Hotwire Reviews

Recently and for the first time and last time I booked a hotel through Hotwire in Costa Rica. Before I proceeded I read carefully what I requested, very simple Two Double Rooms. They said the hotel was in one city I wanted to stay and it was comparable to a Hyatt, Hilton or Sheraton. When I arrive the hotel was not in the City I requested, it was not a Hyatt, Hilton nor Sheraton but rather a mom and pop rundown hotel with NO elevator. The name of the hotel is Hotel Luisiana.

I used hotwire low price guarantee and booked a 3 star hotel with free breakfast. But they gave me a 2 star one without breakfast. I argued with the customer service and the staff said she can cancel reservation (she find that they made the mistake(. Since we don't have time and internet to re-book, I asked to speak with a manager to transfer the hotel. What pissed me is that the manager LIED and kept saying that I didn't booking the 3 star one with breakfast. I called again and spoke with the first agent I spoke to, told her I got the confirmation snapshot and would like to speak with the manager again. I got no response and found that I was put to on hold!!!! She refused to speak with me by putting me on hold. This is so so so rude!!!!

Last room we got from Hotwire was miles away from where we were supposed to be, had bugs everywhere even in my baby granddaughter's bath tub. This was not even close to a 2.5-3 star place.

I recently booked a Hotel via Hotwire, Only to arrive at an unsafe hotel that wasn't in the destination requested. When I explained to Hotwire there was a safety issue and that I am a young single woman traveling alone and I felt my safety was at risk and that I was extremely uncomfortable in this location even getting out of my car, they refused to relocate me or issue a refund for the hotel I NEVER checked into or stayed in. I Even explained the pictures and Ratings of the Hotel were Different from the actual Hotel. I was bullied and shouted at by a Hotwire manager, and told that I was "legally bonded" and that I could be sued if I tried to cancel. I've spoken with Many Hotwire Managers as well as Hotwire Corporate Customer Service Reps who have all informed me they don't care about the safety of the hotel and they will not issue a refund to my account.

It has been my experience that Hotwire takes HUGE liberties with the number of stars they award a property. I've gotten 3-star hotels on Hotwire that were worse than your average Motel 6. Also, Hotwire books with "boutique hotels" fairly frequently. So, you're thinking you're going to get a Hilton Garden Inn or Hyatt Place but you end up with "Ruth-Anne's No-Tell Motel and Chain Saw Repair". They've been good for weekend rental cars, but that's about it.

I booked a hotel in New York City about a week ago under one of their Secret Hot Rate deals. Not only did I not get a hotel in the same area or star rating I selected, when I tried to email them and call to get it fixed, they blamed me for the mix up. They have terrible customer service and don't hold up their end of the bargain when it comes to selecting a hotel. This whole ordeal has caused me more stress than was necessary. I will not be booking through them ever again. Be careful trying to book a good deal with these guys, you'll pay $750 just to get screwed over.

We rented a care from Hotwire and the rental contract was one way. We pick up in New Orleans (MSY) and return the car in Jackson, MS. (JAN). We paid the amount of the offer through hotwire. A couple days later we received another charge from Alamo rental Car for $200.00, because Hotwire did not put that the car was being returned to another location. So we got stuck with the first fee from Hotwire and a second fee from Alamo. After I called Hotwire and went through the whole process of the car rental agreement and they mistakenly disconnected the line 3 times, their reply was they could not do anything since this transaction already had gone through. So we're stuck paying an additional $200.00. I will never trust or make another reservation from hotwire.

My girlfriend placed a reservation for a rental car through Hotwire with Dollar Rent A Car and received an Itinerary number which is Hotwire's equivalent of a confirmation number. During the reservation process (done online), Hotwire required she give her debit card number and security code in order to make the reservation. She provided the information, received her itinerary number and was promptly hit with the rental fee plus an additional charge for damage insurance totaling approximately $85.00. I then took her to the Dollar Rent A Car depot to pick up her vehicle she had already paid for through Hotwire.

I went through Kayak.com, who correctly made my airline reservations through Frontier Airlines. I was going home to Wyoming to my nephew's wedding. When I arrived in Denver and went to pick up my car that they had booked through Hotwire who booked my car through Hertz, I found that Hotwire had screwed up the dates and booked my car for November instead of September. I am a disabled person, they made NO attempt to correct their mistake and I ended up having to sleep on the floor in Denver airport. I had to take a shuttle to Cheyenne the next day and Avis was able to provide me a car so that I could barely make it on time to the rehearsal.

I have just spent two hours at the Alamo counter, trying to get Hotwire or Alamo to make good on a reservation. Earlier in the month, I received emails with two different reservation numbers for the same date. I cancelled one. Later in the month I received a confirmation number for Alamo (see image), and assumed everything was OK. When I got to the Alamo desk, the agent said my reservation was cancelled. Fine, I gave him the one in the image. He claimed to know nothing about that number. He had me call Hotwire, who forwarded me back to Alamo's call center, who offered to book me a car at Enterprise at three times the original price.

I went to book a 3.5 star on Hotwire. I've used it MANY times before and it worked out just fine for the most part. If you know how the Hotwire payment is set up, nobody could make the mistake I was accused of making. I reviewed my order, 3.5 star, 250$ Niagara falls. On the same screen that you review the order you can input payment info while viewing the total and your trip summary. All was fine, I inputted my credit card info, make sure the itinerary and price was right and pressed BOOK. The next page in the confirmation, stating what hotel you got, the stars and the total price. It ends up being 4 star and 350$, 100$ more than I was quoted and a different star class. I knew it was a computer error so I called Hotwire Customer service thinking they could adjust it no problem. BOY OH BOY was I wrong.

