• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Home  >  Hotels  >  Why I am Finished with Hotel Bidding on Priceline and Hotwire
Hotels

Why I am Finished with Hotel Bidding on Priceline and Hotwire

Matthew Klint Posted onMarch 20, 2011 11 Comments

I flew into Pisa, Italy on Wednesday and spent much of the afternoon there, before boarding a train to Rome. Arrival in Rome was not scheduled until around 9pm, so with a very busy day of sightseeing to follow, I thought it would make sense to get a room on Priceline rather than splurge on a premium property like the Westin or St. Regis.

Big mistake.

Priceline’s “Name-Your-Own-Price” wasn’t returning anything, but Hotwire offered a 3.5 star hotel in Central Rome for $67 (just over $84 including taxes and fees). I booked it and was horrified to get a dive hotel in a rough neighborhood a few blocks from the central train station called Tempio Di Pallade.

A few points of clarification. First, yes, I have become spoiled when it comes to staying in nice hotels. Second, this did not affect my judgment of this hotel–I bent over backwards to try to rationalize its label as a European 3.5 star hotel. But I could not.

Upon arrival, the man at the front desk was having trouble checking in a woman. He motioned for my brother and I to sit down and we had to wait about 20 minutes for the issue to be resolved, which required numerous phone calls and trips to the fax machine in an adjacent room.

Finally, it was our turn. The man was a nice guy, very nice, but let’s just say that speed was not his gift. He did manage to find our reservation after a few minutes of searching (sorting through a stack of paperwork), but it took a bit of time to copy our passports and fill out the government registration forms. Then there was another couple of forms for good measure, one acknowledging that we had checked into the hotel. A Hotwire thing perhaps? Finally, we had to pay the EU2 tourist tax imposed on visitors to Rome. That had to be paid in cash and required the creation of another lengthy receipt and signing another form. At last, we were presented with a room key for room 121.

Now if this was the only issue, I wouldn’t bother bringing it up, but I am just getting started. The room itself was more aptly-characterized a walk-in closet rather than a bedroom. Again, this was an old hotel in Europe so that was to be expected. But what I did not expect to see was cobwebs on the ceiling and what looked to be like a very dirty bedspread (think blue dress…). I was surprised to see a TV in the room, but it only carried a few Italian channels.

I know many hotels don’t wash bedspreads or comforters each time a guest departs, but if there are white stains on a blue bedspread, it is probably a good idea to wash them, no? My brother and I thought about calling Hotwire to complain, requesting another room, or just leaving the hotel and disputing the charge with my credit card company, but now it was after 10pm and I just took the bedspread and threw it on the floor at the foot of the bed. The sheets appeared clean.

We had not had dinner yet, so we left the hotel and found a pretty good pizza parlor a few blocks away. Just an aside, what is up with cover charges at restaurants in Italy?

Back at the hotel, I asked the front desk man about internet and he said there was none–no WiFi or even a computer station I could use (hence, no blog post a few nights back). This was my biggest issue. Internet is no longer a luxury at hotel–it is a necessary amenity for most travelers. It has been years since I’ve stayed at a hotel or hostel without internet and I have stayed at some really dodgy places. I just cannot fathom how a hotel can be assigned a 3.5 star rating when it does not even offer internet to guests.

The hotel included a “complimentary hot breakfast” which turned out to be simply bread, cold cuts, cheese, cereal, juice, and coffee. The dining room had a nifty looking yogurt machine, but it was broken.

I chalk this experience up as a lesson learned. If I had wanted a dive hotel, I could have easily booked one for about $30 less per night and even chosen one that had free wi-fi. This experience has solidified in my mind that it is too much of a gamble to use Priceline and Hotwire, at least in Europe. My hotel was not even up to Motel-6 or Super-8 standards–Hotwire should be ashamed to peddle hotels like Tempio Di Pallade, let alone label them a 3.5 star hotel.

The following night, I stayed at the Park Hyatt in Milan. Oh, what a difference! As I have made the transition from hostels and budget hotels to luxury hotels, I have realized that coughing up the incremental increase in cash or points for a better place is almost always worth the expenditure. Look for a full report on my stay at the Park Hyatt Milano later this week.

Priceline and Hotwire can be great tools, but I am now very weary of them. I would urge you all to use caution (and tools like biddingfortravel.com) should you decide to use them in the future.

Previous Article My Japan Dilemma – To Go or Not to Go?
Next Article Lufthansa Proves United isn’t the only Website with Problems

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • Ivory Manor Boutique Hotel Brunch

    Brunch At Ivory Manor Boutique Hotel – Pretoria, South Africa

    May 17, 2023
  • Is It Ok To Eat Shirtless At Resort Restaurant?

    May 12, 2023
  • Mr and Mrs Smith; credit_ Hyatt

    Hyatt Acquisition of Mr. And Mrs. Smith Platform Aligns Well

    April 30, 2023

11 Comments

  1. Jim Reply
    March 20, 2011 at 6:58 pm

    Next time in Rome try Hotel Sonya. A couple of blocks from Termini, but on a quiet street. Free wi-fi, decent breakfast, some nice restaurants nearby, and a not bad walk to the ancient sites. It’s used by the Rick Steves tours.

