BookSmart for the Best Hotel Stay Without a Hassle

NORTH HAMPTON, N.H. - Aug. 21, 2014 - PRLog -- The quickest and easiest travel hack in the book is rarely considered by many travelers—booking directly with a hotel, inn or resort. This ensures the best experience at the same rate as a mega travel site, according to New England Inns and Resorts. The association recently launched BookSmart, a campaign which seeks to show travelers why and how to make reservations directly and avoid mega travel websites.

“Many travelers don’t realize the big travel websites are middlemen. Your hotel has little control over your reservation, so making changes can be a nightmare,” said Beth Steucek, CEO of New England Inns & Resorts. “Booking directly with the hotel ensures a better experience in many ways, and usually for the exact same rate.”

By making a reservation directly with a hotel online or over the phone, guests give the hotel an opportunity to offer a better, more personalized experience. Direct bookers are often given nicer rooms (and sometimes extra perks like free breakfast) while faceless reservations from travel sites fill in the rooms that are left over.

Price-conscious travelers can also rest easy after booking directly: many lodging properties offer a best price guarantee and are willing to match lower rates found elsewhere.

The reason? Those online mega travel sites charge up to 30% commission from the hotel, which is a substantial chunk of the nightly rate. Booking directly allows the hotel to keep the extra dollars to improve their property, and those dollars support the local community rather than a website.

Travelers can also BookSmart at the New England Inns & Resorts website, http://www.newenglandinnsandresorts.com. The site allows travelers to search lodging rates and availability throughout New England, like a mega travel site, and book their stay directly through each member’s online reservation system.

To learn more about BookSmart and the benefits of booking directly, visit http://www.newenglandinnsandresorts.com/booksmart.

About New England Inns & Resorts

New England Inns & Resorts Association is a collection of more than 250 of New England’s most distinctive independently owned and operated lodging properties. The association’s website is a rich resource for travelers to New England, with area information and a quick reservations widget for one-stop comparison shopping and booking directly from the site. www.newenglandinnsandresorts.com