Hotwire "Secret Hot Rate Hotels"

[pk1959]

Does anyone have any insight into a "condo" that is coming up on the Hotwire site for a stay we are planning in January? I have tried to figure out what options for places it could possibly be and am having no luck.

It simply says:
Kissimmee West area Condo
Free Parking and Free Internet

Amenities:
Resort 1 bedroom suite
Full kitchen air conditioning
Laundry in room fitness center
pool (s)

It is rated a 3* property and the price is $48 per night and is 70% recommended

We are staying for 7 nights after a cruise so the laundry in room would be wonderful. I am just afraid of going ahead with the booking and then being stuck in an undesirable place for a whole week. That price however is good and would go a long way in sticking to our budget.

If anyone has any knowledge or firsthand information I would love to hear it!! Thanks!

 

[starvenger]

biddingfortravel might have some info for you, although they're more Priceline focused.

 

[Upatnoon]

Does anyone have any insight into a "condo" that is coming up on the Hotwire site for a stay we are planning in January? I have tried to figure out what options for places it could possibly be and am having no luck.

It simply says:
Kissimmee West area Condo
Free Parking and Free Internet

Amenities:
Resort 1 bedroom suite
Full kitchen air conditioning
Laundry in room fitness center
pool (s)

It is rated a 3* property and the price is $48 per night and is 70% recommended

We are staying for 7 nights after a cruise so the laundry in room would be wonderful. I am just afraid of going ahead with the booking and then being stuck in an undesirable place for a whole week. That price however is good and would go a long way in sticking to our budget.

If anyone has any knowledge or firsthand information I would love to hear it!! Thanks!

betterbidding.com will be able to help

 

[pk1959]

I have poked around before at Betterbidding and also Biddingfortravel but never posted my question there. I went ahead and posted on the betterbidding site. Biddingfortravel site is like a ghost town.

 

[TheSixOfUs]

http://www.hoteldealsrevealed.com/hotelinventory/hotwire/fl/orlando
This might help too.

I've used Hotwire and was happy with the result.

 

[Ollie Tabooger]

I have learned that Hotwire can lie about the original rates of hotels. I got stung by them miscalculating the median rate of an area by star rating. I definitely no longer trust them. The "compare to" rate was over $300/night, their "hot rate" was $89/night. The hotel I got was listed on their own site at $129/night on the same dates. Basically, they manipulated the median, because it was an even number of inputs. The median is the middle one. Since there is no middle one, they are supposed to add the middle two and divide by two. They took the higher number instead. I will not deal with them again.

 

[tobikaye]

I have learned that Hotwire can lie about the original rates of hotels. I got stung by them miscalculating the median rate of an area by star rating. I definitely no longer trust them. The "compare to" rate was over $300/night, their "hot rate" was $89/night. The hotel I got was listed on their own site at $129/night on the same dates. Basically, they manipulated the median, because it was an even number of inputs. The median is the middle one. Since there is no middle one, they are supposed to add the middle two and divide by two. They took the higher number instead. I will not deal with them again.

See, I never pay attention to the savings listings since I do my own homework before booking to figure out if the fees through Hotwire make it worth booking. If I book with Hotwire, it is usually a Hot Rate where I have narrowed down the hotel listing to 1 or 2 hotel and feel I am about 80% right. Then I pull up those hotels directly and compare rates. This saved me about $50/night on a 2 BD condo in Lake Buena Vista this past December.

 

[TwoMisfits]

From the posted link, it could very likely be the Fantasy World Club Villas (which has an additional $16.95 nightly resort fee)...although the link mentions 2 bedroom units possible...

 

[DOOM1001]

I use them all the time,I've gotten $250 hotels for $55 and I've gotten $79 hotels for $55,some deals are better than others.Same thing with the rooms,I've booked the same hotel maybe a dozen times and had always been happy with it,on my last stay in that hotel it was one of the worst rooms I had ever stayed at and since I arrived late there were no more rooms to switch.One thing for sure was that during the recession the deals were better than they are now,if you don't want to be disappointed in the hotel you get then just go with a regular booking site.I've gotten great hotels for the price as well as hotels you wouldn't stay at ever again,maybe it was super old or maybe the resort the hotel was located at had a sinkhole that swallowed a building,I know for a fact I won't be getting a hotel in that location just to make sure I never get the sinkhole hotel again.

