Booking.com and Expedia sell mostly the same hotels in Spain and Portugal, and neither is always cheaper. The real differences are in the terms: Booking.com’s Genius gives direct discounts and often lets you pay at the property, while Expedia’s One Key gives credit for later trips and is shared with Hotels.com and Vrbo. For hostels, holiday homes or Asian-style rewards, other sites fit better.
Terms were checked on 18 October 2026 on each company’s official pages. We have not tested these sites with paid bookings for this comparison.
Side by side
| Booking.com | Expedia | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Booking.com B.V., Netherlands | Expedia Group; Pay Now payments in most EU countries taken by Travel Partner Exchange S.L. |
| Cancellation | Set by each property; free until its deadline on many rates | Set by each rate; filter for fully refundable rates |
| Payment | Online or at the property, depending on the rate | Pay Now, or Pay Later at the hotel in local currency |
| Loyalty | Genius: 10–20% discounts at participating properties | One Key: OneKeyCash for later bookings |
| Price guarantee | Refunds the difference for the same stay found cheaper | Hotel Price Guarantee; status after July 2026 not confirmed |
| Reviews | Only guests who stayed, within 3 months, score 1–10 | Only travellers who booked, within 6 months |
| Support | 24/7, more than 40 languages | 24/7, virtual agent and phone |
Prices are left out on purpose. Both sites show live rates that change several times a day. Search the same hotel and dates on both and compare the total.
Cancellation and payment
On both sites the hotel decides the cancellation rules for each rate. Booking.com’s terms say some bookings can’t be cancelled for free, and a prepayment can be non-refundable. Expedia’s terms work the same way. Both let you filter the search for rates you can cancel for free.
The bigger difference is when you pay. On Booking.com, many rates are paid at the property, at check-in. On Expedia you choose between Pay Now, charged when you book, and Pay Later, charged by the hotel in local currency during your stay. With Pay Later the exchange rate and taxes can change before the trip.
If Booking.com offers to charge you in your own currency, its terms say a conversion fee is added on top of the ECB rate, and your bank may add its own.
Genius vs One Key
Genius is free and you don’t lose your level. According to Booking.com:
| Level | How to reach it | Stays |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Create an account | 10% off |
| 2 | 5 bookings in 2 years | 10–15% off, free breakfast or room upgrades at some properties |
| 3 | 15 bookings in 2 years | 10–20% off, priority support |
Discounts apply only at participating properties, to the price before taxes and fees.
One Key is shared by Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo. It has four tiers: Blue, Silver from 5 trip elements, Gold from 15 and Platinum from 30. Instead of a discount, you earn OneKeyCash to spend on later bookings. Expedia changed the earning rates on 28 July 2026, and the published examples are for the US, so check the One Key terms for your country before you count on it.
In short: Genius saves money on this trip, One Key on the next one, and only if you keep booking with Expedia Group.
Price guarantees
Booking.com’s terms promise to refund the difference if you find the same stay, with the same conditions, cheaper elsewhere. It does not apply to partner offers or loyalty prices, and Booking.com decides if a claim qualifies.
Expedia has a Hotel Price Guarantee with claims up to midnight hotel time on the day of check-in. Its sister site Hotels.com ended its guarantee on 28 July 2026, and we could not confirm whether Expedia’s still runs. Treat it as a bonus, not a reason to book.
Reviews
Booking.com only accepts reviews from guests who booked through it and stayed, within 3 months of check-out, on a scale of 1 to 10. Expedia only accepts reviews from travellers who booked, within 6 months of the trip. Neither site lets anyone review a property without a booking.
The tourist tax
Barcelona, Mallorca, Lisbon and Porto charge a tourist tax per person per night, and many hotels collect it at the property. On both sites it often appears as a separate “city tax” line, so the headline price may not be the full cost. See the rates in our tourist tax guide.
Other booking sites
-
Booking.com
- Hotels and apartments
- Pay at the property often possible
- Company
- Booking.com B.V., Netherlands
- Cancellation
- Set by each property; free cancellation until its deadline on many rates
- Loyalty
- Genius: 10% at level 1, 10–15% at level 2, 10–20% at level 3
- Price match
- Refunds the difference for the same stay found cheaper
- Reviews
- Only guests who booked and stayed, within 3 months; score 1–10
- Support
- 24/7, more than 40 languages
-
Expedia
- Hotels, flights and packages
- Pay now or pay later
- Company
- Expedia Group; Pay Now payments in most EU countries taken by Travel Partner Exchange S.L.
