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- Georgina D'Angelo
Is Booking.com legit? The Ultimate Booking Platform
Updated: Feb 1
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There are countless travel booking platforms available to users in the current stage of the internet. From big names like Booking.com and Expedia to lesser-known platforms emerging, it seems like the options are endless. So where is the best place to book travel?
One brand I always trust is Booking.com. It’s so convenient to search for hotels on this site, as well as rental cars, attractions, and flights. It takes some of the stress away when planning a trip, and makes it a great experience for its users. But you might be wondering…
Is Booking.com legit? Yes, I love it! And is Booking.com safe? Yes, they are very reliable.
Let’s dive into the logistics of one of the biggest travel booking platforms available. What is Booking.com, is it legit, and why do I use it?
What is Booking.com?
Owned by the parent group, Booking Holdings, this website (and app) offers users the chance to book accommodation, flights, rental cars, airport taxis, and even attractions. The most popular part of Booking.com is the hotels; they host over 28 million listings. That’s a lot of hotels. And not only do they offer hotels, but they also offer guesthouses, apartments, houses, and other forms of accommodation.
What began as a small Dutch start-up company is now one of the biggest booking platforms on the Internet. The point of Booking.com is to make travel more accessible for everyone. It’s so convenient to have one place to book all the logistics of a trip. From your flight to the taxi once you arrive, to the hotel and the attractions you want to visit, or even a rental car to travel around with ease.
1. Stays: Booking.com is the leading platform to search for hotels. They have over 28 million listings that include hotels, guest houses, villas, apartments, and more all around the world.
2. Flights: You can also search for flight deals on Booking.com. Type in your flight details and you’ll see the cheapest option, the best flights available, and the fastest, most direct options.
3. Packages: You can save even more money by booking flights and a hotel together. Type in your travel dates and destination, and Booking.com will offer you the best deals available.
4. Rental Cars: If you’ll need a rental car once in your travel destination, you can also find one on this platform. Enter your pick-up location and receive the best offers from leading car rental companies all in one place.
5. Attractions: While Booking.com isn’t as popular as GetYourGuide when it comes to booking tickets for popular attractions, it’s a solid option and convenient if you want to book all portions of your trip in one place.
6. Airport Taxi: Don’t want to rent a car but need a ride to your hotel? You can even book an airport taxi on Booking.com. They will pair you with a reliable local agency that can complete the trip.
Is Booking.com safe?
With years of experience and a large customer base, it’s safe to say, yes, Booking.com is safe. This travel booking platform offers millions of listings, all of which go through a full registration process.
Listings are in full control of their prices, availability, rules, and policies. Unlike other booking platforms, Booking.com allows all legal agreements to be between the listing and you, the guest. However, their customer service is very reliable.
If your booking is canceled, for example, Booking.com will refund you immediately. Thankfully, I have no experience of this happening to me personally, but many customers have vouched for the reliability of Booking.com, even though the legal obligation is between you and the actual host property.
Booking.com has many reasons to continue providing help to travelers around the world. If they were to disregard guests, as well as property hosts, they would see a rapid decline in bookings, and therefore profit.
Many properties have their own booking channel to go through, so you can generally book straight from a hotel’s website. However, Booking.com acts as a middleman here, providing a safety barrier between you as the guest and the hotel owners, many of which also need security.
Is Booking.com legit? Why should I use it?
Yes, Booking.com is legit. It is one of the leading travel booking platforms with good reason. They have been on the market since 1996, offer over 28 million listings, and provide a good user experience for guests.
One of the greatest perks of using Booking.com is the ability to find great deals. While you can generally book a hotel through the hotel’s own website, Booking.com is constantly looking for deals to help you save money. They provide you with the best room rates available at your destination.
Another great thing about Booking.com is the filters you can apply when searching. Are you looking for a hotel where breakfast is included? Maybe you don’t want to pay more than $120 per night, or you’re looking for a pet-friendly place to stay. Booking.com allows you to filter your search so you can find exactly what you’re looking for.
As well as hotels and other accommodations, you can book flights, rental cars, attractions, and even airport taxis on Booking.com. This is so convenient for those who want to book all the logistics for their trip in one spot. You can plan an entire trip on Booking.com if you please.
And if you create a free account, you can start earning rewards once you’ve made bookings that will go towards saving you even more money on future bookings. The more you book on Booking.com, the more you can potentially save, making it a great place to book everything together.
Looking for a hotel? Here are the best hotels in these popular cities:
Or start planning your next trip here:
My Experience With Booking.com
I’ve booked several stays on Booking.com and plan to continue using it. While I generally browse on multiple platforms for the best deals, I will say Booking.com has not disappointed me. From a house rental in Fredericksburg to a hotel in New York City, I’ve been very pleased with my stays from Booking.com.
