesting the refund I was rightfully owed. And yet, the deposit remained elusive, a testament to the disheartening experience that a direct reservation could sometimes become. I even asked a french speaking friend to help me out with the hotel’s customer service with no luck !

Eventually, after a few months I gave up and the refund was never granted. My 800 euros went straight to money heaven.

Expedia's Prowess in Solving Travel Predicaments

Another experience further exemplifies the advantages of booking with Expedia. In 2019, I reserved a hotel in Snowmass, Colorado, through their platform. Upon arrival, I encountered an unexpected hiccup – the room I was provided didn't align with the size and comfort that I had anticipated based on the advertisements. Undoubtedly, this was not the experience I had envisioned for my stay.

Quick thinking led me to contact Expedia. In a matter of half an hour, calling from the lobby on my cellphone , with my luggage still in the shuttle and with no travel insurance, the situation was resolved. Expedia's customer support efficiently rebooked me into another hotel in the nearby town of Aspen.

Remarkably, the replacement offered a more spacious and comfortable environment, and I paid a similar price as initially planned. This episode further underscores the convenience and customer-focused approach that Expedia brings to the table, ensuring that travelers enjoy a seamless and pleasant journey, even when unforeseen issues arise.

Loyalty Points and Direct Booking

Personally, I believe that booking directly through a hotel's website can be advantageous for extremely loyal customers, especially those who are frequent travelers and dedicated die-hard patrons of a specific brand, like Marriott and their Marriott Bonvoy program. Travelers that couldn’t care less if they stay with the same brand every time.

When you're committed to accumulating and managing loyalty points offered by booking directly through the hotel, and you frequently stay at their properties, especially for those who travel a lot for work, it makes sense to continue booking directly. This approach allows you to harness the benefits of loyalty programs like Marriott Bonvoy, earning points that can be used for future vacation bookings. In such cases, the direct route often offers points , perks such as free upgrades and other benefits.

In conclusion, my experiences, both during the tumultuous year of 2020 and in other travels, serve as valuable insights into the convenience and advantages of using Expedia for hotel and flight bookings. Whether it's the swiftness of refunds during crises, efficient solutions to unexpected hiccups, or the ease of accumulating loyalty points, Expedia consistently proves its worth in the world of travel.

While direct bookings may be the right choice for loyal brand enthusiasts seeking specific loyalty benefits, Expedia shines as a versatile and dependable platform for a wide array of travelers, ensuring that your journey remains as seamless and enjoyable as possible.