If I am reading this correctly, On June 17, 2010, you booked a room in New Orleans for May 4-May 9, 2011. Subsequently, the hotel changed names, and the new owners do not want to honor the booking made by previous owners. Hotwire is offering you a refund but you want the room at the rate you booked. In your shoes, I would call Hotwire directly: (1-866-468-9473). In a calm and professional manner explain that 1) You made this booking over six months ago, and being a pre-paid, non-refundable room you relied on the reservation completely. 2) At this point it would be impossible for you to book a similar hotel at that price. 2) You do not want the booking cancelled/refunded, but want the room you booked/pre-paid over six months ago. 3) If they are unable to accommodate you at the hotel you originally booked, you want to be moved to another 2.5* or better hotel in the French Quarter at no additional cost/for the same rate. Obviously the major issue here is that you have virtually no chance of booking another hotel in the French Quarter for those dates at that rate, and are looking at triple the price now due to no fault of your own. What, if anything, Hotwire is willing to do about it is another question. They should be willing to work with you to find alternatives. They few times I have had to use their customer service they've been pretty good, but OTOH this is a situation which is largely beyond their control. Keep us posted, I hope it turns out well for you.
