My wife and I bought and paid for a four-star hotel room on Hotwire. What we got was closer to two stars. And while we’re peeved that Hotwire is wildly misrepresenting the rooms it’s selling, we actually quite enjoyed the room we had.
Longtime readers of this site know that I’m a fan of the opaque booking sites (Priceline and Hotwire in particular) for finding great lodging deals when I’m traveling on my own dime (and not using points). And while there’s always an element of risk in booking a property without knowing the name and location, I’ve learned to embrace the “comfort” of knowing the star-rating and the approximate area of town where I’ll actually be spending the night. However, in my most recent use of the site, Hotwire really misrepresented the rooms it was selling.
I used Hotwire to book a nearly last-minute single night’s stay in Madrid on our recent 11-day trip through Spain. It was the final night before our flight back, and, to be honest, we really weren’t too picky about location or amenities. It was going to be a crash pad, plain and simple. So I checked Hotwire and found a 4-star hotel in the center of the old city for $69. Under 50 euros for a 4-star? Sold.
Hotwire provides the star-level, a partial list of available amenities, and a map indicating the area where the hotel might be. And the winner was:
Whenever I book a room this way, I immediately go to two sites. First, I find the hotel’s own website — in this case, the Apartamentos Turisticos Principe 11 — and I check the TripAdvisor reviews. Both screamed: “This is not a 4-star accomodation.” Heck, the Apartamentos’ own site proclaims their 2-star status.
A classic problem of the star-based rating system is that it doesn’t mean the same thing from one site to the next, or from one country to the next. Some countries have government regulators who determine a property’s number of stars, but also their classification (hotel vs. pension vs. vacation rental vs. hostel, etc. etc.). The problem in this case is that the 4-star classification has no relation to Hotwire’s own internal description of what a 4-star property is supposed to be. They offer examples of brands that could be, or at least represent the quality level of, 4-star hotels (Hyatt, InterContinental, Omni) and a description of the amenities you should expect at each star level. Here’s a screenshot of the latter:
No way was this a four-star. Not even close. It had a decent bathroom, it was quite spacious, and while its decor was minimalist, it still eked out some charm, with high ceilings, thick wooden shutters, and a tiny balcony that faced onto a busy but attractive side street. But it lacked just about every other characteristic of a four-star hotel. No onsite restaurant or bar. No fitness center. No upscale furnishings or bedding. If we were staying longer, sheets would be changed weekly. Etc.
And yet… we liked it.
For starters, it was a deal. $69?! For central Madrid? I’ve stayed in far worse hotels at higher prices (roadside motel in Grand Island, Nebraska, I’m looking at you!). No, it wasn’t the Ritz, but it was clean, and it had a nice vibe. The staff working the tiny front desk were friendly and helpful. The location was fantastic. The kitchenette was fully-stocked, if we had wanted to make a meal. The marble floors were clean. And the view onto the street was charming. It felt like we were crashing at a friend’s apartment, rather than staying in a hotel. And, again, it was only ~50 euros a night.
So, while this wasn’t luxury, and while we still enjoyed it (especially for the money), it still bothers me that Hotwire is selling these apartments as a four-star hotel. This was a big misrepresentation.
A few photos from the room, after the jump.
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June 11th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Completely unrelated, but I think one of the worst hotels I’ve ever stayed in is a BIG NAME BRAND hotel in Grand Island. God, what a hole.
June 11th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
It’s stories like this that keep me from booking Hotwire/Priceline.
If I’m using their site in a major city, I expect that the * rating will match what the other major sites would reflect for the similar property.
Big
to Hotwire on cases like this.
June 12th, 2009 at 10:03 am
It has to be 4-stars. It’s got a bidet!
June 12th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Side note– “4 stars” means something different in the US compared to Europe and South America.
June 12th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
I had an experience with Hotwire once, where I stayed at a “3 Star” that I booked on Hotwire, and later received an email saying, “Sorry, we’ve lowered this hotel to a 2.5 Star, please accept a $20 credit”.
I hadn’t even complained about it, as I thought their description was accurate, but nice of them to do that, nonetheless.