Gawd... Still on hold with pathetic company. Was a happy Hotwire customer for years... but you don't really see the Dark Underbelly of a REALLY Poor Run Company... until things don't turn out the way you booked them. Wait till you book a car or worse a hotel. Your plane lands... you run down the tarmac, excited to start your vacation and you Learn that Not Only Did a) Hotwire completely Drop the Ball on your booking... but b) they don't take any accountability... and other than some people in a Call Center Oregon... who say, "I'm really sorry to hear about your negative experience," you're going to get nothing... And c) You got to sit on HOLD for 40 minutes to get that Call Center to take you call... And then the best part... cause no doubt you toss a couple back while you're on hold for 45 minutes... you may slip and let some profanity slip out when they finally take your call... and tell you, "They can't do anything." But the best part is when the Call Center People tell you "Maintain your Professionalism"... after their company just ** YOU out of a booking and your Entire Vacation.

I reserved 2 rooms in Reston Tuesday on Hotwire. When I got to the hotel, they gave us 1 non-smoking room & 1 smoking room. I asked if we could get 2 non-smoking rooms. They said because we bought it off Hotwire, Hotwire sold was available & failed to mention the last room was a smoking room. We won't be using Hotwire for our last minute travel plans ever again. Felt like we got screwed.

I booked a hotel through their flat rate deal with the promise of receiving an upscale hotel at this agreed rate that is not refundable nor can you cancel the reservation. Once paid and booked I was provided the hotel name and location. A Holiday Inn Express which when I went to their site I could have booked the room myself and saved $20.00, so I paid $20.00 above the rate. When calling Hotwire to try and cancel the reservation and receive a refund, my request was denied as that booking is non-refundable. I lost out $20.00.

Upon check in at the hotel I booked, I found that the hotel was charging less than what Hotwire charged me. Hotwire is supposed to get the best rate for their customers. That is a bunch of bull. I will never recommend anyone to them.

Only company I have ever used that refused to cancel a rent car reservation, even though it was canceled within 24 hours. Awful company, stay away!!!!

After doing my research on Hotels in Denver for 3 days I came across Hotwire's ad of 3 star hotel for $67 with $171 crossed on but savings of 61%. Embassy Suites, Sheraton listed as comparable hotels. End result they gave me a LaQuinta Inn, which for the 3 days I saved a whopping $20 after taxes/fees. And of course NO points, CC charged with NO recourse....

I was told they would refund my money almost a year ago. I found a cheaper flight. They said they would give me the difference. This was in October 2013. To this day (almost a year later and countless phone calls to them) I still haven't received my money!! They are crooks and liars! Stay away from them! I called and told them in November of 2013 my credit card had expired. They said they would send me a check. To this day - no check!

I used to be a diehard Hotwire fan, booking every business trip through their service. Today changed everything, when they not only wouldn't honor my hotel booking, but made me endure an atrocious customer service experience. Did you know that Hotwire can call you at 1:49 PM on the day of your reservation and say the hotel you booked is full and you're out of luck?

Hotwire takes pride in having the lowest rates and if I can find a cheaper deal within 48 hours they will return the difference. So right after booking the secret hotel, with 100% customer satisfaction (!) we found a site that a) had a cheaper rate b) that included breakfast (there is 4 of us so we will have to add an extra 100 dollar on the price) and c) had really bad reviews out of 4500 reviews (on Trivago).

I booked for the Hilton Back Bay, in Boston about 7 months ago. I am getting ready for my trip and was wanting to double check the reservation online. I used the confirmation code provided by Hotwire (whom I booked through). However the confirmation number was wrong. It had too many digits to fix. I called the international line for Hilton, and they couldn't figure out who I was from the security clearance, though I provided all the information I had. I finally had to make a long distance call from Malaysia where I live, to Boston to the hotel directly. They were able to find me on the computer by name, but not by confirmation number. Hotwire is messed up. I don't trust it now. They provided a bizarre confirmation code that the hotel could not recognize. When you're buying things online and a company like Hotwire messes up, it's a bit scary. I will never use Hotwire again. Something is terribly fishy.

I booked a vacation package that included airfare, hotel, and rental car. My flight and rental car were just as expected, but our hotel portion was a huge disappointment. We booked a 3-bedroom townhouse for 8 nights at the Regal Palm Resort and Spa in Davenport, FL. The resort was rated 3 1/2 stars and the pictures looked clean, chic, and had a great swimming area for the kids, but when we checked in, things were completely different. The first unit that we were given was so gross. The carpet was filthy. The blinds were messed up. The ceiling fans had so much dust build up. Everything was outdated, and the lamp shades were even crooked. There was no way I was letting my 7 month old crawl around here. This was by far, the worst hotel condition that we've ever encountered, so we asked for a another unit.

I made a reservation for a car rental through Hotwire and when I realized that I didn't need a rental car for this weekend, I tried to call and transfer the reservation to a later trip that I had scheduled. NO, I don't want a refund, I just want to transfer the reservation to a new trip. Hotwire wouldn't allow it! What kind of company doesn't allow someone to transfer reservations especially when the consumer offers to pay for the difference in costs? Apparently, one that no longer wants business ever again from me or anyone that I get the chance to talk about my horrible experience working with them! Crooked company! Would highly advise going with any of their competitors!

I could not find a rental car reservation while standing at the airport. As soon as I made a last minute reservation with Hotwire, my wife found the reservation. I called within 3 minutes of the reservation & explained to the representative. He hung up on me & when I emailed, they sent me the standard reply. I have used them in the past & they have helped me with problems. Guess I will go somewhere else.

