Hotwire

[SweetDee]

I am new to this board and I have a question.

Has anyone ever used Hotwire to get a hotel in Vegas? I am going during Memorial Day weekend and the prices are so high. I entered May 27 thru May 29th and it came up with a five star hotel for 161/night. I am hesitant to get it because I don't know what hotwire considers a five star. I know I can stay off strip (but I don't plan on renting a car) or Circus Circus for cheaper, but I wanted to stay somewhere nicer on the strip. I am already trying to decide between Paris & Venetian for May 25th and May 26th (129/149)as I have never stayed in either. I checked Hotwire because the weekend rates for these hotels were $300-$400.

Any input would be great. I am so excited about going. I haven't been to Vegas in over two years.

[Slagar]

I've never used them before. The prices are going to be high everywhere on memorial day weekend. What 5 star hotel is it? If you say what it is you'll definetly get plenty of reviews on whether or not it deserves its rating.

[SweetDee]

They don't tell you the hotel name until you pay. That is why I am hesitant.

[nubia11]

SweetDee - Go to www.betterbidding.com. (http://www.betterbidding.com.) People post which hotels they have won on Priceline and Hotwire by location and star rating. Personally, I do not like to use the bid sites for travel to Las Vegas because I am particular about location and most of those sites give a "zone" that includes a wider region than I prefer. If you want to go this route though, I highly recommend this site. It will at least tell you what people have gotten with their bids recently. Good luck!

[Dave]

I can't say for sure, but if its 5* in the Strip area, I'd say its either Venetian, Mandalay Bay or Bellagio, with a strong leaning towards Venetian. There are some that could be deemed 5* which aren't on the strip but in the strip area....maybe the Westin, but if Hotwire says it has a casino, then my money is on the Venetian.

There just aren't that many 5* hotels in on the strip.

[JR Swift]

With a little work, you can pretty much figure out which hotels are which on hotwire. The bad thing is that you are lucky to beat the best discounted rates you get otherwise. Seems like you don't save more than a few bucks most of the time. The same soft market that gets hotwire a good deal will probably get you one without it. For Las Vegas, I really don't think it is worth it.

[Dougie]

Mandalay Bay and Bellagio do not priceline rooms. The Venetian does.

[Slagar]

My advice: DON'T BOOK UNTIL YOU KNOW WHAT HOTEL YOU'RE STAYING AT. If they're not telling you what hotel it is, there's a reason, and either it's a ploy to guarantee business, they're ripping you off, or they're afraid to tell you because the hotel is a dump.

[SH0CK]

Originally posted by Slagar:
My advice: DON'T BOOK UNTIL YOU KNOW WHAT HOTEL YOU'RE STAYING AT. If they're not telling you what hotel it is, there's a reason, and either it's a ploy to guarantee business, they're ripping you off, or they're afraid to tell you because the hotel is a dump. I wouldn't go that far to make those statements. Hotwire and priceline both are a gamble. You MUST understand going in that you are at THEIR whim on what hotel you get in the selected quality level. If you go and bid or make a purchase in a 1 or 2 star quality hotel level, you only have yourself to blame for what you end up with.

That being said, be sure to do your homework and pay close attention to the maps that they show for each quality level, so that you don't make a silly mistake. Yes, they "sneak" some hotels in each zone that might be considered iffy, but if you decide to use these opaque services, this is your first gamble of the trip.

The ONLY way I would use Hotwire or priceline in Las Vegas would be for a 4 star hotel downtown (Golden Nugget) or a 5 star on the strip (Venetian.) Otherwise, it's a crap shoot.

[Heathcat]

Well there you have it, Sweet Dee (thanks, Shock!). The only five star property that sells rooms on Hotwire is the Venetian, so you can be sure the hotel you are getting for Memorial Day weekend is the Venetian. And $161 for a room @ the Venetian on a busy weekend is a good price, actually, so I'd take it!

[SweetDee]

Unfortunately, as soon as I went back to book the room, it went up to $300 a night. I thank everyone for their input. I am trying to decide between Venetian and Paris for the the Wednesday and Thursday night before ($129/$149 respectively) and just look for something on the strip for around the same price over the weekend. I have stayed at IP once which might do again if they have any good deals over that weekend.

[polockski]

Another site to checkout is www.biddingfortravel.com. (http://www.biddingfortravel.com.) The Venetian comes up for$99 a night on Priceline quite often.

[drgnldy812]

I have used Priceline for the Venetian in the past. I got the room for $85/night. Definately check out biddingfortravel.com. They list hotels that have been used in each star category (as well as zones) and the prices people got them for. Good Luck!