Hotwire Hotel: 4* Fort Lauderdale (Hollywood Beach) Westin Diplomat

[Namosi]

i just booked the Westin Diplomat & Resort a few weeks ago for 79$/night for a stay in april (and yes, I used the HOTWIRE link here)

now I received the following e-mail from hotwire:

Dear namosi,

We are contacting you about your upcoming stay at The Westin Diplomat Resort And Spa, Hotwire itinerary xxxxxxxxx. We regret that the hotel is not able to offer the Near Beach that was listed on our site.

We do periodically review our hotel partners' amenities to show the most accurate and up-to-date information, and we recently changed our site to reflect the current offerings of The Westin Diplomat Resort And Spa.

As such, we would like to offer you the option of either cancelling the reservation for a full refund along with $50.00 HotDollars, or keeping the reservation and receiving 50% of your entire stay in HotDollars. HotDollars can be used for any hotel, flight, or Hotwire hot Rate rental car booking on Hotwire. Each HotDollar is equivalent to one U.S. dollar and is available for one year from the date of issuance. Should you choose to cancel, we would be happy to assist you in rebooking to be certain that you are accommodated during your trip.

-------

i choosed "stay & get the 50%" so my real rate will be 39,50 $ /nt. :)

or is there any problem to reach the beach? i checked by Google Earth and the Westin couldn't be closer to the beach....

Thank you,

namosi

[AaronJB]

Congratulations on your success. :)

Glad you were able to take advantage of HOTWIRE's offer as a result of the changed amenities. Can you provide the list of amenity icons that were shown with the listing initially? Additionally, please provide the dates of travel so that this win can appear in the site's Calendar of Wins.

Thank you for sharing your win with the board and using the site's HOTWIRE link.

Enjoy your stay.

[DaveT]

I received the same eMail and went for fulll refund and booked the Westin again, for $79 - $50 Hotwire = $29 for the Westin.

But i found it as a different offer then 2 days ago:

4* Fort Lauderdale (Hollywood Beach)

Resort

Fitness Center

Pool, Restaurant

Business Center

High-speed Internet

Golf nearby

Spa services

No reviews

[Smartraveler]

Namosi, thanks for the update.

Also, please try Bing maps instead of google earth. Go to bing.com and click on maps. Then you can look at "birds eye views" of the area. If you zoom into the westin diplomat, then look across the street and across the intercoastal, you'll see a golf course. That's where you'll be staying. I'll add a picture in just a sec.

[Smartraveler]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. But here's a map of Westin Diplomat Hotel on the right side of the picture near the beach, and the Diplomat Country Club Hotel on the left side of the picture.

Hotwire is putting people in the hotel on the left side of the picture correct?

MAP

[Jimbo034]

My confirmation states the address of the hotel as 3555 South Ocean Drive, so there is no way they can shuttle us to the other hotel is there? For my date in March there is still availabilty. Why make us move to the other hotel?

Are we better off not replying to their(Hotwire) offer and paying our agreed price there by staying at the hotel on the ocean?

Opinions on how we will be handled at check-in?

[blixy]

I called the Diplomat to confirm a reservation I made outside of HOTWIRE through the Westin website (I booked several rooms through hotwire as well for the weekend of my wedding, but wanted a suite for myself). The person on the phone explained that the two properties merged and rooms were not confirmed until check in, so you could very well stay at either of the two properties. Personally, I am not pleased. Does anyone have any idea how to handle this?

[thereuare]

DaveT,

Please post your win to the board as a NEW TOPIC so that others will be aware of your stay when searching the topic titles and Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins.

Jimbo034,

Have you posted your win to the board?? :)

blixy,

I think your issue is different than those above, so please continue your existing Westin Diplomat thread regarding your own situation.

THANKS!

[Namosi]

My confirmation states the address of the hotel as 3555 South Ocean Drive, so there is no way they can shuttle us to the other hotel is there? For my date in March there is still availabilty. Why make us move to the other hotel?

Are we better off not replying to their(Hotwire) offer and paying our agreed price there by staying at the hotel on the ocean?

My confirmation is also 3555 S. Ocean Drive. I agreed to the 50% deal because they didn't stated a change of the property, so it's still 3555 S. Ocean Drive and nothing else.

From this adress, i don't need any shuttle to the beach :)

[Jimbo034]

I would hate to mislead someone now since we really don't know the exact hotel we will be staying out now since all this trouble started.

[thereuare]

I would hate to mislead someone now since we really don't know the exact hotel we will be staying out now since all this trouble started.

You could always clarify within the body of your post :)

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[bschrager]

I called the Westin 2x today and the first time was told I was on the beach but the second time they told me my reservation is for the Golf Course.

[Namosi]

I called the Westin 2x today and the first time was told I was on the beach but the second time they told me my reservation is for the Golf Course.

yeah, why don't we each call them twice a day? at the end they really will be pissed off by guys booked on hotwire....

you got a confirmed booking for a specific hotel and a specific adress. the hotwire e-mail only stated, that this specifc hotel at this specifc adress has no "near beach" symbol, that's all. there was never the word of changing the property.

[bschrager]

I understand what you are saying but according to the Westin they are now considered one resort at 2 different properties, by removing the near beach they are basically telling you that you are being moved to the other property by the golf course which is no longer near the beach. Contacting Hotwire direct has seemed to clear up the confusion with my reservation and I am now told by Hotwire I have a room at the Hollywood (Beach) location and not the Hallendale location (Golf Course). I still did not accept the Hotwire bucks offer until I call the Westin back later today or tomorrow morning and confirm in fact I am now at the near beach (Hollywood) location. Everyone's case may be different and this is my case with this resort and Hotwire booking.

[Namosi]

the ultimative solution:

from the saved money of HOTWIRE, I booked an upgrade to a room with balcony and seaview :)

couldn't be better ....

[thereuare]

Glad you were able to take advantage of HOTWIRE's offer as a result of the changed amenities. Can you provide the list of amenity icons that were shown with the listing initially? Additionally, please provide the dates of travel so that this win can appear in the site's Calendar of Wins.

Thank you for sharing your win with the board and using the site's HOTWIRE link.

Namosi,

Can you please provide the information requested above.

Thank you.

[Jimbo034]

the ultimative solution:

from the saved money of HOTWIRE, I booked an upgrade to a room with balcony and seaview :)

couldn't be better ....

How much did it cost to upgrade ?

[Namosi]

How much did it cost to upgrade ?

40 $ / night + tax is an upgrade to the grand deluxe room (balcony + seaview), just with balcony is 20 $.

[Namosi]

Can you please provide the information requested above.

sorry.

dates are 05/11/10 to 05/18/10

icons were:

Resort Near Beach Smoke Free Rooms Fitness Center Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Business Center High-speed Internet Access Golf Nearby

(no more "near beach" now :) )

[Jimbo034]

40 $ / night + tax is an upgrade to the grand deluxe room (balcony + seaview), just with balcony is 20 $.

Who did you call to get the upgrade? Hotwire or did you call the hotel direct?

[Namosi]

Who did you call to get the upgrade? Hotwire or did you call the hotel direct?

i sent an e-mail direct to the hotel

[yellowdog]

Namosi

thanx for the follow-up!

Yellowdog.