Recommendation for hotel to watch fireworks 31 Dec 2026

[mauRICE]

6 hours ago, floridarob said:

I was going to say the same thing... most Hotels with revenue managers will usually will throw a rate on the room that is high enough not to sell it too cheap this far out, not only NYE but other known high occupancy nights.

Then you'd need to monitor the rate to watch for its sweet spot, just like airfares..... if there's not much booking activity, they'll drop the rate for a bit to get some bookings and then raise it to where they think it needs to be, more realistically.

Hotels without revenue managers, sometimes forget this and you could find a great deal with their standard rack rate because no one thought about next year yet, rates are usually loaded a year ahead by default by the system.

Make sense?

Interesting and thanks for sharing. I have noticed that airfares and hotel accommodation rates fluctuate in ways that didn't make sense to me. Now I understand it a bit better. 🫶

[Keithambrose]

7 hours ago, floridarob said:

I was going to say the same thing... most Hotels with revenue managers will usually will throw a rate on the room that is high enough not to sell it too cheap this far out, not only NYE but other known high occupancy nights.

Then you'd need to monitor the rate to watch for its sweet spot, just like airfares..... if there's not much booking activity, they'll drop the rate for a bit to get some bookings and then raise it to where they think it needs to be, more realistically.

Hotels without revenue managers, sometimes forget this and you could find a great deal with their standard rack rate because no one thought about next year yet, rates are usually loaded a year ahead by default by the system.

Make sense?

You are the expert here!

[Keithambrose]

12 hours ago, mauRICE said:

Thank you. A little bird told me you were going to Cambodia. Have a safe trip!

Thanks, leaving in a couple of hours, back here 9th. 

 

[PeterRS]

8 hours ago, floridarob said:

. . . most Hotels with revenue managers will usually will throw a rate on the room that is high enough not to sell it too cheap this far out, not only NYE but other known high occupancy nights.

Then you'd need to monitor the rate to watch for its sweet spot, just like airfares..... if there's not much booking activity, they'll drop the rate for a bit to get some bookings and then raise it to where they think it needs to be, more realistically.

Make sense?

Isn't is called something like dynamic pricing - and it extends from hotels, airfares, theatre tickets and a whole host of other items where there is a fixed supply and a fluctuating market?

Not sure if they are still on the go, but there used to be websites for both hotels and air fares where "last minute" offers were available. I had a friend in London who always purchased from these shops - and almost always got tickets/rooms. In the old days in Britain, for air tickets they were called "bucket shops". Rather than offer discounts themselves, airlines would give them a bunch of tickets which they would not expect to sell for a particular route on a particular day. I remember a return flight to Milan on consecutive days for about a third of the usual price.

[10tazione]

Maybe a hotel expert can enlighten me: I am observing prices for The Quarter Silom. 
I mostly book it on Agoda. But then they stopped offering it on Agoda. I checked booking dot com and prices where 150-300$ instead of "normal" 60-70, I am talking about low season. Whats the point in raising prices of a 4* hotel over the prices of 5* hotels? Hoping to find some stupid people?
I started checking other offers like Trip.com and the hotel website, where prices were more moderate but still more than i was willing to pay.
Do they want to get more bookings from their hotel website? But shouldnt they then at least renew the certificate of the website so browsers don't say it is an unsafe website lol? In the end I booked a different hotel, but suddenly in the week before my arrival the hotel reappeared on Agoda with for me acceptable prices, so I cancelled the other hotel and booked The Quarter.

[floridarob]

33 minutes ago, 10tazione said:

Maybe a hotel expert can enlighten me: I am observing prices for The Quarter Silom. 
I mostly book it on Agoda. But then they stopped offering it on Agoda. I checked booking dot com and prices where 150-300$ instead of "normal" 60-70, I am talking about low season. Whats the point in raising prices of a 4* hotel over the prices of 5* hotels? Hoping to find some stupid people?
I started checking other offers like Trip.com and the hotel website, where prices were more moderate but still more than i was willing to pay.
Do they want to get more bookings from their hotel website? But shouldnt they then at least renew the certificate of the website so browsers don't say it is an unsafe website lol? In the end I booked a different hotel, but suddenly in the week before my arrival the hotel reappeared on Agoda with for me acceptable prices, so I cancelled the other hotel and booked The Quarter.

There are so many variables at play.

First, hotel philosophy. Some hotels would rather let rooms sit empty than dilute their pricing and brand positioning. Others, like me when I was running hotels, were very much “heads in beds.” Not to be confused with getting head in bed. That often meant a lower ADR (average daily rate) but a higher RevPAR (revenue per available room). Different strategies, different risk tolerance.

Asia, and Thailand in particular, can feel especially erratic. That probably surprises no one here.

Then you have distribution strategy. Some hotels have exclusivity agreements or best-rate guarantees with specific OTAs. Others negotiate lower commissions with certain platforms. Agoda and Trip.com are generally much stronger in Asia than Expedia or Hotels.com, so inventory and pricing often skew in their favor.

