HotelChatter - Tag: Howto

BidFin Tells You Which Hotwire Hotel Is Which Before You Buy

Omri — 2009-11-25T16:45:14-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/22421/2009_11_23_HC___BinFin.jpg" class="top">We had our mind on Thanksgiving Turkey which is why we screwed up the name of BidFin in the first incarnation of this post. Everything has now been corrected and all traces of BinFin have been changed. Sorry!A few months ago we told you about a way to <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/8/31/75720/5646/hotels/How_To_Determine_Hotwire_s_Hidden_Hotels_Before_You_Book">definitively determine</a> which Hotwire hotel you were looking at - cracking the bidding site's opaque listings - by using a combination of TripAdvisor and forums like <a href="http://betterbidding.com/">BetterBidding.</a> The loophole in TripAdvisor that made the technique possible has since been closed, so it's back to just using forums and crossing your fingers. That's less than ideal. Now a new web application dubbed <a href="http://www.bidfin.com/">BidFin</a> is making its way through

How To Determine Hotwire's Hidden Hotels Before You Book

Omri — 2009-08-31T09:44:44-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/hotwirelax.jpg" class="top">Expedia Inc. has been on a bit of convergence spree recently. A few weeks ago our sister blog Jaunted reported on how the travel mega-company <a href="http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/4/13265/63769/travel/Expedia+Incorporates+SeatGuru+Into+Their+Flight+Booking+Fun">integrated Expedia and SeatGuru,</a> and in the meantime they've also integrated TripAdvisor and Hotwire. That last part integration has the potential to be particuarly yummy, though not for the reasons Expedia intended (they thought customers would benefit from seeing TripAdvisor reviews on Hotwire - <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/6/15/966/92871/hotels/Is_TripAdvisor_Removing_Some_of_Those_Fraud_Warnings_">not so much</a>). Instead we're excited because the TripAdvisor/Hotwire integration may help Hotwire bidders crack the opaque site's hidden hotels. Hotwire has an interest in minimizing what a customer knows about the hotel being considered, lest they decide that they're not getting a deal and move on.

How to Avoid Paying for Multiple WiFi Connections in One Room

Jenna — 2009-03-20T13:23:34-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6929/macbookgarbage.jpg" class="top"> Paying separately to connect multiple computers in our room to the WiFi network makes us want to do this. When your Internet-dependent self is traveling with an Internet-dependent companion or two, there is absolutely nothing worse than realizing that a) you're in a hotel that charges for <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Hotel%20WiFi">WiFi</a> and b) you're in a hotel that charges every computer in your room that connects to the Internet for WiFi. The worst. While we fancy ourselves hotel gurus who happen to know our way around the Internet, we would not call ourselves "tech experts." Not at all. And while we would normally occupy ourselves by complaining about the WiFi charges, it has come to our attention that there

How to Make the Omni Hotel's Hot Chocolate

ced138 — 2008-11-06T17:02:29-05:00

Omni Hotels is once again bringing back their popular "Chuao" gourmet hot chocolate program just in time for the winter.

We have to give Omni some credit--luring people inside their doors by wafting the scent of cocoa. The simplicity of this marketing ploy is what makes it genius...and delicious.

The Venezuelan concoction is served both hot and cold, spicy or mild and spiked or virgin with the Los Angeles and NYC locations creating their own recipes.

If you don't think you'll be stepping inside an Omni anytime soon, here's our cheat sheet for mixing the concoction at home.

HOWTO :: Become a Hotel Test Sleeper

Jenna — 2008-07-31T11:01:15-05:00

When we checked out some of the first guest reviews of the new CitizenM hotel in Amsterdam, we noticed a couple of the contributions came from guests who had seen the property a bit early -- they had gotten the chance to stay overnight as "test-sleepers" before the June grand opening.

So, in other words, the hotel hired people to act as bed testers and stay overnight for free.

Seriously? The greatest job ever, maybe? Our calling? Your calling?

After the jump: how those lucky few scored gigs as hotel "test-sleepers" -- and how you can, too.