I mentioned above that I usually look on different platforms for accommodations. It’s a good idea to compare prices if you have the time, and often a property is only listed on one site and not another. So while Booking.com has over 28 million stays listed, there might be a boutique hotel you’ll miss if you don’t look elsewhere.
This is time-consuming, so I recommend sticking to Booking.com if you’re in a time crunch or are new to travel planning. It’s such an easy-to-use and reliable site!
Can I use Booking.com for flights?
Yes, you can use Booking.com for flights. In fact, it’s a great place to find flight deals. While the main focus of Booking.com is hotels, their flight search tool is very convenient too. Just type in your home airport, your destination’s airport, and the dates you wish to travel.
Booking.com will show you the best flight deals there are for the time and place you’re looking for. There are even three options at the top once you’ve searched that allow you to look at the “best” flights, the “cheapest” flights, and the “fastest” flights.
These are handy options if you’re looking for something in particular. Maybe you want to find the cheapest flight, or maybe you want to book a direct flight with no stops and get to your destination sooner. Booking.com will help you find the flight you’re looking for.
Full Disclosure: I look at Booking.com first to find cheaper flight dates and hotel deals. I often book my hotels through it, but I'll book my flights directly through the airline (I get miles with a specific airline so it's often cheaper!)
Is Booking.com legit? FAQ:
Are there fake bookings on booking com?
While I personally have never had a bad experience with Booking.com, I know that other people have. However, this can happen on any booking platform, even Airbnb and high-end hotels experience screw-ups that can leave a guest hanging.
But sadly, Booking.com hosts experience more fake bookings than guests do fake stays. There have been several cases of people repeatedly booking stays at hotels and canceling at the last minute to leave the hotel or property at a loss.
Overall, as a customer using Booking.com to find hotels, flights, etc., it is safe and reliable. I highly recommend giving Booking.com a try, even if it’s just to browse and compare to other hotel options.
Is it safe to pay for a hotel with Booking.com?
Yes, it is safe to pay for a hotel with Booking.com. They have a very secure payment process that will keep your information safe and secure.
Is it cheaper to book hotel directly or online through Booking.com?
While Booking.com does a great job at finding cheaper rates for its users, it isn’t always going to be the cheapest option. Sometimes a hotel might offer a special rate on their own website, or a hotel chain with loyalty points might be cheaper for you in the long run. But if you’re new to travel booking, or you don’t travel too often, Booking.com is a great place to start.
Sometimes the convenience of being able to book everything in one place is the deciding factor for travelers. It doesn’t hurt to browse around when looking for accommodations and flights. In fact, I recommend always comparing with Airbnb as well just to see if there are any great deals.
Why is Booking.com cheaper?
Booking.com doesn’t actually own any of the hotels listed on their site. Because of this, they incur such low overhead costs of running their business so they can in turn give customers great deals on their stays. Booking.com is simply a middleman between a hotel (or other accommodation) and the guest.
While it is free to list a hotel or property on Booking.com, a percentage of every booking will be paid to the site. This allows Booking.com to run so cost-effectively. Their business model has been so successful that they can continue to offer great prices.
Booking.com Genius Rewards
There is also the “Genius” status that comes into play. This is what Booking.com calls its rewards program. You start out on “Genius Level 1” and can work your way up to Level 3 by booking more stays.
There are hundreds of thousands of properties that opt into the “Genius” program. This means guests will receive a bigger discount on the properties that are in the Genius program.
Those specific properties are willingly lowering their rates for Booking.com guests in hopes that they will book more rooms and get more repeat customers.
Overall: Is Booking.com legit?
After using this travel booking platform many times, I can confidently say, yes, Booking.com is legit. It is a very convenient platform for those looking to book a trip.
Their payment system is very secure, and their refund policy is great if the hotel backs out on your stay. They offer over 28 million listings all around the world and their platform has been utilized by millions of people.
Booking.com is the best place to look for hotels or other accommodations for any trip you are planning. Even if it’s just used as a starting point, you’ll get an idea for what accommodations are available at your travel destination.
It’s so convenient to be able to book nearly your entire trip in one spot. From your flights to an airport taxi, your accommodation to certain attractions, book everything on one easy-to-use platform. Booking.com is legit and reliable; it’s a great site to utilize when looking for the best deals on hotels across the world.
Full Disclosure: I look at Booking.com first to find cheaper flight dates and hotel deals. I often book my hotels through it, but I'll book my flights directly through the airline (I get miles with a specific airline so it's often cheaper!)
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