By Bert Zethof

I made a mental note of Jose Albis' rave review of Hotwire.com at a recent Surge Group High Voltage breakfast dialogue after he used it to book a great room for his vacation at a discounted rate (see Jose's profile on LinkedIn). Hotwire has an innovative business model. You can enjoy a discounted rate, but only if you are willing to pay before you learn the name of the hotel.

So when I had to book a Vancouver hotel, I used Hotwire.com. Jose's review was right on. I ended up with a reservation in a very acceptable hotel at almost half price!

Jose finds the Hotwire.com business model fascinating for two reasons:

1. Biz Model and Timing:

It seems to be the right service for this time of recession. Rumour has it that hotels (and airlines) are offering huge discounts but it's really hard to access them. Both parties win with this business model: Travellers get the best discounts and hotels maximize profit per square foot without the need to publicize big price cuts that may have a negative impact on their image and perceived value.

2. The Surprise Factor:

The emotional moment of truth - As Jose said: "I recall that during the breakfast, we came up with the metaphor of a service that was like 'being a kid about to jump into the arms of that unknown uncle that is extending his arms and we choose to trust or not.' My personal experience was that I not only got held after I jumped into his arms but also got hugs and spins (the enjoyable ones).

Jumping was paying that low price and trusting that they would honour the star qualification. And the hugs and spins was everything else, from the ability to change the reservation to the customer care. They checked in to make sure I was happy, just like a responsible uncle spinning me around. In other words, my feet never touched the ground."

Seth Godin talks about the goal of making your business remarkable. Something is remarkable if people tell their friends about it. My Hotwire experience was an excellent case study in remarkability!