Hotwire Hotel: 4* DC (Dupont Circle-Embassy Row) Donovan House - a Thompson Hotel

[ansoncom]

Hi... planning a trip to Washington DC in late August and this board has been very helpful.

I'm wondering if there are any particular times of the week, month or even year when hotels are most likely to offer the deepest discount.

You can often get the best deal buying a car at the end of the month when salesmen and dealerships have goals to meet. Does that work with hotels too?

Would a hotel manager start lowering rates on the first of the month if he/she sees the rest of the month is not well booked?

Are Mondays a better day to try and book something on PL or HW?

We're planning to book 2 rooms for 4 nights in DC. Does that kind of extended stay in multiple rooms work for me or against me?

Appreciate any feedback.

[AaronJB]

I would say that there is not a "best" time to book. Every city is completely different - Chicago is very empty over fourth of July weekend, whereas some other cities are busy. Additionally, every major city has conventions, and it's a good idea to check the local convention calendar to see if any major conventions are in town and will be taking up rooms.

My overall feeling as someone who's been helping people with travel for a few years now is that, if you see a good deal on Hotwire, then take it. I can't tell you how many times (it's one of those, "If I had a dollar for every time..." things) I've told someone, "TAKE THIS DEAL, It's a GREAT DEAL!" and they went, "Eeeeh....I think I'll wait to see if something else comes along." Sure enough, 99.9% of the time they wish they would have taken the original deal.

My favorite is one particular tourist coming to Chicago last October. In July, I told them to book a hotel for around $150-200 because there was a convention occuring on their October dates. When October rolls around, the woman contacts me, frantic because she never booked and now the conventioneers are taking up everything and all the hotels are $400-500 (I did find her something for less than half price, thankfully.)

Keep in mind, Hotwire may not have deep inventory of a particular listing. If you see a 4* for $119 (for example), the service may only have one room at that price. Hotwire listings can also jump up sharply in price at any time, too. There's not a particular time of the week or month when rates drop.

The extended/multiple rooms would give you trouble in NYC; not sure if that's as big of an issue (or an issue) in DC.

[ansoncom]

Just booked the same hotel as this Hotwire Win (using betterbidding HOTWIRE link) for $76. August 19-22. Two rooms. FYI, this is a brand new hotel and the restaurant and bar are not open yet. $35 night valet parking.

Was kind of hoping for older classic hotel for this trip, but can't argue with price, reviews or location. I'll post a follow up when we get back.

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Glad to hear the previous post on the board was helpful in your purchase!

Thank you for sharing your results with the board and for using our HOTWIRE link to begin your purchase.

Enjoy your stay.