I booked a car rental for a planned trip to Seattle. Upon receiving my husband's physician statement stating he could not fly or drive until his release date of 8/24, I called Hotwire to request a reversal of the charges. I was told to send a "request for reversal" and they would get back to me within 5-7 days. I faxed to the appropriate number provided by the rather rude customer service rep. I did what was required, have heard nothing, am sending a copy of the request and a copy of the physician's restriction of travel to my credit card company to not honor the payment that they AUTOMATICALLY put in when you make the reservation. I was able to obtain a different car rental thru a very reputable firm at lower the price for a better car after my husband's restriction is over. I'm still waiting for ANY kind of response from Hotwire. Obviously I will never use them again and will word of mouth tell everyone I know of the horrible service and scam of this outfit.

I made a hotel reservation 5 months in advance through Hotwire in a different state than mine. My trip was canceled and I called the hotel to cancel my reservation and the hotel said my money would go back on my card. Instead of going back on my card, it went to Hotwire because they put all the information through their own accounts. They refused to give me my money. I had to go through my credit card company and dispute the charge. Hotwire is a fraud, you should not be able to keep someone's money!!!

I used the secret hotel purchase using Hotwire.com and got the worst stay of my life. First, It was not a hotel. It was a timeshare unit. It was dirty, and had broken shower doors in both runs. The ceiling fan didn't work in main bedroom. It had roaches and spiders. The air didn't work. I complained and got no response. I will use Hotwire.com again and will demand my money back.

I booked and paid for a 3.5-star hotel in OKC. I am a frequent user of Hotwire and am aware of the star ratings and how to get decent hotels. I called the hotel I was booked to advise them I would be arriving after midnight due to a delayed flight. They informed me the water was out and they had no A/C. I called Hotwire to tell them about the issues and request a different hotel. I was told the A/C is considered an amenity (in OKC in August with over 100 degree weather). Thankfully (?) the water was out too and I could get a refund and rebook. I told the Hotwire agent I would be arriving after midnight and I was boarding my airplane so I had to hurry to get off the phone. So I rebooked with the La Quinta on the opposite side of town for $25 more and the agent told me there would not be a problem with my arrival time. HA... I get to the La Quinta at 2 am and my prepaid hotel reservation is canceled. Too bad. Called Hotwire back again who refunded my money again (or they will in a couple days so they are currently holding $560 for my original 2 reservations plus the new one). But they could not book me in a room for right now. What happened to the room I had paid for??? I paid double for a room tonight with the La Quinta clerk who could not honor the rate.

They say you're getting a great deal paying for a hotel that it's supposedly $105. But when after you pay it’s not really that price, is way less and is not a two star hotel - is a rat house. Is not even in the area you ask for - is just nearby. SO IS JUST A LIE AFTER A LIE!!!! I called. They didn't change my reservation, neither give me a credit and is not the first time it has happened to me but they won't get me again.

I was planning a trip to Portland ME and was looking for decent deals for hotels. Typically I use Priceline and have always had my expectations exceeded. I notice a few deals on Hotwire that seemed decent in the area I was looking to stay and decided to give them a try. BIG MISTAKE. Hotwire leads you to believe, through their examples of star rated hotels (3 star = Doubletree, Sheraton, Hilton, Wyndham....etc). That you will be getting a high quality hotel. I submitted for the "secret deal" for the 3 star hotel and found out the secret....You are given a 1-2 star hotel at best. Instead of any of the numerous examples that Hotwire gives as their examples of 3 star hotels, we were booked at a Howard Johnson's.

I booked a four-star hotel for 4 guests in Prague for three nights. The hotel has D excellent ratings and we were thrilled. After paying, I was informed the hotel name and began my typical pre-arrival due diligence. The hotel looked awesome. Single double and triple rooms were consistent with four stars in my opinion. However, I soon discovered that this hotel only has quad rooms with bunk beds. Very hostel looking as I also found out the hotel is also a hostel. I was stunned to find out that we paid for a four-star room where we would need to climb a ladder to go to bed a night. Never would I climb a ladder to bed in a four star hotel. When I called to complain, Hotwire recited a script over and over, never giving me any reasonable resolution. After several calls and over two hours, Hotwire admitted that this was a little unusual and they would try to work something out with the hotel. The solution was to pay an additional 75 euros for two double rooms instead of the quad. I respect that the hotel is a four star facility, but in no way, shape or form are bunk beds part of a four-star accommodation. Hotwire should never have accepted dramatically inferior quad inventory for an otherwise good hotel facility. I should never have to climb a ladder to a bunk bed in a four-star hotel and having to pay 75 euros additional is not acceptable resolution.

Hotel I received after I booked was no way comparable to the Raddison, Hampton Inn, Crowne plaza, Holiday Inn Express and Doubletree that ad leads you to believe. I received a hotel with horrible reviews and the hotel was priced much lower than the hotels I just previously mentioned. Hotel really not in the same category as advertised. Very, very disappointed. When I called to inquire about this, the telephone representative for hotwire gave me attitude.

I booked a hotel with the agreement that the deal was so good. Hotwire could not even tell me the name of the hotel before the booking. After I booked, I checked with the hotel (remember I only had the name of the hotel after I booked) and found the rate was only $1 less expensive. I tried to cancel this hotel but they refused - almost to the point of being rude. This was not a good deal. It was no deal at all. I offered to book another hotel through Hotwire if they could give me at least 10% off the regular hotel rate. Absolute refusal. I called my credit card company and they took the charge off. I will see what happens. I am afraid that Hotwire will just charge my card again.

I book a trip to Las Vegas with the beautiful view and pictures on the Hotwire site to Caesar’s Palace. However, when I arrive, I was place in a dirty room and was told that side of the hotel was under renovations and did not match the photos on the site. I did not want to stay there any longer. The Customer Service Rep said she would credit the trip when I book another room. But Hotwire now states that I do not get anything back, not even the partial refund. The customer Service Manager continues to agreement what I should know regardless of what she actually told me. Worst Place Ever!

