What hotel booking site is best? — Why we use both Booking.com and Hotels.com to save thousands travelling the world

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There are dozens of hotel booking platforms out there, but after years of travel (and tens of thousands of pounds spent), we’ve settled with a combo that works better than anything else: Booking.com + Hotels.com.

You might ask: why not just use one? Or why not just stick to a loyalty program like Hilton Honors or Marriott Bonvoy? Simplicity is tempting, but if you care about saving money and having options, using both platforms together gives you a sweet spot of flexibility, variety, and most importantly, savings.

Real Numbers: What We’ve Saved With Our Hotel Booking Strategy

Booking hotels is a serious business. In the first six months of 2025 alone, Sam and I spent £6,611 on hotel bookings. But by using a combination of:

• Hotels.com + Booking.com
• Cashback sites (like Quidco and TopCashback)
• Loyalty programs and rewards…

…we brought the actual cost down to £5,200. A 21% saving. That’s not theoretical. That’s money back in our bank account saved from the headline price that most people pay.

Why We Don’t Stick to One Hotel Booking Site

Most people are loyal to a single site or chain. But here’s what we’ve found:

• No one site has all the best prices.
• No one site has all the best properties.
• No one loyalty program works for every kind of trip.

We mix and match Booking.com and Hotels.com because they complement each other. They both offer advantages the other doesn’t, and together they’re far more powerful than either one on its own.

1. Property Range + Variety

We love big hotel brands when they make sense. But we also love boutique hotels, beach huts, ski chalets, and aparthotels in the Alps. 

• Booking.com shines when it comes to independent properties. They promote smaller hotels, family-run guesthouses, and self-catered apartments. It’s especially strong in Europe and Asia.
• Hotels.com has more brand-name and higher-end hotels, as well as a broader spread of luxury listings.
• Sometimes there’s no rhyme or reason why one might be better than another in any given location. For example we are currently booking a trip to Vietnam, and found that Booking.com had a better range and pricing in Nha Trang, and Hotels.com was better for Da Nang!

By always checking both sites, we get access to a much wider range of places and we never feel limited by one platform’s selection. Between the two of them they cover 99% of what we could be looking for, and we have no need to spend time checking other platforms.

2. Pricing & Cashback

So basic and so important! The PRICE! Yet here’s the reality: headline prices can be deceiving. We have consistently found Booking.com and Hotels.com to beat other booking sites once you take everything like cashback and rewards into consideration. Comparing the two…

• Booking.com often looks cheaper upfront. But it doesn’t offer cashback or credit towards future bookings.
• Hotels.com often shows slightly higher prices, but with 8–12% cashback via Quidco or TopCashback, and 6% back in One Key credit your net price is usually lower if you do the math. You can often get bonuses and higher rates during promotional periods.

We check both sites, factor in cashback and credit, and go with the better net price, not just the cheapest price sticker.

3. Booking Flexibility

Each site handles payments and cancellations differently, which is why we might prefer one over the other, depending on the trip.

• Booking.com often lets you reserve now, pay later, especially on flexible rates. Perfect if you’re planning an expensive trip far in advance.
• Hotels.com usually charges upfront, even on cancelable bookings, so your cash can be tied up for a long time.
• However, Hotels.com always charges in your local currency, which is great for using reward cards like Amex without a foreign transaction fee.

So depending on our timeline, budget, or credit card strategy, we choose accordingly.

4. Loyalty Schemes

Hotels.com: One Key

• Earn 6% credit back on bookings to use toward future travel.
• Status tiers (Silver, Gold, Platinum) unlock faster rewards and perks.
• We’ve currently got £1,100+ in credit ready to use.

Booking.com: Genius

• Three levels of membership, with discounts and upgrades.
• Easy to unlock if you travel regularly. Genius Level 3 (which is the only level worth talking about) = just 15 bookings in 2 years.
• We’ve saved £535 and earned two upgrades as Genius Level 3. Not bad, but given how much we have spent, it doesn’t seem like a lot compared to Hotels.com.

The Bottom Line: The Two Best Are Better Together

We’ve compared prices, tested loyalty programs, played the cashback game, and tracked actual savings over the years. The conclusion? Booking.com + Hotels.com together give us the most value, variety, and control. On any trip we will check both platforms and see which comes up with the best option.

I am always happy to geek out over figuring out a net price vs a headline price, but sometimes I also don’t want to put £3k on the card in July for a ski trip in February. They each have their strengths and weaknesses and work out to be a great pair of sites to use depending on your needs.

PS. If you love both cheap travel AND animals you should have a look at our article on TrustedHousesitters in order to really level-up your travel accommodation game!

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