Expedia is one of the world’s leading online travel agencies. Founded in 1996 as part of Microsoft, Expedia was spun off as an independent company in 2001. While Expedia started primarily selling airline tickets, the site quickly expanded into booking hotels, rental cars, cruises, vacation packages, and more. expedia hotels

Today, Expedia has grown into an online booking powerhouse. According to its website, Expedia has relationships with over 1 million hotels, hundreds of airlines, dozens of cruise lines, and thousands of other destinations around the globe. This gives Expedia users access to a vast inventory of travel options.

Out of all of Expedia’s services, hotels make up a significant portion. Expedia currently lists over 1 million bookable hotels on its site across hundreds of thousands of destinations. Users can search for hotels based on price, star rating, amenities, brand, and proximity to landmarks or attractions. Expedia aims to provide users with the widest selection of hotel options and the ability to easily compare prices and features.

With its long history in online travel and wealth of hotel inventory, Expedia has established itself as one of the top sites for researching and booking hotel rooms online. Its hotel search features and diverse inventory give travelers extensive choices in finding the right hotel.

How Expedia Sources Hotels

Expedia has relationships with hundreds of thousands of hotels around the world to offer a vast selection to customers. Expedia negotiates contracts with hotels that allow the company to sell rooms on its website. Hotels provide Expedia with descriptions, photos, amenities, room types, pricing, and availability through direct connections or third-party partners.

Expedia acquires hotel inventory in a few key ways:

• Direct Connectivity: Large hotel chains often have direct connections with Expedia, providing real-time rates and availability. This allows Expedia to instantly confirm bookings.

• Third-Party Providers: Many independent and boutique hotels use third-party connectivity partners like HotelBeds, Tourico Holidays, or DHISCO to distribute their rates and inventory to online travel agencies like Expedia.

• Expedia Traveler Preference Program: Smaller, independent hotels can join the ETP program to share rates and availability with Expedia without a commission. Expedia charges travelers a service fee instead of the hotel.

• opaque Deals: Expedia negotiates opaque inventory deals where hotels provide discounted room rates with some terms concealed until booking (like brand name or specific location).

Expedia sources hotel supplies from global megachains to quaint boutique hotels to ensure a vast selection for any traveler. Partnerships allow Expedia customers to book instantly confirmed stays at competitive rates.

Expedia’s Hotel Search Features

Expedia offers robust search features to help travelers find the perfect hotel. You can filter hotels by star rating, amenities, brand, price, and more. Some key search filters include:

• Star rating – Filter hotels by star rating from 1 to 5 stars. This helps you find hotels at your desired luxury level.

• Amenities – Filter by amenities like a pool, free breakfast, parking, and more. Easily find hotels that offer your must-have features.

• Brand – Search for specific hotel chains and brands like Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, and others. Great for travelers with brand loyalty.

• Price – Filter hotels by price per night. Choose your desired price range for budget or luxury accommodations.

• District – Search hotels by neighborhood or district to find locations convenient for your trip.

• Distance from landmarks – Easily find hotels near key attractions and landmarks.

Expedia also offers useful sort options to refine your hotel search:

• Price (low to high) – Sort hotel listings by price per night, from cheapest to most expensive.

• Star rating (high to low) – Sort hotels by star rating, ideal for prioritizing luxury.

• Guest rating – Sort hotels by rating from Expedia users, to find the highest-rated options.

The interactive map view lets you visually browse hotel locations throughout a city. You can also specify flexible travel dates in your search to find the best rates across multiple dates.

Overall, Expedia’s powerful hotel search filters and features allow travelers to easily find the perfect hotel for any trip and budget.

Making a Hotel Booking on Expedia

Booking a hotel through Expedia is a straightforward process that allows you to easily compare prices and options. You can book without an account, but creating a free Expedia account can provide additional benefits.

When searching for hotels, you’ll be presented with a list of options for your destination and dates. Hotels are sorted by recommended, star rating, price, and Expedia rewards eligibility. Use the filters on the left to refine by neighborhood, amenities, brand, and more.

Each hotel listing shows the nightly rate, taxes and fees, user rating, general location, and basic details. Select a listing to see more photos, amenities, policies, room types, and reviews. Here you can compare different room types side-by-side.

Once you’ve found the perfect hotel, click the “Reserve” button to begin booking. Log in or sign up for an Expedia account if you want to earn Expedia Rewards points. Select your room preferences and dates. The total price including taxes and fees will be displayed.

On the next page, enter your contact information and payment details. Expedia accepts major credit cards. Review all details before completing your booking. You’ll receive a confirmation email with reservation information. If needed, you can cancel or modify the booking later through your Expedia account.

Booking hotels on Expedia is fast and simple. You can easily compare hotels in your destination and book securely in just a few clicks. Creating an account lets you earn rewards and manage bookings in one place.

Expedia Hotel Cancellation Policies expedia hotels

Expedia allows travelers to book hotel rooms under different cancellation policies, which determine if and how a booking can be canceled and refunded. Being aware of the cancellation policy for your rate is important to avoid losing your money if plans change.

The main types of cancellation policies on Expedia are:

Always review the exact cancellation terms for your selected rate and dates. Expedia displays the cancellation policy during the booking process, so you can decide if it fits your needs before confirming your hotel reservation.

