It’s a unique high when you know you’ve gotten a good deal.
It’s even more satisfying if you know you were able to save on something that can be pricey.
Like airfare or hotel reservations.
That’s why there are so many travel deal sites like Expedia and Hotels.com.
One contender lurking in the background is Traveluro.
It offers much cheaper rates than booking directly with hotels, but is it a scam?
Since you’re here, I commend you for researching before parting with your hard-earned money.
In this post, I will expose Traveluro for the scam it is and why you should go with other alternatives.
Let’s get started.
What is Traveluro?
Traveluro serves as an online hotel booking service.
It gains some traffic by offering users access to highly discounted hotel rooms.
You’ll find a simplistic, user-friendly interface when you go on the website.
The service boasts a quick response time for booking requests.
They also claim to offer round-the-clock customer support in six different languages.
There is no booking fee, and they guarantee that the price you see is the price you pay.
They reel you in with the promise of getting the lowest prices available for hotel stays.
However, this is all false.
Is Traveluro Legit?
Traveluro is a legit website, but it is a sketchy business.
It acts as a (shoddy) middleman between you and some accommodations.
Traveluro will accept your payment as the intermediary and is theoretically responsible for booking your hotel stay.
Your contract is with them, not the hotel you wish to stay at.
So, you are powerless if any issues arise between you and your hotel.
You’ll have to take it up with Traveluro, and I hope they resolve the matter.
But here’s the kicker:
It isn’t easy to get a hold of Traveluro’s customer support.
And if you do, you’ll get frustrating responses that don’t address anything.
So, inconveniences usually emerge while using Traveluro to modify or cancel hotel reservations.
It could end up ruining your trip!
Traveluro Red Flags
Looking at the site, you might immediately realize it isn’t legitimate.
It barely looks like the other, more reputable travel sites in the industry.
If you need more proof, let’s review why Traveluro isn’t trustworthy.
A Website That’s Too Bare
I know minimalism is all the rage regarding web design, but Traveluro takes it too far.
The website’s design is fundamental, and it lacks any natural substance.
There are some images, although they appear to be very generic.
Typically, the homepage of a travel website will provide in-depth articles, reviews, and deal details.
Unfortunately, none of these functions are available on Traveluro’s homepage.
You can’t even get in touch with them directly for booking-related inquiries.
Unrealistic Deals
When it comes to almost everything, an unrealistically low price is a major red flag.
Think about it. Why would a hotel room cost only $50 per night if it usually goes for $150?
To me, it’s completely incomprehensible how they can offer such low prices to their users.
I understand it’s easy to get carried away by the thrill of getting such great deals if you aren’t a seasoned traveler.
And even if you know better, you might make the same kind of booking, thinking you’ve found the best deal on the accommodations you’ve been eyeing.
If you do your homework, though, you’ll find that these offers are completely fake.
Check the customer reviews.
You’ll discover they’re of the hotels, not Traveluro itself. Where’s the sense in that?
This is not a good sign since they “provide” a service; one would expect the reviews to focus on that aspect of the transaction.
Missing ‘About Us’ Page
Most online travel companies will include a “about us” page detailing the company’s history and objectives.
By reading this, potential clients can learn more about the business and know what they’re getting into.
However, this site does not feature any such content.
That should raise many red flags, as legitimate businesses often try to let clients know who they are.
The only mention of who created the site, Holisto Ltd., can be found in the small print at the bottom of every page.
There seems to be an Israeli connection to the parent corporation, but that’s about all the information I could get.
A Ton Negative Reviews
Even though Traveluro’s website boasting-clock, multilingual customer service, the site has no testimonials from satisfied customers.
If you look up their company on Google, you’ll find several customer reviews that allege they were defrauded out of money.
One said they paid $1,000 for a hotel room, only to be told there were no available rooms at the hotel they were looking to stay at.
And as “compensation,” they were rebooked at a cheap motel down the street.
The company’s customer support team never responded to their inquiries, and was never refunded.
After doing some additional research, I also discovered claims that the website Traveluro is a fraud.
