Hotwire.com Review

I have used hotwire.com several times with good results.  The hotels matched the general description given by hotwire (star rating etc.) but realized that I get treated differently by the hotel because I booked with hotwire (or another discount site, like Travelocity or Priceline).  This really isn't a review of hotwire so much as it just a warning... if you're booking a 4 or 5 star hotel and not paying full-price you might get treated poorly by the hotel staff.

For instance, I stayed at the Benson hotel in Portland, OR and paid full price and was treated like a queen... ended up there again after booking on hotwire and was treated very poorly and got what Im sure was the worst room in the place.  Which is truly a testament to how snobby the Benson is.  Unfortunately, this wasn't the only occurance.  It seems every time I've booked in a major city at a nicer hotel - I get treated like trash if I get a discounted rate.

Anyway - I spoke with a rep at Hotwire and asked if the hotels could see where you booked and how much you paid - and the answer was yes.  Hotel staff who think they're fancy just because they work at a fancy establishment know how much you paid, where you booked and sometimes choose to act differently towards you because of it.