Hotwire Hotel: 4* Boston (Downtown Boston) Boston Omni Parker House Hotel

[jubilee1]

Hi 

 

Still quite new to all this.  I have an existing reservation for Doubletree Downtown but price is higher than I'd like so I'm looking to cancel and rebook

 

I've been keeping an eye on Priceline Express in the hope of identifying the same hotel and getting it much cheaper.  I'm not having much luck but today on 'normal' priceline, I can see both Westin and Omni Parker at decent rates (to my inexperienced eye at least).  These are coming up at around $198 and $178 respectively.  So my question is - are these rates decent for my dates and is it worth just booking one rather than waiting to see if they will come up at a better rate via Priceline Express? (assuming I can identify them as same hotels, I know this isn't guaranteed) - I have tried searching and can see both have been ID'd and that Omni Parker might straddle more than one location.  If you can see anything that looks like it might be either hotel, could you advise please.

 

Also, if anyone is familiar with these hotels and the area they're in, which is best?  I know Onmi Parker has history (but some of the rooms seem to be tiny) but assume Westin will be a nice hotel.  

 

Incidentally, if searching from above details and search results show slightly different rates to above, that will be because I'm in the UK so my results were in GBP (and I arrived at the $ rate by doing a conversion)

 

Thanks for any help offered

 

 

 

[AaronJB]

Some of what I'm seeing on HOTWIRE:

 

4* HOTWIRE Copley Square - Back Bay for $188.00
Pet Friendly
Boutique
Smoke Free
Fitness
Restaurant
Business
Hi-Speed Internet
Spa
==>  Best guess would be the Westin

 

4* HOTWIRE Downtown Boston for $146.00
Pet Friendly
Smoke Free
Fitness
Restaurant
Business
Hi-Speed Internet
Blind Accessible
Deaf Accessible
Travel Accessible
Room Accessible
Wheelchair Accessible
Bathroom Accessible
Handicapped Parking
Roll-in Shower
==>  Best guess would be the Omni Parker

 

4* HOTWIRE Boston Common - Theatre District for $184.00
Pet Friendly
Boutique
Smoke Free
Fitness
Restaurant
Business
Hi-Speed Internet
Spa
Childrens Activities
Deaf Accessible
Travel Accessible
Room Accessible
Wheelchair Accessible
Bathroom Accessible
Handicapped Parking
Roll-in Shower
==>  A guess here would be the W Boston. With a 4.5/5 tripadvisor rating, showing on the detail page, the underlying hotel does get very good reviews.

 

On PRICELINE EXPRESS (please confirm that the correct dates of travel are showing on the detail page after clicking the link below.)

 

4* Back Bay - Copley Square for $180
Pets Allowed
Business Center
Restaurant
Fitness Center
No Smoking Rooms/Facilities
>>>Best guess would be the Westin, with a slight possibility of the Boston Marriott Copley (although I would lean towards the Westin being the more likely of the two.)

 

If I remember correctly, the Omni is one of the oldest (if not the oldest) continually operating hotels in the US; rooms are small but a lot of history. If you're looking for more space, I'd consider other properties.

 

Would any of the above possibilities be of interest?

 

Let us know what you decide or if we can be of any further assistance.

 

PS: Please provide an update for your Chicago Priceline thread.

 

Please remember to return to BetterBidding and use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPSandHOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

 

[jubilee1]

Thanks for your help, Aaron.  I can't see what you're seeing on Hotwire at all, although I am unfamiliar with the site so could just be me - is it possible 2 people can get completely different results?

 

I can see a Boutique 4* hotel in Downtown Boston for $147, which has an additional resort fee of $17 and which I think might be the Onyx. 

 

The other thing with Hotwire that seems to differ from Priceline - does it always tell you that your hotel will be 1 of 4 and list the 4?

 

Thanks

[AaronJB]

My apologies; if you go to BiddingHelper.com, then click the Hotwire Easy View tab then the green "Full Amenities" button next to the listing, you should see the full list including accessible, which will not show when just looking at the listing.

 

However, I'm not seeing a 4* in Downtown Boston for $147 with a resort fee when searching for 6/15-18; are you searching for more than 2 adults?

 

HOTWIRE does have "last person got..." notes on some listings but that isn't necessarily the underlying hotel; it's the last hotel that someone got at that star rating in that zone in general. The "Your hotel is guaranteeded to be 1 of the 4" is a much more recent addition and as with the "last person got" is only seen on some listings.

 

Please remember to return to BetterBidding and use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPSandHOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

[thereuare]

1 hour ago, AaronJB said:

4* HOTWIRE Downtown Boston for $146.00
Pet Friendly
Smoke Free
Fitness
Restaurant
Business
Hi-Speed Internet
Blind Accessible
Deaf Accessible
Travel Accessible
Room Accessible
Wheelchair Accessible
Bathroom Accessible
Handicapped Parking
Roll-in Shower
==>  Best guess would be the Omni Parker

33 minutes ago, jubilee1 said:

I can't see what you're seeing on Hotwire

Search using our BiddingHelper.com tool.  Then in the HOTWIRE EASY VIEW tab click the GREEN 'See Full Amenities' button next to this offer, you'll then see the full amenity set that AaronJB is seeing.