And Traveluro sure isn’t helping itself by not trying to improve its services.
After doing some additional research, I also discovered claims that the website Traveluro is a fraud.
At this point, it’s straightforward to believe this.
Several clients have stated that they have exhausted all available means to contact the company but have received no response.
Unresponsiveness is not something you would want from a service that’s supposed to handle a huge part of your travels.
No Cancellations or Modifications Allowed
Customers can always cancel or change their reservations with a reputable travel site.
They’re given the option to pay a small fee for a more flexible booking.
Since there is so much competition in this market, this has become a common practice that we’ve come to expect.
Of course, the most competitive travel sites will do everything possible to gain their clients’ trust and loyalty.
But Traveluro is not like those other businesses.
After making a reservation, changes or cancellations are not permitted.
But they say on their site that they will do anything to assist you if you email their customer service department.
Reviews from their clients seem to indicate otherwise.
Either you don’t hear back from the customer service team, or they say they can’t change your reservation.
As a result, it’s safe to assume this is not a reliable service.
No Guaranteed Confirmations
Travel sites are usually affiliated with hotels.
That’s how they can offer enticing deals and communicate with these accommodations promptly to avoid overbookings.
But with Traveluro, the hotel you booked might not receive your booking confirmation or payment.
This usually leaves customers stranded in some unfamiliar place with no reservations.
There have been many instances where travelers who booked in advance through Traveluro were turned away from hotels because no rooms were available.
If the hotel is complete, they may “bump” the customers who have paid the least and tell them they never made a reservation.
Now, that’s a straight-up scam if I ever saw one.
Legit Traveluro Alternatives
I hope that, at this point, I’ve convinced you not to book your accommodations with Traveluro.
It’s just worth the trouble trying to get a good deal you’re guaranteed not to get in the first place.
It’s a massive waste of time and money.
And I’m sure the last thing you want on your long-awaited holiday is to arrive at your hotel only to be told you don’t have a reservation.
Yikes.
So, who are you going to book with?
The following are the best hotel booking sites in the industry, so look around and find the best deal!
Booking.com
Search results on this hotel booking service include hotels, hostels, B&Bs, holiday rentals, and apartments.
Filtering options include cost, guest rating, and exciting on-site activities.
You can narrow your search by price range, hotel chain, star rating, proximity to major attractions, and property type.
There are options to refine your search by family-friendly hotels, family rooms, and bed types, making it easy to find the perfect accommodation for your group.
You can even choose hotels based on their sustainability and eco-friendliness!
I didn’t see the need to say the same about Traveluro.
Hotels.com
You won’t spend too much time figuring out the Hotels.com interface.
Hotels, condotels, B&Bs, vacation rentals, castles, and other unique lodging options are just some of the many that can be found with this hotel search engine.
Family-friendly accommodations and additional features such as childcare, bathtubs, pools, and cribs are also searchable.
It can also highlight all the accommodations that allow cancellations for free.
Overall, Hotels.com provides a simple search interface and reasonable rates compared to other hotel booking sites.
Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity
Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity are all owned by Expedia, Inc.
All three have somewhat different rates at any given time but are similar in design and quality.
You can narrow down your search by several different criteria, such as:
- Star rating
- Property type
- Surrounding neighborhoods
- Distance from the city enter
- Number of rooms
- Pet-friendliness
- And so much more!
SuperTravel (Formerly SnapTravel)
SuperTravel is a website that may be useful in putting down a last-minute hotel discount.
Discounted hotel rooms are their forte, and savings of up to 60% are not unusual.
Be sure to read the fine print before clicking “book now,” some of these highly low-priced offers may be for non-refundable hotel rooms with limited availability.
But generally, you could prove a lot with this site, provided you show up for your reservations.
Priceline
Priceline has a large user base because of its straightforward interface.
There aren’t many ways to filter your search, but it’s enough to zero in on what you’re looking for.
You can search based on pricing, amenities, star ratings, neighborhood, and brand.
