A new study of 200 million deals completed on price comparison websites has found that in over half the cases customers are paying more by using the site than if they were to book a room directly through a hotel.
The research, which was conducted by Triptease for the Sunday Mirror in the UK, showed that 53 per cent of the time the comparison sites charged more and that users only saved money on every seventh booking, a third fewer compared to the previous year.
As a result of the study, hotel chains such as the Marriott, Premier Inn, Choice and Intercontinental are now appealing to customers to avoid the sites and make direct bookings.
Discussing the results, the founder of Triptease, Charlie Osmond said: "Savvy consumers see hotels prefer guests to book direct and often have better deals. Touches like a free foot massage or scuba lesson go alongside better room selection and, more than ever, the cheapest prices."