I booked a room through Hotwire last minute and received a booking at the DoubleTree in Bedford, MA. I was beyond satisfied with the value for the booking. The next night though, I received an email saying that the DoubleTree was overbooked and would be moving me across the street to the Homewood Suites. The next morning, I received an email confirming my booking at the DoubleTree and in the sidebar of the email, there was a confirmation number for the hotel and a note that I would not need to reconfirm with Hotwire or the hotel.

I booked a flight for 3 people on the wrong day and needed to change the date. Never received an email for my itinerary and I don't remember who I booked my flight through. My credit card statement said "Expedia Affiliates". I called Hotwire because I was certain I booked through them, they told me it's through Expedia. I called Expedia and they figured out my reservation was through Hotwire so back to Hotwire...1 hour of my life BURNED....

I tried booking a special low fare ticket and for some unknown reason, it wouldn't go through. I double-checked that I had enough money on my account, so everything was good on my end of things. Since it didn't work to book on the website, I decided to call them to book. They kept me on the phone for 30 minutes, made me repeat all my information 5 times, and then we got mysteriously disconnected when I started to complain about how long it was taking and asking why it wasn't working. So now I'm angry, I wasted 30 minutes, but thankfully, I was able to find tickets on Priceline that ended up being a bit cheaper. So don't waste your time and energy, go straight to Priceline instead.

I have used Priceline successfully many times and have stayed at some very nice hotels for some really great prices. I am currently staying in my first and last Hotwire room. It was advertised as a 2 and a half star hotel; in reality, it is an old-style motel with exterior doors on every room, which means that unless you are willing to expose yourself and your belongings to every person who walks by, you will be staying in a cave with artificial light.

I booked a room through Hotwire just to discover the ceiling was sagging from mold and water damage, the mattress had burn stains as well as the bedding in a non smoking room. The premises was obviously a crack motel as all the people hanging out at the place were disturbing. We left immediately after taking pictures. HotWire refused to refund our money and our credit card company says it is non-refundable because we checked in after 6:00 p.m. We slept in our truck that night because nothing else was available for miles around and Hotwire did not help us. They gave us a $25.00 Hotwire certificate. They can keep it as I will never use their service again.

Due to my recent experience with Hotwire, I will never book with them again. I rather put my money with a travel company that cares about their customers and cares about what hotels they are promoting. I did one of those "book a 3-star hotel for this low price and we will reveal the hotel at the end" deals. Well of course we got the crappiest hotel in the 3-star categories. Honestly, I don't know how this hotel is 3 stars. I know this because unfortunately my family and I stayed there once before and said we would not stay there again.

Booked two hotels on Hotwire and two on Priceline (express deals) so the terms are the same. You book based on star rating and rate and then find out where you are staying. The Priceline hotels were great hotels and great rates. The Hotwire Hotels were inferior to the majority of hotels with the same star rating. Also the Microtel we stayed at is not comparable to other 21/2 star hotels, and the discount was only a couple of dollars below a standard rate. The biggest beef was a three star with Hotwire. We searched for a hotel, suspended our search for about 30 mins, then completed the reservation. We paid $75. 21 mins after our confirmation came through we received an email offering us a $53 rate if we would complete our booking. We paid 40% more for the same reservation. Hotwire refused to adjust the rate. I will not give Hotwire another opportunity to fall short of expectations. Hotwire doesn't monitor this site, but hopefully other travelers will read the reviews posted at this site and be forewarned.

Hotwire advertised clarion hotel as 2 star and when I chose the three star option, I was still sold the clarion which is noted in hotwire's star cat. Customer service rep and supervisors were equally rude and unprofessional and refuse to review my telephone conversation where i insisted prior to booking that I saw the clarion listed as 2 star on their site and I did not want to be booked in that level. What is amazing as well is most of the hotel have free cancellation policy and gladly cancelled my booking direct and instructed me to give hotwire the cancellation number to confirm and this infuriated hotwire supervisor who advised that it was my one opportunity to cancel direct with the hotel and I advised in return that this would be my FINAL booking with hotwire.

Hotwire has taken my money without providing a service. This is FRAUD. Hotwire claims to negotiate lower travel rates and once booked, it becomes non-refundable. They may provide lower travel rates sometimes but, mostly they just propagate their website with the feeds from the actual providers. Hotwire did not provide any service, as the rates of the hotel were available throughout the Internet on various travel sites. The reservation was for three weeks in the future and the hotel cancellation policy does allow for changes and cancellations without financial penalty. How can they justify taking people's money and not only not providing a sellable service but also not providing any semblance of customer service either?

I booked a 'secret rate hotel' and chose a 4 star hotel. As soon as the Hotel name was revealed, I googled reviews and it was given 1-2 star rating. I rang Hotwire immediately who said they stood by their star rating and would not allow me to change to another hotel even when I offered to pay more. I emailed them twice and only received generic replies saying that bookings were final. I rang again and was told I must check into the hotel, if I was still not happy, they would then move me.

I have used Hotwire successfully in the past, but after a bad experience today I won't be using them again. I booked a room in Dubai. I chose the 4-star level and the logos given on the example page were for The Hilton, Le Meridien and The Intercontinental. When my booking was confirmed, I was given a room in the Mercure. For those who haven't traveled in Europe that much, Mercure is a popular discount chain, and although not bad, it's nowhere even close to a Hilton or an Intercontinental. Mercure is owned by Accor group which is known for its discount chains like Ibis. In my opinion, it was extremely misleading to characterize the 4 -tar hotels as Hilton, Intercontinental etc (obviously good hotels) and then shuffle me off into a Mercure. It's not worth the $30. Use a site where you can see where you'll be staying. Attempts to remedy the situation, including an offer to pay to upgrade, were rejected.

