Priceline vs Hotwire?

[skudy]

There is a lot of discussion about Priceline on this forum but I have to confess that I am actually partial to Hotwire. I can't say I have a lot of experience with Priceline and the idea actually kinda scares me.

[LHT28]

You can book a hotel from Priceline that you know what hotel it is or you can bid on one & just hope for the best ;)

Hotwire is the same except you do not BID on a mystery hotel

You just book the one with the price you want & hope for the best

 

Really not much difference in the grand scheme of things

 

Most people check on better bidding to see what other are coming up with for both Hotwire & PL for the different areas

 

You can get good deal from Expedia as well as other sites

It is all how you play the game what deal you get;)

[zoicca]

Hotwire and Priceline both have a feature that let's you reserve a mystery hotel. You find out after you buy. But there are some fundamental differences.

 

1. Priceline allows you to name your own price. You should always bid less than similar hotels are going for on Hotwire.

 

2. Hotwire tells you the hotel amenities before you purchase. Priceline does not.

 

3. Priceline rooms are guaranteed to accommodate 2 people max. Hotwire allows you to specify how many people you want a room for.

 

There a lot of websites specifically dedicated to educating and helping Hotwire and Priceline customers. This article from HotelDealsRevealed.com is a good starting point

[Dan G]

betterbidding.com

 

biddingfortravel.com

 

explain a lot of both websites. They are both consolidators only Priceline uses the 'bid gimmick. Often times Hotwire is about the same but without the hassles of 'bidding'.

[sasha101us]

so what if you have a party of 4? Our kids are going with us. Will we be able to have them sleep in our room if we get a Priceline CP room?

[riffatsea]

IF you use Priceline you are only guaranteed a room for 2 people.

SOME folks have been able to call the hotel after they win their bid and ASK for a room with 2 beds that 4 people can use BUT it is NOT guaranteed that you will be able to do this!

[sasha101us]

So if you show up with 4 people to get your room, what do they do? will you get in trouble, or do you just deal with the single bed if that's what you end up with. HAs anyone experienced this?

Thanks

[The_Big_M]

It really depends on the hotel, but fire standards mean some rooms can't be over-occupied. Thus, if all's good and they have a lot of rooms, they may be flexible. But if they're full, yours is the last room and it's not big enough, then they will point to the terms and say you cannot occupy it with more. And if the situation's somewhere in the middle, they may just charge you for a bigger/another room.

[zoicca]

Priceline has become a lot like Hotwire with the recent addition of Priceline Express Deals where they tell you the amenities up front. Basically, the only reason for using Hotwire is price now that Priceline offers this new way of booking. For those fans of PL, don't worry, you can still use the bidding feature.

[Putterdude]

Thank you for the information. This obviously an old thread but it is always good to have an update.

I bounce between both services....sometimes finding great deal on Hotwire and a few months later having a successful bid in another city on Priceline....there is no loyalty, it's PRICE.

As I look at Priceline's "express deals" for FLL for instance I note that they do not appear to have as many listings at Hotwire but hopefully that list will grow in time.