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The general conclusion is that there is no best booking website. In terms of the many posts that I found on the web, some were better in comparison with others and referred to the middle segment that includes 3- and 4-star hotels. For each of the media I found various criticisms and examples that I will mention without being specific, because I cannot check their reliability.

The opinions for one of the three websites were that its offers were the most expensive. From what has been previously mentioned, it can be concluded that this often can be attributed to the different types of information and websites updates. And when there are specific differences, they are within a few leva.

As for the other media, there were complaints that the ratings did not correspond to reality. As our perception is subjective, what is good for one is not good for another. As we are typical representatives of the Balkans, I should mention that the suspicions of manipulated ratings always exist and a number of known and proven cases of this only make them more intense.

Last but not least, I found that there were some discrepancies in the information provided by the third of the websites on the hotel category i.e. how many stars a hotel has. I cannot give a definitive opinion about this since I do not know how this information is being obtained and who updates it.

More importantly: How to search?

• The first and most important tip: use at least a number of sources. I know it takes time but the efforts are worthwhile compared to a spoiled holiday. Use at least three platforms. In the previous example, two of the websites had no available rooms, while the third had.

• Do not reject the offer only because of the price. We saw in the second example that the price difference for the same place can be as high as 6 times but after careful consideration, we saw that the class of luxury was different. It is quite possible that the place, which we considered expensive at first, offers lower prices for the cheaper villas.

• Just in case, check the website of the hotel you have preferred. Generally, as booking websites take rooms "in bulk", they obtain discounts from the hotels, which is why they can offer the end customers lower prices than the standard hotel rates. However, there are many special cases, in which direct contact with the hotel, if possible, could bring extra price discounts to you. For example, when the hotel has not been able to fill its capacity, it makes a last minute offer. Alternatively, when it comes to a large group of people you can negotiate a special price. These, of course, are special cases that do not relate to a particularly high volume of requests. Usually one uses the platforms for distant and unknown destinations. However, when you want to travel to a neighbouring country, the above tips apply with full force.

• Ask acquaintances. As social networks are all over, you can always obtain information, even if you do not have time to call or see each of your friends. Then you can update and compare the information using some of the ways previously mentioned.

• Last but not least, when it comes to a destination that no one of your friends has visited, you should search posts from at least several independent sources. You will surely find them. Totally positive or totally negative opinions are questionable. Either the place is heaven/hell for travelling people or the opinions have been manipulated.

I am sure that the topic can be expanded almost indefinitely. The fact is that we will increasingly buy our holidays online because of the discounts, the convenience of obtaining information from one place and the confidence that popular websites enjoy. There is no perfect system, but with a little attention and practicality, we can find a reasonable offer to take us on an unforgettable holiday or successful business trip.

Very soon GRReporter will provide you with the opportunity to browse, or to search for, interesting offers in Booking.com through our website.