    They have a service charge of some kind in Italy, for the bread and whatever. It always seemed so cheap to eat in Italy that it didn’t bother me to pay it.

  2. Matthew Reply
    March 20, 2011 at 7:17 pm

    @Jim: Thanks for the tip.

    RE: Service charge – you’re right, prices are generally cheap, but service was quite poor at this restaurant (especially compared to the even cheaper restaurant we ate at the next night) and we did not receive any bread. Oh well, it was only EU4.

  3. Benny Reply
    March 20, 2011 at 10:06 pm

    Sorry that you had such a bad experience with Priceline and Hotwire. I’ve never used Hotwire but to my own experiences, Priceline was not that bad. I tried the “Name your own price” thing last year for my trip to Germany during the first few days of Oktoberfest and ended up paying $50/night for Moevenpick Hotel Frankfurt City and $70/night for Marriott Munchen. What’s even better was that Priceline allowed me to extend my stays at the same price (after I already know which hotel property I had been assigned to). So I guess the trick to use Priceline would be to bid for one night only and then consider extending the stay later.

  4. FriendlySkies Reply
    March 20, 2011 at 10:40 pm

    I’ve never used Priceline or Hotwire, but this experience makes me want to continue to book directly with the hotel 🙂

  5. Richard Reply
    March 21, 2011 at 12:04 am

    Did you check betterbidding.com before booking the reservation through Hotwire?

    I completely agree with you when it comes to situations where you have no idea what hotel you’re getting, but with betterbidding.com (or biddingfortravel.com when it comes to Priceline), at the very least you’ll know the half dozen hotels that fall into a particular category, and quite often you’ll be able to explicitly identify the hotel based on the characteristics Hotwire tells you. In those situations, Hotwire/Priceline can become great deals, and you can reasonably avoid the situation you experienced.

  6. Gene Reply
    March 21, 2011 at 2:25 pm

    Complain to Hotwire. Based on my experience, they will likely issue you a 100% credit for a future stay.

  7. Darren Reply
    March 21, 2011 at 3:02 pm

    I, too, have switched to building loyalty with hotels, so haven’t Pricelined in a while. I’ve found the domestic USA properties spot on, however, and have always been weary of booking Priceline internationally.

  8. Matthew Reply
    March 22, 2011 at 7:49 am

    @Gene: Good to know. I’ll give it a try.

  9. Randy Reply
    March 23, 2011 at 4:55 am

    Hey, you should consider giving Priceline or Hotwire a try again here in North America. I am a moderator for a Priceline/Hotwire forum focused entirely on North America, and I have heard anecdotally that they don’t quite have the quality control in place for Europe the way they do in North America. Much more inconsistent. But for North America reservations, it is tough to beat.

  10. Angella Reply
    September 20, 2013 at 3:32 am

    I’m going through a similar experience now! Booked on Hotwire, only to find it cheaper booking through kayak. After a failed phone and e-mail attempt, I’m still trying to get back the difference offered by their low price guarantee. Customer service was rude and said they couldn’t find the cheaper rate that I found the night before. I’ve since found it and have taken pictures as proof and submitted online. From the reviews, the 4 star hotel I have booked does not appear to be as such. I’ll find out tomorrow! Lesson learned. Never use Hotwire outside of the US. Honestly, after this experience and their lack of customer service, I doubt I’ll use again. As for Gene’s comment, I asked for a refund and they refused and said they stood by their 4 star rating and low price guarantee.

  11. Joseph Reply
    August 24, 2015 at 9:37 pm

    Will mever use hotwire again. Its a fraud. I booked 5 star hotel in milan and got an hotel which does not deserve even 1 star. Tried to change hotel but refused by hotwire. My first and last one with them. Be careful

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Hot Deals for May

Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 60,000 Points
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Earn $750 Cash Back
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Earn 120,000 Membership Reward® Points

Recent Posts

  • America The Beautiful May 29, 2023
  • United Airlines CEO Says USA Is The “Greatest Country In The History Of The Planet” May 29, 2023
  • Coat Overhead Bin
    Is It Rude To Place Your Coat In The Aircraft Overhead Bin? May 29, 2023
  • United Club Fly Lounge DEN Review
    Review: United Club Fly Lounge Denver (DEN) May 29, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Punches United Airlines Gate Agent
    Man Repeatedly Punches United Airlines Gate Agent After She Asked Him To Vacate First Class Seat He Poached May 3, 2023
  • Delta Air Lines Seat Recline
    Delta Air Lines Passenger Freaks Out After Passenger Pushed Her Seat When She Reclined May 1, 2023
  • American Airlines Pins Cockpit Door
    American Airlines First Class Passenger So Angry Over Meal Choices He Pins Flight Attendant To Cockpit Door May 11, 2023
  • Cursing Fight United Airlines
    “Don’t You Ever Tell Me To Speak English!” (Fight Breaks Out On My United Airlines Flight) May 17, 2023

Archives

May 2023
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  
« Apr    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

Privacy Policy

© Live and Let's Fly All Rights Reserved.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Live and Let's Fly with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.