I know it's not a popular opinion but at this point I think anyone who books through a 3rd party basically gets what they deserve. There are no end to horror stories here and with the modern internet there's no reason to use them. In 2002 it was a different story. It may not have prevented this situation but the 3rd party bookers take a cut from the provider and offer you absolutely nothing in return. Just book direct.
I think it depends on the kinds of places you regularly book at.
When I read your first sentence I thought "that is the exact opposite of my experience". Then when I read your second sentence I realize we're probably not using 3rd parties the same way.
I primarily book 4 star and up properties, that is just how I prefer to travel. For those kinds of places you'll often get a worse net experience when booking through a 3rd party (I've tried in the past). Upon check-in, it is made clear that your "discounted rate" doesn't qualify you for certain perks (loyalty points, check-in bonus like a free drink, etc.). I'm also not too worried about a name-brand property screwing me over.
But for a little "seaside hotel" kind of place, I can see where having a large 3rd party booking agent on your side could be valuable.
I travel a lot to many different places including small villages. I'd like to take advantage of a rewards program, but the places I travel to often don't have one of the large chains. These booking services allow me to get bonus points. I thinks that's a good reason, besides the superior convenience of having a unified interface. I rarely had any issues with them either.
I once mentioned that while checking in at a family owned hotel, and they said they appreciate that the booking service allowed them to compete with larger chains on that front.
People who travel often dont have the resources to deal with so many separate bookings, so they ascribe trust to Booking.com , airbnb etc.
Perhaps if there was some "shopify of accomodation" it would be easier to have a seamless experience. In the meanwhile, the existence of a stable reference point gives the false sense of a trusted travel assistant.
I travel 3 times a month for the last year and use Booking. I've never had a cancellation.
I take advantage of their platform moreso than they me. I book refundable no-pre pay hotels every time, sometimes having multiple bookings for the same week. It's like a free option on future pricing.
