Has anyone ever...

used Expedia to book a hotel room? I usually book directly on hotel%26#39;s websites because usually I find they have the same, if not better, rates as booking agents such as Expedia. However, I found and booked an awesome rate of $230/per night at the Sheraton for a garden view through Expedia (which has since gone up to $299). That same room on Sheraton%26#39;s website is well over $400!! I know how Expedia is offered special rates from Hotels but I have heard in the past to be careful when booking through them. Has anyone ever had a hard time? Thanks for any info...

Has anyone ever...

I can%26#39;t speak for Expedia, but I currently have a hotel booked through Orbitz in Waikiki, and it seems to be ok. I called the hotel directly after I booked to make sure I show up in their system, and I do.

Has anyone ever...

I don%26#39;t recall if for hotel room (think yes) but definitely have used expedia for flights and have never had a problem. They are even very good about emailing to let you know of flight changes.

Check the fine print about cancellations. And, do they hold the reservation or will you get a confirmation from the hotel itself? I like to have the confirmation from the hotel. That way you know that the booking agent has actually communicated with the hotel. I don%26#39;t book through anyone that doesn%26#39;t provide a confirmation from the hotel, but that%26#39;s me.

I have seen that rate at the Sheraton for a Garden Room many times. AAA has great offers this year. We booked with their discount instead of the 5th night free/35% normal Sheraton discount. That%26#39;s saying something. We got an OCEAN FRONT room for about $300 ... a little over.

When do you plan to travel?

We booked our stay with KBH last year through them with no problems. My brother stayed at the Whaler through them this year no problems.

I%26#39;ve booked through Expedia for hotels alone and the air/hotel combo. Never had a problem. The only thing to be aware of for future reference is that some of Expedia%26#39;s hotels are pay in full at booking with little or no cancellation option. They%26#39;ve always been upfront about it when I%26#39;ve come across these types of offers.

BLBL-

the nights we booked for are actually add on nights after we have to leave our timeshare stay at WOV. I added on 2 nights at the Sheraton because we have stayed there before and I thought that the rate I got was good. We are staying there on 10/4 and 10/5. That rate is no longer being offered right now for my dates so I am happy I got it.

I did get a ';Confirmed by Hotel'; confirmation so I guess I am OK.

Sounds good, Relly ... congrats. It%26#39;s really quite a game to find discounts. The Sheraton%26#39;s website is a bit of a maze ... you have to dig to find them.

I tend to be more cautious than most ...

...well it is not Expedia and it wasn%26#39;t a hotel in Hawaii... but I booked a hotel in New York City using Travelocity. It had probably been several years since I%26#39;d booked using that tool. When we got to New York, they had given up our room and were fully booked and we had to find another hotel. The long story was I%26#39;d used a cc that expired between the time I booked the hotel and the time we arrived at the hotel. Since travelocity didn%26#39;t send along any of my info (the reservation basically only had my name), they couldn%26#39;t contact me to verify my reservation. Traveocity wouldn%26#39;t/couldn%26#39;t help me when we got to the hotel at 11pm and the hotel actually helped us find a place to stay.

Lesson learned: always confirm with the hotel before traveling and make sure the hotel has your contact information and a good credit card.

Travelocity didn%26#39;t feel they had done anything wrong. I told them that if they know I have a hotel guaranteed with a cc that will expire before I arrive...MAYBE THEY SHOULD TELL ME. I got all kinds of emails from them regarding other things, so I know they can.

I have been very happy with hotels.com but have only ever used them for a few nights. I am not crazy about prepaying thousands months in advance...be sure to find out what the cancellation rules and penalties are.

I%26#39;d only worry a little if I was traveling in a peak season when hotels are heavily booked. The hotel is apt to put its lowest-revenue guests in its least desireable rooms.