 

[pk1959]

Oak Plantation Resort was what betterbidding thought that it was. We didn't want that area, so just gave up on it and got a condo for the week after our cruise. We still need a place for 2 nights before our cruise so probably will again be looking at Hotwire, but if we pick a place that we are less than thrilled with, at least it will only be for 2 nights instead of a whole week.

 

[DianeV]

Try to stay in the Lake Buena Vista area on Hotwire, much nicer condos/hotels

 

[kalynn]

http://www.hoteldealsrevealed.com/hotelinventory/hotwire/fl/orlando
This might help too.

I've used Hotwire and was happy with the result.

Hotwire and priceline are both risky. When you book, you cannot cancel or change your reservation. That, alone, is risky enough. However, you also don't know what hotel you're going to get, and in the case of Priceline, what amenities the hotel will have. Sites like this and others are super helpful for reducing the risk but you're still taking a leap of faith when booking.

Personally, I use Hotwire and Priceline often, but only when the savings are material. I generally like to see a 20% savings compared to what I could get elsewhere for a similar hotel or I don't bother. I would rather pay a bit extra knowing the hotel I'm going to get and that I can cancel my reservation should I need to. Now, if the discount is significant (and many times it is), then I'll take the risk.

 

[DISNEY1975]

I have learned that Hotwire can lie about the original rates of hotels. I got stung by them miscalculating the median rate of an area by star rating. I definitely no longer trust them. The "compare to" rate was over $300/night, their "hot rate" was $89/night. The hotel I got was listed on their own site at $129/night on the same dates. Basically, they manipulated the median, because it was an even number of inputs. The median is the middle one. Since there is no middle one, they are supposed to add the middle two and divide by two. They took the higher number instead. I will not deal with them again.

I recently got burned too. Same thing, but I paid $112 and on the Hilton Bonnet Creek site it is $120. At least I didnt overpay.....yet. Still 2 months before our trip. If prices drop or promo comes out, Ill be more dissapointed. HW stated I wouldnt be getting a 48% discount. Only way that might be true is if they put me in a suite with theme park view. LOLOLOOLOLOLOLOL!

 

[darrius1st]

With HoTwire I get to checkout then I call in a use the reference number, the operator will always tell you if someone booked the same deal and what Hotel is was and my 4 times using Hotwire when I book it's always the Hotel the operator named. So call before you book or book on the phone.

 

[pk1959]

I had no idea you could do that darrius 1st! That is really good to know. I did book one of their secret hot rate deals the other day but was able to figure out what hotel it would be by the resort fee amount. I will definitely give your method a try.

 

[TBViking]

Love me some Hotwire

 

[halfpintpeggy]

With HoTwire I get to checkout then I call in a use the reference number, the operator will always tell you if someone booked the same deal and what Hotel is was and my 4 times using Hotwire when I book it's always the Hotel the operator named. So call before you book or book on the phone.

Wow! I think I just fell in love with you Darruis 1st! Thanks so much for this helpful tip.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

With HoTwire I get to checkout then I call in a use the reference number, the operator will always tell you if someone booked the same deal and what Hotel is was and my 4 times using Hotwire when I book it's always the Hotel the operator named. So call before you book or book on the phone.

Could you tell me where you find the reference number at checkout? I just went to Hotwire to see how this would work, but did not see any reference number prior to actually booking.

 

[pk1959]

Could you tell me where you find the reference number at checkout? I just went to Hotwire to see how this would work, but did not see any reference number prior to actually booking.

I just did it so I can tell you where to look. Click on the "book now" and on the next page which is Secure Checkout, look over to the right and it says "need help with booking?" and it has their toll free phone number with the reference number right below that. I ended up calling them several times about different places before I booked. The one I booked was exactly what they said it should be. HTH

 

[halfpintpeggy]

I just did it so I can tell you where to look. Click on the "book now" and on the next page which is Secure Checkout, look over to the right and it says "need help with booking?" and it has their toll free phone number with the reference number right below that. I ended up calling them several times about different places before I booked. The one I booked was exactly what they said it should be. HTH

This is sooo strange! I seriously tried this several times, & no "need help with booking?", told free phone # or reference number shows up on my page. Not sure why! Are you guys using a laptop? Don't know if that makes a difference or not, but that is what I'm using. I'm super bummed lol, really want to see how this works!