Hotwire rips people off by offering low prices on unknown hotels that they won't reveal until after one books. They use the below stated policy to avoid any repercussions. They don't care if you call them and complain because they already have your money. The hotel they sent me to was drug infested and prostitutes walking all around the area. I feared for my life and refused to stay there. I will never use Hotwire again.
Hotwires Ripoff Policy:
For all Hotwire Hot Rates, bookings are considered final and cannot be cancelled, refunded, exchanged, transferred, or changed, even for a fee. Also, credit cannot be given for any unused hotel reservations. Hotel suppliers are able to offer their unsold rooms at discounted rates because we withhold their name until after the booking is complete. These conditions enable the hotels to better manage their unsold rooms, and are a big reason why we can offer you great deals! Once you agree to Hotwire's Terms of Use and confirm a booking on our site, your credit card will be charged for the total price shown.
Hotwire misrepresents the quality of its properties. I blind booked a New Orleans 4.5 star hotel, and they gave me the Sheraton, Hotwire's own site classifies the Sheraton as part of its 4 star (not 4,5 star) collection. Hotwire has created a propritary rating system that inflated the rating to 4,5 stars. No other site I have found rates it over 4 stars. Sheraton's own site rates it 3.9 stars.
Called customer service and got stonewalled - purported they would answer in "7 to 10 business days." Completely unacceptable when you are trying to book in the Xmas vacation period, and an obvious tactic to get the customer to disappear over time.
This used to be a good company and I have been a customer since close to when they started - looks like they have gove to the dark side.
I booked a hotel through hotwire.com for a prepaid deal. However, when I got to the flea bag motel I was informed I had to pay a resort fee. I contacted hotwire.com and I was told the hotel can charge me any fee they want to because it is in the fine print. The fine print states the hotel can charge for room service and resort fees. This is were they fool you. You just booked a 2 star roach motel and you know there is no room service, however, any hotel can claim to be a resort and charge you extra. So when you check in as I did at the Ramada Inn limited in Tucson AZ. I was informed I had to pay resort fees. I was shocked !! How can in my opinion a dive call itself a resort and charge me an extra 5 dollars a night. I was lucky the girl told me to be charged 5 dollars because they can set any charge they want for resort fees. So I called hotwire and they confessed, that they have a clause they says the hotel can charge you any thing it wants and there is nothing you can do about it. I tried to book a hotel that this resort fees didn't apply, apparently any hotel can charge you these fees. So what good is hotwire? If you pay a low price to them and when you get to the hotel the hotel just tack up the price they want and you have spent the airfare and hotel price. So hotwire is a scam party in league with sleezy hotels preying on unsuspecting consumers. I have use hot wire for years this a new practice. The clause may have been there all the time but not used until now. I just want to warn you that the price that howwire quote you and you pay is not the final price you could pay. In my opinion HOTWIRE.COM is a worthless middleman in a setup scenario for sleezy hotels to fleece consumers.
Used the hotwire "hot rate special" links to book a hotel for Downtown New Orleans for May 2014.
I wanted to stay in a "random" hotel with a pool so I clicked "book now" on the page which had the pool included in the amenities.
Once it came to showing me which hotel I booked; low and behold the hotel didn't have a pool.
Then the fun started; Hotwire representatives were extremely unhelpful at all levels I dealt with. Continually re-iterating that I won't be getting refunded or compensated rather than focusing on the issue at hand; i.e. their IT platform may have selected the wrong hotel in the backend of the platform or processing of the order somewhere messed up. Instead, I was told on numerous occasions that it was ME who booked the wrong amenity list
See the screenshot attached; this is what I clicked on.
Apparently my fault and I have shelled out $450 on a hotel that isn't what I asked for. Awful Awful company; I will never EVER be doing business with again. I will also be going entirely out of my way to make sure that people hear how poorly I (and by the looks of things, many others) were treated!
I just booked with your company and have had the worst experience booking travel I have ever had. I must say I have always had positive experiences with hotwire in the past. I will NEVER do business with you again. Your customer service phone reps are rude and unhelpful. Your website is misleading and deceptive. I was just ""given"" a 2.5* hotel in my hometown that couldn't even be considered a 2* hotel on a good day. It is filthy and its online reviews are atrocious. I just paid out $280 that was like thowing it in the trash can because I would never stay in that hotel myself let alone have my guests stay there!! I fully intend to tell everyone i see or meet what a horrible experience I had.
