7 things you didn’t know about Booking.com

Here are few things you didn’t know about Booking.com

1. Instantly bookable

There’s nothing worse than finding that perfect place for your next holiday, only to find it’s not actually available when you click ‘Book’. Booking.com have sorted this out by listing all of its properties in real time. So if it says it’s available, it’s available. Hooray! The booking process itself is instant, so there’s no back and forth with the property manager, either. Just search, book and get excited! Booking.com will also price match any lower price on other accommodation websites.

2. Free cancellation on most properties

If you want accommodation at a good price, it’s usually at the expense of flexibility, right? Wrong! Life isn’t black and white and circumstances can change, so most properties on Booking.com allow cancellations free of charge. And it’s easy to do, too – just jump online and cancel or change your booking easily, no questions asked. (Every room has a different policy, so be sure to check the details before you book.)

3. Pay when you stay

Still saving your holiday loot and not ready to pay? That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll miss out on the accommodation you want – unlike many other accommodation booking websites, most properties on Booking.com don’t require any payment or deposit in advance. Simply secure the booking with a credit card and pay when you check-in. In fact, increasingly properties are allowing customers to book without a credit card!

4. No booking fees

No, really. Booking.com offers a completely fee-free experience. No hidden fees or last-minute charges to your credit card. Completely. Fee. Free.

5. Not just hotels

You’re never short of choice on booking.com with more than 820,000 properties, of which more than 70 per cent are from the categories beyond the traditional hotel. Think farmstays, boats, ryokans, riads, rustic tents, castles, and more. Plus, of course, there’s traditional guest houses, B&Bs, holiday homes and hotels. See opposite page for our top picks for unique stays in Australia.

6. 24/7 customer service in any time zone

Booking.com has a team of more than 10,000 employees worldwide who speak more than 40 languages and its in-house customer service team is available 24/7. So if you desperately need to ask a question about that fabulous igloo in Lapland you want to snuggle in, help is easy to come by. Booking.com promises calls are answered within seconds and most emails are answered within one day.

7. Millions of verified reviews

Still not convinced? Jump online and check out the more than 67 million verified reviews written by guests after their stay. Are they all genuine? Absolutely – reviews on Booking.com can only be written by the person who made the booking and stayed at the property. That’s a whole lot of inside intelligence, so you feel assured your expectations are met every time.