Australians told to call hotels, rather than rely on booking sites, for cheaper rates

Competition watchdog says if people phone hotels directly there’s a ‘very good chance’ they will get a better price

Australians who book hotels online using sites such as Expedia, Booking.com and Hotels.com are missing out on cheaper deals than if they simply picked up the phone.

They’re also being encouraged to avoid online booking sites because they are driving a “wrecking ball” through the local economy and harming the Australian hotel industry.

Related: Hotel booking sites could be forced to stop claiming 'one room left'

Related: Meriton fined $3m for manipulating TripAdvisor hotel reviews