The Best Hotel Booking Websites To Take Advantage Of In 2026

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When it comes to choosing hotels these days, the options for booking websites seem unlimited — overwhelming, even. There are myriad sites that claim to offer deep discounts, last-minute deals, or the best selection. But how do you know which websites to trust for the best prices without hidden fees or unexpected issues later on? The sites we've rounded up here are some of the most reputable and reliable on the internet for booking travel. These include three types: hotel chain websites, online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Expedia, and meta-search engines that combine results from a wide range of sources, also known as aggregators. 

Some travelers swear by booking directly through the hotel to accrue loyalty points, but there are merits to OTAs, too. These websites are essentially brokers between you and the hotel (or airline, cruise operator, or rental car company). These are often referred to as third-party booking sites, all of which operate slightly differently. For example, some include taxes and fees in the initial price, while others don't. 

The hotel booking websites in this guide have been tested and rated highly in a 2026 ranking by renowned travel guide Frommer's. We've also included both lesser-known platforms and hotel chain websites that could offer more bang for your buck. Here are 12 sites to make vacation planning more fun and hassle-free. 

Google Maps has a clever hack that makes it easy to plan your vacation itinerary, and Google's travel aggregator is equally as useful. Topping Frommer's list of best booking sites for 2026, Google Travel wins out for providing the lowest prices on hotels and a high quantity of options. The meta-search engine excels at transparency with pricing, as it's the only aggregator that displays all taxes and fees up front, according to Frommer's. 

For added convenience, Google Travel can also be linked to your Google account, which will automatically add travel itineraries and hotel reservations to your Google calendar. I personally use it most often to kick-start my trip planning. Its filters are a plus, with numerous categories that allow you to search for specific results, such as current discounts, guest ratings, free cancellation, and more. Reduced prices are clearly marked with labels like "Deal," "Great Deal," or "Great Price." The website's interface is also very easy to navigate. 

Skyscanner is typically known for flight deals, hence the name. But it is also a great resource for booking hotels, landing a top spot on Frommer's report. According to their research, Skyscanner returns slightly fewer results than its competitors, but its prices are consistently low. Skyscanner is based in the U.K., and possibly for that reason, it's been a go-to for booking hotels in the U.K. and Europe, in my experience, as it consistently turns up good deals in the region. If you're looking for a budget hotel in Europe, Rick Steves has great advice for travelers seeking value.

Skyscanner plainly indicates when a price for a particular property is cheaper than usual, suggesting that you're getting a better deal. When comparing results, it's always worth clicking "View more" underneath the main display price, as you'll find additional options from other websites, each with different price options. Of course, it's important to investigate further by clicking each option and seeing which fees are reflected in the price.

While many travelers prioritize deals on accommodations, others might be willing to splurge on style. That's where a curated platform like Tablet Hotels comes in. Since 2000, the company has focused on adding stylish, upscale hotels to its portfolio, emphasizing quality service. The company offers an annual membership program called Tablet Plus, which costs $99 per year and includes perks like extra discounts, room upgrades, late checkout, spa treatments, and more, depending on availability at check-in. But you can certainly still book hotels on the site without being a Tablet Plus member.

Tablet Hotels' search results show transparent prices with a base rate and the total, including fees, listed right below. Filters are more tailored to experience-based stays, where you can sort by neighborhood, atmosphere, style, and size of the hotel, in addition to other common search filters. It's one of the best ways to discover beautiful boutique hotels to stay in across Europe and beyond. Similar booking engines, such as Mr & Mrs Smith and Small Luxury Hotels of the World, also provide a curated selection of the world's trendiest boutique hotels. 

Landing in second place on Frommer's report of the best hotel booking sites in 2026 is Trivago. It performed especially well, returning the highest quantity of hotels in cities around the world compared to all other platforms. The prices it displays include all fees, but not taxes, so you'll have to click through to check-out for the complete price. But the filters are pretty handy, with options to search for free cancellation, parking, complementary breakfast, visitor ratings of 8.0 or higher, and others. Trivago also offers a free membership program that grants access to loyalty perks and member-only discounts.

