Hotwire...anyone use them for hotel reservations?

[Embre]

I need to find a hotel for the night at the end of my cruise. Was looking at hotwire, but am a little unnerved at the idea of booking "blind". Can anyone offer any advise regarding using them to book a room? I dont want anything extravigant, but don't want to end up in some horrible flee bag hotel.

[Islanderman]

Based upon comments on this board that led me to expect to be assigned to the Renaissance, I requested a 4* hotel in the Port Everglades/Downtown area. That's exactly what I got for $143 + tax in late March for our post cruise night.

 

While that may not be what you're looking for, you might be able to get a good idea of where you'll be assigned by doing a search for "Hotwire" on this board.

 

Good luck.

[jman_in_minnesota]

check out betterbidding.com

 

it's a good resource for selecting a hotel etc. through hotwire & priceline

[thesawch]

If you don't want a flea bag hotel then book a 3.5 to 4 star hotel.i just got the Westin Colonnade in Coral gables off hotwire for 4 people for 107 dollars.Regular price 390 bucks.I got a 4 star in Ft Lauderdale after our cruise for 150 for 4 people and there web site is 360 dollars.Its the Diplomat golf resort in Ft L. Basically if you book a 3.5 to 4 star you will be OK.there are good hotels there that are 2.5 to 3 star but you are taking a chance then.If you can't sleep over this then pay the 300 bucks and book the hotel you want.

[pnut362]

like the poster above said go to better bidding dot com. you can start a thread asking for help identifying a certain property. just put the stars, amenities, location, dates of stay and they will help you. most of the time they are right. good luck! i felt a lot better about using hotwire after checking out that site :D

[ColoRockiesFan]

And won a night's stay at the Marriott Renaissance for 2/16/2009 for $115. I just selected 4 star and downtown Ft. Lauderdale.

[hillside]

I've used Hotwire several times. I just booked a 4 star hotel in Coral Gables for March, 2 nights pre cruise for $108. per night. It turned out to be the Westin Colonnade and we're very happy.

[D&beach&J]

I have used hotwire.com in the past without any problems, but I'll never use them again.

 

I bid on a 3 star hotel in the Miami area for Feb. '09 and was given the name of the hotel after they charged my credit card. I then went to the hotel website and saw that it said it was a "pet friendly" hotel. I have no pets and if I really wanted to sleep where pets also sleep, I would have called a kennel. Anyway...

 

I emailed Hotwire to explain that their description of the hotel did not mention "pet friendly" because if it did, I wouldn't have bid on it. They told me all sales are final and there's nothing they can do. I asked them to book me at another hotel that does not allow pets or give me a refund or credit. They still said 'no'. Finally, I spoke to a manager on the phone who was rude and did not care whether I used them again or not.

 

Since I never thought about the "pet friendly" thing, I mention this in case some of you also never thought of it. I pointed out to hotwire that they list whether or not there are washers & dryers... weather a hotel is near a beach or not... whether they have an exercise room or not. The least they can do is list "pet friendly" if a hotel advertises it on their website.

 

Because of the poor customer service given to me recently, I will never use hotwire.com again. It cost me $107 to learn that they will make no exceptions to their 'all sales final' policy.

 

Bidders beware.

[gotsand]

I just won Sheraton Yankee Clipper, 100.00 for March 7th. Bid 3* beach area. This hotel is right on the beach and near many restaurants.

[royal_flush]

I have used hotwire.com in the past without any problems, but I'll never use them again.

 

I bid on a 3 star hotel in the Miami area for Feb. '09 and was given the name of the hotel after they charged my credit card. I then went to the hotel website and saw that it said it was a "pet friendly" hotel. I have no pets and if I really wanted to sleep where pets also sleep, I would have called a kennel. Anyway...

 

I emailed Hotwire to explain that their description of the hotel did not mention "pet friendly" because if it did, I wouldn't have bid on it. They told me all sales are final and there's nothing they can do. I asked them to book me at another hotel that does not allow pets or give me a refund or credit. They still said 'no'. Finally, I spoke to a manager on the phone who was rude and did not care whether I used them again or not.

 

Since I never thought about the "pet friendly" thing, I mention this in case some of you also never thought of it. I pointed out to hotwire that they list whether or not there are washers & dryers... weather a hotel is near a beach or not... whether they have an exercise room or not. The least they can do is list "pet friendly" if a hotel advertises it on their website.

 

Because of the poor customer service given to me recently, I will never use hotwire.com again. It cost me $107 to learn that they will make no exceptions to their 'all sales final' policy.

 

Bidders beware.

