I booked a hotel through Orbitz for the dates of September 6 through September 10. The hotel was Comfort Inn in Ocean City, NJ (www.choicehotels.com) and the room was ocean view, king size bed, non smoking, efficiency with balcony, microwave, refrigerator, stove top and was very nice for the price. The hotel gave me a receipt upon check out that totaled $484.39. There was one day (Saturday) at $138.39, three days (Sunday through Tuesday at $99.99.) The total each day for room charges / state charges was $14.53 for Saturday and $10.50 for Sunday though Tuesday. This is all that the hotel charged for booking a room there. Then when I compared my charges from Orbitz, I discovered Orbitz charged my credit card upfront for $626.87. It was stated on my e-mail confirmation an average nightly rate of $136.99 with $78.91 in taxes and fees. The hotel only charged an average nightly fee of $109.59 with $46.03 in taxes and fees. I guess the $142.48 (difference between the total Orbitz charged me minus the total on the hotel receipt) was the booking fee for Orbitz! When I called the customer service number for Orbitz to get a clear explanation, the representative told me, very politely, that the room rate I was getting through Orbitz is the room fee that I would have been charged had I called the hotel directly. She told me there is no booking fee but that the hotel tells Orbitz the room charge for the specific period and this is what is charged to the customers. After I got off the phone I walked back into my hotel and asked them what amount would I have been charged for the exact room on the exact days I booked. The staff told me it would be the exact same as is on the receipt. So the bottom line is to not use Orbitz to book a hotel but only to find a hotel worth staying at then call the hotel directly by using the power of the internet and get the same rate if not better through the hotel. Don't get the overpriced fee to use a third party website when calling the hotel direct will save you big money.
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