Getting the Best Hotel Rates on Expedia

One of the best ways to save money when booking hotels on Expedia is to take advantage of their Price Match Guarantee. If you find a lower price on another site for the same hotel, room type, and stay dates, Expedia will match the price. To get the price match, contact Expedia customer support within 24 hours of booking and provide evidence of the lower rate. This is an easy way to ensure you are getting the lowest possible price on Expedia.

Expedia also offers package deals that bundle your hotel with a flight and/or car rental. These vacation packages allow you to save up to hundreds of euros compared to booking each component separately. Be sure to check out the package deals when searching for hotels to see if you can get a discounted rate.

Signing up for Expedia’s free loyalty program is another great way to save. As a member, you can earn points on bookings that can be redeemed for discounts on future hotels. The more you book with Expedia, the more rewards you will accumulate. Status levels like Gold and Platinum offer extra perks like room upgrades and late checkout. The loyalty program is free to join and provides excellent savings on hotels for frequent Expedia users.

By using the price match guarantee, booking vacation packages, and joining the Expedia rewards program, you can take advantage of some of the best hotel rates available on Expedia’s site. A little effort goes a long way towards getting the lowest price on your next hotel booking.

Expedia Hotel Reviews expedia hotels

Expedia allows customers who have booked hotels through their site to leave reviews and ratings to help other travelers make informed decisions. These user-generated reviews can provide valuable insider insight into the quality of the rooms, amenities, service, and overall experience at a particular hotel.

The reviews include an overall rating out of 5 stars so you can see at a glance how a hotel has been rated by Expedia customers. Under the star rating, there is a bar graph showing the percentage of reviews that gave 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 stars, so you can get a sense of consensus. There is also more detailed breakdowns for ratings on cleanliness, comfort, facilities, etc.

In addition to ratings, users can leave comments describing their experience at the hotel and highlighting the pros and cons. They may mention specifics like the friendliness of staff, the comfort of beds, the quality of included breakfast, or noise issues. Photos posted by travelers can also give you a first-hand look into the rooms and facilities.

Reading multiple reviews allows you to identify common themes about a hotel’s strengths and weaknesses. Paying attention to recent reviews within the past 1-2 years can provide the most up-to-date perspective. Expedia makes the review process easy by consolidating all guest feedback in one place, rather than having to search individual sites.

Expedia Coupons and Discounts expedia hotels

Expedia offers various ways to save money on your hotel bookings through coupons, promo codes, seasonal sales, and their rewards program.

Expedia vs Other Booking Sites

When it comes to booking hotels online, Expedia is one of the most popular choices, but it’s not the only website out there. How does Expedia compare to some of the other major hotel booking platforms?

Comparing Rates

One of the top competitors to Expedia is Booking.com. Both sites provide access to huge databases of hotels around the world. They also often have very similar nightly rates for the same properties. The price you see on Expedia for a given hotel room is typically matched on Booking.com.

That said, it always pays to check both sites when searching for hotels. There can be exceptions where one site has a better deal due to a special offer or coupon code. Some hotels also allocate a certain portion of their inventory to each booking site, so the rates may vary based on availability. The best practice is to compare prices across multiple sites before booking.

Cancellation and Change Policies

Expedia and Booking.com also have comparable policies when it comes to cancellations and date changes. In most cases, you can cancel or change your reservation for free within 24-48 hours of booking. The exact cancellation deadline will depend on the hotel’s own policy.

Some non-refundable room rates do apply on both sites, in which case your booking cannot be changed or canceled. Always carefully review the rate details before completing a booking. As long as you book a fully refundable rate, the cancellation policies are very similar between Expedia and competitors like Booking.com.

Loyalty Programs and Rewards

One area where Expedia holds an advantage is its loyalty program. Expedia Rewards allows members to earn points on hotel bookings, which can be redeemed for discounts on future stays. There are also member-exclusive hotel rates and perks.

Booking.com has its own Genius loyalty program, but it is not quite as developed as Expedia Rewards. The earning and redemption options are more limited compared to Expedia. However, Genius does provide some nice perks like room upgrades.

Ultimately, Expedia Rewards gives consumers a better opportunity to earn rewards for their hotel spending. It’s one factor to consider when choosing between booking platforms.

Conclusion

Expedia is one of the most popular online travel agencies for booking hotels. With its large inventory of hotels worldwide and easy-to-use booking platform, Expedia makes it simple for travelers to find and book hotel accommodations.

When searching for hotels on Expedia, travelers can filter by price, star rating, location, amenities, and more to find the perfect hotel. Expedia offers competitive rates that are often lower than booking directly with the hotel. Users can read reviews from other Expedia customers to help inform their booking decisions.

Once you’ve found your ideal hotel, booking on Expedia is straightforward. After entering your travel dates and room preferences, you can easily complete the booking and receive a confirmation email. Expedia has flexible cancellation policies that vary by hotel. Make sure to read the fine print before booking.

To get the best deals on Expedia, be flexible with travel dates when possible, and look out for promotions and flash sales. Using Expedia coupons can also help you save. Overall, with its vast selection and easy booking process, Expedia is a go-to platform for finding and booking hotels online.

Like this? "Sharing is caring!"