Booking.com and Hotel Owners

Online booking sites are handy when it comes to finding accommodation anywhere in the world and booking it in seconds, whatever time of day or night it might be.

< p>We want to let our guests know about the impact of this type of booking which is becoming increasingly common.

< p>These international “agencies” which pay only a tiny amount of taxes and no VAT in France, take a commission of 15 to 20%.

< p>This is equivalent to the annual investment budget for a hotel like ours.

< p>The more bookings are made via these sites (and numbers are increasing every year), the less hoteliers can invest in their hotels (including renovation, compliance, recruitment and so on).

< p>It’s fine to use these sites to find the perfect hotel.

< p>But it’s better if you search for the hotel’s phone number or visit its website to book directly!

< p>For instance, on Booking.com, hotels which don’t have rooms available to book via the site are shown as being “fully booked” or the website explains that “we have no availability at this hotel for your dates”. To be sure, do the right thing: call the hotel yourself!

 

Thank you for your understanding.

Olivier Lapôtre, owner, chef