Hotwire Hotel: Help ID Niagara Falls, ON 4* for $133 8/9-8/11

[ladybugsea]

Help ID Niagara Falls, ON 4* for $133 8/9-8/11. Only 2 amenities are given: restaurant and high-speed internet. Rec 75%. This is the only 4* offered on Hotwire at the moment for this trip. Yesterday I had the same result as above, but a subsequent search brought up 132 4* gym, pool, restaurant, conference, internet 75% (and the one with 2 amenities wasn't listed that time). Could they be the same hotel? On the priceline transparent offers, I see Marriott $239, Hilton 161, Sheraton 181, Doubletree 161. Considering those prices, I would guess that I would be more likely to get one of the cheaper ones and not the Marriott. Anyway, back to the original question, has there been a match for the above with 2 amenities?

We are meeting family that is staying at the Marriott Fallsview, would love to stay there or at least nearby. I realize the odds of getting the Marriott on hotwire or priceline are slim, but thought I would scope out hotwire to see if it was possible to take a chance to increase my odds of guessing the Marriott before moving on to priceline. Will bid through BB PRICELINE link, thanks!

[yellowdog]

Best guess would be Doubletree Resort and Spa.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE link to start your purchase, and let us know how it goes or if you need any additional help with your stay.

I can't say if the other 4* is the same as this. I need to see the listing live.

Yellowdog.

PS. keep all posts in this thread even if you change to PRICELINE

[ladybugsea]

Thanks, I think I'll move over to PRICELINE. Where should I start? I don't see many wins lately.

[yellowdog]

If you would like to get help with a bidding strategy so please post your budget/night, zone(s) you're willing to stay in and the rating for the hotel.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

Yellowdog.

[ladybugsea]

4* Niagara Falls, ON, would like to keep it under $90-95, else I might lower to 3*. 8/9-8/11. Prices for those dates from hotel websites:

Sheraton Fallsview 171

Marriott Fallsview 218

Doubletree Fallsview 169

Hilton Fallsview 151

Will bid through BB PRICELINE link, understand free rebid zones, looks like I have 4. Thanks!

[ladybugsea]

Used the PRICELINE link, bid up to $86, no luck.

[AaronJB]

Thank you for keeping us updated and for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links. Please let us know if you are successful and if you have any questions. Good luck with your next bids.

[thereuare]

For your next round of bidding do you want to try for a 4* up to $95 or lower your star rating to 3.5*?

Thanks for using the PRICELINE link on the board for your bidding :)

[ladybugsea]

I think I will stick with 4* and increase up to $95, maybe $100 as the days go by, this is the busy time there, and based on Hotwire only having one 4* option ($134) every time I check, I'd bet there's not much Priceline availability (if any?). I am only 9 days out from this stay, perhaps more rooms will open up this week. The Hilton Fallsview at 151 is not too bad of a backup, hopefully the price will stay low if I am not successful on Priceline. Or even the Hotwire offer is not bad either (but it's that weird hotel with only 2 amenities listed).

[ladybugsea]

Went up to $100, no luck. I'll keep trying.

[thereuare]

For the 4* HOTWIRE property, if you change the search to 2adults/1child what i believe to be the same hotel appears with Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Internet, Business... matching both the Sheraton Fallsview (note: different than the Sheraton on the Falls) and the Hilton Niagara Falls Fallsview, so either of these would be my best guess for this one (distant chance of the Doubletree as well, but that has a current Tripadvisor rating of 4.0 and the property above, when searching for 2adults/1hchild, shows a TA rating of 3.5)

Let us know what you ultimately decide and how it goes or if we can be of further help.

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board for your bidding and purchases.

[ladybugsea]

Thanks, theruare. On 7/5 there was a transparent HOTWIRE offer and it was the Sheraton Fallsview for $121.

I have bid up to $120 today ($110 + $10 bonus cash), no luck. Do you think there is just no availability on PRICELINE?

[thereuare]

Do you think there is just no availability on PRICELINE?

There is no PRICELINE availability up to $120... if you raise your bid i suspect you will win a hotel.

Is $120 your maximum bid at this point in time? If you continue to not be accepted at $120 what is your back-up plan?

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your purchases.

