Hotwire – the most adventurous way to start your holiday!
If you’re the type of person who insists on scrutinising every minute detail when booking a holiday then you had better stop reading now. This won’t be for you.
No, no, no, you won’t like this one jot. Not one jot. Have you gone yet? Go on…off you trot. Close the browser! Your kind isn’t needed around these parts.
Right then. Now that they’ve gone, we can talk in peace and quiet. I’m assuming only the cool kids remain? The risk takers? The ones ready for a little adventure? Good, I figured as much…
Let’s talk about Hotwire, the hugely popular American hotel-booking site which successfully opened for business on this side of the Atlantic last year. On the surface it looks very similar to any other online holiday-booking portal, but it differentiates on one key level - you book your hotel room blind.
After specifying the date of your stay, your city of choice and the number of guests, the returned results only outline a hotel’s star rating, a Tripadvisor traveller rating out of 5, basic amenities, approximate location and price. There are no glossy photos or in-depth reviews and you’re not even given the name of the hotel or an exact address. Users are left to make bookings according to availability and price and that’s about it.
Why would you do it? Well the answer is simple; there are huge discounts to be had. Taking advantage of the fact that no hotels want empty rooms, Hotwire are able to barter down prices on behalf of their customers. Partnering with the likes of Travelodge, Best Western, Novotel, Holiday Inn, Mercure, Sheraton, Intercontinental, Meridien and Hilton (and more!) it doesn’t matter what your budget, there are savings, sometimes up to 50% off a published price, to be made.
While bookings are non-refundable – an additional gamble which might not be to everybody’s taste – Hotwire do promise to pay the difference if a better rate is found on the same hotel within 48 hours.
The service is particularly useful if you’re not overly fussed about the details of a hotel; those needing to stay near a particular airport certainly stand to benefit, while it’s also particularly well suited to city-break weekenders looking to bed down between tourist jaunts.
Conceding that such a leap into the unknown may be too much for some holidaymakers, Hotwire also offer a standard price-comparison facility replete with all the details you’d expect (including hotel names!). The rooms are still great value, although they’re not quite at the same discounted level as the secret hotel booking service.
As an added incentive, whichever version you choose to use, between 3-9 September, you can earn an extra 10% cashback on all Hotwire bookings made through Quidco.
So there you go, what are you waiting for? Check out Hotwire today and take the plunge.
You said you liked an adventure…
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