Hotwire Help - Better Bidding on Hotels
Hotwire Basics:
If you are wondering, "How does Hotwire work?" this page will answer some of
your questions about Hotwire and can, hopefully, help you save money on hotel
accommodations.
If you're new to Hotwire, it's important to understand the Hotwire concept:
you don't find out what hotel you've booked
until you've already paid for it. That's right, you pay first then
find out the hotel. Most purchases are non-refundable. This is
somewhat unique and admittedly, not for everyone. But if you are a
bit flexible on your hotel brand and location, Hotwire can save you
a lot of money.
Hotwire basically works like this: Like all hotel booking websites,
you enter certain parameters such as your destination and travel
dates and you are presented with the results - a list of hotels and
prices. You can narrow your search by specifying a particular star
rating (e.g., 3 stars and above) and other criteria. Hotwire also
breaks large cities into smaller areas. For instance, Las Vegas is
broken into 13 different areas, which allows you to find a hotel in
a more precise neighbourhood or district within the city.
Although you don't know the name of the hotel or exact location,
Hotwire lists hotel amenities before you purchase. So if you're
looking for a hotel with a pool, for example, you know this
information before you purchase. This is part of what makes Hotwire
great.
Before jumping onto Hotwire, you should figure out the going rate
for a similar hotel using Travelocity, Expedia, and Orbitz. Use
this information to determine whether or not you are getting a good
deal on Hotwire. It is also a good idea to spend some time checking
out the Hotwire Forum to learn how to become a better
bidder on Hotwire.
At this point, you're ready to start using Hotwire. Take the price
that you've found at the retail site and head over to Hotwire. Plug
in your cities and your dates of travel. Compare the fare you've
found at the retail site to the Hotwire. With the money you're
saving, is it worth it to book a hotel not knowing the exact brand
or location? If so, complete your purchase!
This is an over simplification of the process but provides a
general overview. Our forum is full of
additional tips and strategies for booking hotels and saving money
on Hotwire, so spend some time reading the posts from our members
and become familiar with how Hotwire works. You should also check out
Hotwire Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
. I absolutely love
Hotwire and have saved thousands of dollars using their site to
book my travel.
Additional Hotwire Resources
- Hotwire Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Common questions from Hotwire Help Forum members.
- How To Identify A Hotwire Hotel: This tutorial describes how to reveal the name of your Hotwire hotel before you purchase in 4 easy steps.
- Hotwire Forum: Join our forum and discuss Hotwire tips, find out how much others paid for hotel reservations, seek help identifying a hotel, or discuss anything travel related.
- Hotwire Blog: Blog posts about hotel bidding specific to Hotwire.
Compare Fares Now
Have a pen ready? Find out who has the best deal. Click on any of the links below to open a new window.