On top of that, hotels allocate room blocks to OTAs and wholesalers. For example, Agoda may get an allotment of 10 rooms. Once those 10 are sold, Agoda will show the hotel as sold out even if the hotel still has rooms available elsewhere. That alone explains a lot of “disappears and reappears” behavior.

Hotels.com is notorious for continuing to sell beyond allotment and letting the hotel sort it out at check-in. They are essentially betting on cancellations or no-shows. If it goes wrong, they relocate the guest or refund them. It’s very similar to airline overbooking logic. They lose occasionally, but overall they stay ahead.

As for pricing a 4-star above nearby 5-stars, it is not always about “hoping for stupid people.” Sometimes it’s about maintaining price integrity, pushing demand to direct bookings, rate-parity games between OTAs, or simply a revenue manager testing elasticity. Sometimes it’s also just bad revenue management.

Peter is right about dynamic pricing being most sophisticated in airlines. Hotel pricing is dynamic, but far less algorithm-driven, especially once you factor in ownership structure. Using Hilton as an example, Hilton only owns or leases about 50 hotels worldwide. Roughly 800 are managed, and over 6,600 are franchised. That means thousands of independent owners making their own pricing decisions, sometimes rational, sometimes not.

So yes, dynamic pricing exists. But inconsistency, allotments, OTA politics, owner psychology, and uneven revenue talent explain most of what people actually see.

In your case, what you experienced with The Quarter is completely normal. You just happened to catch the pricing pendulum swinging back in your favor at the right time.

[Keithambrose]

23 minutes ago, floridarob said:

There are so many variables at play.

First, hotel philosophy. Some hotels would rather let rooms sit empty than dilute their pricing and brand positioning. Others, like me when I was running hotels, were very much “heads in beds.” Not to be confused with getting head in bed. That often meant a lower ADR (average daily rate) but a higher RevPAR (revenue per available room). Different strategies, different risk tolerance.

Asia, and Thailand in particular, can feel especially erratic. That probably surprises no one here.

Then you have distribution strategy. Some hotels have exclusivity agreements or best-rate guarantees with specific OTAs. Others negotiate lower commissions with certain platforms. Agoda and Trip.com are generally much stronger in Asia than Expedia or Hotels.com, so inventory and pricing often skew in their favor.

On top of that, hotels allocate room blocks to OTAs and wholesalers. For example, Agoda may get an allotment of 10 rooms. Once those 10 are sold, Agoda will show the hotel as sold out even if the hotel still has rooms available elsewhere. That alone explains a lot of “disappears and reappears” behavior.

Hotels.com is notorious for continuing to sell beyond allotment and letting the hotel sort it out at check-in. They are essentially betting on cancellations or no-shows. If it goes wrong, they relocate the guest or refund them. It’s very similar to airline overbooking logic. They lose occasionally, but overall they stay ahead.

As for pricing a 4-star above nearby 5-stars, it is not always about “hoping for stupid people.” Sometimes it’s about maintaining price integrity, pushing demand to direct bookings, rate-parity games between OTAs, or simply a revenue manager testing elasticity. Sometimes it’s also just bad revenue management.

Peter is right about dynamic pricing being most sophisticated in airlines. Hotel pricing is dynamic, but far less algorithm-driven, especially once you factor in ownership structure. Using Hilton as an example, Hilton only owns or leases about 50 hotels worldwide. Roughly 800 are managed, and over 6,600 are franchised. That means thousands of independent owners making their own pricing decisions, sometimes rational, sometimes not.

So yes, dynamic pricing exists. But inconsistency, allotments, OTA politics, owner psychology, and uneven revenue talent explain most of what people actually see.

In your case, what you experienced with The Quarter is completely normal. You just happened to catch the pricing pendulum swinging back in your favor at the right time.

I said you were the expert! Very interesting. 

[Keithambrose]

24 minutes ago, floridarob said:

Not to be confused with getting head in bed. 

Ho, ho!

[mauRICE]

1 hour ago, Keithambrose said:

I said you were the expert! Very interesting. 

A specialist! Won the Miss Do Not Disturb prize every year he was in service. 👸💃🥇🏆

[floridarob]

15 minutes ago, mauRICE said:

In fact he was so good at his job that they awarded him the Miss Do Not Disturb prize every year he was in service. 👸💃🥇🏆

When you’ve got rooms at your disposal, guests with “friends” suddenly have somewhere to go… and so do I. The Do Not Disturb sign wasn't the prize, what went on inside was....🤐

[10tazione]

2 hours ago, floridarob said:

when I was running hotels, were very much “heads in beds.”

Heads or head, you still didnt change, I would even say it got worse

Thanks for all the infos!

[jason1975]

Thanks, guys, for all your advice, suggestions and insight.

I will monitor the prices regularly. If I find price of a room that is acceptable, I will book it.

I am also mindful of my guy. My guy is thrifty. He doesn't like it when I spend too much money.

