From my experience with online booking agencies, there doesn't seem to be one that offers the best rates on all properties.

While trawling around trying to find info on hotels and prices, I've noticed that a particular company may offer great rates on some hotels, but their rates for other places in the same area are higher than other agencies' rates.
It pays to compare say asiarooms, asiatravel, sawadee and wired-destinations and see what you find.

Could not agree more this has always been the case. the difference is sometimes vast.

__________________
Kiss
God laughs at people who make plans.

Agree internet is cheaper than walkin in Thailand.Noone has mentioned Latestays ...they were great post tsunami ,got a fantastic set of deals but a bit slow and unresponsive since,have really stopped trying with them .Pity.
Sawadee very reliable I've found.

Latestays ...hmm. Had a slight booking problem with them... a hotel in Chiang Mai ...the hotel gave me a room which stank of smoke (I'd asked for a non smoking one when I booked) and I was also informed that there would only be a room available for 2 days (I'd booked and paid for 4).

I'm pretty sure the hitch was due to the hotel, not Latestays as they sorted the booking out after a few expensive emails and phone calls I had to make from the hotel (which I refused to pay as Latestays had had the booking OKed by the hotel and had an email to prove it). The hotel wanted to give my room to some more lucrative tour group outfit instead I suspect. Up to you, I wouldn't book with them again, not that I stay in 4/5* hotels much nowadays.

__________________
“Not all those who wander are lost.” Tolkien.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

My latest hotel in Samui is half the price booking through an agent than i got quoted direct from the hotel

__________________
Kiss
God laughs at people who make plans.

re Latestays ..2 years ago almost we got Central Karon Village for 1100 baht per night...ahhhh !!!post tsunami though.

The reason Internet rates are often cheaper than walk-in prices for larger hotels are;

A) Larger hotels do not get many, if any walk-in guests. So by having a high "Rack (walk in) Rate" they can do what the supermarkets do (Special price for special Internet customers, 70% discount off our standard prices). The rack rates are not realistic but it makes the tour group guest also think they have a bargain when they simply have been duped.

B) Internet rates come from wholesalers who are meant to provide their lowest rates by contract to tour operators (where they sell a package including the flight) only, because they may get a special government incentive to bring tourists to their country and it is perceived that is what brochure tour package companies do, as opposed to serving tourists who have already decided to go to that country. Wholesalers also benefit from volume discounts of course plus because you mostly have to pay in advance with Internet / tour companies, the hotel gets their moeny before you check out (not a good thing).

C) Internet bookings often involve agents outside the country of the hotel, which means less sales tax is due (as the hotel maximum only levies and pays sales tax on the rate they give the wholesaler and may even get off paying tax at all). Bookings made via overseas agents help bent hotels (many big hotels are) run the old twin book system where overseas incomes can be hidden from the tax man.

D) Most Internet bookings claim to include service charges when they do not; how can they? Service charges are around 10%. what these booking agencies actually offer are Net / Nett rates which include all due taxes (see above). Unfortunately what this means is when you book via the Internet they and with it you are cheating the hotel staff out of service charges, so please remember this as many hotel workers earn just US$50 a month.

That is why there is a difference.

__________________
There are two categories of travellers, those that experience a country and those that take their home with them wherever they go.

Be warned, as with any forum, picking a fight with the admin guy is not recommended!

Ah, so that's it! One more mystery of life cleared up for me.

I much prefer staying in simple beach huts anyway. I've noticed that the further you get from 5* hotels and the main tourist ghettos the less likely it is you'll encounter totally jaded commercialism and greed.

__________________
“Not all those who wander are lost.” Tolkien.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.