Hotwire Hotel: Help identifying Victoria Downtown 3*

[lukaphoto]

I looked up a short trip to Victoria in the first part of December (Dec. 5-8). Results came up with 3* in Downtown Victoria with Fitness Center, Laundry Facilities, Restaurant(s) and High Speed Internet Access at 66$/night. Any ideas?

Also, are there any good site with tips for sightseeing and food? TIA

[tilepusher]

Welcome to BetterBidding, lukaphoto.

This hotel has not yet been identified, but from what I know about the types of hotels that Hotwire rates as 3*, and the amenities shown (and the ones not shown, such as swimming pool and business center), my best guess is the Best Western Carlton Plaza. It would also explain why Hotwire does not promise any savings for this hotel: it's available on Expedia.ca for $67Cdn on the nights you're staying.

If you wish to purchase this hotel, please use this HOTWIRE link. But I would not recommend it for two reasons:

1. It's generally not a good idea to purchase hotels through Hotwire if they're not claiming to save you any money; often it means that comparable rates are available for the hotel through non-opaque sources. Why put up with the disadvantages of Hotwire (opacity, non-refundable reservations) unless you're reasonably confident of saving a lot of money?

2. $66 is really not a particularly good rate for that time of year. Victoria hotels, which rely heavily on tourism, often give deeply discounted rates during the late fall and winter months. For example, the Marriott Inner Harbour, a good 4* hotel, is available for $99/night on Marriott.com.

If you're willing to book a hotel through an opaque provider, I think you would be better off bidding for a 4* hotel on Priceline. If you would like assistance, please feel free to ask us.

[lukaphoto]

Your response has shed a bit more light on how to determine hotels on Hotwire, and I thank you for that, tilepusher. Being that my resulting price of $66 was in USD, does this change your best guess? Should I be looking in Expedia (or Orbitz or Travelocity) for a hotel with similar amenities having a price of $66USD?

I only ask because I like to be "taught how to fish" rather than "eat a meal". I'll most likely scour the web for "non-opaque" sources for this particular trip...or I may change my destination altogether.

Thanks!

[thereuare]

I'd also include the Holiday Inn among the possibilities.

[tilepusher]

The Holiday Inn was actually my first guess, and definitely a possibility, but the Best Western appeared to be a slightly better match for the amenities and price.

But I've discovered a major complication: when you select 2 adults and 1 child, the pool icon appears -- and neither hotel has a pool! So as you can see, guessing the identity of Hotwire hotels is far from an exact science. But here's a summary of my methods:

1. Look at the list of identified hotels on this board. A obvious step, but even if the hotel hasn't been identified, looking at the lists will help you to judge how Hotwire rates hotels.

2. Look at Hotwire's Vacation Packages. There they give names of hotels and their amenities; sometimes you can match a hotel on the opaque side with a hotel on the VP's. This is possibly another strike against my guess: the Best Western appears on the VP's with Airport Shuttle listed as an amenity (but the other amenities are the same).

3. If the above methods fail, then a lot more detective work is needed. I use Tripadvisor, Expedia, Kayak, and hotel websites to try to match the information that Hotwire gives (amenities, retail price, Tripadvisor information when given) as best I can.

To be honest, I've never actually bought anything on Hotwire before; I consult it mainly to help guide my Priceline bidding.

By the way, if you're looking for a guide to Victoria's attractions, one place to start is Tourism Victoria (www.tourismvictoria.com).

[lukaphoto]

And now I can fish. Thanks, tilepusher! :)

[WillTravel]

This may not be a crucial factor, but Hotwire often includes a pool icon, even if it's an outside pool that could not possibly be used in the winter.

I'd say the Holiday Inn is just barely within the Downtown Victoria Hotwire zone.

You can get an Internet rate (prepaid) or a corporate rate (cancellable) at the Best Western Inner Harbour for just $76 CAD per night. This has a very good location and includes a breakfast buffet.