HotelChatter

HotelChatter:
Tell us, how does Hotwire manage to get all these hotel rooms so cheap?

Clem Bason:
Hotwire was basically founded by travel suppliers who fill airline seats, hotel rooms or rental cars that otherwise would have gone empty. On a given night across America, at least 1/3 of rooms in hotels are empty, so there's a lot of available stuff to sell.

But we advertise these empty hotel rooms in a safe way for the hotels, meaning we provide the general neighborhood the hotel is in and its star rating and amenities but we don't give out the brand name or the exact address.

HotelChatter:
Wait, what does this mean, a safe way for the hotel?

Clem Bason:
For example, let's say the Grand Hyatt Downtown Chicago is willing to discount its room by 50 percent. They aren't going to want to publish that on Expedia or the hotel's own website because the guests who made prior reservations at a higher rate could still be within the cancellation policy and then the hotel would lose business. Hotwire gives the hotels a way to advertise discounted rooms without advertising this to the world.

HotelChatter:
Got it. Now, why should consumers book through Hotwire?

Clem Bason:
If you really care about price, our prices are more discounted than the hotel's website itself. You won't find as high discount anywhere else.

HotelChatter:
But sometimes we hear those horror stories about a lost reservation or getting the worst room in the hotel. Does that happen if you book through Hotwire?

Clem Bason:
We always hear that, "What do I do to ensure that I don't get treated badly?" First off, if you are price sensitive and you didn't book on Hotwire, what's the alternative? You either wouldn't have taken the trip or you would have booked a lesser class/brand of hotel.

So we tell the hotels that and we say, "Look this is the opportunity you (hotels) to treat Hotwire guests well so they will book with you again."

Hotwire also has a customer hotline. We want you to have a quality stay. So if you walk into your room and its filthy, call us and we will rebook you or call the hotel on your behalf.

We do hear stories now and then but 90 percent of the time, good stuff happens.

HotelChatter:
What territories do you cover? Just U.S or world-wide?

Clem Bason:
We cover the U.S., Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean and 20 major cities in Europe.

HotelChatter:
What are some great cities or deals to book on Hotwire now?

Clem Bason:
San Diego and Vegas. Booking this year has just been very different from other years because they had a bunch of new hotels built and opened in 2007 and they are sort of having a bad time with the economic slowdown.

You can get a 4-star in Las Vegas on Hotwire for $50 a night. In San Diego, you can book a 4-star under $120 a night in the hot Gaslamp Quarter and almost all of those hotels there are new.

HotelChatter:
What are Hotwire's cancellation policies like?

Clem Bason:
Bookings are non-cancellable and non-refundable unless there is an illness or death in the family. Part of what the customer does give up to get the deal is that flexibility.

And we do stand pretty firm on our policy that you can't change your reservation based on a hotel brand. Like if you got a Hilton, and you don't want to stay at a Hilton, we can't change that.

HotelChatter:
What's your best piece of booking advice for guests?

Clem Bason:
Take spontaneous trips. If you can give book last minute, if you're willing to be spontaneous then look a week prior before your departure date. That's when these hotels, airlines and rental cars need to move the product. If they don't sell it, it goes away.

Thanks Clem!

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