Hotwire Hotel: 3.5* DC (Alexandria-Old Town) Crowne Plaza

[pete373]

Hello All,

First time user of the board's HOTWIRE link. 3.5* Crowne Plaza in Arlington, $88.26 with tax & fees. I was a little surprised that this came up as a 3.5* hotel since BetterBidding research has it at 3*. I hope that this is an exception and not HOTWIRE's way of lowering the bar. Parking is $15/day with in/out privileges and high-speed internet is $9.99/day.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Both PRICELINE and HOTWIRE constantly review and re-rate their properties... perhaps taking the positive spin maybe the hotel has improved its service, or users have provided positive feedback, that the hotel warranted an upgrade... guess we'll find out after your stay :)

Personally, while i can easy see a different between brands that are typcially found at the 3* level (ex: Courtyard) and 'full service' 3.5* properties such as Hyatt, Crowne Plaza, etc, I can often find little difference between a 3* and a 3.5* within the same brand. (ie- the difference between a 3* Crowne Plaza and a 3.5* Crowne Plaza)

Can you please add the dates of your stay so that this thread can appear in the Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins and the amenities shown before your purchase... you can still view this information by going to HOTWIRE and clicking the MY ACCOUNT link near the top right of their home page.

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

Enjoy your stay.

[pete373]

Thanks for the explanation.

Okay the date was for 11/14/08 - 11/15/08. Amenities listed were:

Airport Shuttle

Fitness center

Pool(s)

Restaurant(s)

High-speed Internet

Tennis nearby

BTW, I had an mechanical emergency that forced me to remain in Alexandria for 2 more nights. What is the precedent for extending stays with a HOTWIRE price? Are hotels amenable or do they attempt to bump the rate up automatically? For the record, I went back on Hotwire and rebooked and got the Sheraton Suites in the same area (2 blocks away), but I am just curious. And yes, I will put it under a separate forum topic. Thanks.

[thereuare]

Thanks for the follow-up and adding the dates and amenities to this thread.

Did you enjoy your stay... was it worthy of a 3.5* property? Was it worth the price you paid?

99.9% of the time HOTWIRE hotels will not extend your stay at the previously purchased HOTWIRE rate

[pete373]

Did you enjoy your stay... was it worthy of a 3.5* property? Was it worth the price you paid?

The Crowne Plaza was great. I admit I didn't spend much time in the hotel but the room and public spaces were excellent. Very safe area to walk in. Old Town is very picturesque. Definitely worth the price.

Thanks for a great resource.

[thereuare]

I was a little surprised that this came up as a 3.5* hotel since BetterBidding research has it at 3*. I hope that this is an exception and not HOTWIRE's way of lowering the bar.

See, nothing to have been worried about... glad your concerns were unfounded and you had a great stay.