[ladybugsea]

I'm not sure I will go higher than $120. My backup is the 4* on Hotwire for $134 (if it were still available). What is the Priceline fee vs Hotwire? I would also consider 3* on Hotwire but there haven't been any. Or maybe even 3* on Priceline. I would like to take advantage of the bonus cash before it's gone tomorrow. My other backup is to directly book one of the 4*, but I haven't done it because I really don't want to spend that much.

[ladybugsea]

I misspoke, there are 3* on Hotwire, just not ones that I am willing to take. There is 3.5* for $219 which appears to be the Crowne Plaza Fallsview (Casino, Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Smoke Free, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, Childrens Activities). Then there is one 3* for $124 but there is no info on it.

[AaronJB]

So, what would be your desired plan at this point? The bonus cash is a good deal to take advantage of, but if you do not want a specific property and/or aren't interested in what HOTWIRE offers, then you could use coupon code 10SPRING for $10 off regular rate properties via Expedia.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or Expedia or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[ladybugsea]

AaronJB Thanks for the Expedia tip. Are those bookings non-refundable?

thereuare How are you seeing Trip Advisor ratings on Hotwire? I don't see that, I just see the Hotwire customers' %.

Tried Priceline again today up to $125 (115+10 bonus cash), still no luck. When on the bidding screen, it puts the 'best deal' icon on the 2*. Also, the Hotwire 4* that was originally $132 is now $136. Does everyone else see it that way or are they increasing it on me? :)

I would like to book a back-up now (and keep bidding on Priceline, I have until 8/9 to use the bonus cash, not today like I had thought). I'm nervous about booking and trusting that it is 100% refundable. I want to book the Double Tree (best rate and the parking is the cheapest) but when I called, they said $40 cancellation fee; on their website it doesn't appear that way. Also could I book the Double tree through Expedia using the coupon AaronJB suggested and have it be refundable? When I go to Expedia, it only lists a smoking room, when I go to the hotel's website it lists non-smoking for the same rate. I really want non-smoking, but if I booked n-s through the hotel website vs smoking on Expedia, does it even guarantee I will get n-s if booking directly through the hotel?

Thanks again everyone, I appreciate all the help. I'm spreading the word about betterbidding (and using the links of course!)!

[thereuare]

The TA information isn't always shown... but if you change your search to 2adults/1child and click the CONTINUE button next to the 4* offering.... look below the map on the subsequent page and you'll see the Tripadvisor info i referenced.

As far the back-up reservations above you'll need to check the details of each option. Each website (whether it be the Doubletree, Expedia, etc) will show specific cancellation policy during the check-out process. It's possible the 'rate code' the Doubletree was using when you called them is different then the rate code you would be using if booked thru their website. If you do book the Doubletree as a back-up, please note from our support page that we have a link to them as well: DOUBLETREE LINK.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

PS- ignore the 'best deal' designation as it's not very meaningful in your bidding :)

[ladybugsea]

Booked the Doubletree backup through the link. Not happy about it, though! Will continue to try Priceline and will update in the end with what I do. Thanks again, everyone.

[yellowdog]

ladybugsea

Thanx for using boards link to book this :)

Keep us updated.

Yellowdog.

[ladybugsea]

Still working on this, bidding daily with no luck. Today I bid up to $120, and the Hotwire 4* is now $152. I guess I'm not going to get anything, and there goes my Hotwire backup (I was hoping to cancel my $165 reservation and use Hotwire if Priceline didn't work out). I still have a few days, we'll see what happens. My hotel reservation has a 48h cancellation policy, would that be 48 hours before the regular check-in time? Or two full days before? Will be checking in next Monday, wondering if I have until Saturday afternoon to cancel, or if it would be the midnight before or after this. Can someone tell me?

[AaronJB]

I'd guess 48 hours prior to your reservation, but I'd recommend looking at the fine print of

the reservation to confirm the exact timing/details.

[thereuare]

Can someone tell me?

The hotel will be your best source for this answer as each hotel may interpret differently.

[ladybugsea]

No luck, kept trying every day up to $120. Hotwire 4* is now $153, so we are going to use the back-up reservation at the Doubletree. Thanks for all the help, bummed that I couldn't get a deal.

[yellowdog]

ladybugsea

Thanks for the follow-up and closing this thread.

Sorry to see that you couldn't get a deal.

Thanx for using boards link at the support page :)

Yellowdog.