The Site: Hotwire.com
- Hotwire Limited Rate. Hotwire’s hotel search engine provides prices guaranteed lower than any other travel site, through unsold inventory.
- It is claimed that airline suppliers use Hotwire.com to sell their unsold seats at wholesale airfare prices, sometimes at savings of 40% off*!
- Guaranteed that you won’t find a lower price, or they will double the difference.
- No payments for 90 days on bookings over $250 with ‘Bill Me Later’.
- TripStarter tool helps you find the best time of year to visit your favorite destinations, based on pricing, weather and activities.
- Flexible date searching for flights. Search for the lowest rates within a 30 day time-period.
- Two airfare types: Limited and Retail. Limited (wholesale) airfares can save you up to 50% or more, but you don’t see the airline name and exact time departure times until after you book. Retail Fares show flight details before you book.
The Good: The exclusive pricing! Okay, we admit the Hotwire travel site is different. When you search for a hotel, you do not see the actual names of the hotels. You will be provided with a “price”, a “location” (an exact neighborhood), and a “star rating”. So, you need to be a little flexible here, and not too picky about the hotel brand. We suggest booking only “4 star” hotels, but do not count out the “3-star’s”, as some smashing deals can be found here ($26* a night). If you book a “3 star” room, it is likely a “Holiday Inn”, “Radisson”, “DoubleTree” or similiar. Whereas, a “4 star” is more like a “Hyatt”, and the prices are still low.
The Bad: It is a little more difficult to book a hotel in a city that you are not familiar with, as you do not know which neighborhood to book your hotel in. Always check the “map & details” feature to help pin-point the location. Don’t try to book a “vacation package” on Hotwire if you are from a small town. Hotwire’s list of “origin” cities is a little short, and your hometown may not be listed.
- No booking fee for airfare.
- Variable booking fee for hotels (based on the amount and location of the reservation), which is not refundable.
- “Limited Rate” (clearance) Flights: Completely non-refundable and non-changeable.
- “Hotwire Rate” (retail) Flights: $35 fee by Hotwire.com to change a flight (when allowed by airline), plus any applicable airline charges and penalties.
- Hotels are completely non-refundable and non-changeable.
- Hotels booked with “Book with Assurance“, are cancellable within 60 minutes of booking the hotel. The refund will be in “Hot Dollars”, which are good for any future Hotwire.com purchase.
*Based solely on research done by TravelSiteCritic.com. May be inaccurate, or subject to change.
The Deals *:
Rental cars from $13.95* a day. No hidden fees
Las Vegas – 5-star – from $79* per night
New York City – 4-star – from $112* per night
Chicago – 4-star – from $59* per night
Rome – 4-star – from $39* per night
London – 4-star – from $49* per night
San Francisco – 4.5-star – from $109* per night
Hotwire has the guaranteed lowest rates on airfare and hotels through unsold inventory from suppliers *. If you are booking a last minute trip, you can find savings of up to 40%! Plus, there are no booking fees for airfare*. Search Now! You can defer payments for 90 days with ‘Bill Me Later’.
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