Lots of hotel websites now offer price promises. At sletoh we are cynical about price promises as we know that hotel prices vary widely and no one website is cheaper than the rest. Some are cheaper one day, others the next day, some have geographical strengths and some try to trick travellers by lowering prices one day and hiking them back up the next.

If an accommodation website wants to offer a price promise, sletoh wants to help consumers beat the promise and claim the refunds offered. We will be taking a look at the price promises made by various websites and giving you the lowdown. First up is LondonTown.com who offer a hotel price match and £100 refund.

When reading our price promise write-ups and when claiming a price promise from any website, please remember that price promises have tight Terms and Conditions attached to them so that the companies don’t have to pay out too often! Common restrictions include that claims must be made within 48 hours, offer must be from a certain type of hotel vendor (e.g. prepay bookings only; website operating from a certain country; no group, Corporate or membership rates). We offer a summary of the promise correct at time of writing – make sure you check the small print before booking rooms and claiming refunds.

LondonTown

LondonTown is offering a price promise with a hotel price match and £100 refund. On March 11th 2008, the terms and conditions of the price match state:

“Our guarantee is simple. Book any hotel on LondonTown.com and if you find the same package cheaper anywhere else online (within 48 hours) we will pay you £100 and match the rate yes £100. For independent/request hotels the 48 hours is from when the offer is made to you.

To claim your £100 bonus payment just click here and complete the easy to use web form. We will contact you within five business days confirming your bonus payment.

With LondonTown.com you pay with the hotel directly. You pay for your stay, often, at the time of checkout. LondonTown.com will make the £100 bonus payment as soon as the hotel confirms that you did complete your stay.

Payments will be made to your credit card within 14 days of the hotel confirming that you completed your stay.

The LondonTown.com £100 Pound refund is subject to the following standard terms and conditions.”

Reading the terms and conditions, reveals a few items to be wary of. Its relatively easy to find the same room for the same nights with the same board type but make sure that:

  • Both websites have the same tax applied to the booking (one may include it and the other not).
  • Cancellation terms are same on both sites.
  • Payment terms are the same on both sites. LondonTown bookings are always paid for on hotel check-out so make sure that you only search sites that also allow post-payment (ActiveHotels, Laterooms, Venere allow this) but most sites take pre-payment (diytravel.co.uk, OctopusTravel, Superbreak, Reserveahotelonline).

So when searching for a London hotel, do this:

  • Use sletoh to compare ActiveHotels and Laterooms in one search.
  • Find a hotel that has same offer that is cheaper than LondonTown price.
  • Check that tax and cancellation terms are same from LondonTown and the cheaper site.
  • Book your room on LondonTown and fill in their claim form after hotel check-out and within 14 days.
  • Collect £100 + the difference between LondonTown and cheaper site :)