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Mistake nr 3: I did not read the feedback or make note of the "grade". It was 6 (out of ten) then, now it is 5,9.
If you had booked the same hotel directly, would your experience there have been better? I don’t really see how ‘don’t book through Booking’ is the takeaway from this. More ‘some hotels aren’t good and try to avoid them by doing some research, regardless of how you book’.On my next camino I will contact the accommodation directly. Gronze gives the needed info.
I don't disagree, but together with the other lessons, the answer is a resounding yes. I would not have called them.Sorry about your bad experience. To me this seems like the best thing to learn:
Regarding this conclusion:
If you had booked the same hotel directly, would your experience there have been better? I don’t really see how ‘don’t book through Booking’ is the takeaway from this. More ‘some hotels aren’t good and try to avoid them by doing some research, regardless of how you book’.
Even reading the Booking feedback would have stopped me in my tracks.General advice. When you feel the need to book through a third party do take a look at some Google reviews of the place ( or Tripadvisor and the likes ).
Though you can't blame the staff of the hotel not knowing about the Camino Catalan.It is not such a popular Camino to begin with plus the average guest is not a pilgrim.
My reaction is to booking's attitude.Sorry about your bad experience. To me this seems like the best thing to learn:
Regarding this conclusion:
If you had booked the same hotel directly, would your experience there have been better? I don’t really see how ‘don’t book through Booking’ is the takeaway from this. More ‘some hotels aren’t good and try to avoid them by doing some research, regardless of how you book’.
Even reading the Booking feedback would have stopped me in my tracks.
Hmm.. Hard to believe. The camino is close to that place and we were not the only pilgrims. This comes under the heading of "promises, promises" (I let you know tomorrow).
I think there are some destinations where low-priced hotels are often substandard, and Barcelona is one of those cities. It's just an expensive place to stay. I had a lousy experience in Barcelona as well, although not as bad as you.A few weeks ago I was in a hurry (mistake nr. 1), reserving accommodation. I used booking.
On my next camino I will contact the accommodation directly. Gronze gives the needed info.
And please also review places where you had a good experience.Take the time to leave a few nasty reviews wherever you can, it can really make a difference. It hurts or forces a hotel to improve its service.
I agree @trecile I think generally, unfortunately, many people are more likely to leave a review when they've had a bad experience - hotels, restaurants, tradespeople, any business ... Putting bookingdotcom aside, these days small businesses can live or die by their reviews on google, trip advisor etcAnd please also review places where you had a good experience.
I agree, sometimes I look at the bookings reviews, I always check gronze.com reviews. I try to call when possible to book as sometimes you can get better rates calling directly. Also Booking takes 15% commission. I also can't see how you can blame the website for your bad experience.Sorry about your bad experience. To me this seems like the best thing to learn:
Regarding this conclusion:
If you had booked the same hotel directly, would your experience there have been better? I don’t really see how ‘don’t book through Booking’ is the takeaway from this. More ‘some hotels aren’t good and try to avoid them by doing some research, regardless of how you book’.
I think that Booking is a really good place to get an idea of how good a bad a place is. Not always but usually. You know know that anything under a 7 and preferably an 8 rating should not even be considered, if possible. I do not know how much time you spent researching but I know that there are high quality hostels that are rated 8+ that I have stayed in when I have been in Barcelona that are in the same price range as the place you stayed.I did not read the feedback or make note of the "grade". It was 6 (out of ten) then, now it is 5,9. Lesson: anything under 7 should be left alone - even by pilgrims.
That's exactly what I do. I want to know what it was like last week, not the great review they got two years ago! We're probably not alone.Agree, and when I read reviews, I sort from newest first (that is not typically the default). Sometimes a property might improve its facilities and service - updates, new management, response to feedback - but it takes time for the rating to catch up. The reverse is also true.
The Camino is really not a thing in Barcelona. 5m tourists visit here every year and the number of pilgrims is not even a rounding error sadly.Hmm.. Hard to believe. The camino is close to that place and we were not the only pilgrims. This comes under the heading of "promises, promises" (I let you know tomorrow).
Really? I don't think that description fits the Irish.(He types whilst looking vaguely west.)
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