Booking.com is the undisputed leader in the travel industry, offering a wide range of services to meet the needs of travelers worldwide. But how reliable and convenient is Booking.com really? In this in-depth review, we’ll take a close look at the transparency, reliability, affordability, assistance, and services offered by the platform to help you make informed decisions about your next adventures.
WHAT IS Booking.com? 🌍
Booking is one of the most well-known and widely used online booking platforms in the world. Founded in 1996 in Amsterdam, the platform offers a wide range of accommodation options, from luxury hotels to budget apartments, vacation homes, and bed & breakfasts.
With millions of properties listed, Booking allows users to find and book accommodations anywhere in the world, facilitating search through personalized filters for price, location, rating, and amenities offered. In addition to accommodations, the platform also offers the option to book flights, car rentals, and complete vacation packages, making it an all-in-one solution for travel planning. Booking is available in over 40 languages and provides 24/7 customer support to assist users at every stage of the booking process. With its intuitive mobile app, users can easily manage their bookings anytime, anywhere.
IS Booking.com RELIABLE? 📊
Booking.com enjoys a solid and reliable reputation in the online booking industry; in fact, it is part of Booking Holdings Inc., a leading company in the online travel and related services sector. Booking Holdings Inc. operates in more than 220 countries and territories through five main consumer-facing brands: Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, KAYAK, and OpenTable. This extensive network also includes subsidiary brands such as Rocketmiles, Fareharbor, HotelsCombined, Cheapflights, and Momondo, which offer added value to both customers and global partners.
Booking Holdings operates in over 220 countries, is available in more than 40 languages, and offers over 28 million listings including hotels, homes, apartments, and other unique accommodations.
In 2023, Booking Holdings recorded impressive operating performance, with gross travel bookings totaling $150.6 billion, a 24% increase from the previous year. Additionally, in 2023, over one billion room nights were booked through Booking Holdings platforms, representing a 17% increase from the previous year.
These data and recognitions demonstrate the reliability and operational excellence of Booking, confirming it as a market leader in the online booking sector.
IS IT WORTH BOOKING WITH Booking.com? 💸
Booking with Booking.com can be convenient for several reasons. The platform offers competitive rates and special discounts, along with a loyalty program called Genius, which provides benefits such as exclusive discounts, late check-outs, and free room upgrades.
Booking.com: It’s Better with Genius!
Easy to get: By creating a free account, you unlock discounts right away. Yours forever: Maintain benefits for life once you unlock a Genius level. Easy to accumulate: The more you book, the more benefits you get. Genius has 3 levels: Level 1: Account created. Level 2: 5 bookings in 2 years. Level 3: 15 bookings in 2 years. Each level offers new bonuses and higher discounts on accommodations and car rentals.
The flexibility of free cancellation on many bookings makes Booking an ideal choice for planning risk-free travel. The platform allows detailed searches with filters for price, rating, location, and amenities offered, and the “Map” feature helps visualize the location of accommodations relative to points of interest.
Booking is transparent about taxes and additional costs, avoiding surprises at the time of payment. Additionally, it offers the option to book flights, car rentals, and attractions, allowing travelers to organize their entire trip in one place.
However, it is always advisable to compare prices with other platforms to get the best possible deal.
WHAT DO USERS SAY ABOUT Booking.com? 🤔
User opinions on Booking.com vary, and the site has a very low score on TrustPilot.
Booking.com Many appreciate the user-friendly interface of the site and app, the wide range of available options, and the transparency of reviews. Users particularly praise the functionality of detailed filters, which allow quickly finding the ideal accommodation based on their needs. Additionally, the ability to read verified reviews from other travelers is considered a great advantage, providing confidence and security in booking choices.
Strengths reported by users:
- User-friendly interface: Both the site and mobile app are intuitive and easy to navigate.
- Wide choice of accommodations: The platform offers a wide range of options, from luxurious hotels to bed & breakfasts, apartments to vacation homes.
- Verified reviews: Users appreciate the transparency and authenticity of reviews, which can only be left by those who have actually stayed in the property.
Common criticisms:
- Management of booking problems: Some users find it complicated to resolve issues with bookings.
- Customer support: Difficulty in contacting customer support and long response times are frequent points of criticism.
- Discrepancies in information: In some cases, users have found discrepancies between the description of properties on Booking.com and the reality.
Beware, the New Scam on Booking.com! ❌
Recently, attempts to scam on Booking.com have been reported. It is important to know the modus operandi of scammers to avoid losing money. Here’s how they operate:
- 📅 You already have a booking on Booking.
