Has anyone booked a hotel thru hotwire ?

[Planogirl]

This is interesting. Does this work like Priceline?

Also, can you build a package if you don't need a flight? I'm wondering if any of the packages come with tickets, car and so on.

 

[damo]

This is interesting. Does this work like Priceline?

Also, can you build a package if you don't need a flight? I'm wondering if any of the packages come with tickets, car and so on.

It works the same as Priceline but you don't bid. The price is given. You can also build a package. In that case, the hotel identity is given but the flight is still unknown.

 

[damo]

If that is the case that rate is incredible. The Crowne Plaza Universal for those dates is pricing at $199.99 a night and thats a special.

Another way to get a 'feel' for what hotel they may be offering is to choose build a package. When you do it this way the hotels are disclosed along with their star rating. Since the dates are so far out choose the hotel air combo and 21 hotel packages are offered.

I checked that but it didn't seem to help for the identity of the universal hotels exactly. Sheraton Studio city is close but missing the business centre amenity.

 

[damo]

If that is the case that rate is incredible. The Crowne Plaza Universal for those dates is pricing at $199.99 a night and thats a special.

If it was the Crowne Plaza, it should say Customer Favorite and it doesn't. So, I don't think it is Crowne Plaza, after all that.

Still, a 3 star for $69 is awfully good!

It also says, in the description of the 3* listed for those dates that it received a rating of 3.5 on Trip Advisor. That makes it look more like Doubletree or Sheraton Studio City to me.

However, none are exact, so it is a guess.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

This is interesting. Does this work like Priceline?

Also, can you build a package if you don't need a flight? I'm wondering if any of the packages come with tickets, car and so on.

These are the package options. I'm not sure how pricline differs from hotwire. I did notice the packages for hotel/car couldnt be booked too far out.

Build a package

Flight+Hotel+Car
Flight+Hotel
Hotel+Car

 

[Fan2CSkr]

If it was the Crowne Plaza, it should say Customer Favorite and it doesn't. So, I don't think it is Crowne Plaza, after all that.

Still, a 3 star for $69 is awfully good!

It also says, in the description of the 3* listed for those dates that it received a rating of 3.5 on Trip Advisor. That makes it look more like Doubletree or Sheraton Studio City to me.

However, none are exact, so it is a guess.

I dont think its the Crowne Plaza either BUT I agree, $69.00 for a 3* is an excellent price. I wonder if they dont offer the same hotels in their packages as the ones offered when choosing blind. I know they used to but it doesnt seem this is the case with these dates. In the end its all basicially a guess and you have to be prepared to take what you get. If we werent staying onsite and we were renting a car I might give it a try. Yeah right not staying onsite is ever gonna happen. One of these days we may actually expand our horizons and explore Florida! Just not one of these days any time soon.

 

[goofy!]

Before absolutely committing yourself to an offsite hotel, you might also want to consider waiting to see if Universal offers any kind of discount rate during that time. Although we didn't go over that time last year, we have gone approximately those same dates the two previous years. Around Thanksgiving (2004 & 2005) Univeral came out with a RPR APH rate of $129.00 per night, stay 3 nights get the 4th night free. They also offered free parking and some drink coupons. For 4 nights it ended up being $96.75 per night + tax.

Anybody know if the pre-Christmas discounts were offered this past year?

Having only used Priceline @ last minute for Tampa area when we were absolutely sure we were getting the Don Cesar, I don't know how Hotwire works at last minute. But if rates are still typically available about a month before you leave through Hotwire, I would book onsite first and wait and see if rates drop. If they don't drop, you can always book the Hotwire price.

 

[Catrinabeach]

So how close to the date would you think is good to book. Should we wait until 6 mths before or even closer to. I just like to get everything booked and paid sooner than later lol.

 

[kenban]

So how close to the date would you think is good to book. Should we wait until 6 mths before or even closer to. I just like to get everything booked and paid sooner than later lol.

If you want a chance at the best deal possible you need to think in weeks not months. The risk you take is that bookings are up and you can't get the room you want.

