Friday Favorites- Hotwire

Last week I went on a trip with my husband to Orlando. We've used Hotwire the last two times we've gone a trip, and I got to say I love it.

Hotwire is an interesting site because you can get some really awesome deals if you are willing to "gamble" a little bit. The way Hotwire works is they give you options for flights, cars, hotels, etc., but don't tell you what company it is when you see the price. (Makes sense from a business standpoint. If the hotel/airline was published with the price and everyone knew they could get it for that price they would not pay full price and business would suffer. But the hotel/airline wants to sell rooms/tickets and sometimes the only way to do that is through super steep discounts. Enter Hotwire.)
For example, this last trip we knew we wanted a Hotel near Universal/ International Dr. We narrowed down the options to that. We then knew we wanted a 3 star or higher hotel, so we narrowed it down more. We found a hotel in the area that was $59 and was 4 1/2 stars, which is a great deal. The reviews seemed favorable, so we went for it. You then input your payment info, and voila you get to see the hotel. Our hotel was the Rosen Centre Hotel. We looked around at other travel sites and the hotel's site and found that the room normally runs for $249! That's a savings of 76%! The hotel was also really nice with great amenities. 
If you are willing to be brave, and not know exactly which hotel you will be in when you pay, then try Hotwire. I have to say though, I haven't been disappointed yet.