# Has anyone tried a "secret Hotel" deal?



## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

I'll be hitting London in April and have been researching hôtels. One of the things that seems to be popular nowadays is booking a Secret hotel. I.E. I can get a 5* hotel in Soho for April 10-15th for half off, but wouldn't know which 5* property I booked until 24 hours later. There are no refunds, cancelations, etc. so once you book, you're stuck with the room (or at least the cost). Does anyone have any experience with this type of system (good or bad)? Thanks in advance.


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## Elmer Zilch (Dec 13, 2008)

My experience with this sort of thing is that you're likely to be booked into a no-view room in a large, impersonal, business-traveler's hotel (Hilton et al.) and not some quaint little boutique inn. So if you're okay with this, then it may be worth it.


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

Elmer Zilch said:


> My experience with this sort of thing is that you're likely to be booked into a no-view room in a large, impersonal, business-traveler's hotel (Hilton et al.) and not some quaint little boutique inn. So if you're okay with this, then it may be worth it.


Thanks for the heads up. While the concept is pretty neat, I've seen similiar stories online. If I were travelling alone it might be a thought but as this is a family vacation I think I might pass.


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## zzdocxx (Sep 26, 2011)

Got to a website called Better Bidding dot com, all your questions will be answered there.

Be prepared to do your homework.


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

zzdocxx said:


> Got to a website called Better Bidding dot com, all your questions will be answered there.
> 
> Be prepared to do your homework.


Will do. Thanks for the tip. I have some time tomorrow to look into it & will keep you posted.:biggrin:


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## Dieu et les Dames (Jul 18, 2012)

I used to work in a really nice (see: expensive) resort which took advantage of last minute and price sensitive guests. We used a few third party "deal" sites to bring the suckers in. They always got the absolute ugliest, oldest, poorly furnished, and worst view condos we had available and upgrades were unconditionally out of the question. Our agents were not allowed to discuss rates, amenities, or really anything with the those guests because they essentially had no privileges other than a room key.

In hindsight, guests who booked through those third party websites were pretty much second class citizens. That sounds harsh, but it's true. If you're visiting for a special occasion like a family vacation or honeymoon, remember that you get what you pay for. If you're traveling alone and just need a place to crash, those sites are a good deal.


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## drlivingston (Jun 21, 2012)

^^X100 This is exactly what I thought needed to be said. Not all hotel / resort guests are created equal. A few years ago at a Sandals resort in St. Lucia, I witnessed this first hand. I booked online through normal channels. A couple who shared a semi-private flight with us from Puerto Rico to St. Lucia booked through a third-party discounter. I will admit, at first, I was livid to hear of the deal that they received for the same "deluxe ocean view" room. It was substantially less than what I had shelled out. Now comes the good part. Upon arriving, we were greeted the same. Their room was ready while we had to wait. We made plans to meet for dinner before they left for their room. Again... LIVID! A guest relations person came to us about five minutes later and asked if me minded a complimentary upgrade. They said that they could still put us in the room that we booked OR we could upgrade to a suite with a full bar, butler, and private plunge pool. Needless to say, it was our new companions turn to be green with envy. Seeing that there were a few more of these suites unoccupied, they inquired about a similar upgrade and we pretty much told that their booking did not meet the criteria for any type of upgrade, much less a suite.


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## al128 (May 1, 2014)

cool story:cool2:


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## Chouan (Nov 11, 2009)

My brother-in-law did one of these deals in Mayfair last weekend for a wedding that he and his wife were invited to. The hotel he got was first class, 5*, a good room, and cost about 1/2 of the on-line rate for the hotel.


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## dwebber18 (Jun 5, 2008)

I almost booked one for a recent trip to Atlanta, but I did not. I just don't really like the uncertainty of where I'll be staying and what part of town I'll be in. I also have a big issue with paying for parking so I tend to search for hotels with free parking if I can and I don't want to show up to my secret hotel to find a $35 a day parking fee.


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## Travel57 (Apr 23, 2014)

Older thread but I use Hotwire often. Most sites you can figure out the hotel, or come close between 1 or 2.


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## alecgold (Jul 16, 2009)

I often book the cheapest room in the best hotel because I don't care about views, entertainment or other things. I just need to a place to crash and have a good nights sleep. And if I have a day off I prefer not to hang around in a hotel room but get around and visit the place.


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## StylePurgatory (Jun 3, 2013)

I've done it in Toronto. Had good results.


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## MaxBuck (Apr 4, 2013)

I've done it for business trips with good success, but wouldn't do it for a vacation. Just too much uncertainty.


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