Hotel in manila

[Englishman2010]

Always contact the hotel directly, you'll usually get a much better deal than the online sites.

Absolutely and if they have their own website, you usually get a better description of the hotel and facilities. In addition I usually check out the reviews on www.tripadviser.com I know they have come in for some criticism recently, but I've never had any problems with their reviews

edit: some hotelliers I've spoken to say that the hotal search sites take a 10% referral fee, and by dealing direct with the hotel you will usually get at least 10% off, plus you don't normally have to pay until you arrive or even on checkout. Some of the referral sites take the money upfront

[lastlid]

......Some of the referral sites take the money upfront

I spent a good bit of time at Island Cove in Cavite ( a nice family resort ), and I found that some days it was cheaper to book directly with the hotel and some days cheaper to go with an agent, depending on the day. But I noticed that when booking with the agent I had to pay up front. Yes.