Made cancellation to car rental within 24 hours of making reservation. Was notified that we would be picked up at airport in Salt Lake City by someone. Hotwire refuses to refund money charged on charge card after notifying car rental.

My experience with booking on Hotwire.com has been poor. I was told (June 26, 2014) online that once I paid $111.78 for my hotel room, I would receive a confirmation once my reservation is confirmed with the hotel. I did receive confirmation of my room being booked but upon arrival to the hotel on June 28, 2014, the hotel stated that they never received my information from Hotwire. After two hours of going back and forth from speaking with the hotel's staff and Hotwire's customer service agents, we were finally able to get a room.

I booked a flight on Hotwire using my mother's card. Despite ensuring that the passenger info was filled out with my name, Hotwire auto-printed my mother's name as the passenger on the ticket. When I called Hotwire to remedy the situation, they proved unwilling to change the passenger name on the flight or refund the purchase. As a result, I was unable to attend a business meeting and my family is out hundreds of dollars. If a Hotwire representative sees this review, I would greatly appreciate a call as my other call proved ineffectual.

I made a reservation for an auto rental using Hotwire.com on April 19, 2014 for six days, and was offered a Hertz car for $234.81. I was supposed to pick up the car on June 28 in Pittsburgh and return on July 3, 2014. Upon arrival in Pittsburgh on June 27, I tried to find a car near my nephew's place, where I was staying. I used Hotwire.com and entered the local address. I was offered Alamo's car for $191.36. I made the reservation, and went on my Hotwire account to cancel the earlier reservation. It did not allow me to do so. I called Hotwire and requested them to cancel either one of the two, and they refused. I will end up paying for both auto rentals when I can use only one. This could have been avoided if Hotwire did not allow me to have two non-refundable reservations for the same date and time. A simple algorithm can prevent something like this to happen.

I went online to find a hotel. The Econo Lodge popped up Hotwire, looked okay, booked. Twenty minutes later, I was at the hotel only to find that they only had a smoking room available. Nowhere in the form was a request for smoking. By now, North America is default no smoking. Not according to Hotwire. They have access to what hotels have, they say, but if anything goes wrong, they have your money and they will fight to say anything to keep your money. The hotel staff just laughed at me. "We got your money." The hotel gets it no matter what, so they don't care either.

Was charged 800.00. I have called my attorney. Send email to me ** if these crooks have got you also. If I have enough responses, I will consider a class action against these clowns.

Misleading booking advertisement. We booked a hotel with Hotwire, which stated a 68% savings (ex: $220 hotel room for $70). After speaking with a Hotwire representative, she stated that the $220 advertised room was a "median" estimated value. When visiting the actual hotel site, one could book our first night stay for $74.99, and the second night for $109.99. We did NOT receive a median hotel rate. Although we have been regular Hotwire customers for years by making car, hotel, and airfare bookings, this misleading advertisement causes us to reassess this site for future purchases. Our hotel booking is to celebrate our anniversary, but it is now overshadowed by a cloud of dissolution, due to the "locked in" policy.

Drove into San Antonio for my niece's graduation and was told Hotwire oversold the rooms. They would not accommodate us with a comparable. We were offered a 1 star for the same price. I was told by the lady on the phone that she cannot pull a hotel out of thin air to accommodate us. We had to drive back home because we had no other option that would fit within our budget.

I took advantage of a "great" deal for a NYC hotel room for 3 nights. It was so great that it was a "Mystery" deal. Because it was so great they couldn't give me all the details. From 4/12-15/2014. I never used Hotwire before but assumed that they had a good reputation. The hotel cost me almost $800 and it was an old hotel and the room was smaller than any cell in Vietnam during the war there. The bed was lumpy and the carpets were all worn and threadbare.

Hotwire sends direct e-mail, after setting up follow my trip feature, promoting best options for your planned trip dates. The e-mail page has your travel dates at the top and deals below the dates of your trip. I open the deal for Austin assuming that the promotion was for the dates of my trip. The promotion was for a different date, and I didn't realize until confirming the order. I called within seconds of realizing it, but customer service told me there was nothing they would do - not change the date, much less refund me $562.90. I find this promotional practice tricky and misleading. It needs to be changed. Hotwire should only be able to send promotions for the dates of the follow my trip feature. I sent e-mails with formal complaints to Hotwire with no responses so far.

Hotwire.com failed to disclose information about pet fees at the time of booking for a hotel. Bad business!

We didn't realize that the booking was not able to be revised. Reason for our trip was to visit a sick family member. The individual got sicker and we needed to revise the timing of our trip. We called Hotwire and Hertz, the rental company involved, to simply add a few days of car rental to the rental we already had and neither company offered any options. We booked Hertz for the extra days and then tried to arrange to not have to return the car mid trip. Answer, only if we paid an extra $180!. I already paid for the extra three days and this was in addition to that. No one helped, no one was sympathetic. My wife drove 100 miles back to the airport to change the car mid trip. For an identical car. I called three times to ask about revising the booking and each time I was cut off when the agent said they couldn't help and i asked to be put through to their supervisor! Wow! So.... I will not ever book with Hotwire or Hertz. I talked to too many people at both companies who had no interest in client service or making this right. One person suggested I send in the death certificate, this before the actual death! At that point, I determined both companies had lost a client forever. So, not a happy customer, to say the least.

I scheduled a flight to Dallas, TX through Hotwire and purchased travel insurance in case I had to change my flight, which I did. The insurance I purchased was basically useless because it would only cover a medical emergency. If I had known this, I would have never purchased it to begin with. Then, Hotwire tells me I have to pay a $200 fee per ticket plus the upcharge of the flight per ticket which ended up being more than double what I intended to pay. I feel this information should have been clearer on their website. It was a true rip off!! I will never use them again!

