Hotwire Hotel: 5* Amsterdam (City Centre-Museum Quarter) Grand Hotel Amrath

[bnebased]

I wanted Amsterdam from 5 Jun to 10 Jun, which looks like a funny time

since it includes the Dutch election. This seems to make bidding a

tougher challenge (both NH Amsterdam Centre and Movenpick City Centre

are not available for regular bookings for parts of the period). So I

broke the stay into two parts to get prices acceptable to me using the

links for both PRICELINE and HOTWIRE bids (a pile of them). End result:

PL 2 nights; HW 3 nights. (here is the Priceline win)

I used HOTWIRE as a guide during my PRICELINE bidding and kept seeing what

looked like Grand Hotel Amrath (amenities as shown by BB:

Smoke Free Rooms Fitness Center Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Business Center)

coming up at $125-$129 (variations due in exchange rate variations

of EUR/USD, I guess, unless HOTWIRE plays games with me). I end up paying

in AUD, so will see what it comes to for me in due course. Anyway very

satisfied with price given the hotel reviews I have seen.

[yellowdog]

Congratulations on your success!

Thank you for sharing your result with the board and using our HOTWIRE link to book this :)

Enjoy your stay.

Yellowdog.

[four leaf clover]

bnebased,

As someone who has yet to use Hotwire, I would like to ask you, if the $127 paid for the Grand Hotel Amrath has additional charges (fees or taxes) added to that price.

Enjoy Amsterdam! I have stayed in NH Amsterdam Centre Hotel, but I think the Amrath will add even more to your enjoyment.

[bnebased]

Yes, there are indeed taxes and fees, prepaid to Hotwire. In this case:

Hotel rate per night - Hotwire hot Rate:Nights:Rooms: 1 3 $127.00

Subtotal:Tax recovery charges and fees: $59.34 $381.00

Total price:

Total charges to your credit card $440.34 $440.34

As I understand it the actual taxes are 6% of the real hotel charge in EUR.

I know that PL shows a hotel room price which can differ substantially from

what the hotel charges. I don't know about HOTWIREW. If the actual hotel charge

was about $127 then the taxes would be about $22.86, meaning a HOTWIRE fee

of about $36.50, which I think is surprisingly high (but no deal breaker for

me). Hiding real charges in fees is a common ugly practice in my view.

I also believe that Amsterdam city charges the hotel a 5% fee on the real

accomodation rate. I expect to be charged in EUR after my stay, at which

time I figure to know what HW paid the hotel (in EUR).

Thanks for your good wishes. Yes I expect that the NH hotel will be pretty

good and that the Amrath will be better. ( I couldn't get Amrath for the

whole five days at an acceptable price. Best I saw was about EUR260pn.)

[four leaf clover]

bnebased,

Thanks for your helpful, comprehensive reply. Much appreciated!