Hotwire Hotel: 2.5* Sacramento (Arden-Cal Expo) Motel 6

[champagneguy]

I booked a 2.5* Sacramento Arden-Cal Expo hotel for January 26 for one night through HOTWIRE linked from this site and received the Cal Expo Motel 6. It actually cost $5 more than booking it directly on Motel 6 site.

It was clean and quiet. The staff was friendly and check-in was quick, so I was happy. It had a fridge and microwave and cable TV. I would have never booked any Motel 6 so with that said I'll say I would not want to be there on weekends or the busy season because I think it would be loud. Also, the element who hung around there kept me a little unsettled about my car being safe. There were a lot of weekly residents.

Looking at the reviews of this motel. It recently changed from a Vagabond Inn, so amenities like breakfast are no longer included.

The onsite restaurant is an Applebees. So lunch and dinner only. Other restaurants and Arden Fair Mall within walking distance. Also shared the parking lot with a huge movie theatre.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Thank you for sharing your results with the board and helping us add this property to the Hotwire Hotel List. Can you please add a reply to this thread with the room rate (before fees and taxes) 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.

Thanks.

[champagneguy]

This motel was $39 before taxes and fees.

The amenities were:

pool, restaurant, business center, laundry facilities, and High speed internet access.

[thereuare]

Thanks for the follow-up!

[Colfax]

I don't think I've seen a Motel 6 come up on Hotwire before.

Motel 6 has its place but personally I'd request a refund from Hotwire if I bought a 2.5* and got a Motel 6. If Motel 6 is a 2.5* then what would a 2* hotel be? Hotwire says Holiday Inn Express, AmeriSuites (now Hyatt Place), and Country Inn and Suites are examples of typical 2.5* brands. No way is Motel 6 in the same category as those chains.

Also you bought a hotel with a Restaurant icon, and Hotwire says the icon means "Property offers at least one restaurant on the premises." An unrelated Applebees next door, not physically connected to the hotel, is not "on the premises", imo.

Finally Hotwire says they determine hotel ratings by averaging the rating on "three top travel sites". Expedia (which is owned by the same company as Hotwire) rates this Motel 6 as 2*. So does Orbitz. TripAdvisor displays this Motel 6 but no rating is assigned. So which three travel sites did Hotwire average to come up with a 2.5* rating?

$39 isn't a lot of money and it doesn't sound like you had a bad stay. Still I think you have a good case for a refund if you want to press it.

[champagneguy]

I did call Hotwire. I was told no refunds and no exchanges.

The booking fee made the motel more expensive on Hotwire than on the Motel 6 site. Hotwire has a low price guarantee, but I was told it is before the booking fee. Thus no refund.

Also, the Hotwire person told me the star rating is for the ameneties, not the client review. In other words, even if the motel gets slammed in the reviews, as long as it has certain amenities it gets a good rating by Hotwire. (Is this True?)

I used Hotwire twice before this and received excellent deals and the Hotels I thought I would get.

I will probably use Hotwire again, because even though it cost me a little more this time, my savings and happiness the other times makes it work out. And my stay at this Motel 6 was fine. Not near a freeway and clean and quiet.

I just wnated everyone to be aware Motel 6 is possible through Hotwire.