Hotwire.com charged me on a "hotdeal" for a 2-1/2 star hotel in Manhattan on Friday 5/2/14. They gave me a hotel with 1-star accommodation. I purchased a "hotdeal" for a 2-1/2 star hotel in Manhattan on Friday 5/2/14 for $225. "Hotdeal" means you purchase a hotel based on a star rating and a location without knowing which hotel you will be staying at. Upon purchase, they awarded me Astor on the Park. This hotel was barely a 1-star hotel. The carpet was damp and dirty, the smell was unbearable, and it was the most disgusting hotel room I have ever stayed in. On top of that, I asked others staying at the hotel and they told me they paid $70-100 less for their hotel. I wrote them an e-mail complaining but they told me I had to call customer service. I called on Monday to complain but all they would offer me is a $25.00 coupon. They said I had called too late after the hotel stay.

Like many others who have complained about the lousy customer service with Hotwire, I now join the ranks. I WAS a long-standing user of Hotwire. Recently, I was unable to travel due to a legitimate medical reason, justified on Physician letterhead per Hotwire's mandatory requirement and was run around 3-times before being denied a refund or a forward credit. Being told, I needed to be hospitalized or in Hospice awaiting death. I will no longer use them... $250 rental for a loss of a client.

I personally think Hotwire should be able to offer you the name of the hotel before you pay. I know it's my responsibility but while trying to look for a room and check with them about rooms and was putting info in, while doing so my phone rang and UPS was at my door. The 5-year-old child I am babysitting hit the confirm button. It then charged me for a 3-star room. Having been to where they sent me, I know it's not 3 stars. I called Hotwire and they won't do anything about it. FYI it's cheaper to cancel my card and order a new one than dealing with Hotwire.

I did a blind bid for a 3.5-star hotel for $81 that was normally priced at $134. When I received my booking, it was for a 2.5-star. I called to complain and was told they would allow a one-time only cancellation & a re-book. But, when I picked a 3-star, I was told they wouldn't honor my original price of $81 for the "3.5-star." I would have to pay the higher price of $93. I feel ripped off. Also, the additional $33 of fees on my booking were all Hotwire which consisted of a booking fee and a fee they had to pay to the hotel (as explained to me by their customer service). Do not believe the "4-Star hotels at 2-Star Prices" and beware of the additional fees that aren't explained nor are you aware of until you pay.

I will never use Hotwire.com again! When I made my reservation, Hotwire claimed they used 4 star hotels. I got to the hotel and it was the kind of room they rented by the hour. It smelled, was old and disgusting. When I called into CSR service, they offered only $25 in Hotwire dollars. I told them to keep it. I will never use Hotwire again.

I booked a hotel in Miami and was not told at the time of the booking that I could expect to hear construction noise during the morning and afternoon hours. When I complained to Hotwire, I was told I would be given a future small credit but no credit on this current booking and until I was actually in the hotel and dealing with the noise would they even discuss this issue further. This is after the hotel already warned me that I could expect to encounter noise during my stay. William, the supervisor at Hotwire, was uncompromising on this. Buyer beware that when you book with Hotwire you have no idea what you're getting until you've actually used the services that you're paying for.

I selected an area on the App near the hospital as my mom is in ICU with heart failure. After paying for a room, they put me 11 miles (30-45 minute drive) from the hospital depending on traffic! There is no way I would ever be that far! After contacting Hotwire, they said that was only a suggested area and they were within their rights to book that far away and refused to refund! They are Crooks preying on people! My family can't afford this!

Hotwire is a scam! I had booked the room and paid in advance 100% (Hotwire itinerary **), but there was no info about my booking when I arrived to the hotel. I had to book asap another room. Then I opened claim in PayPal (the payment service in my case) but PayPal couldn't refund me paid sum. After contacting Hotwire support I realize I could forget about paid money (438.84 USD). Right now they just ignore my requests. Hotwire.com absolutely irresponsible company with strong scam habits! Beware Hotwire.com!

Booked a car for 3 days at Atlanta Airport through Hotwire. Got charged $ 155 total for a mid-sized SUV. Upon arrival at Hertz they were flabbergasted about the category as they had an economy booked for me as per instructions from Hotwire, no midsize SUV available!! Only choice was a category in between. So I already was overcharged there. Btw, I had the same issue 9 months earlier when booking a car for Johannesburg, South Africa, where they didn't even have that type of car - an Audi A3 on picture at Hotwire - in their fleet!!

Booked a secret hotel on Hotwire of course they advertise 46% savings. After I got the secret hotel revealed it turns out I could have booked directly with hotel and save some money. I ended up paying 20.00 dollars more for a standard room and if I would have booked with hotel would have got a deluxe room. I called and when they say they will price match, that's a lie. They did nothing for me at all. Terrible customer service, false advertising. Would never book with them again. I wish I would have read the reviews before I booked with them. Lesson learned.

On 3/17 after arriving at Columbus airport to catch our flight to Seattle, we were told by Delta that our return reservations have been canceled. We immediately called Hotwire from the airport to find out the reason and request to reinstate our flight but (after waiting on hold for 40 min) we were told no one will be able to assist us and we need to work out with the airline or buy our own ticket with another carrier. We were very surprised not only by the cancellation of our flight without our request but with the insensitive customer service we received from all the customer service reps we contacted that day.

I am still arguing with Hotwire over them booking my room for the wrong month even though they admit I gave them the correct date and month I wanted to the person I talked with to set it up. They put in the wrong month and then talked very quickly at the end of the conversation to confirm the information and since they were talking quickly and with an accent I only understood the dates were correct and did not catch that the month was wrong. They want me to pay for THEIR mistake in putting it in wrong in the first place. I was even willing for us to split the cost of the error since I feel it was both our faults instead of them wanting me to pay for the full bill and it was due to an error on their part that started the situation.

