Question about booking hostels through third-party sites in Southeast Asia

I booked a dorm bed in Chiang Mai through one of those aggregator sites for $8 a night and when I showed up they said my reservation was for a different hostel three blocks away, so has anyone else had third-party booking mix-ups in Thailand or is it just me?

3 comments

3 Comments

cora_martinez5d ago

Used to think third-party deals were fine but this totally changed my mind.

beth_butler755d ago

$8 a night is basically nothing, so I feel like you kinda get what you pay for when you book through those cheap aggregator sites. I mean, the hostel probably messed up their inventory on the third party's end and just shuffled you over to their sister property. Maybe it's just me but I'd rather pay a couple dollars more and book directly with the hostel, at least then you know who to yell at if something goes wrong.

kim_brown5d ago

Oh man, that reminds me of when I booked a place in Budapest for $6 one time. Ended up three blocks away in a hostel that smelled like stale beer and had broken locks on the bathroom doors. Learned my lesson real quick. I always check the hostel's own website now, even if the aggregator shows a lower price. Sometimes they'll match it if you call them, and you don't have to deal with the middleman when stuff goes sideways.