In case you care here is what happened.
I searched for a 2.5* hotel in my hometown of Titusville, FL. (The booking was for my guests!) Your secret rate (what a joke that is) shows a $149 room for $60... what a deal I thought! Now your website states that these savings ""*Savings based on median published rate we've found on leading retail travel sites in the last 24-48 hours for the same neighborhood, star rating, and stay dates...... which is surprising because the most expensive hotel in Titusville is $149 per night at the Hampton Inn and Fairfield Inn -- which were also rated 2.5 stars on your website. So I'm thinking ok... I'm getting a room equivalent or similar to that at the Fairfield or Hampton.... and I get a nasty MOTEL not hotel room at the Ramada which sells regular price for $50-60 per night on their www.ramada.com website. So where is my great SECRET DEAL? Oh I didn't get a deal, I got screwed. And a hotel room that I will never use.
Advertising deception. Secret hotel was to be 43% off of regular rate of $102 but real regular rate is $64 dollars. As shown on other websites. Advertising deception. Secret hotel was to be 43% off of regular rate of $102 but real regular rate is $64 dollars. As shown on other websites. I booked at hot rate ""Secret"" Hotel that was 102 dollars marked to 58 dollars. When I saw the name of the hotel I realized that hotels.com orbitz.com expedia.com Travelocity.com all had the hotel at 215 Richill Drive, Texarkana, TX 75503 the Comfort Suites listed for booking same room same night at 57 dollars. The hotwire customer service offered me a refund of one dollar. The regular rate is 64 dollars and 45% should be $35.20 plus taxes. It is insulting to be retired army Captain and be lied to. I will let everyone know not to book hotwire if they want truth in advertising. This falsehood must stop.
Your Desired Resolution:
I am seeking a refund of overcharged amount and taxes. I paid 58 plus taxes and the real rate The regular rate is 64 dollars and 45% should be $35.20 plus taxes. Customer service would not even offer me a coupon or a discounted 2nd night which I would of gladly accepted. Customer service only offered me $1 after 43 minutes of phone conversation. I was very polite and said please and I am sorry to complain but this is false advertising.
Hotwire.com Reviews
Hotwire rips people off by offering low prices on unknown hotels that they won't reveal until after one books. They use the below stated policy to avoid any repercussions. They don't care if you call them and complain because they already have your money. The hotel they sent me to was drug infested and prostitutes walking all around the area. I feared for my life and refused to stay there. I will never use Hotwire again.
Hotwires Ripoff Policy:
For all Hotwire Hot Rates, bookings are considered final and cannot be cancelled, refunded, exchanged, transferred, or changed, even for a fee. Also, credit cannot be given for any unused hotel reservations. Hotel suppliers are able to offer their unsold rooms at discounted rates because we withhold their name until after the booking is complete. These conditions enable the hotels to better manage their unsold rooms, and are a big reason why we can offer you great deals! Once you agree to Hotwire's Terms of Use and confirm a booking on our site, your credit card will be charged for the total price shown.
Hotwire misrepresents the quality of its properties. I blind booked a New Orleans 4.5 star hotel, and they gave me the Sheraton, Hotwire's own site classifies the Sheraton as part of its 4 star (not 4,5 star) collection. Hotwire has created a propritary rating system that inflated the rating to 4,5 stars. No other site I have found rates it over 4 stars. Sheraton's own site rates it 3.9 stars.
Called customer service and got stonewalled - purported they would answer in "7 to 10 business days." Completely unacceptable when you are trying to book in the Xmas vacation period, and an obvious tactic to get the customer to disappear over time.
This used to be a good company and I have been a customer since close to when they started - looks like they have gove to the dark side.
