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According to the Booking.com Genius Rewards Program, the more stays you book, the more you earn in reward points and prizes. The hotel loyalty programme offers substantial discounts of up to 20 percent on accommodations, as well as perks such as complimentary breakfast and room upgrades. 

You will find that no other hotel search engine can compete with my Genius level 3 pricing when it comes to comparing accommodations.

Anywhere you see the Genius logo beside a property, you can use the programme code to get a discount.

Genius Levels On Booking.com

The Genius reward programme is available to the most frequent bookers, and the benefits get better as you book more frequently. It is divided into three Booking.com Genius Levels.

Level 1 members of Booking.com Genius get a 10% discount on the best available rates at participating hotels. At certain places, if you reach Genius Level 2, you will earn a 15% discount, complimentary breakfast, and free room upgrades.

To be upgraded, you must use Booking.com for a specified number of stays within two years. Genius Level 1 is unlocked after completing two stays. You will be elevated to the highest level, Booking.com Genius Level 2, if you complete 5 stays within the same time limit.

The new Genius Level 3 of the Booking.com Genius Rewards programme has recently been released! This is the highest tier, with discounts of up to 20%.

Members must have stayed at least 15 times in the previous two years to qualify for level 3.

The Booking.com Genius Levels aren’t any more difficult. Just keep an eye on what stays and what nights you need to gather in order to get upgraded. Also, keep in mind that any stay will be counted. To be upgraded to the next Genius Level, you don’t have to book your stays with a certain hotel category.

The Booking.com Genius Hotels

A property must have an average guest review score of at least 7.5 out of 10 in order to be eligible to make offers through the Booking Genius programme. This is done in order to guarantee that your Genius is as comfortable as possible at all times.

Although some hotels are Genius properties, you may have noted that some of them have lower guest satisfaction ratings (than 7.5). This is due to the fact that exceptions are granted to this criterion if the average review score in a given area is lower than 7.5 on average, yet the hotel in question is above average in quality.

In other words, all of the Genius hotels are excellent choices for travellers. Either they have a guest satisfaction rating of 7.5 or higher, or they have a higher rating than the typical hotel.

How to Book Your Stay with Booking.com?

The final step in the booking process is to execute your transaction after deciding on a hotel.

In the search results box, select the large blue button to the right. A variety of messages can be displayed in this box, such as “View our most recently available rooms” or “Select your apartment”.

A more detailed description of your chosen lodging will be displayed (on a screen that is somewhat overburdened with information). It includes images, further information about the region, guest reviews, and information about the hotel’s amenities.

Your booking options can be found at the bottom of the page. Green writing will indicate what is unique about each pricing level; for example, higher costs frequently offer free cancellation. 

Select the number of rooms you want to book from the drop-down box under Select Rooms, and then click the blue I’ll reserve button to the right of the box to complete your reservation.

After that, double-check the information and enter your name and email address into the appropriate fields. Continuation can be accomplished by selecting the blue Next: Final Details button.

Filling up your address and payment card details will be required on the following page. You will receive an email confirmation of your reservation after clicking the blue “Complete booking” button. 

Click on ‘What are my booking conditions?’ to double-check your cancellation policy and other hotel restrictions.

What are the challenges with using Booking.com? 

• Your location may have an overwhelming number of homes to choose from, which can make the selection process difficult.
• Within each property listing, there can be a plethora of information to sort through in order to locate what you’re looking for. To find out if a certain hotel charges for parking, for example, you may have to browse down a long way on their web page.
• You need to take your time to ensure that you are reserving exactly what you want, including checking the property’s cancellation policy for the room and pricing that you are considering booking. (However, to be honest, I’d say this regardless of where or how you book your stay.)
• In the initial stages of your search, selections will be presented in a scannable list, although not always in a form that is advantageous to the passenger. However, you can work around this by filtering and arranging the results according to your requirements.
• Reservations at major chain hotels, where you might wish to take advantage of your elite status or collect loyalty rewards points, are not a good fit for Booking.com.

When to book with Booking.com?

For frequent Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Radisson guests, booking directly with the hotels is still the best way to earn elite hotel status, perks, and points. Booking.com is the ideal option if you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind boutique hotel or unique property, or if you know you’ll never stay at a chain again. 

For those who are “free agents” who have no attachment to any one hotel chain or programme, Booking.com can be a useful option for receiving some perks (such as the 10% discount with the Genius program) at a wide variety of unaffiliated facilities, rather than relying on an individual hotel loyalty programme.

You may want to consider using a Virtuoso agent or Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts if you’re wanting to book a luxury property, and compare the benefits you’ll receive above any savings you’ll receive through Booking.com.

Why should you use Booking.com?

Below we have listed the top reasons why you should be using Booking.com:

1. Booking.com’s Price Match Guarantee

It is possible to get a price match on Booking.com. Booking.com will price match if you locate the same hotel, the same type of accommodation, and the same cancellation policy for the dates you’ve reserved on another online hotel reservation app.

