Hotwire Hotel: 3.5* Vancouver (Downtown West) Westin Bayshore

[cakobau]

Note that this is from 2003. Purchased on 05/28/03

3.5 stars

Resort

Airport Shuttle

Restaurant(s)

Pool(s)

Fitness Center

Business Center

Tennis Nearby

Spa Services

The Westin Bayshore Resort and Marina

1601 Bayshore Drive

Vancouver, BC V6G 2V4

Canada

(604) 682-3377

Check-in: Tue, Jun 3, 2003 Check-out: Wed, Jun 4, 2003

1 room(s) @ $50.00 per night x 1 night(s) $50.00

Taxes and fees: $14.95

Hotel Subtotal $64.95

Total Price $64.95

[thereuare]

cakobau,

I'm glad to see you use both Priceline and Hotwire. Is there a deciding factor which determines which one you use?

Also, for anyone else following along, as noted this is a win from a year ago and this hotel is now believed to be rated 4.5* and no longer showing Resort and Shuttle icons. For current updates (if any) please see our HOTWIRE CANADA HOTELS list.

[cakobau]

thereuare,

Yes, the Westin was clearly deserving of a 4 star rating (I don't really know what 4.5 means...) and the 3.5 categorization was on the low side. This was a great stay.

Regarding your other question, hotwire vs. priceline: I only really started using Priceline recently (not sure why I didn't really pursue it, I guess I just assumed that Priceline and Hotwire would be the same price, essentially, so why mess with the bidding), but lately I have been favoring Priceline; most of my purchases before March of this year were on Hotwire.

Priceline won me over when I got the Hyatt in downtown Phoenix for $37, which I only DARED bid after stumbling across another site (your competitor, if you will, whose name I won't mention...) that listed winning bids. After that bid, and after reading others' posts, I came to realize that Hotwire is generally more expensive that Priceline, for substantially similar inventory.

I haven't booked anything on Hotwire in months, but I will always consult them for a rate. If recent bids for a Priceline 4 star are 10 or more dollars less than the equivalent Hotwire hotel, then I'll start bidding on PCLN. (Example: the Embassy Suites hotel in Napa, CA, comes up regularly in the $60 range on Priceline. For August 17, Hotwire is showing a suite hotel, 3 stars, that sounds like the Embassy Suites (it's not on your list for Hotwire, though), for $165. Once I figure out my travel dates, I'll bid for that one, rather than use Hotwire.

Of course, there are some cases where Hotwire has hotels that Priceline simply does not. Calistoga, CA, for example.

Sorry for the long-winded answer. Appreciate the site.