2007 Lonely Planet accoms pricing accuracy?

cristos7

Namaste!

From your recent experience, how accurate are the LP prices listed for accoms in Goa and Kerala? We'll be there from late January thru March - should we expect the actual prices to be lower, higher or about the same as listed in the 2007 LP Guide to South India?

I LOVE INDIA MIKE:-)

Happy Trails, chris

Jephy_R

I'm not sure which edition of LP I used when travelling around India, but lots of the accomodation pricing was inaccurate. I think that you're best bet in Goa and Kerala is to spend sometime wandering around to find the best price, many of the hotel/shack owners are willing to offer lower prices if you put the effort in to haggle.

There's always somewhere to stay so don't let yourself slip into the "gotta book a room before we arrive" mentality, you'll end up paying sky high prices often for something far below what you were expecting.

edwardseco

The research and printing cycle means that it will be out of date the moment the new edition is released..

julesa

LP prices for *everything* seem to be set at what they could obtain the product or service for. note that this is completely different to the walk-up price you will be quoted.

the intention, as far as i can work out, is to give readers an indication of what they should be paying.

if you think about it, there's no point in LP printing the prices you would be quoted as a tourist. what purpose would that serve the reader?

costaguana

There is a vast fluctuation in prices between seasons for hotels in places like Goa/Kerala. There simply isn't room in the LP to list all the seasonal variations for each hotel. I believe LP generally lists the "high season" prices and then gives an estimate of the discount you can expect outside that period, so if you are going between January and March the given prices will be decent benchmarks. In my experience, the prices in LP are generally more accurate for budget hotels than they are for middle and top end hotels.

dhans

I normally use the LP guide as just that: "a" guide. The book gives an indication of low, middle and high accomodation, so you know where to look and have some feel for the prices. Whenever there is a concentration of hotels I park my wife and the kids in a restauarant or hotellobby and do a quick round of the available hotels. Look at the rooms, ask for prices and discounts (and note that the later the time of day, the higher the discounts) and ask whether they will keep a room you like while you look around a bit more.

I've found out that with some travel-experience, you can normally tell whether a price is reasonable for the quality offered. So if that's the case, hunt no longer for that one room dat might be 50 rs cheaper, but go for the one you like.

Hans

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princessSeda

From my research so far most of the accomm prices around Rajasthan from the '07 LP has already increased Rs 100 or more.

But I guess thats the nature of the high tourist inflation, and also if places get renovated or become popular due to being mentioned they will increase their price.

ColinT

In my experience the LP is out of date by quite a bit of time. For the last two editions, I met the researchers carrying out their research for Chennai, and the book was not printed till 18 months later.

maltabella

referring to my experience LP prices are usually understimated, expect 20%/30% higer prices.

Lakshmi66

For what it's worth, I was on the Internet and the 'phone earlier today checking current prices for mid-range hotels in Bombay (Rs 2,000-3,000 for a double room) and the prices were from Rs 1,000 to 2,000 higher than the ones mentioned in the 2005 edition. Of course they mightn't have gone up by that much outside Bombay.

dhans

Showing up almost always guarantees better rates then phoning ahead in India. In Eurpe on the other side (site): bookings.com, weekedjeweg.nl, expedia.com etc.

Hans

edwardseco

There was also a comment by a host that the LP rep just calls for the latest price instead of showing up. Therefore, he quotes a lower price to bring in custom. Veracity I can't certify..

dhans

OK, you'r right, my approach I also not very statistical, just experience from my visits to Asia since 1983. Prices may have doubled since the last LP visit in local currency, but is that also the case against your own currnecy? Or against the euro or dollar?

I like the LP guides, they are really helpfull even in this internet age. Like I said, use them as your guide. Go to the hotel they are recommending, but also visit it's neighbours, they might be better and or cheaper or not. Just don't spend to much time hunting for the bst bargain and thus waist valauble holidaytime.

Hans

ColinT

In response to the post before the previous one in this thread which implies LP reps just phone a place to get quotes, this may well happen, but I have found no evidence of it. I've met a Rough Guide researcher on one occasion and two LP researchers on two different occasions. They were all in the process of personally visting hotels and talking with management and asking for printed tarrifs. They all told me that is what they spend their days doing and therefore they are less likely to be misled.