I recently booked a couple of Hotwire hotels in Mexico for an upcoming family vacation. After extensive research, I discovered that Hotwire was a great choice for hotels in Mexico because it can save travellers money compared to other sites. However, travellers should be aware of some pitfalls to avoid. Below are some helpful hints and tips for booking Hotwire hotels in Mexico. This includes how to reveal your hotel before booking.
A Hotwire Mexico Primer
If you are new to Hotwire, there are a few things you need to know. First, Hotwire offers ‘hot rate’ hotels, which basically means that you do not know the name of the hotel until after you buy. Certain information about the hotel is presented at the time of booking, such as the hotel rating, general vicinity, and amenities. However, the actual hotel name is not revealed until after you purchase.
This saves travellers a lot of money. Hotels with excess inventory who do not want to publish low rates can sell off their rooms to Hotwire deep discounts without diminishing their own brand and prices. Hotwire savings can vary from 10% to 50% and more. For Mexico hotels, expect savings between in the 15 to 35% range, although it is not uncommon to see much bigger discounts like the 55% savings I received at the Welk Resort is Cabo San Lucas.
The most important thing to know about booking Hotwire hotels in Mexico is that hotel reservations are non-refundable. This means they cannot be changed for any reason. You are basically stuck with what you get. It is always good to ensure that your travel plans are final and are not going to change. For more information, visit the Hotwire Discussion Forum where you can ask questions or seek help about Hotwire.
Hotwire Mexico or Priceline
If you are planning a beach vacation to Mexico, I would urge caution when booking through Priceline. This is particularly true for Priceline’s Name Your Own Price bidding system. The problem with Priceline is that you know much less about the hotel you are booking making it too risky for some. Remember, hotel reservations are final. For instance, if you book on Priceline you may not know if the hotel is on the beach or half a mile away. Your hotel may not even have a swimming pool! Although rare, there is often too much at risk when you book a hotel on Priceline as opposed to Hotwire for hotels in Mexico.
On the other hand, Priceline’s Express Deals is very similar to Hotwire. Travellers do know what hotel amenities they will get. This service is definitely worth taking a look at and comparing prices.In previous trips, I have met some travellers who have booked their hotel on Priceline and been very happy with it. The savings are generally quite more on Priceline, so if you are very budget conscious and want to take a chance, it might be worth it to give Priceline a try. For me, a trip with my family during spring break was not worth the risk. We avoided Priceline.
Use Caution When Booking Hotwire Hotels In Mexico
In addition to non-refundable hotel reservations, there are a few other tips you should be aware of before booking a hotel on Hotwire in Mexico.
- Inflated hotel ratings: Hotwire is known for very ‘generous’ hotel ratings. Typically, hotels on Hotwire are given an extra half star compared to hotel ratings on other sites. When booking Hotwire hotels in Mexico, you find an even bigger spread between what you might consider a 4 star hotel and what Hotwire calls a 4 star hotel, particularly in Mexico.
A common pitfall on Hotwire. Oceanfront does not mean beachfront.
- Oceanfront vs. Beachfront: There is a subtle difference between these two amenities that sometimes trips up travellers. Oceanfront means just that — the hotel / property is located in the front of the ocean (which may be rocks, unusable beach, cliff side, etc). In other words, there is no guarantee of a beach. Most travellers are actually looking for ‘beachfront’.
- Near Beach vs. Beachfront: This is another subtle difference that customers get confused about. When Hotwire shows that the hotel is near the beach, it means it is within a reasonable short walking distance. This may be across the street or within a few hundred yards or meters. Again, if you are looking for a beach vacation you really want to be ‘beachfront’.
All-Inclusive Resorts
One great feature of booking Hotwire hotels in Mexico is that you can book all-inclusive resorts in Mexico via Hotwire. If you are looking for an all-inclusive resort, there are some very important things you should know before you book. First you want to make absolutely certain you understand what you are getting when you book.
All inclusive basically means that your hotel includes food and beverage choices included in the price. Unless otherwise stated, expect buffet style dining and house drinks. For example, you are not going to be getting Sailor Jerry’s rum in your Coke or high end gin in your martini. In fact, you should expect the opposite — the lowest and cheapest alcohol they can find. If booze is your thing, look for “premium drinks“. This helps to ensure you will get some (but not all) of the higher end spirits. Similarly, if you want a fine dining experience, you should look for the amenity that shows “a la carte dining“, where guests can enjoy sit-down meals with menu selection.
Travellers will want to ensure Hotwire shows additional amenities that one might expect to find at an all inclusive. Look for the ‘resort’ amenity which indicates 1 or more swimming pools, as well as different types of activities and entertainment. Hotwire usually shows a number of amenities such as “kids activites”, “water activities” such as snorkelling or wind surfing, and “evening entertainment”.
Unlike most other hotels, the price per room for all-inclusives depends on the number of guests. Where as it might not matter if you specify 2 or 3 guests at a normal hotel, it does matter for all-inclusives. It would be unfortunate if you booked for 2 adults and showed up with an extra guest — even a child can have additional fees. Best to book for the number of guests you are planning to have on your vacation.
Revealing Hotwire Hotels in Mexico
Many travellers avoid Hotwire because of the inherent risks around non-refundable and unknown ‘mystery hotels. The Hotwire Forum on this site is a great place to seek advice and help identifying your hotel before booking. This is a place where travellers like to help fellow travellers. In fact, many travellers often post the name of the Hotwire hotel they received from their booking. We have recently began collecting a list of hotels hotels in Mexico. The list of Hotwire Mexico Hotels is small but growing.
If you have booked a Hotwire hotel recently, whether in Mexico or elsewhere, why not tell other travellers what hotel you received. We have had over 7,000 fellow travellers share their Hotwire & Priceline winning bids over the last few years.