I booked a hotel through hotwire.com for a prepaid deal. However, when I got to the flea bag motel I was informed I had to pay a resort fee. I contacted hotwire.com and I was told the hotel can charge me any fee they want to because it is in the fine print. The fine print states the hotel can charge for room service and resort fees. This is were they fool you. You just booked a 2 star roach motel and you know there is no room service, however, any hotel can claim to be a resort and charge you extra. So when you check in as I did at the Ramada Inn limited in Tucson AZ. I was informed I had to pay resort fees. I was shocked !! How can in my opinion a dive call itself a resort and charge me an extra 5 dollars a night. I was lucky the girl told me to be charged 5 dollars because they can set any charge they want for resort fees. So I called hotwire and they confessed, that they have a clause they says the hotel can charge you any thing it wants and there is nothing you can do about it. I tried to book a hotel that this resort fees didn't apply, apparently any hotel can charge you these fees. So what good is hotwire? If you pay a low price to them and when you get to the hotel the hotel just tack up the price they want and you have spent the airfare and hotel price. So hotwire is a scam party in league with sleezy hotels preying on unsuspecting consumers. I have use hot wire for years this a new practice. The clause may have been there all the time but not used until now. I just want to warn you that the price that howwire quote you and you pay is not the final price you could pay. In my opinion HOTWIRE.COM is a worthless middleman in a setup scenario for sleezy hotels to fleece consumers.
Used the hotwire "hot rate special" links to book a hotel for Downtown New Orleans for May 2014.
I wanted to stay in a "random" hotel with a pool so I clicked "book now" on the page which had the pool included in the amenities.
Once it came to showing me which hotel I booked; low and behold the hotel didn't have a pool.
Then the fun started; Hotwire representatives were extremely unhelpful at all levels I dealt with. Continually re-iterating that I won't be getting refunded or compensated rather than focusing on the issue at hand; i.e. their IT platform may have selected the wrong hotel in the backend of the platform or processing of the order somewhere messed up. Instead, I was told on numerous occasions that it was ME who booked the wrong amenity list
See the screenshot attached; this is what I clicked on.
Apparently my fault and I have shelled out $450 on a hotel that isn't what I asked for. Awful Awful company; I will never EVER be doing business with again. I will also be going entirely out of my way to make sure that people hear how poorly I (and by the looks of things, many others) were treated!
I just booked with your company and have had the worst experience booking travel I have ever had. I must say I have always had positive experiences with hotwire in the past. I will NEVER do business with you again. Your customer service phone reps are rude and unhelpful. Your website is misleading and deceptive. I was just ""given"" a 2.5* hotel in my hometown that couldn't even be considered a 2* hotel on a good day. It is filthy and its online reviews are atrocious. I just paid out $280 that was like thowing it in the trash can because I would never stay in that hotel myself let alone have my guests stay there!! I fully intend to tell everyone i see or meet what a horrible experience I had.
In case you care here is what happened.
I searched for a 2.5* hotel in my hometown of Titusville, FL. (The booking was for my guests!) Your secret rate (what a joke that is) shows a $149 room for $60... what a deal I thought! Now your website states that these savings ""*Savings based on median published rate we've found on leading retail travel sites in the last 24-48 hours for the same neighborhood, star rating, and stay dates...... which is surprising because the most expensive hotel in Titusville is $149 per night at the Hampton Inn and Fairfield Inn -- which were also rated 2.5 stars on your website. So I'm thinking ok... I'm getting a room equivalent or similar to that at the Fairfield or Hampton.... and I get a nasty MOTEL not hotel room at the Ramada which sells regular price for $50-60 per night on their www.ramada.com website. So where is my great SECRET DEAL? Oh I didn't get a deal, I got screwed. And a hotel room that I will never use.
my itinerary # is xxxxxxxxxx
Advertising deception. Secret hotel was to be 43% off of regular rate of $102 but real regular rate is $64 dollars. As shown on other websites. Advertising deception. Secret hotel was to be 43% off of regular rate of $102 but real regular rate is $64 dollars. As shown on other websites. I booked at hot rate ""Secret"" Hotel that was 102 dollars marked to 58 dollars. When I saw the name of the hotel I realized that hotels.com orbitz.com expedia.com Travelocity.com all had the hotel at 215 Richill Drive, Texarkana, TX 75503 the Comfort Suites listed for booking same room same night at 57 dollars. The hotwire customer service offered me a refund of one dollar. The regular rate is 64 dollars and 45% should be $35.20 plus taxes. It is insulting to be retired army Captain and be lied to. I will let everyone know not to book hotwire if they want truth in advertising. This falsehood must stop.
Your Desired Resolution:
I am seeking a refund of overcharged amount and taxes. I paid 58 plus taxes and the real rate The regular rate is 64 dollars and 45% should be $35.20 plus taxes. Customer service would not even offer me a coupon or a discounted 2nd night which I would of gladly accepted. Customer service only offered me $1 after 43 minutes of phone conversation. I was very polite and said please and I am sorry to complain but this is false advertising.