Priceline and Hotwire both work by selling the extra rooms that the hotels can't sell at standard rates. Since we are still 9 months from your trip the hotels have no way to know just how many rooms they are going to be able to book through more traditional methods. Theres just no reason to sell rooms at a deep discount that they don't need to.

Considering your dates I am not sure just how good of a deal is even possible. Starting around mid December up until Christmas the number of tourists grows. Then Starting Christmas day through New Years is the busiest and most expensive time of the year. Just to give you an idea there were times during this period last year that the gates at 3 of the 4 Disney parks had to be closed due to the number of people already in the park.

Your best bet is just book a room with a hotel directly that you can cancel. Your not going to get a good deal now but this way you have a room for sure and you can always look for a really good deal later. If you can find one book it and cancel the other room.

For my trip in December (although it was the 1st to the 8th) I waited until 2 weeks before I left to start looking for a room. I drove down and back (from Ohio) and did not book my room for the drive back (not crazy enough to do it in one day) until 2 days before I started back. I got some great deals on rooms but my entire trip was flexible. The dates were not finalized until the day before I left.

 

[Catrinabeach]

Unfortunately I can't do that. We are flying from Canada for this trip. I can't take the chance that we won't be able to get a hotel room. I wish we could be that flexible but with 7 people and flights to consider I have to book more than a few weeks in advance.

Ideally I would of wanted to go there from the 27th of Dec - 4th but considering the time of year we thought going before our WDW trip was a better idea. I'll just have to keep an eye out and see what deal I can find.

 

[damo]

I would think that booking something this summer would be plenty early enough but watch for really good deals on those 3 star hotels. If the Crowne Plaza (3 stars customer favourite) pops up with a good rate, I would grab it.

I think you should watch better bidding for a few months and see what other people get. Learn exactly how the system works and familiarize yourself with the hotels most often available.

Remember that they offer only one hotel of each rating at a time until they are gone. So there will only be one 2 star, one 2.5 star, one 3 star, etc.

 

[Catrinabeach]

OK that makes sense about only one hotel per star rating. That never occured to me. I'm going to spend some time reading about this and figuring it out. I have some time to do that so that's great.
Thanks for all your advice and knowledge. I'm pretty excited about doing this and if we can get a great rate I can book a longer stay lol.

 

[kenban]

Based on your dates I assume your staying onsite at Disney. Have you thought about just doing two bookings at the same Disney hotel back to back? Its very easy to schedule a shuttle from any of the hotels to the car care center where there is an Alamo location.

Also if you do decide to stay at two differant hotels an idea would be to do a one way car rental. Pickup a car from the Alamo location at the airport and visit Universal and other Orlando area attractions then drop it off at the car care center Alamo.

One last thought Disney hotels are VERY easy to cancel if you are not getting a package. You can always just book two back to back stays at the same hotel right now and cancel the first if you can get a better deal somewhere else later on.

(This all assumes I am right about you staying onsite when you go to WDW)

 

[Darcy03231]

I just booked a 3* in the Universal area through Hotwire. My price was about $62 and I got the Sheraton Studio City. I always book my hotels through Hotwire. I don't book less than a 3* and have never been disappointed.

 

[Motherfletcher]

Our first stay at PBH was Hotwire. Crowne Plaza Universal is a good hotel using Hotwire.

 

[damo]

I just booked a 3* in the Universal area through Hotwire. My price was about $62 and I got the Sheraton Studio City. I always book my hotels through Hotwire. I don't book less than a 3* and have never been disappointed.

Darcy, what were the amenities? Were they pool, restaurant, internet and fitness room?

 

[damo]

Our first stay at PBH was Hotwire. Crowne Plaza Universal is a good hotel using Hotwire.

I haven't of anyone getting the universal hotels through hotwire for a long, long time.

 

[Motherfletcher]

It was 5 years ago but I still have the icons. We got Westgate Lakes once thinking it was RPR. They had the same icons but Westgate had the kitchette and since has been downgraded to a 3*.