You Think You’re Booking Directly With a Hotel — But You Might Not Be

Some hotel booking websites look official but are operated by third-party companies. Verifying the website, total price, and cancellation terms before paying can help travelers avoid costly surprises. Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock

You search for your favorite hotel, click what looks like its official website, and reserve a room for your upcoming vacation. Everything seems normal until you call the hotel to change your reservation and discover something surprising: You didn’t actually book through the hotel at all.

Instead, your reservation went through a third-party company, possibly one you’ve never heard of. Now, changing your dates could mean additional fees, cancellation problems, or hours spent trying to reach the right customer service department.