From time to time, Hotwire, like all websites, makes mistakes from time to time that, if found, can result in huge savings on travel.
In the Hotwire forum on HotelDealsRevealed, a few users have reported pricing errors on Hotwire. What exactly is a pricing error? Typically a pricing error is when a mistake is made on the price of a hotel, often due to keystroke errors that make their way into the system and show up on Hotwire (as well as other sites such as Priceline). These are rare but do happen from time to time.
Examples include: La Quinta hotels for $15 per night. See this forum post for details. Another example is the Westin hotel in Fort Lauderdale going for $33 per night, which typically goes for around $100/night. After all, this is a great 4-star resort in one of America’s best beach destinations.
Are these mistakes? Truth is, nobody knows for sure. Maybe they’re just insane pricing created to generate a lot of buzz. It works — after all I’m blogging about these deals. Regardless of whether they are actual errors or just insanely low prices, these deals do not usually last long. They are snapped up quickly, and thanks to social media, the deals proliferate quickly.
Do hotels honor Hotwire pricing errors? In most cases, yes. Technically, retailers are not under any obligation to honor pricing errors but most do. I’ve read about similar mistakes on other websites such as FlyerTalk and the consensus seems to be that these travel reservation systems will honor the lower price.
Hotwire messed up on this one
One thing I would recommend: If you see a Hotwire pricing error, take advantage of it. Snatch it up quickly. Then, call the hotel or airline to confirm your reservation. Make notes about when you called and who you talked to so that if a problem occurs, you have some recourse.
Once you have done so, why not help fellow travellers by sharing the deal on HotelDealsRevealed.com’s Hotwire forum. As we’ve seen in the past, people who share their Hotwire (or Priceline) purchase details with a community helps all of us.