Tips for Getting a GREAT Deal on a Hotel Using Hotwire.com

I had heard the ads on the radio: I stayed at a four star hotel for $40 a night through Hotwire.com and I thought it was too good to be true. But curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to try out Hotwire myself.

My first time using Hotwire.com, I booked a four star hotel at a two star hotel price. Nervously. My hands were sweating as I confirmed the payment without paying the extra $8 for trip insurance. To my delight, I learned that I had booked two nights at the Hilton for $70 a night. Since then, I have used Hotwire with great success, learning a lot along the way.

Hotwire keeps its prices low by allowing hotels to fill their rooms at discounted rates. Hotels provide the deeply discounted rates on one condition, that their name does not appear next to the price until the room has been bought and paid for.

In order to get the best deal with the least amount of risk, I suggest the following: Stick to large cities or tourist destination, be familiar with the map of your town, check the ratings and amenities of the hotel, buy trip insurance if you are not certain, and check the customer feedback.

1: Stick to LargeCities or Tourist Destination: Large cities and tourist areas are likely to have the biggest variety of hotels and as a result the best selection for you to choose from. Greater competition means greater potential for values. Also, on Hotwire, the more hotels in a city, the more likely you are to narrow down the location of your hotel. So, if you want a hotel near the airport, you can choose from the dozen listings in the airport district.

2. Get a Map: Since Hotwire often allows you to choose what part of a city or area you want to stay in, have a map to determine which area is the most convenient for your vacation plans.

3. Check Hotel Ratings and Amenities: The rating used at Hotwire are identical to ratings used at other travel sites or in other travel guides. 4 stars means prêtty much the same thing at Hotwire as 4 diamonds means in an AAA Guidebook. Key amenities are also listed, so if you must have high speed internet, check first.