Hotwire Hotel: 4.5* Toronto (Downtown) InterContinental Front St

[billbcc91]

Great site, this is a very useful service.

I'm going to book a hotel in Toronto for July 5th, just 1 night. Right now hotwire is showing me:

4.5* with restaurant, fitness center, spa, business center

4* with restaurant, pool, fitness center, busiiness center

Both are listed at a rate FAR lower than what I'm currently booked into (Sheraton Centre -- I know the lobby is under construction). I'm guessing from this site that I'm looking at Intercontinental (on Front St.) and that the 4* could be any of 3 (other Intercontinental, Hilton or Westin Harbour Castle).

The 4.5* sounds fine. What is a decent guess at the odds that is the hotel being offered?

Any comments on what people think of that hotel (Intercontinental on Front St)?

General question: can I expect rates to go down as the date gets closer, or is there a point of diminishing returns? I still need to book Montreal Downtown for July 6-10, but the rates for 4 and 4.5* hotels are hardly better than what I've already booked with a AAA discount (the Omni). Is Jazz Fest going to keep those rates high?

Thanks for any and all help.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

I would think that the 4.5* is indeed the Inter-Continental and that would be our best guess (but never any guarantees). You can read reviews of this property HERE.

Rate can go up or down between now and check-in, but generally we do not see a dramatic drop 3 days before check-in because hotels are now desperate (as many new users incorrectly believe would be the case)

Let us know if we can be of further help and/or how it goes.

[billbcc91]

Booked the downtown Toronto 4.5* with amenities as noted in my original post. Booking was for July 5, 1 night. The hotel was in fact the InterContinental Toronto Centre (on Front St.)

Rate was $97 US. With taxes and fees the total was $118. Just to note, the lowest rate on their site was $199 CAD. With the current exchange, a savings of more than $60. At the IC website they note that rate includes breakfast for 2 adults. It will be interesting to see if I get that with the hotwire booking (wouldn't really expect to).

Did go through the referring link.

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Glad to see it went as expected and you got a great deal. We're glad to have helped identify the property beforehand.

Have a great stay.

[awebber]

Sorry for the stupid question, but how much of the extra $21 is taxes and how much is fees? I'm looking at $110 on the Hotewire site and C$159 for government rate. Of course the government rate will have 15% taxes tacked on. Does Hotwire collect GST unlike Priceline? I don't want to end up paying C$159 to Hotwire.

Thanks!

=aw

[thereuare]

Neither Priceline or Hotwire disclose the breakdown of taxes and fees... but the total that you will pay for any purchase is shown before your purchase is finalized.

[awebber]

Okay thanks, I will probably stay at the Radisson this time, I was frustrated by them wanting 60K for an award night, then I figured out I could get one night for 30K (the other night is 60K) and the client will pay the other.

I may go look at the total cost of Hotwire for the IC on Front St., just to compare, but I've got so many Radisson points I take every opportunity to use them (just not double, i.e. 60K!).

=aw