Difference between Hotwire and Priceline
Traveling is one of life’s true pleasures, and thankfully, there are services such as Hotwire and Priceline that take away much of the hassle of making arrangements. Whether you want to book a room for the summer or you only want to get away for a few days, these two services can be of tremendous help, as you will see in this comparison article.
Services Offered
Hotwire and Priceline are both services that allow you to order a type of hotel room, although you will not be allowed to specify which hotel you will be staying in. They do have some differences however, with Priceline allowing you to bid for the type of hotel room you want. If you do win the bid, you will be informed of the availability of your hotel room and its location. With Hotwire on the other hand, there is no bidding process involved, since the actual prices of the hotel rooms are listed. While it may seem that Priceline offers a potentially lower price given the bidding process, Hotwire does offer a guarantee that may offset this benefit. Details on this guarantee are provided below.
Prices
Priceline generally offers lower rates than Hotwire, although this may vary from season to season, or if there are special events going to be held in your planned destination. What many travelers do is check Hotwire for any rooms that are to their liking, and making a bid for a similar room on Priceline. This may allow you to get the room that you want at a much lower price.
That being said, Hotwire and Priceline both offer lowest price guarantees, so you can still get a great deal with either service. Of course you do have to keep the deadlines for ordering a room in mind, and they can be a bit restrictive at times. In any case, both services offer similar benefits in terms of ordering a room, but the fact that Hotwire offers a double the difference guarantee in the event that you find a similar room at a lower price may cause you to opt for this service instead of Priceline.
Affiliates
Hotwire and Priceline are also affiliated with reputable car rental firms Avis and Hertz. Just like with the hotel rooms, keep in mind that car rental rates may vary from season to season as well. It would therefore be a good idea to check the prices of each company before you go on your trip. Hotwire and Priceline are also affiliated with airlines like American, Delta, and United, which is a good thing for those who are flying in from out of town. In sheer number of affiliated hotels however, Priceline has a noticeable advantage over Hotwire, with more partner hotels tied up with the service. This may give Priceline an edge over Hotwire in terms of lower room rates.
Similarities and Differences
Hotwire
- Allows you to order a type of hotel room with no bidding required
- Offers a double the difference guarantee
Priceline
- Allows you to order a type of hotel room via a bidding process
- Has more partner hotels