- 📩 You receive a message, via the website or app, seemingly from the hotel. The message indicates that your payment has not been successful and requests re-entering payment details via a provided link, often with an urgent deadline.
- 🕵️♂️ If you click on the link and enter payment details, you could end up on a fake site that mimics Booking.com, thus losing your money.
How do scammers impersonate hoteliers? Scammers could obtain hotel credentials through phishing attacks, thus accessing hotel accounts on Booking and sending fraudulent messages to customers.
How to protect yourself?
- Don’t click on suspicious links: ❌ Avoid clicking on payment links in messages received from hotels.
- Verify through the app: 📲 If there are payment issues, access the Booking website or app directly to check or modify the payment method for the booking. The safest way is to access your booking through the app itself. Open the app, click on the suitcase icon at the bottom, and view the corresponding booking.
- Contact the hotel directly: 📞 If something seems suspicious, contact the hotel directly for clarification.
What to do if you have fallen victim to the scam?
- 🚨 Block the credit card: 💳 Immediately block your credit card.
- Report to the police: 🚔 File a report with the police.
- Contact Booking.com: 📧 Inform Booking about what happened.
🔍 By the way: Booking remains a very safe booking platform, and such scams could occur on any online booking platform. Caution is always necessary to protect against scams.
WHAT ARE ALTERNATIVES TO Booking.COM? 🛒
If Booking doesn’t fully meet your travel needs, there are several alternatives on the market. Some popular options include Expedia, Trip.com, Kayak, Kayak, and Skyscanner. Each of these platforms offers its own selection of offers and features, so it’s advisable to explore them to find the one that best suits your preferences.
- Expedia: is an excellent option for those looking for a comprehensive travel agency site. They offer deals on hotels, flights, attraction tickets, and car rentals. Additionally, you can book tours with packages and activities, which can save time and money when planning everything at once.
- Trip.com: It’s another booking site that offers a wide range of travel options often at extremely competitive prices (read our review on Trip.com here).
- Kiwi.com: It’s a preferred choice for many travelers due to its wide range of travel options. Their innovative technology allows you to find unique flight combinations and save time and money. Their intuitive platform and reliable customer service make Kiwi.com an excellent choice for travelers worldwide (read our review on Kiwi.com here).
Always remember to conduct thorough research and compare available options before making a booking, to ensure you get the best deal for your travel needs.
HOW DO WE EVALUATE Booking.com? 🌟
Our rating on Booking.com ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ 8/10
- Transparency: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ 8/10 –> While many users appreciate the clarity of information during booking, some reviews complain about the lack of transparency regarding additional costs and cancellation policies.
- Reliability: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ 9/10 –> Booking.com is one of the most famous and used sites in Europe for bookings. Furthermore, it is part of a leading market-listed group
- Affordability: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ 8/10 –> Booking.com offers competitive rates and a wide range of options for flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages. Users appreciate the convenience of the services offered, although some may desire more clarity on final prices.
- Assistance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆☆☆ 6/10 –> Some reviews mention prolonged wait times and difficulty in resolving issues.
- Services and products offered: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ 9/10 –> Without a doubt, Booking.com offers the widest range of accommodations. Additionally, it has recently introduced new services such as flight and car rental booking.
CONCLUSIONS: Is Booking.com Worth It? ✈️
In conclusion, Booking is a highly reliable and convenient booking platform, suitable for a wide range of travelers. It offers a wide choice of accommodations, competitive rates, and a user-friendly interface. Despite some occasional difficulties with customer support, the majority of users have positive experiences with Booking.com. So, yes, Booking is definitely worth considering for your travel bookings.
“Booking.com” is a scam?
No, Booking.com is not a scam. It is a legitimate platform with a long history in the online booking sector. Millions of people worldwide use Booking.com every day to book their accommodations without significant issues.
Are the prices on “Booking.com” really that convenient?
Prices on Booking.com are generally competitive and often come with special discounts. However, it’s always advisable to compare prices with other platforms and check for any direct offers from the properties to ensure you get the best possible rate.
What should I do if I have a problem with my booking on “Booking.com”?
If you encounter an issue with your booking on Booking.com, it’s important to act promptly. You can contact Booking’s customer support through their online support service, available 24/7. Having your booking confirmation number and specific details of the problem on hand can facilitate the resolution process. In many cases, Booking.com works directly with the properties to quickly resolve any discrepancies.