Booking.com is a good place to start your search for a hotel at the lowest possible cost.

Booking.com will match any lower rate you find for a booking you’ve already made. Obviously, you’ll need to produce documentation and meet other requirements, but it’s reassuring to know that Booking.com will price match when you buy hotel rooms.

2. Booking.com Offers Free Cancellation On Lots of Properties

Booking.com has a huge number of properties that allow for free cancellations. Not all hotels provide free cancellation; you’ll need to verify this before making a reservation, but it’s clearly stated on the hotel’s web page and is easy to locate.

If you want, you can narrow your search to just see hotels that allow you to cancel your reservation at no additional cost.

Make sure to find out how long the free cancellation time is. On the pricing page, you’ll see a cancellation deadline next to each item’s price.

Some hotels allow you to cancel your reservation up until noon on the day of your arrival for free.

Booking.com is our go-to hotel booking site because you may cancel your reservation without incurring a fee on the majority of rooms. On most of the accommodations we’ve reserved, we’ve found a ‘free cancellation’ option and no further fees.

If you’re making a last-minute reservation, the flexibility this provides is invaluable. We’ll begin our hunt for lodging by putting together a short list. A swift selection on which property best meets our criteria will be made, and then a booking will be made.

While we’ve secured a place to stay, we don’t know if it’s the greatest available option at this stage. Now that we can terminate our subscription at any moment without penalty, we can narrow down our search even further. A new reservation is made and the old one is cancelled if we find a better deal.

There are some smaller, independent hotels who don’t like the “free cancellation” approach since it complicates their ability to manage demand. Avoid using “free cancellation” arrangements as much as possible, especially when dealing with smaller independent hotels.

Consider the fact that cancellation policies are subject to change on a regular basis. Read the fine print to make sure you’re booking under a policy you’re comfortable with.

3. Many Rooms Require No Prepayment

There are a few hotels that do not need guests to make a deposit. As a general rule, most hotels ask for your credit card information, but no money is taken from your card until you arrive.

Some hotels allow you to reserve a room without providing a credit card. You can narrow your search to hotels that don’t require a credit card to book.

4. There’s Small Print, Of Course, But No Hidden Extras

You get what you pay for. When it comes time to pay, there are no other options.

Local taxes, which are outside the control of booking.com, must be taken into consideration, however. Details regarding how to pay will be displayed on the checkout page.

The prices you see are the costs you’ll pay, no matter how you look at it. Online travel agency Booking.com does not charge any booking or administration fees. Booking.com, on the other hand, rarely charges a fee. In most situations, the hotel collects the entire bill when you check in.

Booking.com does take payment from time to time, but this is fully indicated during the booking process.

Please keep in mind that some hotels and tourist taxes may tack on additional fees when you check in. Clearly state this in the hotel’s description. Let Booking.com’s customer service know if it doesn’t work.

5. Your loyalty rewarded with freebies, perks and discounts

With Booking.com, you become a Booking.com Genius by booking hotel rooms. Loyalty is rewarded with incentives like priority customer service, additional discounts, and amenities like free airport transfers and welcome refreshments. Once you’ve made your fifth booking, you’ll become a member of the programme for free.

Booking.com does not give genius incentives, therefore the perks you get rely significantly on the hotels you choose to stay at.

6. Houses over 93 Million Reviews

When reserving a hotel, reviews are essential because they provide an objective assessment of the hotel’s amenities and services. Booking.com provides a built-in review system, so you don’t have to browse the Internet for other reviews. They’re clearly visible on the page.

FAQs

• Is it safe to book through Booking.com? 

Absolutely. Booking.com is a reservation site that only accepts bookings. If you have any questions, you will need to contact the accommodations directly, and you will be able to communicate with them through the platform.

• What if I need to cancel? 

You have the option to cancel your reservation. However, before making any reservations, make sure you read the cancellation policies very thoroughly. They will differ depending on where you book and also on the type of room you reserve.

• Are there bad reviews for Booking.com?

When a customer has a problem, they often forget that their reservation is not with Booking.com, but rather with the actual property they booked. Sometimes they don’t even know it’s non-refundable, and they’re forced to pay the full amount.

When canceling a reservation, if you have any questions or problems, you should always contact the property to resolve them.

• Do you pay immediately on Booking.com? 

It all depends. You’ll be able to see in the search results which hotels have no cancellation fees.

Make sure to read the notes in the “Your Choices” section when you click into a property when selecting your lodgings. It will let you know if you have to pay to cancel, if you can cancel for free, and if you can cancel for free.

As an option, you may narrow your search results to only show properties that allow free cancellations.

To see just homes that allow free cancellation, you can use the Booking.com search filter.

• Can I earn rewards points through my preferred hotel brand loyalty program? 

Before booking, be sure to inquire about your selected hotel brand’s loyalty program.

Third-party bookings may not be eligible for hotel points in many cases.