What It Is
Hotwire is an opaque online travel agency owned by Expedia Group that specializes in discounted hotel rates. Unlike standard OTAs, Hotwire uses an opaque model where the specific hotel name is not revealed until after the traveler completes the booking—though star rating, neighborhood, amenities, and TripAdvisor scores are displayed upfront. This model allows hotels to sell distressed inventory at steep discounts without public rate integrity concerns.
Who It Serves
Hotwire targets highly price-sensitive leisure travelers willing to trade brand certainty for significant savings—typically 30–60% off standard rates. For hotels, it serves as a last-minute or distressed-inventory channel, allowing properties to offload unsold rooms without publicly undercutting their BAR rates. Hotwire's inventory is also distributed through Expedia.com under the opaque rate program, extending reach across the Expedia ecosystem.
Connecting and Distributing
Hotels connect to Hotwire through the Expedia Group partner platform, as Hotwire operates under the Expedia Group umbrella. Rates and inventory are loaded and managed through Hotwire's own rate management tools, with opaque pricing kept separate from publicly visible rate channels. This makes Hotwire a useful supplementary channel for yield management, particularly for properties seeking to fill low-demand periods without affecting rate parity.