OK, I've cooled down a bit from the heat of the moment. I'll probably just end up going there. It still may not have been a bad deal - but I probably would not have booked through Hotwire had I known....

I'm staying at the Hilton Checkers in downtown LA. Never been there. AAA says it's a 3-star. Mobil says it's a 3-star. Orbitz says it's a 3-star. Called Hotwire and they couldn't explain why they thought it was a 4.5 star, but they said they consult with other industry ratings (don't know why they ignored consensus on this one). Got a rep call me an hour later unexpectedly and said "we called the hotel, and they say they are four-star". I guess THAT'S an objective way to measure it....

Got it for about $90. Could have gotten it through normal channels for about $10 more and used my HHonors gold with that reservation, but presumed that I was getting a nicer hotel on hotwire. Oh well - I'll eat it. It'll give me a good reason to try priceline next time.

- cheapo

(edited to add the word more)

[This message has been edited by elCheapoDeluxe (edited 02-09-2003).]