I took some package tours back in the day: you could get a good deal by not knowing where you would end up. Thomas Cook, or whoever, booked you in to a resort for a given price and put you in one of "their" hotels. Reputation of the individual hotels was not an issue, only of the travel company. Which is kinda how it should be -- why use a travel company and do all the legwork yourself, that would be like going to a restaurant and then checking the suppliers when choosing a dish off the menu.