Hotwire Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
These are Hotwire Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) based on questions asked on
HotelDealRevealed.com’s Hotwire Help Forum. These are not official
Hotwire policies and only represent the understanding of Forum Members who frequent Hotwire.
If this page doesn’t
answer your question, feel free to search the Hotwire Help Forum
for additional Hotwire help.
How does Hotwire work?
When making a travel reservation (e.g., hotel, flight, cruise, car rental), the actual supplier is not revealed until after you purchase and finalize your reservation. For example, when reserving a hotel on Hotwire, the name and exact address of the hotel remain hidden until you buy. Only certain information about the hotel is revealed such as the hotel star-rating, general vicinity, hotel amenities and price. This allows hotels and suppliers to offer deep discounts on excess supply. Consumers benefit by saving money.
How do I cancel or change a reservation?
This is probably the most important thing to know about Hotwire. You cannot change or cancel your reservation after you’ve booked. Of course, if you have separate cancellation insurance, you may be able to cancel under your own policy.
What if I accidentally made a mistake or a typo when making a reservation?
It is best to call them as soon as possible and explain the error you made. Any evidence you can supply to support the error will help. For example, if you demonstrate that you booked a flight for 6/10 but booked a hotel for 10/6, it might help your situation.
How can HotelDealsRevealed.com help me save money on Hotwire?
This website has gathered actual hotel reservation information from Hotwire Forum members and put them into Hotwire Hotel Lists. This can be used to help you identify your hotel before your purchase and avoid any disappointment with a hotel you might not want. The Hotwire Help Forum is also a good resource to ask questions about Hotwire, Priceline, and anything travel related.
Why can’t I find a Hotwire hotel on HotelDealsRevealed.com’s Hotel Lists?
This website relies on information from forum members to produce the Hotwire Hotel Lists. The information provided by member may not be accurate or it might be old and out-of-date. Hotels are added to and dropped from Hotwire all the time, and amenities change often. We try to keep our lists as current as possible thanks to the contribution of Hotwire users such as yourself.
I booked a hotel on Hotwire that I am not happy about. Is there anything I can do?
It is extremely difficult to do anything after you have purchased your hotel room. The best way to avoid disappointment is to try to identify your hotel ahead of time using the Hotwire Hotel Lists on this site. You can usually narrow it down to a couple of candidate hotels. Then, research those hotels on TripAdvisor or elsewhere before making your reservation. Remember that hotels on Hotwire change all the time, as do hotel ratings and amenities. There is always a chance you get different hotel than the one you though you might get. (Yes, this happens - trust me.) If you are not prepared to take a chance, you should probably book on a different website or through the hotel directly. As much as I love Hotwire, there are times when I will not risk getting a hotel I do not want.
Why type of bed will I get?
This is up to the hotel. After you book, you should try to call the hotel if you want a particular bed size.
How many people will my room sleep?
Your room will sleep the number you indicated when you made your reservation. For 2 people, you may get 2 single bed or a queen (or larger). If you book a room for 3 or more, you are almost assured 2 double or queen size beds. You cannot reserve a single room for 5 or more people.
How does Hotwire’s price guarantee work?
If within 48 hours of making your reservation, you find the same room, same number of beds, same hotel, and same dates for a lower price, Hotwire will pay you double the difference in Hot Dollars. Hot Dollars are essentially a credit good for future use on Hotwire only. I have had the fortune of taking advantage of Hotwire's price guarantee a couple of times. It was easy to make a claim and just as easy to use my Hot Dollars on a future purchase.
How do I get a non-smoking room from Hotwire?
The only way to guarantee a non-smoking room on Hotwire is to reserve a room at a hotel that shows the smoke-free icon. This icon indicates that the entire hotel is smoke-free. Many other hotels offer non-smoking rooms but they are not guaranteed. If you book a room at a hotel that is not exclusively non-smoking (as indicated by the smoke-free icon), it is best to call the hotel soon after you make your reservation to indicate your room preference.
How do I get a pet-friendly hotel from Hotwire?
To our knowledge, there is no way to identify a pet friendly hotel on Hotwire. The best bet if you are traveling with pets is to avoid Hotwire and Priceline.
I booked a Hotwire hotel showing the high-speed internet icon. Why do I have to pay?
This is one of those gotcha's that you will want to avoid. The internet icon indicates that high-speed internet is available, not that it is free. If you are able to identify your hotel prior to purchasing using our Hotwire Hotel Lists, you might want to contact the hotel before your reservation to find out if there are fees for internet access. I have seen fees for internet range from $0 to $25 for a 24-hour period.
Is there any truth to stories that the hotel gives Hotwire customers its worst rooms? E.g., those with poor views, located near the ice machine, etc.
I doubt it. I have not noticed any difference between the rooms I've booked through Hotwire versus the ones I booked on other sites. Sometimes I get a good view and sometimes I don't. I would think that hotels would want to make all their customers happy since their reputation is on the line.
Where can I go for additional Hotwire help?
If you have a question that is not answered in this Hotwire FAQ page, try our Hotwire Help Forum. If you still need help, it is best to visit the Hotwire official site.
Additional Hotwire Resources
- Hotwire Essentials: Learn the basics of Hotwire and how it can save you money.
- 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.
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