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Save on hotels with Hotwire.com

Save on hotels with Hotwire.com
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Ahead of an upcoming one-night stay in Toronto, for which I had decided to use my Marriott Bonvoy points, I changed my mind. I chose instead to save on my hotels with Hotwire.com. Here is an overview of the platform and how it works.



Hotwire.com: what is it?

As its advertising banner says:


We hide hotel names so you can find 4-star hotels at 2-star prices!

While Hotwire.com is an online hotel booking agency (where you will find roughly the same hotels as elsewhere), its strength lies in one part of the platform: the section where the hotel names are hidden!

How does it work?

In the example below for a search in Montreal, you can see that the city is divided into different neighbourhoods:

  • Longueuil area
  • Brossard area
  • Downtown Montreal West area


hotwire montreal


You can select just one neighbourhood, which will then be highlighted in red. For example, you can see that here I selected only the « Downtown Montreal – Festival area » neighbourhood.

You can see that, alongside the « hidden » hotels, some non-hidden hotels are also displayed.


hotwire montreal 2


And this example is particularly telling, and extremely easy to guess! Look at the number of Tripadvisor « Reviews » listed below the hidden hotels:

  • 1345 reviews for the first « hidden » 3-star hotel sold at CA$144 / night
  • 1345 reviews for the Travelodge by Wyndham Montreal Centre sold at CA$223 / night

Chances are it is indeed the very same hotel!

The booking terms

Warning: once you have selected a « hidden » hotel and chosen to book it, it will be impossible to cancel. So it is something of a lottery. That said, you can often « guess » which hotel will come up, by choosing:

  • a hotel with excellent Tripadvisor reviews (4-4.5 / 5 minimum)
  • excellent recommendations from Hotwire members (75% and up)

That way you make sure you get a quality hotel!

My example for saving on my hotel nights in Toronto

My initial booking with Marriott Bonvoy

For an upcoming stay in Toronto, I had first chosen to use a free night certificate that I had in my account. I had settled on the Courtyard Toronto Downtown hotel.

Marriott Courtyard Toronto Downtown

The free night certificate has a maximum value of 35,000 Marriott points.

Given that I earned this certificate by paying the $120 annual fee on my Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, it is excellent value! I would have paid about $229 for this room, taxes included, had I booked with cash.

Using my certificate was therefore justified.

A change of plans with Hotwire

A few days before this stay, as I always do, I took another look at the available prices. That is what points offer: flexibility. You can indeed cancel your stay up to 48 hours before arrival.

Prices had not really changed on the traditional platforms. So I took a look at Hotwire.com:


hotwire fairmont toronto recherche


And there I saw that in the « Downtown Toronto West area » neighbourhood, a 4-star hotel, recommended by 95% of Hotwire users and with a 4.5 / 5 rating on Tripadvisor, was listed at CA$133 + taxes.

So I jumped on the opportunity and landed on the 4-star hotel: The Fairmont Royal York! The total price, taxes included, is CA$160.

hotwire fairmont toronto

Saving on your hotels with Hotwire.com: conclusion

It is not always worth using your hotel points to book hotels. In this case, I prefer to keep them for a better use, especially abroad given how weak the Canadian dollar is!

On the other hand, by using the right credit card, you can apply travel points to this type of booking. For example, by booking with the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite + Card you can apply Scene+ points to the booking made with Hotwire. This is the best possible use of Scene+ points: 10,000 points = $100!

As always, you should compare the rates found on Hotwire with the other booking platforms. And with your points too!

Annual fee
$150
Our valuation
$350

Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$350Total$350Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.

Welcome offer
Up to 35,000 points

Ends Nov 1, 2026

Apply Now

on Scotiabank's website

With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card +* CardMC, you’ll earn 25,000 welcome bonus Scene+ points after charging $2,000 in purchases to your account within the first three months.

Plus, every year, earn an annual bonus of at least 10,000 Scene+ points when you charge at least $40,000 in purchases to your account. In total, the offer represents up to 35,000 Scene+ points and a value of up to $1,250 in the first year, including rewards, savings on foreign transaction fees and airport lounge access.

With the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card, you earn 3 points per $1 spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland and participating Co-ops, and 2 points per $1 spent at other grocery stores, restaurants, eligible entertainment and eligible daily transit. You earn 1 point per $1 on all your other everyday purchases.

These points can be redeemed against any travel purchase at a rate of 1,000 points = $10 (flights, hotels, all-inclusives and even Airbnb), or as cash back with Scene+ at the same rate.

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card also offers:

  • No fees for foreign currency transactions
  • 6 complimentary airport VIP lounge passes
  • Excellent insurance for your travels and purchases
  • Visa Infinite* Concierge Services

We have named this credit card the Best Credit Card with No Foreign Transaction Fees in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Annual fee

Primary card$150
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000
Household$100,000

Conversion fees

0%

Earning rate

  • 2xGroceries
  • 2xRestaurants
  • 2xTransit
  • 2xEntertainment
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$650
2nd Year Value$397

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7
Airport lounge access$240

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $1,000,000 / 3 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $2,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

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Our reviews and rankings are based on an objective assessment. Advertisers do not influence our content. We may receive compensation through some links; our analysis and opinions remain independent.