Jersey City, NJ, USA — Travorio reviewed hotel prices across major booking platforms to see how often travelers can find a meaningful difference for the same property and travel dates.
What we found
The study covered 394 hotel comparisons across 18 destinations. Rates were drawn from Booking.com, Expedia, and Hotels.com for a three-night stay in September 2026 for two adults. These figures build on Travorio’s broader look at average hotel prices around the world.
Most comparisons were fairly close. The median difference between the lowest and highest available rate was 4%. The average difference was 8%.
The larger gaps are where comparison becomes useful. Twenty-nine percent of the searches showed a difference of more than 10%, and 10% showed a difference above 20%.
The largest gap in the sample was 106%, equal to $213, for the Elasophia Hotel in Istanbul.
Key numbers
| Measure | Result |
| Hotel comparisons included | 394 |
| Destinations reported | 18 |
| Median price gap | 4% |
| Average price gap | 8% |
| Comparisons with gap above 10% | 29% |
| Comparisons with gap above 20% | 10% |
| Largest observed gap | 106% ($213) |
Where the biggest differences appeared
The size of the price gap varied by destination. Istanbul and Bangkok stood out in this sample, while several North American and European cities showed much tighter pricing.
| Destination | Average gap | Median gap | Hotels compared |
| Istanbul, Turkey | 20% | 13% | 22 |
| Bangkok, Thailand | 19% | 15% | 30 |
| Tokyo, Japan | 14% | 13% | 22 |
| Marrakech, Morocco | 12% | 8% | 18 |
| Cancun, Mexico | 12% | 10% | 24 |
| Rome, Italy | 9% | 6% | 26 |
| Lisbon, Portugal | 9% | 7% | 27 |
| Toronto, Canada | 6% | 0% | 11 |
| Amsterdam, Netherlands | 5% | 3% | 26 |
| London, UK | 5% | 0% | 30 |
| Dubai, UAE | 5% | 0% | 4 |
| Paris, France | 5% | 1% | 27 |
| New York, USA | 4% | 0% | 28 |
| Barcelona, Spain | 4% | 2% | 25 |
| Singapore | 2% | 0% | 18 |
| Miami, USA | 2% | 0% | 29 |
| Doha, Qatar | 2% | 0% | 26 |
Sample note: Dubai had only four hotels with rates from two or more platforms. Sydney, Melbourne, and Bali were not included in city-level reporting because there was not enough multi-platform data.
What the numbers mean for travelers
A 4% median gap means that many travelers will see only a small difference when they compare major booking sites. The more useful finding is that larger gaps still appeared often enough to matter.
In 29% of the comparisons, the difference was above 10%. On a $2,000 hotel booking, a 10% difference is $200. On a $4,000 stay, it is $400.
| Booking value | 5% gap | 10% gap | 20% gap |
| $400 | $20 | $40 | $80 |
| $900 | $45 | $90 | $180 |
| $2,000 | $100 | $200 | $400 |
| $4,000 | $200 | $400 | $800 |
Price variation by hotel rating
The widest average gaps in this sample appeared among 3-star hotels. The study did not test the cause, so these figures should be treated as a description of this dataset rather than a general rule about hotel categories.
| Star rating | Average gap | Hotels compared |
| 1-2 star | 10% | 20 |
| 3 star | 12% | 103 |
| 4 star | 7% | 125 |
| 5 star | 6% | 47 |
Why prices can differ
Hotel prices can vary from one booking platform to another because the platforms may receive inventory from different suppliers, use different promotions or markups, and update availability at different times.
- Different supplier and distribution agreements
- Platform-specific promotions and pricing
- Changes in room availability
- Taxes and mandatory fees
- Breakfast and other inclusions
- Cancellation and refund terms
The study compared total-stay prices in USD. It did not control for every room condition on every platform, so the lowest rate on one site was not always an identical room product to the lowest rate on another.
Methodology
The pricing data for this Hotel Price Index 2026 came from whhotel price aggregation API, which returned rates from Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, and VRBO for matching hotel properties.
Check-in: September 8, 2026
Check-out: September 11, 2026
Stay length: 3 nights
Guests: 2 adults
Rooms: 1
Currency: USD
A total of 600 hotel searches were run across 20 destinations. Of those, 394 returned prices from at least two platforms and were included in the analysis. Eighteen destinations had enough data for city-level reporting.
Hotels were matched using property name and geographic coordinates. Properties appearing on only one platform were excluded. Member-only and loyalty rates were also excluded.
Limitations
- Prices were captured at one point in time and may have changed afterward.
- The study does not show that any one platform is consistently the cheapest.
- The comparison used the lowest available rate per platform, not identical room categories in every case.
- The main platforms represented were Booking.com, Expedia, and Hotels.com.
- The study used one travel window and one length of stay. Other dates and booking windows may produce different results.
Bottom line
Most hotel price differences in this sample were modest. Still, nearly one in three comparisons showed a gap above 10%. That is large enough to matter on expensive or multi-night stays, especially for travelers using pay later hotels options to spread out the cost. It is also a practical reason to compare rates before booking.
About Travorio
Travorio is an online travel platform for hotels, flights, and event tickets. It also offers flexible payment options in supported markets, including pay-in-4 installments and cryptocurrency. Guests can also book hotels with PayPal Pay in 4 for added flexibility. Travorio compares hotel inventory from multiple travel supplier networks.
Learn more at travorio.com
Media Contact
Company Name: Travorio
Contact Person: Media Relations
Website: hi@travorio.com
Website: travorio.com