But it's our 10th anniversary of knowing each other so that's why I want it to be special. 🥰🥰🥰

[hank75]

5 hours ago, floridarob said:

Hotels.com is notorious for continuing to sell beyond allotment and letting the hotel sort it out at check-in. They are essentially betting on cancellations or no-shows. If it goes wrong, they relocate the guest or refund them. It’s very similar to airline overbooking logic. They lose occasionally, but overall they stay ahead.

What an interesting read, thank you for this 

Hotels.com though has one of the better loyalty programs for third party booking sites. For every 10 nights you get a free night (equivalent to average price paid). This can be redeemed on its own or you can top up cash to book a more expensive stay. When you hit VIP status, you enjoy upgrades or other perks at different hotels and are not locked into a single brand. I got 1000 baht daily credit that could be applied to meals, room service, or laundry on my last trip. 

However 70% of the time their prices are slightly higher than Agoda or Trip.com so I only book this when price is exactly the same. 

[vinapu]

9 hours ago, 10tazione said:

Maybe a hotel expert can enlighten me: I am observing prices for The Quarter Silom. 
I mostly book it on Agoda. But then they stopped offering it on Agoda. I checked booking dot com and prices where 150-300$ instead of "normal" 60-70, I am talking about low season. Whats the point in raising prices of a 4* hotel over the prices of 5* hotels? Hoping to find some stupid people?
 

since I personally find Quarter  Silom overpriced for what they offer, even with Agoda pricing  , you know what comment came to my mind .

On more serious note some people , God bless them , don't see much difference between 100 and 200 $ and pay whatever is quoted without giving it 2nd thought.

There are also those who are so attached to place that they swallow their pride and pay what is going rate when they do a booking. 

[vinapu]

5 hours ago, jason1975 said:

I want it to be special. 🥰🥰🥰

aren't you already ?

[Keithambrose]

5 minutes ago, vinapu said:

since I personally find Quarter  Silom overpriced for what they offer, even with Agoda pricing  , you know what comment came to my mind .

On more serious note some people , God bless them , don't see much difference between 100 and 200 $ and pay whatever is quoted without giving it 2nd thought.

There are also those who are so attached to place that they swallow their pride and pay what is going rate when they do a booking. 

Yes, fair point. If you go somewhere  reula, you get the same room you like. The staff remember you, and you dont mind if it's not such good value. Personally,  knowing I'm getting a room I like, and I am a bit fussy (!), is a big plus.

[floridarob]

1 hour ago, Keithambrose said:

and I am a bit fussy

a bit?

[khaolakguy]

2 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

Yes, fair point. If you go somewhere  reula, you get the same room you like. The staff remember you, and you dont mind if it's not such good value. Personally,  knowing I'm getting a room I like, and I am a bit fussy (!), is a big plus.

Top floor, corner suite? Just stroll down the corridor to the lounge.....if you can climb out over all the orgy towels!

[vinapu]

7 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

 If you go somewhere  reula, you get the same room you like. The staff remember you, and you dont mind if it's not such good value. Personally,  knowing I'm getting a room I like, 

we are very opposite - I don't like when staff remembers me  and , God forbid,  gets too familiar and too close . And even in hotel I'm returning to I prefer to get a room I did not utilize previously

[floridarob]

27 minutes ago, vinapu said:

I prefer to get a room I did not utilize previously

I prefer not to get a room you used previously as well...😝

[jimmie50]

9 hours ago, vinapu said:

On more serious note some people , God bless them , don't see much difference between 100 and 200 $ and pay whatever is quoted without giving it 2nd thought.

Doesn't matter where I am traveling to...domestic or international...I always shop around and look for the best deal.  I have no qualms about canceling a reservation if a better deal comes up.  I am also not so particular about having the same room if it is a repeat location.  No issues if it is the same, but also fine if it is a different room, different floor, different building, etc.   As long as it is a decent room, clean, good service, reasonable price and good location...I am happy.  

[Keithambrose]

7 hours ago, floridarob said:

a bit?

I was waiting for that!

[Keithambrose]

7 hours ago, khaolakguy said:

Top floor, corner suite? Just stroll down the corridor to the lounge.....if you can climb out over all the orgy towels!

Only 20th floor, out of 24, sorry! Towels removed frequently...

[hank75]

16 minutes ago, Keithambrose said:

Only 20th floor, out of 24, sorry! Towels removed frequently...

You wouldn’t want to be on Le Meridien lounge floor anyway. Not enough separation between lounge and rooms, all those visitors tramping up and down chatting loudly, shudder….

[Keithambrose]

2 minutes ago, hank75 said:

You wouldn’t want to be on Le Meridien lounge floor anyway. Not enough separation between lounge and rooms, all those visitors tramping up and down chatting loudly, shudder….

Suites are at the other end of the corridor, well away from lifts and lounge, so it's not an issue. There are a few rooms  between  the lifts and the lounge, where it could be an issue. Lounge closes at 10pm, and as free drinks stop at 8pm, usually  empty after that!