- Cancellation
- Depends on the rate; filter for fully refundable rates
- Loyalty
- One Key: OneKeyCash shared with Hotels.com and Vrbo, rates by tier and country
- Reviews
- Only travellers who booked, within 6 months of the trip
- Support
- 24/7, virtual agent with transfer to a person, phone
-
Hotels.com
- Hotels
- Pay now or pay later
- Company
- Expedia Group; Pay Now payments in most EU countries taken by Travel Partner Exchange S.L.
- Loyalty
- One Key, shared with Expedia and Vrbo
- Price guarantee
- Hotel Price Guarantee ended on 28 July 2026
-
Agoda
- Hotels and apartments
- Pay now, later or at the hotel
- Company
- Agoda Company Pte. Ltd., Singapore (Booking Holdings)
- Currency
- Up to 5% extra if charged in a different currency from the one shown
- Loyalty
- AgodaVIP: Bronze to Diamond, VIP deals up to 25% on some properties
- Price guarantee
- Best Price Guarantee: pays the difference for the same room found cheaper
- Reviews
- Only guests who booked through Agoda; score 1–10
-
Trip.com
- Hotels, flights and trains
- Prepay or pay at the property
- Company
- Trip.com Travel Singapore Pte. Ltd., Singapore
- Loyalty
- Trip.com Rewards: 50 Trip Coins per US$100 on hotels, more at higher tiers
- Price match
- Trial in some regions; claim by 23:59 the day before check-in, paid in Trip Coins
- Support
- 24/7, chat and phone
-
Vrbo
- Holiday homes
- Company
- EG Vacation Rentals Ireland Limited, Ireland (Expedia Group)
- Cancellation
- Set by the host, from full refund until 24 h before to no refund
- Payment
- 1 to 3 payments on the host's schedule
- Service fee
- Percentage of the booking, refunded if you cancel within the full-refund window
- Loyalty
- One Key, shared with Expedia and Hotels.com
-
Hostelworld
- Hostels
- Company
- Hostelworld.com Limited, Ireland
- Payment
- Deposit and booking fee online, the rest at the hostel
- Cancellation
- Free Cancellation, Standard Flexible (voucher for 6 months) or Non-Refundable
- Reviews
- Only guests who booked and stayed; score out of 10
Prices checked on 18 October 2026. They change often; check the final price before you pay.
- Hotels.com runs on the same platform as Expedia and uses One Key.
- Agoda belongs to Booking Holdings, like Booking.com. Its terms say it may add up to 5% if you are charged in a different currency from the one shown.
- Trip.com gives Trip Coins: 50 per US$100 on hotels at the base level, worth about US$0.50.
- Vrbo is for holiday homes. The host sets the cancellation policy and payment schedule, and a service fee is added to the price.
- Hostelworld is for hostels. You pay a deposit and a non-refundable booking fee online, and the rest at the hostel.
Which one to choose
- You want to pay at the hotel and keep plans flexible: Booking.com, filtering for free cancellation.
- You already collect OneKeyCash or book flights too: Expedia.
- Holiday home for a family or group: Vrbo, after reading the host’s cancellation policy.
- Hostel bed: Hostelworld.
Whichever site you use, pick the neighbourhood first. Start with our guides to Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon and Porto.
Frequently asked questions
Is Booking.com or Expedia cheaper?
Neither is always cheaper. Both show live prices set with each hotel, and the same room can be cheaper on either site on different days. Search the same dates on both and compare the final price including taxes.
Which is better for free cancellation, Booking.com or Expedia?
On both sites the hotel sets the cancellation rules for each rate. Both let you filter for rates you can cancel for free, so the difference is in the individual property, not the site.
What is the difference between Genius and One Key?
Genius, from Booking.com, gives discounts of 10% to 20% at participating properties, depending on your level. One Key, from Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo, gives OneKeyCash, credit you can spend on later bookings, at rates that depend on your tier and country.
Does Hotels.com still have a price guarantee?
According to the Hotels.com help centre, its Hotel Price Guarantee ended on 28 July 2026. Bookings made before that date could still qualify.
Is the tourist tax included in the price?
Often not. On both Booking.com and Expedia many hotels list the city tax separately, to be paid at the property. Open the price breakdown before you confirm.
Sources
- Booking.com — terms of service
- Booking.com — how we work
- Booking.com — Genius
- Expedia — terms of service
- Expedia — One Key terms (UK)
- Expedia — review guidelines
- Hotels.com — Hotel Price Guarantee ending
- Agoda — terms of use
- Trip.com — Rewards programme
- Vrbo — service fee
- Hostelworld — hostel terms and conditions
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