Any problems with using discount room site?

Is using the discount room sites like Hotwire, Expedia, Priceline ... pretty reliable? I%26#39;ve never used them for fear of not having a room when I get to where I%26#39;m going?

Do you hear of many people having trouble?

Any sites better than the others?

Thanks!

Any problems with using discount room site?

I%26#39;ve used all three of them and have not had any problems.

With Expedia you know exactly what you are getting, the only ';problem'; I%26#39;ve had with them is that sometimes hotels that aren%26#39;t actually in the city I%26#39;m going to pop up so be sure to check out the location before booking. Also, the Special Rate rooms has cancellation charges, make sure you read the fine print.

Hotwire and Priceline are blind bidding sites, I%26#39;ve used them in several different cities with success. BUT they are non refundable, once you bid you have to accept the hotel they give you. And if you%26#39;re plans change, you can%26#39;t get a refund (there%26#39;s an insurance option but I%26#39;m not sure what it covers).

If you are thinking about Hotwire or Priceline, check out www.biddingfortravel.com or www.betterbidding.com to understand the process better and see what people are bidding for the time period you are visiting.

Any problems with using discount room site?

There should be no issues with using any of these services, but if you are not familiar with Priceline and Hotwire, please ask for tips here prior to using them for the first time, as these non-refundable opaque services work differently than a normal travel service.

Priceline and Hotwire%26#39;s insurance only covers emergencies. It does not cover if you change your mind.

I%26#39;ve used Hotwire numerous times and have always gotten a good deal. And the hotels have always treated us well, just like we had a ';normal'; reservation.

Only once we had an incident, where we reserved a room for 3 (2 adults + a teen) and the room they gave us only slept 2, not even a sofa bed for the teenager, and the hotel claimed they had nothing else available. I called Hotwire%26#39;s 800 number and, after they conferred with the hotel desk, agreed to cancel our reservation. We had a refund credited within a day.

We use Priceline everytime we go somewhere. Do check out biddingfortravel.com as was suggested. We always looks there before heading to Priceline. We have never had an issue with our room using Priceline. You just have to be willing to take whatever hotel they give you. You can specify the area and how many stars you will accept. We just got the Intercontinental Chicago

on Michigan Avenue for a really good price through Priceline. We love using it.

DVD is a wiz at this, much to my chagrin as a hotelier :)

Just remember, most of the discounted web sites will only sell one bed, it is non-refundable, the name of person on the reservation must be the person checking in.

Also, with the exception of Priceline, where you don%26#39;t know where you are ending up, the price difference is minimal in comparison to the hotel website. (for example I will see on an expedia website they are selling a room for $249.00, the hotel is selling rooms at $250.00) (in most cases)

And remember, if it is a prepaid reservation, you still need to present a credit card at checkin for incidental charges, and the hotel will get anauthorization for that credit card, the amount depending on that hotels policy.

DVD is a wiz at this, much to my chagrin as a hotelier :)

Just remember, most of the discounted web sites will only sell one bed, it is non-refundable, the name of person on the reservation must be the person checking in.

Also, with the exception of Priceline, where you don%26#39;t know where you are ending up, the price difference is minimal in comparison to the hotel website. (for example I will see on an expedia website they are selling a room for $249.00, the hotel is selling rooms at $250.00) (in most cases)

And remember, if it is a prepaid reservation, you still need to present a credit card at checkin for incidental charges, and the hotel will get anauthorization for that credit card, the amount depending on that hotels policy.

What psconcierege says about expedia being close to the same price is true in most cases but every once in a while I get a really good deal by using them, seems more so for non US hotels though. It doesn%26#39;t hurt to check both and what expedia, travelocity, etc. do is give you some idea of what hotels are out there for a particular area. If the price is roughly the same, book through the hotel which is usually cancelable.

Another thing, sometimes Expedia will say no availability at a certain hotel but you can book it directly with the hotel or on another website so don%26#39;t always rely on that as an indicator of availability.

Thanks for all the good tips!

I thought on hotel.com that the reservation is refundable or you can change your reservation. Have you found this to be true?

Does it also only guarantee a single bed ? I would need 2.

%26lt;%26lt; most of the discounted web sites will only sell one bed %26gt;%26gt;

With Hotwire, you indicate the number of people the reservation is for - # of adults, # of kids. They guarantee the room will accommodate what you reserve, though it may be a rollaway or sofa bed. The incident I described earlier was a room with one bed and no sofabed nor room for a rollaway. I think they also presume that a double/queen/king bed is for 2 people, so if you and a buddy reserve ';for 2'; on Hotwire you may have to get cozy. But if you reserve for 3 people, it won%26#39;t just be one bed.