What do you think of Hotwire?

[angiepangie8]

Anyone ever use Hotwire to book their hotel?
Is this a good way to go? We want one night to spend at a less expensive hotel before we check into our WDW Resort and I see that Hotwire has some options for DTD locations however I am confused because they don't show you the name of the hotel. Do you pay first then find out exactly where you are staying?

Thanks for the help!

Q: Why can't I see the hotel name?

A: If we allow our partners to anonymously give you rates, they will offer their lowest available prices for hotel rooms. If the street location is not shown until after you book, our partners are assured their anonymity. This can result in prices that are significantly below published room rates that you might see with a travel agent or another travel site. The hotels we work with are willing to let you in on these great deals directly through Hotwire. (Please note that all Hotwire bookings are final and cannot be refunded, changed, exchanged or transferred; change fees are not an option.)

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Q: Which hotels work with Hotwire?

A: Hotwire's suppliers are the best in the business. While we book every major hotel brand in the US and leading independent hotels, our hotel suppliers page features just a small sampling of the quality companies we work with to negotiate special Hot-Rates for you.

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Q: What type of room can I expect?

A: All rooms booked on Hotwire will accommodate the appropriate number of guests in each room, based on the total number of guests you indicated and the number of rooms you requested. We cannot guarantee the number of beds in a property room, but some properties may offer pullout couches or cots to accommodate the total number of guests in a room. Our suppliers will do their best to make your stay as comfortable as possible, but please keep in mind that we cannot guarantee a non-smoking room nor can we guarantee bed type. For more information, please view the Lodging Type Guide.

 

[angiepangie8]

Now I found out this info:

Here's more:

Once you book your room, we immediately complete your reservation and show you the full
hotel information.

I guess you really have to trust them


hmmmmmmm will i really be getting a DTD location if I choose this hotel:

2.5-star hotel in Lake Buena Vista - Downtown Disney

and what could i really expect at 2.5 stars? Probably not alot but it does have a pool!

then there is this location but I don't know where Winter Park is

3.5-star hotel in Altamonte Springs - Winter Park

anyone know? is that close to WDW? We want to be able to drive to our Resort on check in day without fighting too much traffic.


also they describe some by the Maingate too. One is 3.5 stars for a good price and one is 2.5 stars for a dirt cheap price~(but hey they do have a pool).

It's too bad I can't find out the name b4 I commit. I don't want moldy walls in my room or cockroaches or bed bugs or anything else thats disgusting in my room but I don't mind and economy type rooms as we will be getting a really nice room once we get too our WDW resort.

I would love to get some opinons on this.

 

[KLAIT]

The BEST resource for Hotwire is betterbidding.com . They are a very friendly board with lots of good information. If you use this board, you will probably be able to figure what hotel is which...

Let us know...Good Luck

 

[angiepangie8]

The BEST resource for Hotwire is betterbidding.com . They are a very friendly board with lots of good information. If you use this board, you will probably be able to figure what hotel is which...

Let us know...Good Luck

Thanks I'm gonna check them out!
It would be great to figure what I am actually paying for B-4 I actually well... pay for it.

 

[Poohbug]

I have used Hotwire for hotel in Chicago. We were only staying one night so I thought I would give it a try. I was very pleased with the hotel and would use it again for short stays. I like to know exactly what I am getting for a long stay and would be afraid to use it for a whole vacation.
It sounds like you only need one night-I say go for it.

 

[JB2K]

Anyone ever use Hotwire to book their hotel?
Is this a good way to go?

Well...while I don't "exactly" use Hotwire for certain hotel bookings, they still play an important role in my process...

I use HW to glean prices for location/star level -- once I have an idea of what the going rate is, I then go over to Priceline and knock 10 percent off HW's rate as my bid.

It's never failed me (or given me any unpleasant surprises!).

 

[riu girl]

Also wanted to mention www.betterbidding.com . Great site but not too much info. on Mexico.

I need approx. 10 nights next year in Mexico. I think I will register for one night to find out if it the hotel I suspect it is. Then if I am right, I will go ahead and book the additional nine nights through hotwire.

Is hotwire like priceline by chance, you can book a night or two and then they offer you additional nights for the same price???

I have to use hotwire since I need a room for 4 and priceline can't guarantee this.

 

[angiepangie8]

Well...while I don't "exactly" use Hotwire for certain hotel bookings, they still play an important role in my process...

I use HW to glean prices for location/star level -- once I have an idea of what the going rate is, I then go over to Priceline and knock 10 percent off HW's rate as my bid.

It's never failed me (or given me any unpleasant surprises!).

thanks
I have never tried priceline either is that kinda along the lines of ebay but for hotel stays instead?

 

[Anc96]

thanks
I have never tried priceline either is that kinda along the lines of ebay but for hotel stays instead?

The betterbidding site will tell you about both Priceline, and Hotwire.

Priceline is a bit more of a gamble... so you can usually get better prices than Hotwire. But neither site tells you the name of the hotel/resort until after you pay. And no refunds.

I used Hotwire last year, I was about 95% sure of which hotel I was purchasing... and I was right. It goes by what amenity icons, star rating and area the hotel shows. And remember, you will never get below the star rating you're paying for, so even if it's not the exact one you wanted, it will be in the location and star rating you wanted anyway.

You will have a lot of info on Orlando hotels since people vacation there so frequently.


Good Luck.. have fun!

