My Secret for Booking Cheap Cash Hotels: Mystery Deals

There is something thrilling about leaving your travel plans up to chance.

On my first trip to Paris years ago, I decided to skip the hostels I was used to and stay in a luxury hotel instead. The problem? I was still in my first postgrad gig and wasn’t making much money. And I had another strike against me: I was traveling during the busy holiday season. But still, I was determined. 

I had my heart set on one property: Hotel Banke (now a Marriott Bonvoy Autograph Collection hotel) in the heart of the 9th arrondissement. I fell in love with the property: its former life as a bank (hence the name), its prime location, and some rooms with balconies. The hotel was steps from the Galeries Lafayette, Opéra Garnier, and a quick ride on the Paris Metro to Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). It felt very chic and very French. It certainly was unlike any hotel or B&B I’d stayed in during previous trips to Paris.

I could only afford a stay here by booking a deeply discounted rate on Hotwire, which dropped my nightly rate from around $450 to $250. 

As a budget traveler, I’m always looking for ways to save money on travel. Over the years, I’ve saved hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars through “mystery deals” offered by select online travel agencies, or OTAs, on hotel bookings.

Here’s how to maximize mystery hotel deals to save a ton of money!

What Are Mystery Hotel Deals?

Mystery hotel deals are just that: a mystery! An OTA can offer deep discounts on a hotel, but in exchange for low prices, you won’t find any details about the hotel (even the name) until after your booking is confirmed.

Mystery deals are excellent for last-minute travel. That’s because they can potentially save you a ton of money, even at an upscale hotel. The OTAs typically have solid hotel choices in their mystery deals, so I never worry that I’ll be stuck at a hotel I genuinely dislike. 

Several OTAs, such as Priceline and Hotwire, offer mystery deals, though they may have different names. Let’s take a look at them.

1. Priceline Pricebreakers

Priceline has 2 mystery deals. The first is Pricebreakers. It involves 3 properties, each similar in hotel class and amenities. You won’t know which hotel you get until after you book, though you’re guaranteed 1 of the 3 hotels shown.

The OTA says you can save “up to” 50% off on a Pricebreakers reservation. In my experience, I’ve saved anywhere between 25% and 40%. Priceline also says that when you book a Pricebreakers reservation, you earn VIP benefits on future bookings, though the OTA doesn’t say what they are.

Let’s take a look at a sample Pricebreakers reservation to see how to maximize the program. For this booking, I’ll be looking for 3-night Pricebreakers deals in Los Angeles. Priceline will initially show you all the possible hotels, so you must select “Pricebreakers” to see those deals.

Pricebreakers deals are grouped by neighborhood, so if there’s a specific area you’d like to stay in, you can select it if it’s available. Additionally, most Pricebreakers deals are in the same hotel class, so don’t worry about getting stuck in a 1-star hotel if you’re searching for 4-star deals.

For my dates in Los Angeles, there are 6 Pricebreakers deals available in neighborhoods across the city, such as near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Downtown LA, and Torrance. As an example, I’ll select the Pricebreakers deal for Downtown LA.

Here, I see 3 options: Miyako Hotel Los Angeles, The Haas, Trademark Collection by Wyndham, and O Hotel. Because it’s a Pricebreakers deal, exact details about the hotel I’d get are limited. But Priceline does tell me about some amenities (I know the hotel will include a fitness center, free Wi-Fi, and nonsmoking rooms). 

There’s also a map that shows the location of the 3 hotels:

After I select the Pricebreakers deal — the OTA says this reservation will incur savings between 28% and 29% — it’s time for the moment of truth.

Here, Priceline gives me 1 final warning that my booking is left up to chance and I won’t know the exact hotel I’ll get until after checkout. If those terms are acceptable, I check “I understand.”

Finally, I checked out as usual, and after selecting “book & pay,” I immediately saw the hotel result. (Note that I didn’t actually confirm the hotel for the purposes of the example, so I didn’t find out which hotel of the 3 they were offering.)

2. Priceline Express Deals

The second mystery deal Priceline offers is Express Deals. The OTA says these are the lowest prices it can offer, and deals can be “up to” 60% off. This deal involves just 1 hotel — Priceline will give you general details about the hotel, like its location, star rating, review score, and amenities — but you won’t know the hotel’s name until after checkout.

Priceline shows general location information, as you see for this 4-star Express Deal in Los Angeles.

However, when you hover on the map, you’ll see 3 potential options: The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood, The Hollywood Roosevelt, and the Loews Hollywood Hotel.

You can then select your room option as you would for a regular OTA reservation. Like Pricebreakers deals, you find the exact hotel when you check out.

3. Hotwire Hot Rate

Hotwire’s mystery deal program is called Hot Rate. These bookings offer deep discounts on hotel bookings — even last-minute reservations. But, like Priceline, you won’t know what hotel you get until after you pay.

Hotwire, like Priceline, provides a few hints about the hotel’s location, Expedia reviews, and amenities. You see the 3 hotels Hotwire will choose from and, if available, an actual room at the hotel, though this image may not be your actual room. 