June 12th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
@Mike, re: Grand Island, NE, I share your pain. I believe I stayed at a name-brand hotel, too, after far too long searching for a vacant bed. I unwittingly passed through the state during Husker Harvest Days, and I stopped at 10 motels before finding one with a vacancy.
@Chris, to be honest, this is the exception for me. I’ve had wildly successful stays, especially through Priceline, frankly. Hotwire has always been a bit more “generous” with the number of stars assigned to a property. Priceline has typically been more conservative.
@RJP, I like your yardstick for hotel quality.
@Nun, yes, it’s true, star-levels are determined differently in Europe, where state-run agencies assign the values on the basis of existing services, not necessarily the quality of those services. The official rating for this property was a 2-star “touristic apartment,” not hotel.
@BenW, that’s good to hear re: Hotwire customer service. I’ve sent them an e-mail, we’ll see how they answer. I’m not asking for any compensation or refund. I still feel like I got a fair deal, though it wasn’t what I paid for.
June 12th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Addendum: I just looked up this property on other booking sites. The over-rating is not limited to Hotwire:
Orbitz: 3 stars
HotelClub: 4 stars
Travelocity: 4 stars
Hotels.com: “not yet rated”
Expedia: unrated
June 12th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Boilerplate e-mail response from Hotwire, which fails to acknowledge the failure of the property to meet the expectations of a 4-star property as defined by Hotwire themselves…
Let’s give them a call…
June 24th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
[MY MESSAGE TO HOTWIRE ABOUT THE '4-STAR HOTEL' IN NYC CALLED 'STAY']
Dear Amy,
Here is a complete list of the problems for the hotel called “Stay” in New York City, room 720.
(1) Very small room – but marginally acceptable for location.
(2) Noisy room – outside noise even from 7th floor, A/C was extremely loud. NOT 4-STAR.
(2) Shower drain was plugged up, backed up to nearly overflow. Left message to fix, not fixed. NOT 4-STAR.
(3) Bathroom amenities were cardboard packages. Not upscale. NOT 4-STAR.
(4) Wireless internet did not work in rooms. (”Desk said it was their computer problem.”) NOT 4-STAR.
(5) Room key failed to work. At desk, said it was “Computer Problem”, and it was happening to everyone. If so, why didn’t they stop me @ desk to let me know before I go up/down to room? NOT 4-STAR.
(6) Request Wake up call to “Operator” – waited 4 and a half minutes for call to be picked up. NOT 4-STAR SERVICE.
I see your note that you are “Confident of your 4 star rating”. I don’t agree. And neither do a number of other people, based on the reviews of “Stay” I have since seen.
So, again, your boilerplate message says “I am wrong” … after traveling for business for over 30 years, basically you are telling me that “Hotwire” has a definition of 4-star hotels which is not mine or many other folks.
Sincerely,
XXXXXXXX
——————————————————————————–
From: akent@hotwire.com [mailto:HotwireCorpEsc@apacmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 10:50 AM
To: cimarron@texterity.com
Subject: Re: Hotwire Itinerary Number 5578132990
Dear XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX,
I recently received your voicemail suggesting we email each other to work out a time when we are able to speak directly regarding your reservation with the Stay. The President of the Hotwire Group, Clem Bason has made me aware of the recent experience you had at the Stay.
We recently re-evaluated the star rating of this property and are confident in the 4.0-star rating; however, I would like to get more feedback from you regarding your personal experience at this property. If you have feedback you would like to share, please either share your comments in response to this email or reply to this email with a time when I can call you. Generally, I am available Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Thank you,
Amy L. Monfils
Customer Care Relations
Hotwire Corporate Office
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Hey,
Just a quick tip when booking on hotwire. There’s a site called hotspyer.com that I use which helps you figure out what hotel you’re getting before you buy. They list the amenity icons and location, star rating etc just like hotwire so you just match them up. They don’t claim to be 100% accurate but they’ve never steered me wrong.
They only list hotels in the united states though so it wouldn’t have made any difference on this trip. Still, Hotwire does provide the best prices I’ve found, they’re usually MUCH lower than booking a hotel direct.