Let’s talk about the digital bait-and-switch that’s driving travelers up the wall.

You're looking for a hotel. You find one that says $100 per night. Perfect! You click. You scroll. You enter your email. Your phone number. You maybe even pick out your pillow firmness.

Then BAM — the total is $280 per night.

What happened?

The Great Fee Sneak Attack

Most travel booking sites are pulling a fast one. They’ll show you a “base price,” which looks good. But by the time you’ve gone through the booking process, they’ve added everything from “resort fees” to “booking charges” to “we-just-felt-like-it” surcharges. They argue it’s the consumer paying the fees, not them — so it’s all fair game.

But let’s be honest — if it feels like a scam to the traveler, then it is a scam to the traveler.

This pricing trick doesn’t just leave people feeling duped. It wrecks the entire transaction. When the final cost ends up two or three times the starting price, customers abandon the booking altogether.

Why Are We Still Doing This, Anyway?

Back when the internet was new, hotels needed booking platforms to manage online reservations. It was complicated, expensive, and time-consuming. Third-party sites filled that need — for a fee.

But it’s not 1998 anymore. Today, most hotels, inns, and B&Bs have their own websites and built-in booking engines. They no longer need to rely on platforms that charge steep commissions and sneak in hidden fees.

That’s why AiBellHop allows lodging owners to include their own “Book Direct” link right in their listing. This means guests can connect straight to the property’s own booking system, skip the middlemen, and get the best rate — with zero surprises.

AiBellHop: No Hidden Fees. No Nonsense.

At AiBellHop, we don’t tack on extra fees — not to the traveler, not to the innkeeper, not to anyone. If a room is listed at $100 per night, that’s exactly what it costs. No math puzzles at checkout. No last-minute sticker shock.

We believe in radical transparency because trust is worth more than a quick commission.

And here’s the thing: when travelers see honest pricing up front, they’re more likely to book. More bookings mean happier customers and happier hotels.

So while other platforms are still hiding behind “consumer-paid” fees, AiBellHop is building a future where hotel booking is straightforward, honest, and refreshingly simple.