After selecting your room type, you enter your travel and credit card information and check out. You then immediately learn which hotel Hotwire chose for you!

Hot Tip:

Hot Rate deals are particularly enticing because Hotwire will match if you find a better deal from the same hotel after booking.

Is It Really a Mystery?

Now that you’re familiar with mystery deals, you may have questions before booking. The most pertinent question: Is it really a mystery? 

Well, not exactly. That’s because there are ways to determine which hotel the OTA will likely choose for you. Here’s how to figure out which hotel the OTA may choose before you book.

Third-Party Tools

RoomRevealer.com, BetterBidding.com, and BiddingHelper.com are additional tools that can help you narrow the search for a mystery deal. Simply put in your desired city, travel dates, number of rooms, and party size and these tools will do the rest.

For instance, using Bidding Helper, we are able to conclude which hotel Hotwire’s Hot Rate is likely to choose for a 5-star hotel in Cancun.

Our choices include the InterContinental Presidente Cancun Resort, Turquoize at Hyatt Ziva Cancun, Secrets The Vine Cancun, and Le Blanc Spa Resort.

A quick search on Bidding Helper lists the most likely choice: the InterContinental.

Reverse Image Search

The easiest way to defeat the mystery of mystery hotel deals is by employing the reverse image search tool. Here’s how to do it.

For this example, we’ll use a Priceline Express Deals booking for a hotel in London. We know that our hotel will be a “5-Star Hotel in the Bloomsbury area.” That doesn’t tell us much, unfortunately. But there is a big giveaway: a photo of the hotel.

When I use Google Lens and hover over the hotel image, the result immediately populates the Marylebone Hotel. The clues Priceline gives — its 5-star rating and its location in Bloomsbury — line up with what we can easily find out about the Marylebone.

However, a word of caution about this method: Not all deals show photos of the hotel’s actual room. Sometimes, depending on the deal, you see a stock image of a hotel or no image at all. In this case, you’re better off relying on third-party tools such as Bidding Helper.

When Should You Not Book a Mystery Deal?

While mystery deals can be a great way to save money and take the hassle out of travel planning, they don’t work for everyone or every trip.

Generally, you want to avoid mystery deals (and OTA bookings as a whole) if you want to earn travel benefits at the hotel. Hotels are pretty strict about not applying elite benefits or offering night credits for reservations booked through an OTA. That means if you have hotel elite status, such as Marriott Bonvoy or IHG One Rewards, you won’t earn points for the booking and won’t be able to apply points to your reservation.

You also won’t earn night credits (which you need if you’re trying to requalify for status) or other benefits such as early check-in, room upgrades, or complimentary breakfast. If you want these benefits, booking directly with the hotel makes sense, even if you spend more. However, if you’re booking a stay at a hotel without points or don’t particularly care about elite benefits, you’d have better luck with mystery deals.

While the third-party websites and reverse image searching may sometimes work, they aren’t foolproof. Keep in mind that you may end up with a reservation at a hotel that isn’t your first choice — and you’re on the hook for the cost whether you’re satisfied with the hotel or not, as the reservation is nonrefundable. 

Hot Tip:

In some cases, mystery deals can be the same price as the hotels offered. So, before booking a mystery deal, always double-check directly with the hotel or OTA to ensure that you’re actually saving money.

Best Credit Cards for Mystery Deals

Now that you’re familiar with how mystery deals work and whether you should book one, let’s discuss how to earn points and miles for these reservations.

OTAs usually fall under the earning category for general travel, so use a travel credit card that rewards you specifically for these purchases. Even if you have a travel rewards credit card, some cards only code OTAs as 1x earning. You need to look carefully at your card’s bonus categories to ensure you earn points for maximum value on OTA purchases. The exact language may vary, but you generally want to look for something like “all other travel.”

Here are some of our favorite credit cards that offer elevated earnings on travel:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve^®: 3x points on all other travel
• Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card: 3x points on all travel
• Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card: 2x points on all other travel
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One.: 2x miles on all other purchases
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One.: 2x miles on all other purchases

OTAs are also getting into the credit card rewards space. Expedia recently launched 2 credit cards: One Key™ Card and One Key+™ Card. Rewards are earned in the form of OneKeyCash on purchases with Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo. Both cards offer 3% back in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo.

Finally, Priceline also has a co-branded credit card. Priceline Rewards™ Visa^® Card, issued by Barclays, offers rewards on everyday spending and bonus points on travel booked through the OTA. Here’s a breakdown of the earnings for this credit card:

• 5x points on Priceline purchases
• 2x points on gas and restaurant purchases
• 1x point on all other purchases
• Automatic VIP Gold status (normally earned after 5 completed trips)

Final Thoughts

Mystery hotel deals are an excellent way to save money at ultraluxe hotels, but you have to be willing to leave your booking up to chance. There are ways to sidestep the OTAs, such as using reverse image search and third-party tools, which can provide more security in booking a mystery hotel.

We hope this guide was helpful as you explore mystery hotel deals!