Travel tips viewed by tens of millions of people on TikTok have been scrutinised by an industry expert.
In the past few years the Chinese video platform has become the go-to place to share hot tips in the worlds of cooking, travelling, decorating and countless other areas.
Over the last 30 days the #travelhacks hashtag was viewed by 26 million people just in the UK, and 246 million worldwide on TikTok.
The huge popularity of the platform leads to the question - is the advice offered credible?
Expert in travel tech and MD of hospitality EPOS systems, PowerEpos, Richard Goodall has delved into some of the most popular TikTok hacks in the hospitality industry to reveal if they really do the trick.
Here he breaks down some of the biggest myths.
“It’s more expensive to book your hotel on Apple devices” - False
According to one TikTok influencer with over 2.8 million followers, companies use their cookie tracking when you visit their website to understand what device you are using and leverage this to offer premiums to those who use affluent tech brands such as Apple.
“Whilst having an Apple device may put you in a more affluent consumer category, most travel companies do not have the means to create variable prices for different users entering their website," Richard said.
"This would require an extremely high level technology which the average hotel system does not hold."
If you want to ensure you get the best rate for your hotel, you should consider booking directly, as hoteliers don’t need to slice out a portion of their booking profit to travel shopping sites such as Expedia or Booking.com.
Secondly, sign up to any rewards system the hotel offers.
“Hotels cost more when you book at night” - False
Multiple influencers share their hotel hacks and secrets, and one trick that goes viral is to try and book rooms in the daytime, as prices get hiked up when you book in the evenings.
“Hotel prices always boil down to supply and demand," Richard said.
"Prices vary based on seasonality and demand for rooms as a primary factor. People are booking hotels from all over the world, on different time clocks, so it is unrealistic for a hotel to vary its prices for particular times of a day, as that time depends on the country they are visiting from.
“We provide EPOS and POS systems for hoteliers, and their biggest priority is to fill their rooms and restaurant tables as early as possible.
"They are not as concerned about the hotel room being filled in four months' time, but the gaps for the week ahead."
The travel expert recommends that those looking for a bargain consider booking last minute, as hotels are likely to drop their prices then to fill rooms.
“Moving your hotel booking can save you hundreds in hotel cancellation fees” - True
@Therealmelaninking with 773.2K followers on TikTok shares a hotel secret which he says will out-manoeuvre most hotel policies and could save you hundreds, if not thousands.
“After booking a hotel you will have a short period of time to cancel before you are charged full cancellation fees on your booking," Richard said.
"Some are within seven days and others are as low as 24 hours. Although, it is usually free to move your hotel booking to another date without charge."
He added: "When making your original booking make sure to check the fine print to see if the hotel is offering any charges on booking amendments. Some offer no refund or amendments after payment, whilst others are more flexible at an extra cost.”
“You can get the best restaurant seat if you book far in advance”- True
Getting a good table at a good restaurant can be a challenge, especially if it is popular.
@Alysialoo, who used to work as a host in restaurants mentions in a TikTok video that one of the best ways to get a table is to book around two months in advance.
She mentions it means a lot to restaurants when people make the effort to book in advance and especially if they are mentioning it’s for a special occasion.
“Popular restaurants are no strangers to walk-ins, even if it is outside of their policy," Richard said.
"This can be really infuriating to restaurant staff who are likely to be busy and do not have the time to deal with disappointed customers at the door.
“Booking as far in advance as possible is great for busy restaurants as they can plan ahead and take time to prepare for special requests. This sign of respect can land you one of the best tables in the house.”
“Tickets to events are up to 90% cheaper if you book the same day”- True
Unlike hotel and restaurant bookings, last minute booking at concerts, theatres and sports games can work in your favour and save you big money.
“When booking tickets to large events, such as concerts or sports games it feels natural to look at securing a ticket as far in advance as possible," Richard said.
"However, this isn’t always the most economically friendly approach, as prices are likely to be at their highest point.
“As an event grows closer, arenas and stadiums want to ensure that they have filled every single seat. Although sometimes an event might not have sold too well, or there are lots of last minute cancellations to bookings - as @mirusponon explains in her viral TikTok.
"This means on the day of an event can see prices drop substantially for last minute sales, sometimes up to 90% on the original prices."
