Vent: A hostel in Prague made me swear off booking sites for good

I showed up to a place I booked online, and the room was a damp basement with one tiny window. The photos were from 2015, easy. That was 3 years ago, and I haven't used a booking app since. Now I just walk into places and ask for a price. In Krakow last fall, I got a private room for $22 a night that way, half what the apps showed. The front desk always has a better deal if they have empty beds. Has anyone else just stopped trusting the pictures and started haggling in person?

3 comments

3 Comments

tara79323d ago

Ever worry that showing up without a booking could backfire, like in a really popular city during a festival? I tried your walk-in method in Edinburgh once and everything was totally full, ended up paying way more for a last-minute dump. How do you figure out when it's actually safe to just show up and ask?

grace_campbell23d ago

You're right about the front desk having better deals. I got a nicer room in Budapest for cash after seeing the online price first. Sometimes just asking is all it takes.

gavinb9723d ago

My cousin booked a Lisbon hostel that turned out to be a converted parking garage, no joke.