S.D.
We've done it a number of times and had excellent results. I can't remember the details since it's been a while but I know there were huge discounts & the hotels were great. Give it a go! Hope you find a bargain :-)
anyone ever book a hotel without knowing the name? Hotwire and Exppedia have these deals where they give the general area and how many stars the hotel is but you have to book it for a reduced price and no changing once it's booked. If you've ever done this how was your experience? I am curious but a little nervous.....
Thanks for the overwhelmingly positive responses! You made me brave enough to try it and I got the hotel I had wanted but had felt it was too expensive for out tiny budget!!! What a pleasant surprise! It was my first choice!
We've done it a number of times and had excellent results. I can't remember the details since it's been a while but I know there were huge discounts & the hotels were great. Give it a go! Hope you find a bargain :-)
I know 2 couples who do this all the time using Hotwire. They paid less than 1/2 what we did for the same room, then were offered upgrades when they arrived for a bigger discount. The last time we paid $287, they paid $89. I didn't believe them until they showed me the bill. The hotel won't match a hotwire price after the fact and I asked nicely.
Yes, and we've gotten great deals at really good hotels. Just go by the star rating.
Always a complete success. Was never disappointed. I will admit, I was
very hesitant at first.
Hi S.,
We've done it and never had a problem with the hotel. There was an issue once when we were excited that we were able to stay a day longer and the hotel could not accomodate us because the price was negotiated through Expedia. We called their number....Peggy in India....and they were no help. The hotel was able to give us a room but it was twice the price. It defeated our original purpose.
I much rather deal directly with the hotel especially if we are driving and can drive up and negotiate but this was a special occasion and we needed to have our ducks in a row before we left home.
Hope this info helps!
M.
Did it once outside of Nashville driving cross country over the phone with a friend that was sitting in front of the computer at home. It was a Holiday Inn Express, $49 on a Saturday.
I have done it, you can use other online booking websites to get an idea of what is in the area and what star ratings they have. So generally you know what you are booking before you place it. I use it all the time and have never had troubles.
My husband does it all the time to book his hotels for work. He likes to save them money and get a better hotel. I can assure you that you can know exactly which hotel you will get before hand with just a little research.
Hubby did it for a last minute guy trip to Vegas once and they got the Planet Hollywood hotel/casino for cheap! I've done rental cars and its been fine. My sister also did it for a hotel in San Francisco and got a 5star hotel (can't remember the name though). It ended up being a $300/ night room for $75. It seems like a great way to save money if you're not too particular about the details.
I've done it twice. I was very happy both times. You have to be a little flexible. There were some things out of my control - the 1st hotel had really nice rooms but no continental breakfast. If I were booking on my own I would definately have gotten a hotel with breakfast. But it had a wonderful pool and view that more than made up for it. The 2nd hotel had a continental breakfast and super chic, comfy, large rooms but the pool and the view were pitiful. Price was great both times. If you have "musts" when travelling it may not be for you. But if you are flexible, it's a great bargain and a lot of fun. There's an element of suprise!
Nope, not willing to go there!
Call the hotel directly... Ask for the rack rate. They want to fill the rooms, they are willing to negotiate.
My hubby travels a lot. I manage travel. I worked out a deal in Houston ( a monthly trip, at a good hotel, central location, normally $225 per night for $89 per night.
Of course, he has to stay a minimum # of nights (25) but that's not an issue if you are there on e a month for a week.
Just ask.
We use the Hilton family of hotels first then if needed move on to Marriott brands.
You can get good deals on the hotel websites
Done it twice, loved the hotel both times, no problems!
I saw these deals while looking for hotels for Thanksgiving and I was too scared to try it! I'll be looking at the other responses to see what their experiences have been. Good question!
I've never done the hotel, but I did do the mystery airline flight from Hotwire and it worked out great! If you go by the stars and you're a pretty flexible person, I'd go for it.
It all depends on how adventurous you are as to whether you should or not. If your husband can ask you if you'd like to go out for a hamburger and you don't have to know which restaurant before you say yes, then booking an unnamed hotel will do fine.
After a while, they're all four walls, a bed and a bath anyway.
Hope you have a nice time. Good luck to you and yours.
Depends on where you're going. In the states it all depends on which city you chose to visit. If you stay central to the locations you're planning on visiting I wouldn't worry. Europe too has it's ups and downs. The hotel rooms tend to be small througout unless you want a 4-5 star, which can be pricey too. The internet should help you. I hope you don't mind, but where are you going?
If you're going to a place where it really doesn't matter (Philly, Cleveland, Toronto) - cool. I wouldn't do it for a special occasion or beach resort type place. No one wants to face the parking lot in Antigua.
Yup, there are websites you can search for that will list out what hotels are how many stars in different areas. We usually do the highest number of stars or just below and sometimes change the area slightly then. The last two times we have had the crown plaza and sherton suites, both very nice.