Aside from the usual hotels, it also features apartments, B&Bs, and apartments for rent.
Properties with significantly reduced rates are highlighted on Priceline.
They don’t give you a hard time looking for the best deals.
ExpressDeals and Pricebreakers allow customers looking for significant discounts to reserve a hotel room on Priceline without knowing the hotel’s name until after they have already paid for it.
These are unique features for travelers on a tight budget.
Hotwire
Hotwire features the straightforward design of an old-school hotel booking site. Don’t be fooled, though.
It has many advanced filter options on other leading hotel booking sites today.
People like Hotwire’s Hot Rates because they can find great discounts at hotels that won’t be revealed until they complete their booking.
If you’d like to wait until the nightly rate drops, Hotwire also provides price alerts), which can be helpful if you’re a thrifty traveler.
It’s a fantastic place to look for affordable hotel rooms at the last minute.
Hotwire is also pushing its mobile app and claiming that its best offers are exclusively available on it.
Kayak
Kayak provides a straightforward way to compare hotel rates, highlighting the lowest prices.
It also displays the average nightly rate across several different booking sites.
Considering the amount of content it provides, Kayak’s design is surprisingly uncomplicated.
Your search will immediately provide results for whatever type of accommodations you’re looking for.
Agoda
Although Agoda initially focused on Asian accommodations, they now offer bookings for rooms all over the globe.
Like the straightforward search bar on Agoda’s home page, the results page on this hotel booking site is simple to read without sacrificing any essential information.
Hotels, resorts, vacation rentals, and other types of lodgings can all be found using the “property type” filter.
You can narrow your hotel search within these categories by price, star rating, or proximity to the city’s most famous attractions.
When you click the Hot Deals tab, you’ll see a page displaying even lower hotel prices.
Trip.com
Travel planning has never been easier than with the help of Trip.com, a global one-stop shop for travel services.
Twenty languages are supported, covering 27 different countries and regions.
The company was established in 1999 and currently maintains its headquarters in Singapore.
Travelers can find affordable options from more than 1.2 million hotels in 200 countries and regions through Trip.com.
They also offer flight services that link 5,000 locations across the globe via 2 million distinct routes.
Click here to watch the video or watch the video below and learn why I settled on an affiliate partnership program (an affiliate network) called TravelPayouts. I think it’s a perfect move for our brand.
Traveluro FAQs
How can Traveluro offer lower rates than the hotels themselves?
No
Regularravel agencies can offer lower rates by:
– Negotiating bulk discounts with the hotels and passing a portion of their commissions to customers
– Using the merchant model
The merchant model involves purchasing bookings in advance and bulk for discounted prices.
Then t, the OTA will resell them to customers at a higher price (but still lower than regular hotel rates).
Traveluro does neither, and they don’t offer real discounts.
Is it safe to book hotels with Traveluro?
No.
Traveluro’s inconsistent customer support and lack of transparency about its operations make it a “booking platform” I would not advise using.
For these reasons, I advise using reputable travel sites like Agoda, Expedia, Booking.com, etc., to reserve hotel rooms.
You can’t be too careful, especially regarding travel plans.
Which OTA offers the cheapest hotel deals?
No one website always has the lowest hotel rates.
So, make sure you’re comparing hotel rates for the same room type, with the same taxes and fees, when shopping around.
Comparing costs and starting your search early enough to keep an eye on prices before purchasing is essential to get the best deal possible on a hotel room.
A simple way to monitor the progression of hotel rates is to sign up for price notifications.
Final Thoughts
Because of its relatively professional appearance, Traveluro might be able to tempt you to plan your next trip with them.
But beware: they don’t seem to be reliable.
I suggest you monitor the Traveluro alternatives I listed above to find the best deals to fit your budget and preferences.
Regarding travel booking, it’s best to stick to platforms that have been around longer, are more trustworthy, and have more recognizable names in the industry.
If you’d like to dig around, I recommend checking out Reddit.
There, you can find countless customers complaining about being gypped by Traveluro.
Remember: if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
If you’re looking for some related posts, check out…
