Hotwire is becoming more and more a go-to tool for even
novice vacation planners. While it can provide fantastic savings, it may also
deter from your trip if not used correctly. For those unaware, Hotwire is a
third-party hotel booking website which typically offers lower rates than
booking directly through the hotel or other common third-party sites such as
Expedia or Hotels.com. They are able to do this by allowing you to book a hotel
based on a set of criteria (rough location, amenities, star rating, customer review aggregate) without knowing the exact property ahead of time. The hotel name is
only revealed once your non-refundable payment has been made. While I don’t
fully understand the economics of this method, I have assumed it works because
hotels use the service to sell-off otherwise unfilled rooms at a discounted
rate which doesn’t contradict the ‘lowest
advertised rate’ found on their website.
Here are six tips to help you decide if Hotwire is right for
you, and get the most out of it:
1) Not For Brand-Loyal Travelers
If you are loyal to a specific hotel brand or chain (i.e.
you wouldn’t stay anywhere other than a Homewood Suites by Hilton when
traveling in North America), Hotwire isn’t for you. Besides the fact that you
have very limited control over which brand you end up with, you are also likely
missing out on deals associated with loyally programs run by your favorite
brand.
2) Are The Savings Worth The Risk?
Find a few hotels on a regular third-party booking site like Expedia. Pick ones
that you like based on area, reviews and star rating. Now compare the prices of
those hotels to what Hotwire is offering within the same criteria. If you are
saving under $20 per night you must decide if the risk of booking the ‘unknown’
is really worth it?
3) Area, Area, Area!
A major concern some travelers have with Hotwire is the
inability to know exactly where the hotel will be located. The website will
divide cities into ‘zones’ which can be as small as a few square kilometers,
but may be much larger. Carefully review their zone map and when you find the
zone you want to be in, imagine your hotel being on the far edge of that zone.
Is that something that would severely disappoint you? If so, Hotwire may not be
your best option as they cannot offer the location precision you are looking
for.
|
Intercontinental Wien (Vienna) - easily my best Hotwire find. |
4) Consider The Bed Situation
When booking a hotel direct or even via Expedia/Hotels.com
you are usually offered a choice of bed configuration. Two doubles, two queens,
one king etc. When booking through Hotwire they will only guarantee there will
be enough bed space for the people you’ve specified. If you are booking a room
for two people you will have no control over which configuration you will be
given. Thus two people expecting their own beds may be forced to share one.
This is typically a moot point for a traveling couple.
5) Insider Information
Because Hotwire assigns you a hotel based on a series of
criteria, chances are someone has previously looked for the same thing and made
the booking. There are websites where fellow travelers post their search
criteria and subsequent hotel bookings. This can be very helpful with narrowing
down the list of potential hotels you may receive.
BetterBidding.com is a
well-known website which provides this information. While there may be many
hotels in a certain area with a certain star rating, if you pay close attention
to the exact amenities they are listing (pool, conference center, gym etc.) it
may rule some of them out. Explore sites like these and you may be able to
narrow down your choice to 2 or 3 possible outcomes. Please keep in mind
however that Hotwire can change the selection of hotels they offer at any time
and there is no way to identify the options with 100% precision.
6) Contact The Hotel
After booking you can always contact the hotel directly to
discuss any special requests including the aforementioned bed issue, or to just
verify your details . Because you booked via third party and likely got a price
below their posted rate, they may be unable or unwilling to guarantee your requests
or may want to charge you an extra fee outside of your payment to Hotwire.
There is no harm in trying though as the worst they could say is no.
Have any Hotwire questions, or know some other tips I didn’t
list? Drop a comment below!
Mike @ Palms & Pints