I really startet to hate using Booking.com, especially because every time after using it, they start bombarding me with emails. I could probably turn them off.
Another thing that makes me laugh now: I often go to the same hotel, and Booking.com provides better rates then booking directly (no idea why, I asked multiple times for the same discounts). And for my favorite category the hotel has only one room. So booking.com constantly warns me "only 1 room left!". Yeah, I know, there is only one ;)
When you are on booking.com you have the most choices. Not only between all the inventory they have, but you can also browse Airbnb.
When you're at the hotel and you ask their rate, your basically committed. They know how much time and money it cost you to drive to a different hotel. So they can set their rates accordingly.
And hotels hate reservations made over the phone or by email because too many guests never pay a deposit and never show up.
"And hotels hate reservations made over the phone or by email because too many guests never pay a deposit and never show up."
I'm thinking you're from a non-western country, otherwise that would be false; the only wiggle room you gave yourself was 'booking through email' which I don't think even really exists, unless you meant booking through a hotel's website. Hotels take your deposit when you make a reservation over the phone or on their website, and if you book through booking vs the hotel the hotel will lose 15-30% of the room sale.
You have just as many choices when looking for hotels, just look at google or bing. You don't need booking for anything. People rarely just drive up to hotels without checking hotels in the area beforehand on their phone. I'm not familiar with it in developing countries.
Even in Europe there are many smaller boutique hotels who cannot charge your credit card based on a phone conversation. Their bank either require them to use a speed point machine with the card present. Or use an online payment gateway with 3D secure it similar technology.
So they require the deposit as a bank transfer. And this is where the guest gets second thoughts.
People do actually go on road trips. "Oh look how nice that hotel looks. Let's stop and see if they have space for us". They get quoted a high price and that's when the hotel make profit.
> (no idea why, I asked multiple times for the same discounts)
Hotels sell a fraction of their inventory cheaply to resellers.
Also, they oversell, because people cancel. And when the hotel is oversold, and has to cancel a reservation, guess which customers get their booking declined?
I'm actually finding that to no longer be the case... just booked a hotel for a holiday and booking directly through the hotel's website was around 15% cheaper (and didn't try to charge me 50% extra for an infant). The hotel's payment flow for Amex was broken, but well that's another issue ;)
Another thing that makes me laugh now: I often go to the same hotel, and Booking.com provides better rates then booking directly (no idea why, I asked multiple times for the same discounts). And for my favorite category the hotel has only one room. So booking.com constantly warns me "only 1 room left!". Yeah, I know, there is only one ;)