As usual when dealing with on line booking agents, it depends on certain parameters as to whether the 'sale' is really a sale. A New York Times blog apparently doesn't think it is much of a sale and they are SPONSORED by Expedia! So hat's off to NYT for being honest at least.
For starters, they pointed out that the "..up to 30% off" discount only applies when you book 3 nights or more. As a hotel worker for many years, I can guarantee you that less than 2% of our reservations/bookings are for 3 nights or more. In fact, 90% are for one night and maybe eight out of a hundred are for 2 nights and the rest more than 2 nights. So there is little risk to advertise a 30% off sale when few people want that option.
The Times also noted (as I have time and again) that rarely are the prices any lower than what you can get elsewhere, though the blogger noted that often it was CHEAPER than what the hotels own web sites offered. What they failed to mention is that the hotel probably honors any lower price you find on line - just as our hotel does - so there is little to fear about overpaying anyway.
In the end, when you consider that you have to PAY for the booking at time of booking (versus when you check out) and that canceling a 3rd party reservation is a hassle (I was on hold for Expedia last week for well over AN HOUR on a Saturday night) because you can't cancel it with the hotel, it is often easier and just as cheap to book directly. I won't go into the other half dozen reasons it is better to book directly than through a Third Party - I've offered those reasons time and again in blog posts.
So get out the hip boots and waders when you read "Biggest Hotel Sale Ever' when it comes from someone like Expedia or Hotels.com (which the NYT blogger didn't know was OWNED by Expedia!) because something is coming your way and it isn't much of a bargain.
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