 

For the other two properties that you're "not" seeing, note that they are in a different zone than 'Downtown Boston' (although both are generally considered to be 'downtown' and centrally located):

1 hour ago, AaronJB said:

4* HOTWIRE Copley Square - Back Bay for $188.00

1 hour ago, AaronJB said:

4* HOTWIRE Boston Common - Theatre District for $184.00

If you use the BiddingHelper.com EASY VIEW as per above i'm sure you'll see these two as well... unless you're searching for something other than the default 1room/2adults/0children as changing the number of rooms or occupancy can often change the search results.  If you're not seeing the same results as us let us know

 

The '1 in 4' feature is something new with HOTWIRE (not sure if this will be a permanent feature or not) and is not available from PRICELINE EXPRESS; however, if you read through posts on the board you'll see that we have an excellent track record at researching and identifying hotels, so i wouldn't let that be your determining factor.

 

6 hours ago, jubilee1 said:

I have an existing reservation for Doubletree Downtown but price is higher than I'd like so I'm looking to cancel and rebook

How much is your rate at the Doubletree... how much is it that you are wanting to pay?  Two suggested sites of ours that you should use in this regard:

refundablerates - shows you rates that are refundable (usually within 1-3 days prior to arrival) so that you can compare rates on a refundable basis... make sure this hotel is your best refundable deal in the area

RateDrop - you can monitor rates at the Doubletree Downtown for your specific dates and get an alert should the price drop below whatever price it is that you designate.  You can also set alerts for any of the PRICELINE EXPRESS and HOTWIRE hotels above (or any other star rating and zone combination that you'd like) and get an alert should the rate drop.

 

Please remember to return to BetterBidding and use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPSandHOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

 

Let su know if you're now seeing the same results as us and the other information above and we'll take it from there.

 

[jubilee1]

Thanks again, Aaron

 

Well after all that, I ended up seeing the $146 rate and attempted to make the booking on Hotwire.  However, the site doesn't like the fact I don't have a ZIP code.  Our UK version (postcode) contains letters as well as numbers and the site doesn't like those either - my card is now blocked.  I have other credit cards but most charge hefty fees for 'foreign' transactions (the one I attempted doesn't carry any additional foreign transaction fees).

 

My rate for the Doubletree is $726 (inclusive of tax).  I'd really like to shave around $140 off this if at all possible.  I've not visited Boston but believe it's fairly compact so as long as we're somewhere central and in a decent hotel, I would be happy.  I will look at those other sites you have suggested, thanks again

 

ps also thinking I might try and name my price on priceline at $146 for Downtown - harbor area to see if that might get me Omni Parker?  I know I have to use a dummy ZIP in order to do that (read that a little while ago so will need to re-read prior)

[thereuare]

What does your credit card charge for a foreign transaction?  The most typically charged here in the US is about 3%, which would add about $17 to your total charge, or $546 + 17 = $563... which brings you in still well under your target of $586 ($726 - $140).

 

Please remember to return to BetterBidding and use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPSandHOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

 

Keep us updated on your progress or let us know how we can be of further help.

[jubilee1]

Update - the issue with the credit card was actually the bank thinking it was a fraudulent transaction.  Sorted that and tried again (via the HOTWIRE link above).  It was indeed the Omni Parker and I am happy with the rate I got, saving $67 on what I was about to pay earlier today by booking on normal Priceline.  Even better though, is the saving of $182 compared to the Doubletree I had originally booked (now cancelled).

 

I'm sure the Doubletree is lovely but I do like the look of the location and the history of the Omni Parker so happy we'll be staying there instead.

 

Would just like to say a huge thank you for the site and a particular thank you to AaronJB are thereuare for the invaluable help given.  Is there anything else I should do?  I saw a report win button earlier but presume that's for bids? (might try that next if I feel brave)

 

Once again, thanks - the $$$ saved will go towards the extortionate car hire one-way fees I have  to pay to collect in Chicago and drop off in Boston!!

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success.

 

Very nice win for this extremely historic property! Glad you are looking forward to your stay.

 

For your time in Chicago, did you still need additional nights as noted in your Chicago Priceline thread? I'd be happy to answer any Chicago city questions, as well.

 

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

 

Enjoy your stay.

[jubilee1]

Thanks Aaron

 

Chicago turned into a bit of a nightmare.  I booked 1 night initially but couldn't get a further 2 nights in the same accommodation and didn't really like the idea of moving.  I then found an absolute bargain given the prices of downtown hotels at that time for my dates (or so I thought) when the hotel Blake came up via another website at $155 per night so I snapped it up.  Fast forward a few weeks and I emailed the hotel to ask something, they had no record of my reservation!  After a lot of digging, it turned out the hotel Blake I was booked into was one in New Orleans!!  Fortunately, it wasn't my fault as what I'd booked clearly showed Chicago so booking agent, to their credit, pulled out all the stops to resolve.

 

Upshot is I'm now staying further out than I wanted to (The Willows hotel, Lincoln Park area) at a rate of $125 per night (this includes taxes)......I haven't dared look at Chicago hotels on PRICELINE or HOTWIRE since so if prices have plummeted and I could have been in a better area for a comparable rate, I don't want to know, ha

[jordansbulls]

Did this end up being the Omni Parker House?

[AaronJB]

jordansbulls,

 

If you need help with a Boston stay, please start a new thread with the details of your stay and we would be happy to help.

 

Please remember to return to BetterBidding and use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPSandHOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.