Hotwire Hotel: QUESTION FROM FIRST-TIME USER

[mom on the shore]

I am trying to book a hotel in downtown Montreal for the dates 2/17 to 2/29. As I have never used Hotwire or Priceline before, I am a little nervous about getting burned. Is one better than the other? Hotwire lists a hotel for $89 with a fitness center, restaurant, business center, and high speed internet. Any idea of what hotel that would be? I am concerned about extra costs, inflated ratings, etc. If I can get a better price on Priceline, that would be great, as long as the hotel lives up to its rating and is in a convenient location.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Start with this thread which explains the similarities and differences between Priceline and Hotwire: I've Never Used Priceline or Hotwire

Then ask any additional questions you have and/or let us know which direction you think you would like proceed. If HOTWIRE, please let us know the star rating of the hotel above.

[mom on the shore]

I guess I was hoping for some assurances that one or both sites live up to their claims, ratings, etc. The hotel I was looking at on Hotwire was a 4-star. I will go with whichever one is less risk, the better chance of getting a nice clean hotel for a great price.

[thereuare]

The amenities above are common for a 'city' hotel, but the Delta Center-ville, Hilton Bonaventure, and Hyatt Regency have all been reported with the 4 amenities above. While i would call receiving one of these properties as 'likely', there are no guarantees, and you could receive a new hotel not yet reported or a hotel already reported but at a different star level or with a new amenitiy combination.

Essentially you have to weigh the savings relative to what you may otherwise spend on a hotel room. If the hotel received turns out to be what you perceive to be a 3* property, for $89/nite would you still be satisfied? (as i suspect booking a 3* hotel for these dates thru conventional methods would still cost more than that) Not knowing the precise hotel is what you give up in exchange for the <usually> deep discounts you see on the board.

Another option is if you would consider splitting your stay between two hotels. If so, purchase the first (or last) 5, 6, or 7 nites to give it a try. If you're happy with the results go ahead and purchase the balance of your stay (realizing you may get a different hotel)... but at least this would be a way to give it a try without risking the entire trip at once.

Please use this HOTWIRE link to begin any purchases you make. (if you do split as per the above, please use our link for each purchase... click our HOTWIRE link for the first purchase, if you decide to make second purchase, return here and click our HOTWIRE link again for the second purchase)

Let us know what you decide to do or if we can be of further help.

[mom on the shore]

Your suggestion to split the stay is a good one, assuming getting from one hotel to the other is reasonably easy with luggage. I will not have a car. A friend has had some luck with Priceline in Montreal, apparently bidding successfully and being lodged at a great Sheraton for around $80. I am tempted to try that route. Have you heard of other such successes in downtown Montreal?

[thereuare]

Yes, i have heard of many successes with both priceline and hotwire.

Again, it comes down to a tradeoff as to what is most important to you: using priceline to lowest possible price and receiving any hotel in the zone at the minimum star rating you selected vs. using HOTWIRE and paying a little more (although likely still deeply discounted) and having an educated guess as to the prperty you will receive.

It sounded as if having a guess as to the property being offered was important to you, and if that is the case, then HOTWIRE is probably a better option. If price is more important and you decide to go with priceline, let us know the dates you would like to bid for (ie- if you want to try for the compete stay or only part of the stay), your maximum bid, and minimum star rating and we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow.

[mom on the shore]

I am most interested in the best chance of getting an accurately described 4-star hotel for $80 to $85. Cleanliness is a large issue, in addition to proximity to public transit, restaurants, etc.

[thereuare]

Let me try a different approach to help you make a decision...

We can assume that the risk of receiving a new hotel or a hotel at a different star rating than previously reported is the same at either priceline or hotwire. So with all other things being equal, would you rather take the chance of likely receiving one of the three 4 star HOTWIRE hotels mentioned above or likely receiving one of the 4 star previously reported in the Priceline Hotel List; with the understanding that you could receive a hotel not listed above or in the linked hotel list.

[mom on the shore]

I guess I am leaning toward giving priceline a whirl and would appreciate your strategy tips. I definitely want downtown Montreal. Thanks.

[thereuare]

Your hotel can be anywhere within the shaded "Montreal" boundary as defined by priceline.

When bidding 4* in Montreal you have four re-bid zones. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.

Select 4* Montreal...

Bid $55, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone3...

Bid $70, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* Montreal and re-bid zone4...

Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $84, if rejected add re-bid zone3...

Bid $87.

Any questions feel free to ask.

Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

[mom on the shore]

I think I understand. Do the zones appear on the site numbered as you indicated or named, such as Brossard, etc.? Are you saying that there are no 4* hotels in zones 1 through 4?

Thanks for the help. I am getting closer to actually bidding - hopefully, by the end of the day.

[thereuare]

Are you saying that there are no 4* hotels in zones 1 through 4?

You need to know how to check this yourself, as you need to check your re-bid zones before each round of bidding to make sure nothing has changed. Hotels are added/removed/upgraded/downgraded all the time, so we could tell you the re-bid zones at this moment, but you could bid later tonite or tomorrow and the re-bid zones could have changed.

You can see the highest star rating available in each zone following this technique from Priceline Re-Bidding Explained:

The way to check what star levels are available in each zone is to open a Priceline page, check ONLY the zone you are inquiring about, and then proceed to the next page (as if you were going to select a zone)... this will give you the available star ratings in that area. You can then hit BACK on your browser, uncheck the current box, check the next box, and repeat the process. It is important to do this before EACH attempt at adding a zone that you really don't want, as new hotels can be added and the star ratings can change at any time. (NOTE: for most users Priceline has updated their interface making the above process easier... simply check a zone and note the highest star rating available within each zone, UNcheck that zone and checkmark the next zone, repeating the process)

Confirm your re-bid zones with the board or ask any questions that you may have. If you're unsure, see if you can list each zone in this area and the highest star rating available in each zone.

[mom on the shore]

Well, so far I have struck out with Priceline. I followed your directions, closing my browser and re-accessing, but I ran out of changes after bidding $75 and had to stop bidding. Obviously, I misunderstood something. Anyway, I should be able to try the process as soon as the 24-hour-waiting period expires. In the meantime, I am checking out Hotwire again and am wondering if you can help me id a 3.5 star hotel in downtown Montreal with fitness center, restaurant, business center, laundry facility, high-speed internet, and kitchenette. The rate is $89. Thanks.