Hotels.com

What we liked:
Hotels.com has the might of Expedia behind it so you can book sound in the knowledge that you're dealing with a large and respected company.
The website offers some very handy features such as a currency converter and a hotel visualiser – this lets you choose the type of holiday you like via a series of pictures and then recommends a hotel based on your tastes. Above all, it makes booking a hotel a simple process.
You start by choosing a destination before entering your break's start and end date and the number of people going. The results give you a list of accommodation in that location, showing you the prices per available night, each hotel’s distance from the city centre and guest ratings. You can also check whether a hotel has a gym, pool, restaurant or internet access and tailor your search results to suit your needs.
     Hotels.com features regular discounts – winter deals of 15 per cent off were typical when we visited while some rooms featured 40 per cent savings when booking four nights or more. The site does have a lowest price guarantee but you need to book at Hotels.com first and claim the difference back once you’ve found a better deal.
User reviews provide solid, intelligent insights, and there are direct links to the brilliantly-frank TripAdvisor to give you a good feel of the room before you book.

Our verdict:
Hotels.com is a very user-friendly site with lots of great content. It lets you cancel bookings without penalty, has a helpline to call if there’s trouble and offers a wide range of affordable rooms.