 

Well yeah if you want to get things for cheap you will have to sacrifice other things for the lowered price. I mean just cause it's pet friendly doesn't mean there will be dogs barking all night or something.. It's more troublesome for people who do have pets and want to book a hotel on hotwire so I see where you're going with the lack of information on their site, but I guess that's why they are so cheap (don't have the money to hire better customer service reps!).

[monicajay]

I have been using Hotwire for years and have had many great hotels with them. I wish the OP good luck! Just stick with 3* and above.

[eandj]

I have used hotwire.com in the past without any problems, but I'll never use them again.

 

I bid on a 3 star hotel in the Miami area for Feb. '09 and was given the name of the hotel after they charged my credit card. I then went to the hotel website and saw that it said it was a "pet friendly" hotel. I have no pets and if I really wanted to sleep where pets also sleep, I would have called a kennel. Anyway...

 

I emailed Hotwire to explain that their description of the hotel did not mention "pet friendly" because if it did, I wouldn't have bid on it. They told me all sales are final and there's nothing they can do. I asked them to book me at another hotel that does not allow pets or give me a refund or credit. They still said 'no'. Finally, I spoke to a manager on the phone who was rude and did not care whether I used them again or not.

 

Since I never thought about the "pet friendly" thing, I mention this in case some of you also never thought of it. I pointed out to hotwire that they list whether or not there are washers & dryers... weather a hotel is near a beach or not... whether they have an exercise room or not. The least they can do is list "pet friendly" if a hotel advertises it on their website.

 

Because of the poor customer service given to me recently, I will never use hotwire.com again. It cost me $107 to learn that they will make no exceptions to their 'all sales final' policy.

 

Bidders beware.

 

 

WOW, this almost sounds like a joke....but I guess it isn't. A pet friendly hotel holds rooms on the first floor, near exits, for small animals and their owners. All you have to do is request a non pet room when you check in at the hotel desk. It definitely is NOT a big deal unless there is a dog or cat show in town on that date.

 

You are getting low rates for the "inconvenience" of not knowing the exact hotel. You can't really complain as you agree to the terms and conditions when you book for the discounted price. Too, if you use betterbidding.com and do a reverse search , you can find out what hotels are being described and do your research from that before taking a hotel.

 

You didn't mention the hotel. Stick to 4 stars, and you probably won't end up with pet friendly hotels.

We use Priceline and Hotwire when we have no special needs and just a general idea of what we want for our stay. Have never been let down when going for a 4 *. If we want a particular location, we do our own booking.

[maryann2]

Another way to check is to do a pretend package booking including flight and it will show the 3 or 4 star name of the hotel they use with the amenities offered so you can generally figure out which hotel you would get. I always use priceline and hotwire for hotels now. Did have a problem with hotwire once when the hotel I won was only a 2 star and not a 2.5 star which they advertised but they did change it and I paid a bit extra for a 3 star.

[jman_in_minnesota]

I will never use hotwire.com again. It cost me $107 to learn that they will make no exceptions to their 'all sales final' policy.

Bidders beware.

 

this is what all sales final means, no exceptions

 

if the detail was that annoying, I would have eaten the $107 and rebooked at a higher star level to avoid the hotel

[D&beach&J]

Jeff,

 

I did end up losing the $107, but I was not aware of that detail until after I paid. I didn't know in advance what the hotel was.

 

And I did all the various ways that have been suggested here to try to figure out which hotel I might end up with, but it backfired this time because this particular hotel was not listed.

 

Live and learn. I doubt hotwire will be going out of business because I stop using them :)

[eandj]

Jeff,

 

I did end up losing the $107, but I was not aware of that detail until after I paid. I didn't know in advance what the hotel was.

 

And I did all the various ways that have been suggested here to try to figure out which hotel I might end up with, but it backfired this time because this particular hotel was not listed.

 

Live and learn. I doubt hotwire will be going out of business because I stop using them :)

 

 

Why not just request a non-pet room? Rather than losing your money? Or do you have an aversion to pets anywhere in the hotel? Seems like a drastic step to lose the payment for something that might not even come into play at the hotel. But it's your choice of course. Hope you're happy with your new hotel choice. have a great trip.

[D&beach&J]

yeah. No offense to pet lovers, but I don't want to stay anyplace where pets are allowed in the building.

[eandj]

yeah. No offense to pet lovers, but I don't want to stay anyplace where pets are allowed in the building.

 

 

Then I see that as a special need for you and wouldn't recommend you using any discount sites that don't name the hotel ahead of time. Even some hotels that don't list themselves as accepting pets, will on occasion. (Think of the ladies that carry those little doggie bags )

 

Happy cruising.

