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Guaranteeing a certain hotel- Hotwire


stellababy
By stellababy,
in

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I've used Priceline in the past for booking a resort in San Juan and was very satisfied. I would love to try Hotwire in an effort to scope out a particular property. I haven't looked at the list of available hotels in the San Juan area, but I would love a resort near the pier. I have browsed the forums for tips, but I would love if someone could post (in order) the steps I should take in my research/booking process. Here is what I know (please add to my list!):

1. Narrow down the area (zone) I want to be in San Juan.

2. Look at Better Bidding's winning list of hotels in that area.

3. Research (on Hotwire?) the amenities for the listed hotels and record all amenities (look further for more than the 8 visible).

4. Research winning bids on Better Bidding to know what price to bid. (I will be selecting 2 rooms)

5. Use the link above to bid on Hotwire- make an educated guess as to which property is what according to amenities... post winning bid.

Questions: Are amenities the only way to guess which hotel is which? I've notice some talk about resort fees being a tip-off as well?

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I'd start with 0. - Figure out a budget.

For 2., I assume you mean the Hotwire BB list of hotels? The Priceline one can contain different hotels.

I'd take 2. a little further and check out the hotel reviews in both betterbidding (Hotel Reviews area toward the end of this site) and www.tripadvisor.com. While I don't think it is the case for San Juan, in some city/zone/star level combos there can be a hotel one wants to avoid.

I'd add to your research taking a look at the Cruise Pier Hotels under the Tools menu above. It is pretty amazing.

Then I'd add a 6. for providing a review of the hotel after you stayed there. Here and/or TripAdvisor. Somebody will be very grateful.

The amenities are basically the way for us amateurs to guess which hotel is which. The moderators here have a lot more background and general information so can also apply that. An example might be knowing a certain chain usually uses a certain set of amenities, so applying that info to a different city's Hotwire offering even if there hasn't been a win posted in that city.

I don't have anything to offer on the resort fees, other than it seems to be an additional clue sometimes.

Definitely worth posting here and asking for expert advice.

But even with a well supported guess, do remember it is exactly that - a guess.

In a very small US town where I knew there was most likely only one possible hotel, I was surprised that the rate would shift up $2-$3s on weekends, and then drift back down mid-week.

Finally, I watched Hotwire offerings in Istanbul over a period of time. I was surprised by how often the offerings changed. Things just went away, and then would pop back up a few weeks or days later. If you see something that fits your needs, don't hesitate too long. On the other hand, if you miss it, it might show up later again.

Romelle

PS - A couple years ago, I got the Sheraton Old San Juan via Priceline bidding. It is just across the street from one of the piers.

PSS - Your list was very nice. I took you literally in your request for comments. You had all the bases well covered already.

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Welcome to Betterbidding. :)

A few additional notes -

There are definitely times where as many as several properties may appear with the same exact set of amenities. In that case, a tripadvisor rating may help narrow down the possibilities, but would not likely narrow down all the way.

Amenities that a hotel shows with on the service can change at any time. There is always the possibility of surprises.

Resort fees on the service are "approximate" - they are not a reliable indicator of a particular hotel.

You do not bid on HOTWIRE - the prices are fixed (although can certainly vary throughout the day) Inventory on HOTWIRE can also change at any time. If you see a particular listing of interest, that listing could change or disappear at any time between now and your stay.

Please provide the entire set of details (zone, star rating, amenities, price before taxes/fees) if you need assistance with a listing.

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

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Thanks for all of the information! It sounds like Hotwire varies from Priceline in that you aren't committed right away. I can search for resorts now and post my findings here for help before purchasing. I thought I needed to bid first and then had only a small window to decide. I guess I'll start looking now;).

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Thanks for all of the information! It sounds like Hotwire varies from Priceline in that you aren't committed right away. I can search for resorts now and post my findings here for help before purchasing. I thought I needed to bid first and then had only a small window to decide. I guess I'll start looking now;).

I'm not quite sure what you mean when you say "....aren't committed right away".

When you get into Hotwire, you see offers at the different star levels. Say $100 for a 4* with amenities 1,2, 4; $80 for a 3* with amenities 2 and 7; and

$50 for a 3* with amenities 1, 2 and 3.

You can do some research, but if/when you hit the button to take one of the offers you indeed are committed.

There isn't any bidding. Essentially it is take it or leave it. But the offer may stay available for a while as you research and decide.

I'd suggest entering your city and dates in the Hotwire box (above left) just to see what some of the offers look like. You are OK to follow on in with "Show Me" where it gives additional detail including taxes and fees. But you don't want to go on into "Book Now" and give them credit card info. Then you are committed.

Romelle

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  • 10 months later...
Is the % recommended an important indicator to trim down my choice?

I'm a member, not anybody official, but I'd suggest you start your own thread in the right state or country area, with some of the specifics of your own trip. That way you'll get responses based upon your particular destination and situation.

I agree with yellowdog - that "% Recommended" is a pretty soft number. Maybe use it as a "deal breaker" when you are choosing between a couple hotels with similar prices in similar zones, when one has a 90% and the other has a 70%. I don't think is is worth using for the first round of selection. Far too many times there simply isn't one of those numbers. And when there is, it has a history of changing sort of randomly.

Romelle

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