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Finding accommodation

Search
You can find accommodation by using the search box, located at the top of the site. Just start typing where you would like to stay to see a list of available locations. Use the 'show more options' link to enter more specific search criteria.

By default, accommodation listings are ordered by 'Best match', which places the most relevant results at the top of the list. You can also order accommodation listings by name, price or best reviews, using the links at the top of the grid.

Favourites
Click the "Save to Shortlist" button on any listing to save accommodation to the Shortlist page.

Best Match

On our search results pages we present accommodation to you ordered by what we call "best match". This is our way of putting the properties that best match your needs at the top of the results grid to make it easier for you to find somewhere great to stay.

Popular properties with good reviews and deals will rise to the top, but most importantly we will give preference to those that are available on the dates you require.

You can also narrow your search by selecting only certain types of accommodation, only those with deals, or only those that have rooms that accommodate the number of guests in your party.

Best deals

Every day we have a new batch of properties with "best deals", prices that our system has calculated to be excellent value based on the price normally available for the same room.

If a property has a rate that qualifies as a best deal it will get the "deal" sash and the price of the deal itself will show in orange on that property's booking calendar.

Booking accommodation

We accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express payments for bookings made on Travelbug. Bookings for dates not otherwise marked will be instantly confirmed. Bookings that are subject to manual confirmation are marked with an orange triangle.

What happens if a booking is "subject to confirmation"?

Nights marked on the calendar with an orange triangle are subject to confirmation by the accommodation provider. Providers should confirm or decline your booking within 24 hours and your credit card will not be charged until the booking is confirmed. Choose a night that doesn't have the orange triangle and your booking will confirm instantly.

Changing or cancelling your booking

To cancel or make changes to your booking, you should contact the accommodation provider directly. Please note that accommodation providers' cancellation policies may differ but you will be prompted to review these policies before confirming your booking. A non-refundable fee of NZD$20 applies to all cancellations regardless of the accommodation provider's cancellation policy. Where you are entitled to a refund, the refund will be made to the same credit card that you used to confirm the booking.

Redeeming a Trade Me auction

When you win a Trade Me Travelbug auction, you will receive a promo code via email. To confirm and pay for your booking, use the 'promo code' box on the right-hand side of the Travelbug home page. This will take you through the date confirmation and payment process. Promo codes expire within 24 hours of the auction's closure.

Placing a review of your stay

You can place a review of your stay at the bottom of the accommodation provider's listing page. If your details match a Travelbug booking, the review will show as 'Travelbug verified'. Accommodation suppliers have the ability to place a public response to each review.

Making enquiries

If you have a question about an accommodation provider that isn't answered in their listing, you can email them directly by clicking on the "make an enquiry" button on their listing page. Please note that email enquiries are sent directly to the accommodation provider and Travelbug does not view them.

Problems receiving email

You may experience problems receiving our emails due to SPAM and junk mail filter settings. Here is a guide on how to ensure you receive our emails:

If you use Gmail

To prevent your Travelbug emails being added to Gmail's Spam folder, login to your Gmail account and follow these steps:

1. Click "Settings" at the top-right of the page and then select "Filters"
2. Click "Create a new filter" at the bottom of the page
3. Enter "travelbug" in the 'From' field
4. Select 'Next step'
5. Tick 'Never send it to Spam'
6. Click "Create Filter"

If you use Yahoo!

To prevent your Travelbug emails being added to Yahoo!'s Bulk folder, login to your Yahoo! mail account and follow these steps:

1. Click "Mail Options" at the top-right of the page
2. Click "Filters"
3. Click "Add"
4. Enter "travelbug" as a 'From header'
5. Select "Move the message to Inbox"
6. Click "Add Filter"

If you use Hotmail

To prevent your Trade Me emails being added to Hotmail's Junk folder, login to your Hotmail account and follow these steps:

1. Go to Hotmail and login to your account
2. Click "Options" on the right hand side
3. Click "Safe and blocked senders"
4. Click "Safe senders"
5. Enter "travelbug.co.nz" and click "Add to list"

If you use other email providers

Most email providers now have a junk mail or spam folder. You should check this folder regularly to ensure that email from Travelbug isn't being put here rather than your Inbox.

You should also add Travelbug to your contacts list or safe list to ensure that emails from Travelbug are not blocked.

List your accommodation on Travelbug

Travelbug uses BookIt, a set of world class tools designed to help you market and sell your accommodation products online.

It's free to register with BookIt and to list your accommodation on Travelbug.

A commission of 9%, and a credit card processing fee of 3%, apply to bookings made through Travelbug.

Once you register with BookIt, you can start adding details about your products and services, upload photos and set your pricing and inventory.

Register with BookIt