Hotwire Hotel: 4* Raleigh - Durham (Chapel Hill) Sheraton Chapel Hill

[trentslori]

Was curious as to what Hotwire meant for 4-star versus Priceline, and now I know they have different definitions. On most websites this Sheraton is considered a 3 1/2*. 4* in Chapel Hill on Priceline would mean Sienna or Carolina Inn. That being said, I bid up to $75 on Priceline for a 4-star for this night and was rejected. Went with the Hotwire deal and was happy to get it, but unhappy with the disparity in star levels. I'm slightly ticked because had I bid for a 3 1/2 star in Chapel Hill on Priceline this might have had a different (lower) ending.

Used the links from this board, and as always, am happy and grateful for the info I gather here. Which is why I continue to post happy endings as well as somewhat happy ones such as this.

And yes, I have written to Hotwire to mention my concerns about their star levels.

[thereuare]

Sorry to hear if you've found the results for this one to be lackluster.

If/when you're unsure of a property you may be receiving, or just want a second option, feel free to ask the board for help.

Can you please add a reply to this thread with the amenities shown before your purchase... you can still view this information by going to HOTWIRE and clicking the MY ACCOUNT link near the top right of their home page.

Thank you for sharing your win with the board.

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

Enjoy your stay.

[trentslori]

Sorry, I do Hotwire so infrequently that I forget to post the amenities. Please note that I'm happy to try the Sheraton. And will give them the benefit of the 4-star doubt, but find it interesting that Hotwire almost always rates a half star above other websites. Have already heard back from Hotwire that they stand by their 4-star rating. I quote from their email:

I can assure you that Hotwire stands by its star ratings, and that this hotel was last benchmarked on March 17th, 2013.

(don't you love the 2013 part? :)

That being said, I'm looking forward to checking them out. Here are the amenities that were listed, and perhaps the pool part is a giveaway, as I know Carolina Inn doesn't have one...not sure about the Sienna.

Smoke Free Rooms Fitness Center Pool(s)

Restaurant(s) Business Center High-Speed Internet Access

[AaronJB]

Thank you for the follow-up; hopefully the property will exceed expectations.

[thereuare]

...but find it interesting that Hotwire almost always rates a half star above other websites.

They tend to use Orbitz, Expedia, and Travelocity and a 'base' and then adjust upward/downward from there, if necessary, based upon user feedback.

For this property, Expedia rates it 3.5* while the other two rate it 4*, which rounds the average up to 4*, and the likely basis for their star rating of this property.

Enjoy your stay.

[trentslori]

Interesting, because even Hotels.com which pops up automatically when you pull up Hotwire rates it as 3.5. So does Priceline. Anyway, having now stayed there, I would say it's a 3-star facility with some of the nicest, friendliest, earnest staff...they are giving it their all! But based on hotels we've stayed in, this didn't feel like a 4-star in any respect, especially when you compare it to the other 4-stars in Chapel Hill...The Franklin, Carolina Inn & Siena.

Anyway, Hotwire doesn't hide the fact that they score hotels higher than many other sites. Being primarily a Priceline gal, I'm always aware when I book on Hotwire that we're likely to get at least a half star, if not a full star lower value than what they're saying. I went into it eyes wide open, and am not sorry that we got to try this friendly place. But it's definitely a "Hotwire 4-star", NOT a "Priceline 4-star". Which makes it a "Hotwire deal", not a "Priceline one", and that's still a deal, just not as good as Priceline ones can be. :)