Hotwire Hotel: 3.5* Orlando (Altamonte-Winter Park) Hotel Orlando

[creamygreen]

(First time caller) I'm reluctant to pull the trigger with so many others mentioning bad experiences with Hotwire "over rating" hotels. Amenities include internal restaurant, pool, fitness and business centers (does that mean in-room high speed internet?). I'm reluctant to believe that they are giving me a Radisson or equivalent for $46/night like the star rating says--even if it is away from the theme parks. Should I be this suspicious?

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

You didn't mention the dates of your stay, but a random date i entered showed the Hilton at $72/nite, so this doesn't appear to be a very expensive hotel zone... $46 for a good hotel is certainly possible. Usually 3.5* hotels are pretty safe bets... occaisionally you can get a Holiday Inn or something similar that most people don't equate with a 3.5* hotel, but often these properties turn out to be better than the average hotel in the chain.

Business Center does not mean hi-speed internet access in the room. There is a separate amenity icon for hi-speed internet access and it usually comes with an additional charge.

If you look around the board you'll see plenty of deals with more than half off 'traditional rates'.

What are the date(s) of this stay and i'll try to give a bit more advice.

[creamygreen]

Thanks for your help. This site has immeasurable worth. I believe that I did include my dates in the description, but I'll give them here again, 10/6-10/11/04.

I guess I'll do it upon your encouragement.

[thereuare]

Yes you did provide the dates... sorry, sometimes i get so involved with what i'm doing and reading the text i fail to see the information i'm looking for within the thread title.

If you're really concerned you can do the following:

See if the (what seems to be) the same hotel appears for two separate searches 10/6-10/7, and then for 10/7-10/11.

If so, purchase the first nite (the 6th) in order to reveal the property. If you're happy with the deal you've received then go ahead and proceed to purchase the remaining nites. If not, book the balance of your stay thru other channels. However, you must first do the above two searches to make sure that the same hotel appears for both sub-sets of your entire stay.

Splitting the purchases like this will likely cost you just a few dollars more than booking the entire stay at once... but it gives you the likely advantage of seeing the hotel for the first nite before committing to the entire stay.

I don't know where your plans will take you (and i hope not to add confusion to your decision) but there are a few 3.5* and 4* properties in the Universal/Sea World area for $58 or so.... just adding another option.

Any additional questions feel free to ask.

Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

[creamygreen]

Not a bad trick. I'll try it and report back.

[creamygreen]

It was $50 for the first night (62.95 w/tax), the remaining nights will/would be $45, so it's pretty much a wash to do it this way. It is "Hotel Orlando North" at 600 N. Destiny Drive in Maitland, FL.

Where is the best place to get reliable or editorial reviews?

here's the hotel's url.

http://www.hotelorlandonorth.com/index.html

[WillTravel]

I hate to post these, and I hope it isn't true:

Travelocity.com/Vacations/Reviews/Hotel/Read/0,,TRAVELOCITY_1572_1,00.html"]http://dest.Travelocity.com/Vacations/Revi..._1572_1,00.html

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-reviews-374928-p...iews-i?from=1#1

These are better, though:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-Re...34412.cink_html

Did the hotel use to be a Sheraton?

[creamygreen]

Having only read the above reviews, it appears to have started out as a Sheraton that was built in a office park in Maitland (no kids no tourists) just north of Orlando, right off of 4. It was sold to a new owner who apparently now has put it up for sale again. It was built in 1985. It has not been renovated and needs to be. It is an older large upscale resort/business meeting hotel with three restaurants. It has had complaints about upkeep. The business center apparently has been REPLACED BY the fitness center, so it seems that it doesn't have both.

No free lunch, but at $45 a night you get what was a decent hotel room 20 years ago and if you are trying to avoid the hubbub--I'm going for a wedding--it seems like it may be a fair deal.

I'll be looking for a different place for the reminder of my stay.

[thereuare]

You also may have an 'out' if it is indeed true that that do not have both a Fitness and Business Center. If you'd rather not stay at this hotel i would contact Hotwire customer service and show them where it states that there is no longer a business center.

Perhaps one of the Universal/Sea World options would work for the balance of your stay.... or is that too much in the center of things for your needs?

[creamygreen]

I just called. They DO have a business center. Also confirmed that rooms have NOT been renovated in a long time. How did you come to the $72 price at the Hilton? I may go for that just to be safe at this point.

[thereuare]

The $72 rate i mentioned above was for a random date i select as at the time i didn't know the actual dates of your stay.

If your only other options are pricier, you could book one of them that is cancellable up until 6pm the day of check-in. Plan on changing hotels that day, but if you end up liking the Hotel Orlando North you can find the business center (as you do know they have one) and try to win it again for your other nites. This way you can see for yourself it it's worth $45/nite.

Although i don't put too much faith in any review due to different tastes and expectations (which is why i started REAL HOTEL PHOTOS) i do trust TripAdvisor more so than others and their reviews were actual favorable.

Please let us know how it is upon your return.

If you're still undecided for the remaining dates of your stay and we can be of further help, please start a new thread as this one will be used to reflect your win for the first nite.

Enjoy your stay.

[creamygreen]

I'm at the Hotel Orlando North right now using their COMPLIMENTARY wireless in-room hi-speed internet (ask for floor 5 or 6 if possible--i'm on 4 with an external antenna-two bars). I'd say my description above was pretty spot-on.

Decent sized room with good AC. Classic 80's Florida hotel room decor-- aquamarine, beige, ugly lamps and rattan. Crappy bedding on our comfortable king sized bed. Window/Balcony face I-4. "Business Center" is two computers, a fax and a copier basically set up in the main hallway of the lobby. Night staff was very helpful. Only nearby nightlife is an Applebee's accross the highway which stops serving at midnight. Breakfast-in-bed 'checkbox menu' can be put out on the doorknob the night before. $6-10 for a range of breakfasts. 24/7 room service.

Not going to the restaurants, so I can't comment, but the place isn't nearly as bad as other reviews have suggested. Just noticeably UNrenovated with the expected 7' ceilings. Huge complex and maybe a bit under staffed, but it was being offered on Hotwire for $45/night for 10/7-11. It was probably closer to 3.5 stars in it's heyday. I'm leaving today for the Comfort Suites Downtown Orlando, for those dates, for which I am paying $30+ more/night. I'm not sure it's worth it now that I'm here.

Right now we're going swimming in the pool! They gave us a late checkout of 1:30pm. Thanks for all your help.

[creamygreen]

btw, the hurricane aftermath is still very much affecting hotel availability (and presumably price) in Orlando. All the beach hotels are pretty much shut down so capacity is doubly stressed here. We also had to wait for rental cars to be returned for 30+ minutes at 11pm from Budget -- same prob with all the companies -- again, because of the hurricanes.

[thereuare]

Thanks for the update.

If your Comfort Inn is still cancellable (sometimes it's up until 6pm day of arrival) you could stll re-book this hotel for the remainder of your stay... but you're the one there and can evaluate the situation best.

Glad it didn't turn out to be a 'worse case scenario'.