Trivago also has an AI-powered "Smart filter," a beta feature within its search filters. This allows you to provide a written description of your ideal hotel, and the Smart filter supposedly finds the best matches based on your criteria. While useful in theory, Frommer's points out that it is only somewhat helpful. It may not be the most reliable way to find your dream hotel, so it's best to do your own research or stick to the other built-in filters.

Since Tripadvisor was founded in 2000, it has remained one of the internet's top go-to sources for finding highly-rated attractions and experiences. While it is definitely a good place to search for guided tours, restaurants, and activities for your vacation, it is also a top aggregator for hotels and cruises. Its interface is simpler than Trivago and Google Travel, with less information provided up-front. If you read the fine print, it says that the prices do reflect mandatory fees, but not taxes.

The good part about reserving a hotel on Tripadvisor is that you can search for Travelers' Choice award recipients, denoted by a special logo and awarded to properties that are highly rated by previous guests. The reviews are even searchable. If you're concerned about noise, for example, it's really easy to find out what people have said by searching for related keywords. 

Wyndham Hotel Group operates many hotels around the globe — over 9,200 and counting. Its portfolio includes budget options like Days Inn and Super 8, mid-range brands like La Quinta and Ramada, and upscale hotels like Wyndham Grand. As an avid road-tripper, I see Wyndham hotels off just about every Interstate exit, making it a good option for quick overnight stays, too. Fees are included in the price on the Wydham Hotels website, with filters for free wi-fi, complementary breakfast, on-site laundry, and more. It's worth noting that some hotels may tack on extra fees for parking, pets, and other services.

While you can use other websites to book your stay, booking directly through Wyndham Hotels has its perks. The company offers a loyalty program called Wyndham Rewards, a free subscription allowing guests to earn points — at least 1,000 for each stay — as long as it is booked directly, not through a third-party website. While loyalty initiatives like this aren't anything new, the company just unveiled a premium tier called Wyndham Rewards Insider. For a $95 annual fee, members have access to special discounts, a free night at a Wyndham hotel, and other perks.

Based in Singapore, Agoda has been around for a little more than two decades and sits under the same corporate umbrella as familiar sites like Booking.com, Priceline, and Kayak. What sets it apart, according to Frommer's, is that the OTA started with a major focus on properties throughout Asia, so it still performs quite well for searches in the region. It also helps that several of the most affordable countries in the world to visit are in Asia. While it does turn up good deals in other places around the world, it falls short compared to aggregators like Google Travel, according to Frommer's.

Agoda's selection is diverse, allowing you to search for hotels, long-term stays, guest houses, vacation rental apartments, and even caravan parks. Prices include fees but not taxes, and the options can also be modified to include extra services like free cancellation, breakfast, or a book-now, pay-later option. It also has other categories that some travelers might find useful, such as "workation friendly," "great for groups," and "great for families." If anything, the information can be a little overwhelming in its sheer quantity, but that also means that just about everything you may need to know is right there in front of you.

Since 2005, BringFido has grown from a review platform for pet-friendly stays into an OTA with over 560,000 properties that accept dogs. These include vacation rentals, B&Bs, and over 150,000 pet-friendly hotels. As a person traveling with a pet, one of the biggest headaches is figuring out pet fees, which can range widely depending on the hotel. BringFido is incredibly helpful for this. Its main search results page displays each hotel's base rate, the applicable pet fee, and the policies on big dogs and multiple dogs, as many hotels cap at two pets only.

BringFido allows you to compare its rates to other OTAs, but you can book your stay directly through the site as well. Members are not charged any additional booking fees, and the company features a "Canine Concierge" service that guarantees you'll be assigned a pet-friendly room. You don't have to be a member to book, but a perk of membership — which is free — is peace of mind. Its so-called "Pet Friendly Guarantee" means that, if the hotel charges a higher pet fee than advertised or can't accommodate the pet at all, BringFido has a number of reimbursement and refund options available.