 

[Goofy4]

I recently submitted a Priceline bid for around $50 (for whatever area implied Lake Buena Vista / Convention area). No bites. Rather than waiting a day on Priceline, I went over to Hotwire and got the Best Western for a little bit more. This time I knew the price (no bidding), but like Priceline, not the brand. I had a pretty good idea that it would be one of 3 or 4 of the hotels there (and sure enough, it was). Like Priceline I was given an opportunity to request an extended stay.

I think prices and availability around WDW really change (more so than most places) on the exact days of your stay. Also, there was a disclaimer on Hotwire that I would be charged ~$10 per day for a "resort fee", but I expected that might be the case from reading up on the process online. Both sites (at least for me) offered reasonable cancellation coverage, but I don't recall the fine print for valid reasons.

 

[angiepangie8]

Thanks

If I go to priceline and start following the steps to name my price it's not going to hold me to that until I decide to accept it ~is that correct? I started it and was scared to continue because I don't want to commit to it.

Do I put in how much I am willing to spend in general and then get offers at or below that?

 

[angiepangie8]

Well...while I don't "exactly" use Hotwire for certain hotel bookings, they still play an important role in my process...

I use HW to glean prices for location/star level -- once I have an idea of what the going rate is, I then go over to Priceline and knock 10 percent off HW's rate as my bid.

It's never failed me (or given me any unpleasant surprises!).

So you don't actually know even a desciption (like on Hotwire) when you are actually doing your bidding on Priceline~ so do you just knock off 10 percent off the going rate of hotels in that location and star level from HW?


It's a bit confusing but I think maybe I'm starting to kind of get it.

Thanks for the advise everyone!!!!

 

[angiepangie8]

I recently submitted a Priceline bid for around $50 (for whatever area implied Lake Buena Vista / Convention area). No bites. Rather than waiting a day on Priceline, I went over to Hotwire and got the Best Western for a little bit more. This time I knew the price (no bidding), but like Priceline, not the brand. I had a pretty good idea that it would be one of 3 or 4 of the hotels there (and sure enough, it was). Like Priceline I was given an opportunity to request an extended stay.

I think prices and availability around WDW really change (more so than most places) on the exact days of your stay. Also, there was a disclaimer on Hotwire that I would be charged ~$10 per day for a "resort fee", but I expected that might be the case from reading up on the process online. Both sites (at least for me) offered reasonable cancellation coverage, but I don't recall the fine print for valid reasons.

What #of stars did you request? I was gonna try $50 also (maybe even less at first to see if there is a bite) ~that is if I am understanding this all correctly!

 

[Echie]

I think Hotwire is great if you're not picky about an exact hotel in an exact location or with exact specific ammenities. So as long as you're flexible it's great.

Of course since you can choose which area, at least you'll know that the hotel you get is going to be generally in the area you would like to be in and you can generally see the ammenities too which was good for us, as we didn't care which hotel or exactly where but we knew we wanted to have internet, so we selected 3 star because it showed those hotels will have internet.

We booked through hotwire for our universal part of our Orlando stay and got a 3 star hotel for $35 a night for March.

 

[angiepangie8]

I think Hotwire is great if you're not picky about an exact hotel in an exact location or with exact specific ammenities. So as long as you're flexible it's great.

Of course since you can choose which area, at least you'll know that the hotel you get is going to be generally in the area you would like to be in and you can generally see the ammenities too which was good for us, as we didn't care which hotel or exactly where but we knew we wanted to have internet, so we selected 3 star because it showed those hotels will have internet.

We booked through hotwire for our universal part of our Orlando stay and got a 3 star hotel for $35 a night for March.

Wow that's great!

Do all 3 stars have pools? ~this will be of great importance for DD and DS. I'll go back to priceline to see if I can find out too.

 

[Echie]

Wow that's great!

Do all 3 stars have pools? ~this will be of great importance for DD and DS. I'll go back to priceline to see if I can find out too.

In my search I found most of the hotels in general have pools.
Anyway with hotwire you can see before you commit, it will show you the little symbols of the ammenities with each hotel class (star level) and price.
If the pool symbol is there then any of the hotels that they will give you for that price in that star level will for sure have a pool.

 

[angiepangie8]

Wow that's great!

Do all 3 stars have pools? ~this will be of great importance for DD and DS. I'll go back to priceline to see if I can find out too.

I just looked up my pool question. I went to each 3 star in the WDW Vicinity for Priceline and they all appear to have pools which I kinda figured would be true in FL

Here is a list of the 3 star resorts:
3* Best Western Lake Buena Vista (previously 2.5*) tripadvisor review
3* Buena Vista Palace Wyndham Palace Resort And Spa (previously Resort) REVIEW / tripadvisor review
3* Holiday Inn Maingate East
3* Doubletree Villas Maingate (now Saratoga Resort Villas) tripadvisor review
3* Hotel Royal Plaza tripadvisor review
3* Radisson Worldgate Renaissance World Gate (change of ownership) REVIEW / tripadvisor review
3* Sheraton Safari REVIEW / tripadvisor review

and I am still waiting for help on the betterbidding site. I can't wait to find out if someone can figure out what the hotels I am looking at are. I hope they are able to figure it out. I love the DIS you all have been so helpful!

 

[Darcy03231]

I use Hotwire whenever we travel to book hotels and I've been very happy with the hotels I've gotten for the price I paid. I never book less than a three star and usually end up with either a Wyndham, Sheraton or Hyatt hotel.

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

I love using Hotwire, along w/ betterbidding.com. I've never used it for WDW trips, but I use it all the time for weekend getaways and other random trips. I've had really great luck w/ it. My strategy is to stick w/ 3.5 stars or higher and I've been really pleased w/ the results.

 

[Anc96]

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