Hotwire - The "Blind Date" of Hotel Sites
It is no secret that Hotwire has some of the lowest hotel rates in the travel industry. Put them against other major travel booking sites such as Priceline, Expedia, Travelocity, or Orbitz and you will more likely than not come out on top.
But there is a catch; Hotwire cannot tell you where you will be staying until after you've booked your hotel. But even more troublesome is that Hotwire has a no refunds, cancellations, or changes policy. This could be bad for a variety of reasons.
First of all, life happens. The dates you selected might not work for you or your family after all. There have been several times I needed to change the dates of my stay due to any number of circumstances.
But what many people don't consider is the hotel you are stuck with may not be a "hotel" at all, but rather a 15 unit "motel" that has the lowest ratings in your chosen city. With no opportunity to cancel you may find yourself getting a great deal at a complete dump in a horrible part of town.
A growing trend I have observed in recent years are run down one star motels making minimal upgrades to their properties, and listing themselves as two star. But adding a cheap microwave and a mini fridge to a dirty motel in a seedy part of town does not qualify in my opinion.
Yes, there are ways for determined travelers to get a refund through Hotwire but it takes the cooperation of both Hotwire and the hotel in question to do so. And let's face it, a low quality motel with terrible reviews is not likely to be cooperative when it comes to a cancellation.
It really is best to avoid the situation altogether and know where you will be staying. This way you can have adequate time to research the property in question and make sure it is in a safe area, and is the right fit for your needs.
But this doesn't mean Hotwire cannot be a great resource. While I am reluctant to use Hotwire for one star, or even two star properties (due to the aforementioned trends), it is not likely a one star dump will try to pass themselves off as a 3+ star property. Using Hotwire to slash the rates of a higher quality hotel isn't a bad bet.
Another area that Hotwire shines is with flights. Each airline may have slight differences in snacks, or staff, but in my opinion a plane is a plane. They will all get you to your destination in more or less the same way, and just as safely. If I had to choose one thing to save the most money on, it would be the flight.
Rental cars are the same way. If you have a preference of model this may be an area of concern for you, but if driving a Chevy, Pontiac, or Kia makes no difference to you, Hotwire can give you some super low rental car rates.
Overall, Hotwire can save you some money if you don't mind pleasant surprises, and sometimes unpleasant surprises. But at least now you know how to get the most out of your "blind date" with Hotwire.
But there is a catch; Hotwire cannot tell you where you will be staying until after you've booked your hotel. But even more troublesome is that Hotwire has a no refunds, cancellations, or changes policy. This could be bad for a variety of reasons.
First of all, life happens. The dates you selected might not work for you or your family after all. There have been several times I needed to change the dates of my stay due to any number of circumstances.
But what many people don't consider is the hotel you are stuck with may not be a "hotel" at all, but rather a 15 unit "motel" that has the lowest ratings in your chosen city. With no opportunity to cancel you may find yourself getting a great deal at a complete dump in a horrible part of town.
A growing trend I have observed in recent years are run down one star motels making minimal upgrades to their properties, and listing themselves as two star. But adding a cheap microwave and a mini fridge to a dirty motel in a seedy part of town does not qualify in my opinion.
Yes, there are ways for determined travelers to get a refund through Hotwire but it takes the cooperation of both Hotwire and the hotel in question to do so. And let's face it, a low quality motel with terrible reviews is not likely to be cooperative when it comes to a cancellation.
It really is best to avoid the situation altogether and know where you will be staying. This way you can have adequate time to research the property in question and make sure it is in a safe area, and is the right fit for your needs.
But this doesn't mean Hotwire cannot be a great resource. While I am reluctant to use Hotwire for one star, or even two star properties (due to the aforementioned trends), it is not likely a one star dump will try to pass themselves off as a 3+ star property. Using Hotwire to slash the rates of a higher quality hotel isn't a bad bet.
Another area that Hotwire shines is with flights. Each airline may have slight differences in snacks, or staff, but in my opinion a plane is a plane. They will all get you to your destination in more or less the same way, and just as safely. If I had to choose one thing to save the most money on, it would be the flight.
Rental cars are the same way. If you have a preference of model this may be an area of concern for you, but if driving a Chevy, Pontiac, or Kia makes no difference to you, Hotwire can give you some super low rental car rates.
Overall, Hotwire can save you some money if you don't mind pleasant surprises, and sometimes unpleasant surprises. But at least now you know how to get the most out of your "blind date" with Hotwire.