How to Use Hotwire to Save Money on Travel
Alright, let’s chat money saving tips. One thing I get asked all the time is how I find travel deals. If you default to googling ”how to save money booking travel”, you’ll be overwhelmed and most likely end up just finding a bunch of sponsored content that doesn’t really help. So I’m breaking it down into a simplified post & showing you guys how to use Hotwire to save money on travel.
How to Use Hotwire to Save Money on Travel
Ok, so first things first. What exactly is Hotwire?
Simply put, hotels don’t want to have empty rooms. Instead of having vacancies, they’re willing to book rooms at a discounted rate. That’s where hotwire comes in.
Hotwire lets you book a room at a discounted rate – but you don’t know exactly what hotel you’re booking until after you’ve paid. And I’m not talking sketchy motels or hotels no one wants to stay at. Even luxury 5 star hotels use hotwire to sell their extra rooms – they just don’t want you to know they do or you would never pay full price!
How to Use Hotwire to Book a Trip
Start out on the Hotwire Homepage. Enter the city you want to stay in & your travel dates. Click enter & you’ll land on a page that has a map – divided into different areas. From there, you can zero in on results based on location, price range, hotel class, amenities & guest ratings.
I like to refine my search first by location & then by star rating. Generally, I hope to find something with at least 4-5 stars. Then I sort by price. But you can also just sort by price if you want to stick to a specific budget.
I also like to include amenities I want. For example, if I’m working, I want to make sure I can get free wifi. Or, if it’s somewhere warm, I might want to make sure I have a pool. You can also choose things like free breakfast, beachfront, airport shuttle, etc.
Here’s an example of a search here in San Diego:
For this search, I focused in on areas I’m familiar with near Del Mar. The first deal you see is for the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. You can actually see it below at full price. A lot of times, you can kind of deduce what hotel you’re looking at based on the original price, star rating, number of hotels in the area, amenities, reviews, etc.
You can see that the normal nightly rate would be $932, but the Hotwire nightly rate is $436.
Obviously this is on the more expensive end of the spectrum, but you get the idea & can see how much money you can potentially save. You can also refresh the page for new deals if you’re not interested in what you see.
From there, the booking process works the same way as any other website! Keep in mind you can’t change your reservation or get a refund after it’s booked. So it’s best only to use Hotwire when you’re certain of your plans.
My Tips for Booking a Trip with Hotwire
Tips for using Hotwire
- Only use Hotwire if you’re flexible and open to different locations or don’t have a specific hotel in mind.
- If you’re not a fan of ”surprises”, Hotwire might not be the best option for you. You have to be ok not being in control of what you end up with!
- Research is key. I recommend learning more about the different areas you have to choose from. Figure out what part of town you want to be in and add it to the filtering options.
- Triple check all of the information and specifics before you book! Since it’s not refundable, make sure you’ve got the right dates, location, number of guests, etc.
- I always recommend opting for a higher star rating than you normally would. The rating system isn’t cut and dry & can vary depending on location. I feel like it’s better to be safe than sorry.
- Click on the ”What hotel will I get?” button. Hotwire will give you a hint, basically telling you 3 different hotels you might get. If you don’t like any of them, refresh the page and check again.
Ready to book your trip? Start here to use hotwire to save money on travel – up to 60% off!
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