My main complaint is that it lacks concreteness that I like to see in loyalty programs. Some of the perks are nice if I ever have to use them such as calling their support team , but these benefits are rare. Other perks are too vague, and there is never any guarantee that I will derive a single benefit from them. I would not recommend that travellers use Hotwire just because of their program.
Instead, I always recommend travellers consider Hotwire in these circumstances:. See Winning Bids. Hotel lists were created by fellow travelers who posted their winning bids. Hotel Lists. Before you bid, take find out how it works and learn the secret to rebidding without waiting. Home Blog Hotwire Express. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Used by millions for both business and leisure trips, the travel booking sites Hotwire and Priceline have a lot in common, including how much they claim they can save you.
But they also have some key differences. These similarities and differences can help you choose which site is best the next time you make travel plans. The older of the two sites, Priceline—a subsidiary of Booking Holdings Inc. BKNG —began operating in , making it something of a venerable institution by internet standards. A long-running ad campaign featuring actor William Shatner beloved of Star Trek fans helped make it a household name.
While Priceline made its name with its Name Your Own Price feature, it began phasing it out over the last few years, and finally retired it completely in early Instead, it offers special features called Pricebreakers and Express Deals. With Pricebreakers, you're shown three hotels that have been grouped together, all offering the nightly rate; click "choose" and you'll be assigned one of them.
The Express Deals feature applies to hotels, flights, and car rentals. This is a blind booking arrangement, though in the case of rental cars, they'll name the car agencies Avis, Hertz, etc. However, you can specify some parameters, such as an approximate location, amenities, and a star rating for hotels; or time of day for a flight; or size and features for an auto. Express Deals, like the Pricebreakers option, are nonrefundable.
Although one of the major motivations for travel providers to partner with sites like Priceline is to move their hotel rooms, plane seats, rental cars, and other perishable inventory that would otherwise go unsold, Priceline generally has a large selection to choose from even months ahead.
However, Hotline does offer an opaque pricing option for accommodations, kind of a cross between Priceline's Express Deals and Pricebreakers. Called Hot Rate Hotels, it lists a price and provides a general location and star rating, but the hotel names are opaque until you actually book. Click the "which hotel will I get? Sometimes, though, you'll only see guaranteed one of four hotel chains—similar to the intel offered by Express Deals, which says only "our collection includes these brands.
The higher the star rating category, the more likely you are to see actual hotel names, not just chain names. Hotwire has no shortage of offerings, though less than Priceline. In , Top Ten Reviews awarded Hotwire 2. Search the names of the hotels Hotwire has shown you, and you should find one that has the same rating and roughly the same number of reviews as your Hot Rate hotel. You know what your Hot Rate hotel is going to be before you book it and pay your non-refundable money.
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