Hotwire Hotel: 4* Orlando (Universal Orlando - SW) Crowne Plaza

[islandgirl]

I am looking at Orlando for April 11- 16. Hotwire has 4.5* for $93. I think this the Peabody. This seems like a good deal compared with cheapest internet rates I can find for this hotel. Does anybody have experience of booking this hotel through Hotwire. Do they have "Hotwire rooms" that maybe are not worth the $200 rooms go for on other websites?

Universal Orlando and Sea World Area

Selected amenities include: Restaurant(s), Pool(s), Fitness Center, Golf Nearby, Tennis Nearby, Business Center. View complete amenity list and description

$93 per room

per night

Also anybody got tips for cheap tickets to Cirque du Soleil, Downtown Disney.

Rachel

[thereuare]

The first review HERE was on a Hotwire stay and apparently enjoyed it... but paid for an upgrade to the 'club level'. You can read thru the rest of the reviews to see if there are any others who stayed via Hotwire and commented.

If you book this please use our HOTWIRE link.

Let us know whatever you end up doing for this stay.

[ufjoe21]

Yes, it's the Peabody. I've stayed there....check out my review at...

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews...do_Florida.html

it's the first review once you scroll down...

:) :) :o

[thereuare]

This seems like a good time to re-iterate that users are buying an opaque product... many hotels can be figured out with a very high degree of certainty, but you can never be 100% guaranteed of the property before your purchase, as there could always be other hotels with the same exact star rating and amenities. In some areas the chances of this are extremely small, but that possibility still exists.

[ufjoe21]

Right...but the point is there's a very high chance we're right.......besides that you're bidding on a 4.5* Hotel in the Universal zone

so even if it turned out to be another property........it's still a 4.5* property (NOTE: hotwire usually inflates its star ratings, but in this case the Peabody is ranked between 4 and 5 stars by everyone in the travel biz)

if I were you, I would bid on priceline for a 4* in the Universal Area, Peabody is one of the 2 hotels that has come up before through priceline in this category, or bid the resort level

nothing against hotwire, but if I were a gambling man......which I am, I'd wager to say you could save EVEN MORE using priceline

also, if you've never stayed at the Peabody, why are you dead set on staying there and nowhere else?

Peabody is very nice, but if the Peabody was your 1st concern you'd be reserving it directly not anonymously, obviously your 1st concern is price.............

so why not choose priceline.......the whole point of both sites is to get your room cheap, both sites let you reserve anonymously and it seems overwhelming cheaper to use priceline (based on my own experience and from reading postings on betterbidding)

if you're very concerned with getting the Peabody in terms of luxury, don't be fooled, you can only get the most basic room using priceline or hotwire, if you want a suite or club-level room or some kind of special very exclusive, expensive room you either have to pay for an uprgrade or get the room directly from the hotel..........priceline is very fair in its star rating, the majority of star ratings are accurate and correct

sorry if i'm ranting and raving about priceline.....

[Motherfletcher]

I got the Peabody on Hotwire yesterday for 3/9/05 at $105. I've stayed there before and wasn't treated as a "Hotwire" guest. I'm going to request a complimentary upgrade and will let you know how it goes.

[thereuare]

Motherfletcher,

Please also post your win as a NEW TOPIC so that others who scan the top titles will be able to see your win (also please include/confirm the amenities). If users were to scan the board now they wouldn't know that this hotel has been won recently, which may lead them to believe it's not currently available, which is obviously is.

Thanks.

[ufjoe21]

hate to burst your bubble but you most likely won't get a free upgrade on your room (I'm guessing you want to be upgraded to the Club Level), you can certainly pay to be upgraded (if it's available), but the only way one will fall into your lap is if the person checking you in feels like doing it (which is rare)

you can try, but don't be demanding about it, if anything you have to try to sweet talk them into giving you an upgrade :)

[Motherfletcher]

I paid an extra $50 last visit to get on the club level. I'm looking for a king international suite this stay. I never demand anything though. I'm hoping they feel bad that I applied for PEPR's in Nov. and haven't got it yet.

[ufjoe21]

I looked over the Peabody rooms availalbe in April.....what exactly is the king international suite? and what does PEPR stand for?

[Motherfletcher]

Just back. I asked for an upgrade and was given a corner king room on the 14th floor that had a huge (10'x21') landscaped balcony, a large screen TV and a corner alcove for the desk with several windows on both walls.

