Unlocking The Power of Hotwire

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

@palmsandpints

The Guys Trip: Tampa, Florida - Part 1 of 2

I continued my long tradition of NHL hockey 'guys trips' this month with a journey down to sunny Tampa, Florida with five buddies. Previous to this trip we had seen live NHL hockey in Pittsburgh, Columbus, Nashville, Phoenix and New Jersey, so it was nice to be able to combo up the hockey with a side of lovely Florida Gulf Coast beach action.

After an uneventful but ungodly early travel morning we arrived in Tampa. Things started positively with some welcomed sunshine and a quick check-in to the Homewood Suites Tampa Westshore. We chose the airport location as it was sort of central between the beaches to the west and the core of the city to the east, and we had a van rented for easy transportation.  I had stayed at this hotel previously, and typically always go for a Homewood when in the US, as their vast array of amenities and perks can't be beat.

The Boys rollin' up to Homewood Suites

After the eternal winter we have been experiencing here in southern Ontario, the boys opted for a trip down to the outdoor pool to catch a few rays prior to our first of two Tampa Bay Lightning games that evening. We loaded our coffee cups up with "coffee" and kicked off the party pool-side. 

Poolside in FLA can't be beat

After a bit of swimming and tanning (well, burning) we headed down to Ybor City, a historic district of the city originally known for early Spanish, Cuban and Italian immigrants and cigar manufacturing in the late 1800's, recently revitalized into a vibrant nightlife hub. Our first good eats of the trip came at Tampa Bay Brewing Company. A cool brew-pub whose delicious apple cider wings were featured on Food Network's Diners Drive-ins & Dives. The wings were outstanding, but the reviews from the group were mixed on the craft beer offerings. Although there seemed to be no shortage of action going on in Ybor that night, we couldn't stick around for long as we had to run to the hockey game.

Historic Ybor City

Getting pumped up for some wings @ Tampa Bay Brewing Co. 

As is the case with many US-based NHL teams, we were able to grab scalped tickets to the game for below face value. As the marquee game featuring our hometown Toronto Maple Leafs wasn't until a few days later we decided to just grab upper bowl seats for the unheard-of (in Toronto anyways) price of $15. This worked out well as by the 2nd period we were able to migrate down to some unoccupied lower bowl seats to enjoy the rest of the game. The Lightning were smoked by the visitors from Dallas, but our discovery of the in-stadium Bud Light Party Deck with $2 draught beers after the game and a great view of the downtown ended up being the highlight of the night. Afterwards the majority of us decided to head back to the hotel as we were running on fumes after our 4AM wakeup call that morning. We finished the night with a brief musical session around the hotel fire pit with a few others who were winding down.

Great view from the Bud Light Party Deck @ The Tampa Bay Times Fourm  

$10 beers that magically dropped to $2 after the final buzzer

The next day we set out to Clearwater Beach, the closest and most popular of the Tampa-area Gulf beaches. Being the weekend and a beautiful day, the beach was apparently a quite popular idea. Traffic was horrendous coming in from Tampa and parking was relegated to the 7th floor of a hotel parking structure. Wanting to keep some semblance of a workout regime while away, I went for an 8KM run down the main strip and across a large bridge to a neighbouring island and Sand Key Park. I eventually hoofed it back to the beach for my first taste of the ocean and to try and even out my tan. The crystal clear water and fine white sand of the Florida Gulf Coast simply can't be beat outside of the Caribbean for any beach lover. Although Clearwater Beach was beyond busy, the strip is so massive that we had no issue securing our own piece of real estate for the afternoon.

Apparently the beach is a popular idea on a hot sunny day

View from Sand Key park during my run

That evening we returned to Tampa and decided to stay close to our hotel. I recommended the nearby classic American institution The Cheesecake Factory for dinner, and the crew was not disappointed. Afterwards we kicked around the International Plaza area for a few drinks. This is a cool little modern entertainment district with a bunch of restaurants and bars inter-connected by a cobbled courtyard. However, being a Sunday everything was closing up earlier than expected. We tried to get into the one place that was still hopping called Blue Martini but apparently the bouncer wasn't impressed with our shorts (it's Florida man!). We were able to grab a hotel shuttle bus from an affiliate hotel who said he could take us to another bar not too far away (The Brickhouse), which also ended up closing shortly thereafter. At this point we had to decide whether to grab a pricy cab downtown or accept defeat and head back to the hotel. We chose the latter and finished the night with beers and the horrible film 2012.

Step 1: Try not to look like a huge tourist --- Step 2: Fail miserably 

Part Two to follow. 

Mike @ Palms & Pints

@palmsandpints

You can't beat a Homewood Suites

Note: The views expressed in this post are based solely on my own authentic experiences. I have never received nor been offered any benefit, perk or discount from a hotel chain in exchange for a positive review.

I'm not the fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of traveler. Any hotel that I have booked in the last five years, whether it be for a one-night stopover or a week-long stay has been the product of significant research and planning. I can think of only one instance where this has steered me wrong. It was for a one night stay in Geneva, New York a couple of years ago. According to TripAdvisor the hotel I booked was ranked #1 of 9 properties in the town, so how could I go wrong, right? It ended up being one of the worst accommodations I had ever paid for. Since my stay the hotel has dropped to #6 of 9 in Geneva. I think I'll give myself and TripAdvisor a mulligan on that one. Maybe there was a change in ownership, or maybe the competition in the small Finger Lakes town just wasn't up to snuff at the time.

There are few constants in the world of successful trip planning. TripAdvisor's review aggregate is (almost always) one of them. Another is that you will be hard pressed to go wrong with a Hilton brand hotel. While the classic "Hilton" line of hotels are usually on the higher end of the price spectrum, there is a new entry in the brand lineup that simply cannot be beat for quality and value. Homewood Suites.

In order to truly appreciate what a Homewood Suites can offer you, you must first make one (and only one) simple concession. These hotels are not located downtown. They are found around airports and more suburban surroundings. In fact, there is one two minutes from my house in Mississauga. If you are comfortable with not being on the corner of Main Street and 2nd Avenue, the rest is money in the bank:

1. Free Breakfast

Sort of an American/continental hybrid, but always fresh and delicious.

2. Happy Hour!

Free "light dinner" and beer/wine from 5-7pm Monday to Thursday. This requires no further explanation.

3. Free Parking

Those hoighty downtown hotels wish they offered easy, free, valet-less, on-site parking.

4. Kitchenette

Save some money and make your own meals with a kitchenette and separate living quarters in every room.

5. Free Wifi

This seems like it should be standard everywhere, but sadly it's not.

6. Shuttle

Bus service to transit hubs often included.

7. New! 

Many Homewood Suites have been newly constructed. A little touch of modern to your stay.

8. Two-bedroom suites

Going with a big group and want more beds and washrooms, but are good with a single communal kitchen and living area? Two-bedroom suites are an incredibly cost-efficient option.

9. Free Newspaper

A fresh copy of USA Today waiting outside your door.

10. Great hotel bars

Don't expect a party, but solid selection, reasonable prices and daily specials will be found.

Trust the duck.

Check out some of my Homewood Suites reviews on TripAdvisor:

Springfield Virginia (DC Area)

Tampa Airport Westshore

Miami Airport West 

Have any questions about Homewood Suites? Have your own personal favorite chain? Love to hear from you in the comments.

Mike @Palms & Pints
@palmsandpints