One data point, but it was only 2 days ago. I needed a place to quarantine while I was the only one in my family who caught covid on a trip, so I went to the hotel a few blocks away and asked about their rates. They told me that the lowest they could go was $183. I asked why Google showed 6 third-party sites advertising their rooms at $135 and they said those sites reserve rooms in bulk and they aren't normally refundable. So I booked the room with credit card rewards points for about $120/night and everyone was happy.
I always thought that booking direct got the best rates also, but that seems to be incorrect, at least in this case.
I always thought that booking direct got the best rates also, but that seems to be incorrect, at least in this case.