Hotwire Hotel: 4.5* London (Mayfair-Soho) Le Meridien Piccadilly

[curiousx]

This is for a five night stay Sept 9-14, 2005. The hotel's website rate was 195GBP pd. Expedia was offering US$328 pd.

Amenities listed were restaurant, fitness centre, spa, internet, business centre. It was also listed as a 'best value'.

Because of the amenities, I was 99% sure that I was going to get the Meridien Piccadilly. The rates seem OK compared to other successful bids I have seen for this hotel, especially since it includes tips and taxes. Some successful Priceline bids were around $175-200 excluding t&t, although I did see one for $145 (wow)!

Tripadvisor reviews for this hotel are mixed. The negatives mostly focus on the expensive meals/bar and complaints from some that they were given lesser rooms because they booked through Priceline. We'll see if Hotware gets the same treatment !

[thereuare]

Thank you for sharing your results with the board.

Can you please let us know which Hotwire zone this hotel is located in (is it Mayfair-Soho?)

Also, what do you mean that all tips are included? Hotwire's rated does not typically include tips at the hotel (bellman, valet, etc)... were you advised otherwise?

Thanks!

[curiousx]

sorry - the zone is Mayfair Soho.

And yes, the offer specified that tips and taxes were included. But the confirmation I received from hotwired did no mention this, so I have sent off a request for confirmation to them asap. I also kept a copy of the offer page, just to ensure there would be no confusion on this point, as I recognize the inclusion of tips is unusual.

[curiousx]

Well, I contacted Hotwire asking them to send me a new confirmation referencing the "tips/taxes included" information that was part of the offer I accepted. Their response so far is that "Tipping as always is up to the guest" so could not possibly be part of the offer or it would appear on the confirmation. Oh sigh.

So I have now sent them a copy of the offer page showing "tips/taxes included" in the offer, and asking them to adjust the confirmation accordingly.

And, just in case I was crazy or this was a one time glitch, I have also been back to the Hotwire website twice and replicated my offer (same dates, zone, number of travellers, etc). Each time I came up with offers that said "tips/taxes included" on the offer page just below the box where the per diem rate is provided.

I'll let you know what Hotwire says next.

I also note that there is a person who identifies him/herself as a Hotwire CSR who posts helpfully on this website from time to time. Perhaps he/she has something to suggest ?

P.S. I am still happy with my purchase...the rate for (I assume) the same hotel (based on same dates, amenities, 4.5 stars, zone) is up to $288. I am also amused to note a 4 star hotel offered for $265 with, guess what, "taxes and tips included".