Landing in eighth place on Frommer's report, Booking.com has historically ranked higher, but has dropped down in 2026 as it does not seem to stack up against its competitors. It's still a standby, though, and its redeeming quality is that it's still the best OTA for its huge range of filtering and sorting options. This goes hand-in-hand with the fact that it consistently returns a wealth of results. So even with filters applied, you'll still have many options to choose from.

Property types can be narrowed to include luxury tents, lodges, farm stays, and many more styles. You can also search for specific amenities and filter by properties that don't require pre-payment. Travelers can also search for hotels that are pet-friendly and especially welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community, along with accessibility options and access to specific activities such as hiking and snorkeling.

As the name suggests, making a hotel reservation at the eleventh hour is the name of the game at HotelTonight. The booking platform helps travelers find the best last-minute discounts on hotels all over the world. It really emphasizes its mobile app, where extra deals are published that you won't find on the desktop version. Of course, you can book in advance if that's your style, but its whole schtick is sourcing good deals on short notice, which comes in handy if you follow Rick Steves' strategy when booking a hotel for an international trip. 

One has to be careful while looking at prices on HotelTonight. Depending on the hotel, the price may include both fees and taxes, or just the fees, so remember to read the fine print first. The interface is easy to navigate, which is important to have while booking a hotel spontaneously on your phone. There's also a "Daily Drop" feature to incentivize travelers to book fast, as it "unlocks" the deepest discount available for just 15 minutes only. However, this feature is subject to availability and may not be offered for your destination of choice. Signing up for the HT Perks program will also ensure you see exclusive deals, which are denoted with a blue "Perks Deal" icon, and you can also earn credits to use on future bookings.

Marriott International is the largest hotel chain in the world, with more than 1.68 million rooms and 30 hotel brands in its portfolio as of 2025. The company's emphasis is on mid-range, upscale, and luxury offerings. You'll probably recognize hotels like Four Points, Courtyard, Westin, Renaissance Hotels, W Hotels, and many more, including a few options for extended stays. It even owns several romantic, all-inclusive resorts that are perfect for couples. With such a wide range of hotels to choose from, you are bound to find an option that suits your needs by booking directly through the search platform on Marriott's website. 

Keep in mind that the prices displayed in the search results don't automatically include the total price with taxes and fees. Some Marriott-owned hotels also have a "destination fee" included in the base rate, comprising an amenities package. The added cost might be worth it if you take advantage of the amenities, which include extras like drink tastings, yoga classes, or casino credits, but it's something to keep an eye out for if you don't think you'll partake. Marriott Bonvoy's loyalty program is free to join and it offers a number of perks, including a "best rate guarantee" on its member-only rates and points to earn free nights. Certain Marriott Bonvoy American Express cards also come with access to airport lounges with high-end offerings.

When choosing how to book a hotel, it usually comes down to personal preferences. If discounts are your priority, keep in mind that the lowest rate shown for a hotel on an OTA may not have a flexible cancellation policy. Sure, you may save $100 up front, but if you need to cancel last minute, you will likely still have to foot the bill. It's also not uncommon for these super-cheap rates to score you the least desirable rooms in the hotel. 

Many OTAs are owned by one parent company. For example, Expedia Group owns other recognizable brands like Expedia, Hotels.com, Travelocity, Orbitz, Trivago, and VRBO. To create a diverse and well-rounded guide of the best hotel booking sites in 2026, we chose to stick with companies that are independent of one another — the exceptions being Booking.com and Agoda, which are both under the Booking Holdings umbrella, but have different strengths. We aimed to feature a range of sites that have useful attributes for travelers, such as many search filters, niche offerings, transparent pricing, user-friendly interfaces, and unique loyalty programs. We perused discussions about third-party booking sites on Reddit. The author's personal experience using a number of these sites in the past was taken into consideration. As previously mentioned, we also relied on the Frommer's report for in-depth analysis of each booking engine and how they compare to one another.