[niborHS]

I agree with the above, if you are that picky, this is not for you. What I do to find the lowest price on a hotel is go on one of the sites that lists all hotels and rates, like travelocity or expedia. When I find a low priced hotel on them, I then go to the website for the hotel and book it. I was looking for a clean, newer hotel to use overnight near the Miami airport. I found the Sleep Inn, which is a Choice hotel, right across the street. They have free continental breakfast, shuttle service to the pier for $10 per person, free shuttle to the hotel, and it was $93 per night plus taxes. I will report back after I return, but am sure it will be serviceable.

[monicajay]

I have used hotwire.com in the past without any problems, but I'll never use them again.

 

I bid on a 3 star hotel in the Miami area for Feb. '09 and was given the name of the hotel after they charged my credit card. I then went to the hotel website and saw that it said it was a "pet friendly" hotel. I have no pets and if I really wanted to sleep where pets also sleep, I would have called a kennel. Anyway...

 

I emailed Hotwire to explain that their description of the hotel did not mention "pet friendly" because if it did, I wouldn't have bid on it. They told me all sales are final and there's nothing they can do. I asked them to book me at another hotel that does not allow pets or give me a refund or credit. They still said 'no'. Finally, I spoke to a manager on the phone who was rude and did not care whether I used them again or not.

 

Since I never thought about the "pet friendly" thing, I mention this in case some of you also never thought of it. I pointed out to hotwire that they list whether or not there are washers & dryers... weather a hotel is near a beach or not... whether they have an exercise room or not. The least they can do is list "pet friendly" if a hotel advertises it on their website.

 

Because of the poor customer service given to me recently, I will never use hotwire.com again. It cost me $107 to learn that they will make no exceptions to their 'all sales final' policy.

 

Bidders beware.

 

I just one the Sheraton Yankee Clipper on Priceline for $100.00 for the night of Feb. 27th. Even the Sheraton is Pet-friendly (Dogs up to 20 pounds are allowed.)

 

Just Google pet friendly hotels in Fort Lauderdale or Miami and you will find there are lots of them, nothing to do with Hotwire and Priceline.

[snausman]

yeah. No offense to pet lovers, but I don't want to stay anyplace where pets are allowed in the building.

 

 

You do realize that service animals are allowed into any building, right??? So even if they don't allow pets they still have to allow service animals, so you can still be in a hotel where animals are.

 

Laura

[sandancer]

Used Hotwire for the first time for our pre-cruise stay in April (Spring Break) and got the Westin Diplomat Resort in Hollywood Beach for $159. The hotel website is quoting $580 per night for that period so we are very happy with our deal. My nephew recommended Hotwire as he uses this site all the time with no problems.

[Smartcookie]

I actually agree with the poster who said that whether or not a hotel is pet friendly is very, VERY important, but for the opposite reason.

 

If you're traveling with pets, it's imperative to stay in a hotel that allows them, and contrary to some posts here, many luxury hotels ARE pet friendly, like the Equinox in Manchester Vermont and Nine Zero in Boston.

 

Just last night I lost $95 as I bid on a hotel in Burlington Vermont on Hotwire and it turns out it's probably the only hotel in town that is NOT pet friendly. I'm visiting my son who is in college (in a dorm room) and must bring our puppy, that in fact is the main reason for my trip...so he can see the puppy. (who is completely housebroken and never barks, BTW).

 

I called Hotwire (who I've been using for years), and found customer service to be rude and useless.

 

I think knowing whether or not a hotel allows pets is a hell of a lot more important than knowing whether there is golf nearby.....

 

I asked if they could just rebook me to a different (higher) star level as I knew the nicer hotels in the area would accept pets, but no dice. They told me no refunds, which is BALONEY since my husband made a mistake a week ago and booked a business trip through Hotwire for the wrong date and they changed it, just like that, no escalation, easy, she immediately refunded the mistake and let him rebook. So far I've spoken to 4 extremely rude and worthless customer non-service reps and finally called AMEX to dispute the charge.

 

I ended up rebooking (through Hotwire) a higher star level for the same night and naturally got a pet-friendly hotel, but now I have 2 hotels and one is going unused. I simply can not use it so I'm hoping AMEX comes through for me.

 

I am contacting the entire management team at Hotwire today to let them know how important the pet policy is for their customers, and that they need to take a good look at their horrible customer service staff and draconian refund policies.

 

It's not like I cared which specific hotel I stayed in, but at the very least I need a hotel I can bring my puppy to, I can't very well leave her in the car all night in sub zero temperatures.