An International Suite has a pull down king with a kitchen/dining room and couch.

PEPRS is their preferred guest program where you can earn "duck bucks" to spend at the hotel.

[ufjoe21]

how much for the upgrade? :)

[Motherfletcher]

Complimentary. :)

[thereuare]

Free is a good price! :)

[ufjoe21]

Ok, how did you the free upgrade........did you sweet-talk the person checking you in?

was the hotel empty the day you were there?

do you frequently stay at this hotel so they've done this for you before?

all I'm saying is the average person can't just walk into a hotel and get a FREE upgrade.......sure it happens, but I mean there's gotta be some secret.....is this something you've only found with the Peabody?

it just seems difficult to just say "I was wondering if you could please upgrade me for nothing?"

the other thing that boggles my mind is that usually hotwire and priceline hotel guests are looked down upon by hotel staff because they save so much.........so to me it's funny that they'd look and see you're paying much below the rack rate and then be wiling to give you a free upgrade?

please inform I'm very curious......

<bump>

[thereuare]

the average person can't just walk into a hotel and get a FREE upgrade

Our board members are not average :)

[Motherfletcher]

I didn't really sweet talk her but I didn't act like she owed me anything. I asked if a complimentary upgrade was available. One reason that I got one was when she asked about the smoking preference I told her that I didn't care. There are quite a few people that make a big stink about that. I think she was glad to get someone that wasn't particular. I quit smoking a few years ago and residual smell doesn't bother me and I couldn't smell anything in the smoking room that I got.

Another strategy is to fold a twenty and make it visible behind your ID when handing it to the clerk and asking for the upgrade. I know people that have gotten the normal $50 club upgrade for $20 by using this method. thereuare is right- we are a cut above the average hotel guest simply by monitoring these boards. Most people pay rack rates!

[islandgirl]

Have just booked the Crown Plaza for $121. It was showing at $116 but then it jumped up. I decided to book anyway since it was still a good deal and already missed out on the Peabody at $96.

Rachel

[thereuare]

Please provide the ameniteis that were shown before your purchase... they're still viewable by going to HOTWIRE and clicking the MY ACCOUNT link near the top right of their home page.

Thanks!

[islandgirl]

Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Business, Laundry (self service).

I have also been bidding on Priceline for the same trip and have tried 4 times and been unsucessful.

Dates 11-16 April

4* Universal Studios starting at $90 and increasing by $5 each time by adding free rebid zone. No luck upto $115 on each occasion so went to Hotwire instead.

Rachel

[thereuare]

Nice job knowing current HOTWIRE prices and using the service that gave you the best deal!

Thanks for the follow-up.

Enjoy your stay.

[Motherfletcher]

We stayed at CPU last Mon the 21st. We got it thru Hotwire last minute at $105. Their beds are in the top 5 in Orlando for comfort.

Tip- Join their Priority Club and gain access to their club lounge. They had jalapena poppers that night that were really good and continental breakfast with club hostess Lorraine is always informative. We were complimentary upgraded to a Jr. Suite.

[islandgirl]

I started using Hotwire/Priceline last summer and so far have booked 6 hotels with great savings and total satisfaction but thought readers might be interested in my recent experience at the Crown Plaza International Drive. On check in I was informed that the only available room was a disabled room and that we could move in the morning to an alternate room if we wanted. This seemed completely reasonable since we were checking in quite late and the only real difference was no bath in the bathroom. The room was great and the bed to die for but the shower was so poorly designed that it was impossible not to flood the bathroom so the next morning I asked at reception whether we could be moved as offered the previous evening.

I was not very politely informed by a different member of staff that we were Hotwire customers and that we were only entitled to a room and that I could not request a change. I understand that is the deal and didn't make a fuss but it was the first time I have been made to feel inferior. It would not put me off and we enjoyed our stay but her attitude was a little unnecessary. Had we not been offered a room swap at checkin I would never have asked, maybe she was just having a bad day!

Anyway the hotel is great all other respects but probably not worth the full fare rate of $180.

[dianev]

I sometimes wonder if management at these hotels know that their clerks are saying these kinds of things and treating guests that way?

There are probably some bad managers out there as well but I would have to think that giving that kind of attitude wouldnt be something that they are taught to do?