Makemytrip hotel 50% discount offer-hidden fundas
Make My Trip is advertising a 50% off on hotel bookings. But what's not said in the promo is one should book for 7 nights AND Rs 15000 to avail this offer. and there's a max cap on upto what amount can be discounted per booking
Unless travelling for work, how many times a year you get to stay in a city for 7+ days? As a traveler how many cities need 7 days or more to explore?
Anyway I found following loopholes/drawbacks that you should be aware of.
1. This scheme forces you to book at expensive hotels. To avail the offer you need to book rooms that cost more than Rs 2000-3000 per day. This is fundamentally uncalled for. There're many decent budget hotels that are priced in the range of Rs 1000-1500 a night. Just check Stayzilla.com. Forcing me to spend more and then claiming discount may not always result in saving of money.
2. Faulty calculation: Tax is calculated at actual and discount is applied afterwards.
Refer below example. If per day rent is 2500, the discount should be applied on it first and then calculate tax on the reduced amount. As tax is a % of rent paid, that is the logical thing to do. But in makemytrip, they calculate the total and then apply discount.
Total price is 17500, tax is 1750. (10%). if the discount of Rs 7500 is applied on the total, Grand total should be 10000+1000=11000. They faulty calculation makes me loose 750 Rs. I want to know if they'll be really paying extra tax to govt (17.5% instead of 10%)
On the contrary, stayzilla rates are lower and include tax.
3. Max cap on discount per booking
Refer below example. I am trying to book 2 rooms. If I'd booked them separately, I would have got Rs 7500 off on each room. But if I book together, I loose this benefit
Similarly, If I am booking for 10 days, I would expect 50% discount for first 7 days and 20% discount for next 3 days. But unfortunately it doesn't work like that. You need to make separate bookings to avail and save.
4. You don't gain much if you're booking really expensive hotels
There's a max cap on discounts. So the deal works fine only for hotel rooms priced at around Rs 2200-3000. If you're booking luxury resorts, hotels in the range of Rs 5000 or above, you hardly save anything.
5. Two rooms*4 nights is not same as 8 nights
50% off is applicable if you book a room for 7 nights or more. If I book 2 rooms for 4 nights each, that is effectively 8 nights. But that doesn't qualify for discount. Not fair. Total amount paid would be same in both cases.
6. Weekday discounts are lost
Most of the hotels in tourist areas are overcrowded during weekends and they do offer good discount for weekdays. This advantage seems to be lost while trying to book for 7 days in anticipation of discount
7. There's no such thing as free cancellation, though hotel selection page proudly lists the same. MMT charges Rs 250
8. It is Y% discount OR max X rupees discount, whichever is lower.
Ibibo has been running hotel sale campaigns as well- their rates are also fairly inflated. So please check carefully and compare in multiple websites before making a call.
Most of these schemes are designed to get people excited, come to website and hope that some of them will end up booking without noticing various ways how they were cheated.
Similar: Stayzilla hotel booking experience
Anyway I found following loopholes/drawbacks that you should be aware of.
1. This scheme forces you to book at expensive hotels. To avail the offer you need to book rooms that cost more than Rs 2000-3000 per day. This is fundamentally uncalled for. There're many decent budget hotels that are priced in the range of Rs 1000-1500 a night. Just check Stayzilla.com. Forcing me to spend more and then claiming discount may not always result in saving of money.
2. Faulty calculation: Tax is calculated at actual and discount is applied afterwards.
Refer below example. If per day rent is 2500, the discount should be applied on it first and then calculate tax on the reduced amount. As tax is a % of rent paid, that is the logical thing to do. But in makemytrip, they calculate the total and then apply discount.
Total price is 17500, tax is 1750. (10%). if the discount of Rs 7500 is applied on the total, Grand total should be 10000+1000=11000. They faulty calculation makes me loose 750 Rs. I want to know if they'll be really paying extra tax to govt (17.5% instead of 10%)
On the contrary, stayzilla rates are lower and include tax.
Refer below example. I am trying to book 2 rooms. If I'd booked them separately, I would have got Rs 7500 off on each room. But if I book together, I loose this benefit
Similarly, If I am booking for 10 days, I would expect 50% discount for first 7 days and 20% discount for next 3 days. But unfortunately it doesn't work like that. You need to make separate bookings to avail and save.
4. You don't gain much if you're booking really expensive hotels
There's a max cap on discounts. So the deal works fine only for hotel rooms priced at around Rs 2200-3000. If you're booking luxury resorts, hotels in the range of Rs 5000 or above, you hardly save anything.
5. Two rooms*4 nights is not same as 8 nights
50% off is applicable if you book a room for 7 nights or more. If I book 2 rooms for 4 nights each, that is effectively 8 nights. But that doesn't qualify for discount. Not fair. Total amount paid would be same in both cases.
6. Weekday discounts are lost
Most of the hotels in tourist areas are overcrowded during weekends and they do offer good discount for weekdays. This advantage seems to be lost while trying to book for 7 days in anticipation of discount
7. There's no such thing as free cancellation, though hotel selection page proudly lists the same. MMT charges Rs 250
8. It is Y% discount OR max X rupees discount, whichever is lower.
Ibibo has been running hotel sale campaigns as well- their rates are also fairly inflated. So please check carefully and compare in multiple websites before making a call.
Most of these schemes are designed to get people excited, come to website and hope that some of them will end up booking without noticing various ways how they were cheated.
Similar: Stayzilla hotel booking experience
Wonderful post!!
ReplyDeleteYou revealed it !
ReplyDeletenice post shrinidhi..its always better of read the fine print. Comparision also dosen't help much as almost all the sites are using the same gimmick.
ReplyDeleteAgree. Most of the offered are packaged to make people get excited, come the website and hope that they will book without realizing the hidden tactics
ReplyDeleteVery few people actually research before booking.
ReplyDeleteYou have done it well :)
Thanks
ReplyDeletegreat info thanks
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome
Delete