NWR: Hotwire?

LoveYouB

Hi girls,

I was wondering if any of you use Hotwire to book hotel rooms, and how your experiences have been with it?

Also, I am looking for some clarification... I am interested in using the site for random vacations/travels but I am too nervous because of the unknowns. So, do you just book a hotel through Hotwire without knowing the hotel? And you just trust them and their star ratings? Then when do you actually find out what hotel you have and where it is loctated? Immediately after you buys it?

I definitely want to try this out because they seem to have amazing deals... I just want to be sure I know what I'm gettting myself into first!

TIA!

Kfudge0714

I used hotwire a few years ago for a car rental when I went to FL. I had a great experience. You do book without knowing what company you will end up with but in the case of a car rental I did not care. I got a great price on our rental car and was even upgraded because they didn't have anymore of the size vechicles we booked. So like I said we were upgraded to a brand new, never driven before car.

no complaints here

G2SoccerTaz

I have never used Hotwire. I always use Orbitz. I want to know the specific details before I book. I know the FSIL uses hotwire before and has never seemed to be upset with the hotels they get.

kristin183

I always use either Hotwire, Orbitz, or Priceline.
I always research the hotel first.. like google it or check on tripadvisor. Tripadvisor usually has lots of great guests comments and photos about hotels.

MMRoberts11

I've looked at their prices but for me expedia was always cheaper except for once.

From my experience and that of my friends, I know their star rating is usually pretty close.  You'll find out a few days or weeks before what hotel you will be in.  This kinda scares me because I like to do research before hand and know exactly what I'm getting so I usually go with a place that lets me know.  If that's not a big deal for you feel free to take advantage of it.

Sarah0335

kayak.com is my obbsession.  That site really is amazing.  It checks all of the major sites at once.  I get really good prices when I use it.

L&J2012

There are some pretty awful reviews about Hotwire, and I personally would never book a hotel without knowing what hotel I'm staying in first. But, if you're not too picky then I think it's ok. Most of the complaints are about customer service and they do have great deals (I was looking into reviews for booking flights, to see if there were any hidden fees).

Cassandra999

FI has used hotwire and go amazing deals like $40 a night at Holiday Inn but these were just weekend trips where we didn't have any specific needs from the hotel.  Like we went to Cincinatti to go to the outlet mall & Ikea, so we just needed some where to stay.  It turned out fine. I wouldn't want to do it for a beach vacation or anything, because I would want more control over where we were choosing.

midgetthemighty

We used hotwire to book our HM hotel, rental car and air fare. FFIL uses it all the time and he's had to travel a lot for work. He's had wonderful experiences and he's not an easy critic when it comes to hotel rooms.

You're right, you don't know the hotel name upon booking but you find out soon after. If you book flights through them, the day will remain the same but the take-off time could change.

LoveYouB

Thanks!! I think I will try it out and see how we like it for our next nearby trip.

Zimsgirl26

I really like kayak and a friend had good luck with hotels.com

Shanee18

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_june-2012-weddings_nwr-hotwire?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:3ae4d68d-f10a-4dec-8810-da13c14a7b86Discussion:892d9c29-56fb-4c8c-b71c-4570fde193eaPost:8e143f9c-4e52-4588-9b35-7a2480e9db7d">Re: NWR: Hotwire?</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>I have never used Hotwire. I always use Orbitz. I want to know the specific details before I book.</strong> I know the FSIL uses hotwire before and has never seemed to be upset with the hotels they get.
Posted by G2SoccerTaz[/QUOTE]

This exactly.  I always need to know details before agreeing to pay for something.  I like to look up reviews from all different places, so I have never trusted Hotwire.  I find that Orbitz tends to be awesome and the cheapest in my experiences.