[tiew9Vii]

For me booking.com has always been cheaper than booking directly with hotels.

I do a lot of motorcycle travelling without a plan. I often do not know where I’ll be at the end of the day, just a general direction.

Late afternoon when I have a better idea where I’ll end up before it goes dark I’ll look at booking.com, find some hotels/motels that match my criteria and head to them without booking.

Countless times I’ve turned up and said “I found you on booking.com and it says you have vacancies, I want a room” only to be given a price higher than booking.com. Some reluctantly negotiate down to match it, some look confused how booking com can offer the price they are while I book through booking.com at the hotel desk as the hotel won’t match the price booking.com are charging.

[Zanni]

If you just walk in off the street, hotels will quote you the "rack rate," which is going to be higher than anything you can find online, even on the hotel's own website.