The more money you save, the better the experience.

• Wayfaringsoul Tip #5

Tourists are Flocking to Asia – And They All Got to Sleep Somewhere…

Asia is fast becoming a hot tourist destination. Luckily for any traveler visiting Asia, it’s quite easy to find a hotel with rates that are just right for their price and comfort range.

But sometimes I get really lucky and find a 4 or 5 star hotel with deep discounts.

Well, actually, it’s not luck. More like just the right timing and some research.

Especially for countries like Japan that are experiencing a tourism boom. Or even Thailand, which recently took the top spot for Bangkok as the most visited city in the world.

But finding a great hotel deal for any Asian country is possible, from my experience. As long as you book during the right season, you can really score up to 45% off room rates.

There are no tricks to getting an excellent hotel deal. Not unless you know the hotel owner.

Today, you’ve got yourself a few ways to book hotels online. You can book directly on a hotel’s official website.

Or you can book on an online travel agency (OTA) website. But which is better?

Booking from a Hotel Website Directly Vs. Booking from Online Travel Agencies (OTA)

I’m often asked if it is better to book directly at a hotel’s website or book on an OTA website.

First off, I’ll briefly explain what an OTA is by using an example website like Agoda.com. I personally use and recommend it for finding hotel discounts.

Hotels, resorts, and hostels in Asia (and around the world) rely on OTAs like Agoda to provide a wider presence on the internet.

Without OTAs, hotels that are not particularly well-known have a harder time reaching potential customers.

Since Agoda lists nearly a million hotel properties and rentals around the world, individual hotels must also compete against other hotels by listing their properties with the most attractive rates.

For example, I found this incredible deal for a villa at Indonesia’s Jamahal Private Resort and Spa in Bali via Agoda.com. I’ve never heard of Jamahal ever. So without Agoda, I would’ve never discovered them.

I can also check reviews about the hotels I am researching to stay in. Here are the reviews for Jamahal Private Resort by genuine guests.

As a result, it is very possible to find better rates and discounts on Agoda than on the hotel’s official website.

As a matter of fact, I often pick the brains of hotel staff at the reception desk. I’ve asked them whether it is better to book on their hotel’s website or through Agoda. And they tell me it’s better to book on Agoda.

Because, as I mentioned, hotels have to compete with hundreds if not thousands of other hotels on OTAs.

And the only way to compete is to offer the best rates they can possibly provide via Agoda.

I use Agoda.com to Reserve Hotels 90% of the Time I Travel Within Thailand

The undisputed champ of online hotel booking websites is Agoda.com. Agoda is excellent for locating the best deals and discounts, particularly for hotels in Thailand.

I almost exclusively use Agoda to book hotels in:

• Phuket
• Koh Samui
• Koh Samet
• Hua Hin

So for the sun, surf, and sand lovers, Agoda is your best choice for finding that perfect hotel or resort by the beach.

That said, you can also find discounted hotels in pretty much most of Asia on Agoda’s website. Even then, I always check hotel rates on Agoda first because I can earn some cash back, which I explain more about below.

Booking Hotels from Agoda is the Way to Go

If you live in the USA and Europe, there is a big chance you’ve never heard of Agoda. But you most likely have heard of Booking.com.

And you’ve most definitely heard of Priceline.com. Well, Priceline is the parent company of  Agoda.com and Booking.com.

It’s a simple process. And because I travel often, I’ve saved a lot of money on my hotel bookings. You can earn some cashback for most bookings.

It’s not a huge amount. But if you stay in many hotels throughout the year, it adds up.

In addition, Agoda has offered users even more options for earning points for certain airlines.

I particularly use Air Asia frequently. So it’s good to know I can earn some points towards my Air Asia BIG mileage account.

But there’s another reason why I choose to primarily make my hotel bookings through Agoda.com.

Every booking I make earns me an affiliate commission.

My commission does not affect the overall hotel room price. In turn, I use this commission for the care and feeding of homeless dogs.

I wrote a post here about that. It’s a win-win situation for me and the hungry pups I care for and feed.

Here’s a rundown of all the reasons why I mainly use Agoda.com for hotel bookings:

• Rates on Agoda are better than rates offered on the hotel’s official websites
• Earn points that I can turn into discounts for future hotel stays
• Get an affiliate commission so I may provide care for stray dogs
• Earn points on my Air Asia mileage account
• I’ve never had any problems at all with my hotel bookings through Agoda

I’ve been very fortunate to be able to travel around this part of the world as much as I can. And I always recommend fellow Wayfaring Souls to use reliable OTAs like Agoda.com or even Booking.com to locate good hotel deals wherever they’re planning to visit in Asia.

I always say that a hotel room is not just a place to lay your head for the night. It’s a place where you reflect on your days sightseeing and exploration. So why not pick a good one?

By using an online travel agency, as I mentioned in this post, you’ll find more hotel choices with just the right price for your budget.