Here's what I received from Agnes at Hotwire: "Thank you for contacting Hotwire Customer Care regarding your car reservation with Alamo at the Pittsburgh International Airport, Hotwire itinerary **. I understand you were denied to cancel on your car rental due to a change of plan. I regret any inconvenience that this may have caused you. I will be glad to provide you information that may clarify on this matter. At Hotwire, we strive for clarity on our site. That is why during the booking process, we ask our customers to read and accept our Terms of Use before your reservation is confirmed. This gives you the ability to choose the trip that best meets your needs. In order to secure our low rates, our agreement with our car rental agency partners is that reservations will be used as booked. For this reason, reservations cannot be cancelled, changed, transferred or refunded. Also, credit will not be given for unused reservations. You can find our full Terms of Use by visiting Hotwire.com."

We booked a hot rate room with an 80% discount advertised at regular daily rate of $487. Hotwire indicates that previous booking got Caribe Royale Suites. I checked on the hotel website and at that regular listed price, it's the 2 bedroom full kitchen villa. Sounds like a good deal. I booked and got the Caribe Royale confirmed. I called to ask that the type of accommodations confirmed and it was in fact the cheapest room at the hotel - double queen room at $173 regular rate. The hotel put the responsibility on Hotwire and Hotwire said it's the hotel. False advertising but no one is responsible. Terrible client service from Hotwire, they just don’t care about client satisfaction and just want to get your money and move on to the next transaction.

We booked a car rental on Hotwire website for 2/22/2014-3/12014 San Diego. We clicked on the top offer which was Carrentals.com affiliated with Hotwire.com. When we arrived to San Diego the rental company picked us up in a Toyota Corolla. This was our rental car. He drove us back to his lot to take care of the paperwork.

On March 1st, 2014, I made a reservation for 7/5/14 with Hotwire.com for a 4 star hotel in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. I got a rate of $182, however there was a note in the order that an additional $20 resort fee would have to be paid when I get there on 7/5/14. I agreed to that fee and then proceeded to the end of the order only to find a category entitled "Tax recovery charges and fees". There was a $54.88 additional fee that I was not expecting for taxes and fees. I understand we have to pay tax, but that is 30%! Against my better judgement, I went ahead and booked anyway. I ended up getting The Marriott at Sawgrass.

We booked at 4 1/2 star resort in Playa del Carmen. Hotwire displayed the avg nightly cost @ $660 at the price of $384, sounds like a great savings. When we got to the resort it was not like the 4 1/2 star properties we had previously booked through Hotwire. But the worst part was the bed Bugs we encountered. We had to discard our luggage and most everything in it. After sharing this information with Hotwire, they in turn offered us a $25.00 credit to be used on any of the products within the next year. We paid $2400 for this nightmare. How they choose to deal with the matter let us know they really don't care about your vacation experience.

I booked a 4 star hotel in Chicago and on every other hotel site it was rated 3 star. I paid $209 a night when I could have booked a three star for $150. These people rate hotels incorrectly. The representative at Hotwire told me that hotels change ratings "daily" WTF?

I just booked an airline ticket from NYC to Boston on HOTWIRE and there were limited details about the flight. However due to an urgent family matter and pending snow storm I booked the flight of $238 round trip thinking it was one of the shuttle flights. The information was vague but said the flight we get me into Boston between 7am-9am and a window of the return flight would get me into NYC in the evening with a 3 hour window. I made the purchase and that is when a customer gets the details and when I learned the flight details. The flight from NYC had a layover in Cleveland and the estimated arrival to Boston 4 hours and 20 minutes and the same for the return.

12/28/13 I book the hotel at Miami Beach for 3 nights. Me, my wife and three kids go to the place. What they call hotel it was the horrible place I have ever seen. It was like a jail, smells horrible entrance hallway doors rooms. I can't find a word to describe it. Hotwire call this place 3 star hotel. I called back Hotwire to change the hotel. They said this is non-changeable non-refundable. It was 9:30 pm and we were 1300 mile away from home. I talked to someone, I will pay whatever is the difference. Those people is just polite to you till they sell the room. When they sell it, you're trapped. That's it. I paid $1000 for night to find another hotel that night. For the god sake if they believe or they have a god go that place and check that place. My vacation turned out to nightmare because of Hotwire and I lost my money couldn't do anything about it. Their trick is they don't tell you hotel's name and they don't want you to see what they sell. For the god sake can't anybody do anything about these stealer.

I booked a room through Hotwire.com and paid in full. I got to the hotel and checked in. Hours later I was called by hotel management and asked to leave because Hotwire sent them a fax alleging my credit card purchase might have been fraudulent! My 83 year old grandfather and I were thrown out into a blizzard snow storm in 18 degree weather over 1,000 miles away from home. We had to have family western union us money to get us to another hotel because Hotwire didn't refund our money. After reading other complaints online it is clear that Hotwire kicks people out when the demand for a room is higher and prices can be increased. THIS IS CRIMINAL!

I just booked a hotel in Boston with Hotwire. Clearly I hadn't read these rave reviews before booking with them (0.08/10?? How is this company still in business) or I definitely wouldn't have. I booked a hotel which claimed to be $225+ (the + indicates to me that it starts at $225 and goes higher...); however, when my reservation was confirmed, I went to the Hotel Site and the room they booked me is $149 a night. What a scam, honestly. I don't know how they can get away with this and still be in business. I will obviously never book with them again, and I'm letting everyone else I know not to use them.

