“To piggyback, always register with the smart traveler enrollment program, if you’re in the US.” —u/quemaspuess “Booking directly also gives you more recourse if things go wrong. Most hotels will be able to offer more flexibility if you need to cancel than if you booked through a third party, even for ’non-refundable’ rates. Also, if you want to complain about something, you have more chance of getting the room comped if the hotel booked it rather than trying to get the money back from Expedia.” —u/distantapplause