I recently booked a hotel room in what Hotwire describes as the "loop and theater district". The hotel which was selected for me is not what I would consider as the loop. It is on the west side of the interstate and not even close to the theater district. Even the examples of hotels they say are similar to this hotel are misleading as they are all properties within what I would consider the loop and in close proximity to the theater district. I called them to complain but was told that the hotel was within their map area so I had no recourse. We have used Hotwire before and been extremely satisfied. I will never use them again or recommend them to someone.

Just booked a car rental for a price that seemed fair, but when got to the pick up and extra extra money was asked. Must say that this was the worst customer service ever. They make people waste money and time. This is the way Hotwire is making money with all clients that book something that isn't true.

I reserved and prepaid a three-day rental with Hertz in Puerto Vallarta and received e-mail confirmation of my reservation and payment, with a Hertz confirmation number. Unfortunately, Hotwire does not go to the trouble of checking with Hertz in Mexico (according to the Hertz representative, my case was not at all uncommon) to make sure that cars are available. Indeed, on a Saturday evening in high season, I arrived at the Hertz counter with a confirmed reservation, but there was simply no car to be had. After several attempts to break through Hotwire's unresponsive Customer Service line, I was able to explain my situation, only to be offered a rental with another agency at over twice the rate!

Hotwire double booked my car reservation and would not refund the unused booking. After disputing the unused car rental reservation with my bank, they refused to refund my money and said that I agreed to the terms that if it wasn't an emergency, there would be no way to get your money back! This is outrageous!!! The agent double booked a reservation and instead of refunding me the unused booking, continued to double charge me. Why on earth would anyone want to pay for two cars on the same date??? As a paying customer and as fair business practice, you should be able to get your full refund back! Thanks, Hotwire, for ruining my vacation! Hotwire should be put out of business!!! Stay away from booking with Hotwire!!! Also, I am reporting them to the Better Business Bureau.

I booked a hotel in Paris/France via Hotwire and it will be surely my last booking with Hotwire. When checking out, I asked the receptionist for the bill and was told, that I would receive my bill directly from Hotwire, as I had paid the room rate already in advance on the Hotwire account. So I contacted Hotwire for sending a bill. The Hotwire staff informed me, that I cannot expect to get any bill but instead should use the automatically generated booking confirmation. This doc is not accepted by my bookkeeping dept neither by German tax authorities. The Hotwire service reacted really poor and answered several times in the same way, obviously without reading my message. I cannot recommend this organization for business travel.

This is the first time I used Hotwire. I booked my car and 10-15 minutes later had to cancel it. The lovely lady who got on the line told me that I could not cancel the reservation. No, not even if my father and mother were in car crashes. And Ha Ha to you. We Got YOU!!! Pretty sad for a company!

Hotwire does not disclose the company that will provide the rental car until after you submit all information and payment in full. After submitting all required information, and payment, I was informed that I could pick up vehicle at Alamo. I read the pick up information about Alamo on the screen which stated that they do NOT accept debit cards for deposit or payment unless you are travelling round trip at the airline. I immediately notified Hotwire that Alamo would not accept our debit card. Hotwire refused to reply, and still will not respond. We have filed a complaint at our bank, and have been notified by our bank that they deal with a lot of Hotwire issues as they scam people, and it could take 60 to 90 days to recoup our money as is typical of Hotwire. Hotwire knowingly accepted our debit card for payment knowing that the rental car company would not accept same card for deposit or payment. Now, they refuse to exchange the rental to another company or to refund our money.

I booked today under Hotwire HotRates - 4 star hotel in Orlando, Florida. I received reservation Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando. This hotel as per Trip Advisor is 3,5 * hotel; Olotels.com - 3*; otel.com - 3*; Booking.com - 3*; Bookit.com - 3.5*; Hotels.com - 3.5*; redtag.ca - 3.5*; Expedia.ca - 3.5*; trivago.ca - 3*; itravel2000.ca - 3*. Only Travelocity rates as 4*. The HotWire customer representative and later the Supervisor all the time mentioned Travelocity ranking as their competitors ranking to determine the star rating.

I just booked a hotel in FL for three nights. There were only four hotels at this exit, so I checked rates, then booked three nights with Hotwire for $60/night, which I thought was a good deal. Then I discovered that the "low, low rate" of $60 was actually the STANDARD rate for this hotel. Add to that, that of the four hotels, this was, by far, the most run-down, filthiest mess. But even the poor woman at the desk apologized, saying that Hotwire charges them 40% (!) and that they are REQUIRED to use them.

I recently made a hotel reservation through HOTWIRE.com and it was disastrous. I specifically requested a King Bed no-smoking and ended up with two full beds. I was told by the reception and afterward by HOTWIRE they can only guarantee a room. You find these little gotchas out only after reservation has been confirmed (in other words they gotcha you money). I find it much better and more comforting to use some of the other sites that gives all information upfront. When you book with HOTWIRE, "Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you are going to get." Don't Do It!

Booked a hotel in Hollywood, CA, 2 adults, 1 kid 11 years old. Paid fee. Hotel was Redbury Hotel - only have king beds, but you can rent rollaway for $50 a night. Called Hotwire. Their response, a king bed will hold 3 people.

I booked a "hot rate" room on Hotwire quoted at a total $209 (including all taxes and fees). Then, the confirmation page and subsequent confirmation email indicated a total cost of $270, apparently charging me the standard rate instead of the discounted "hot rate". Knowing I was booking blind on the "hot rate", I was toggling browser tabs between the "hot rate" screen and the standard rate screen to try to get a sense for which hotel I may be booking. Perhaps this is why the Hotwire system messed up and charged me the higher $270 rate.

I order a hotel in NYC for November 4th through November 11th, 2013. Three hours after we had a check-in to the hotel, I received a phone call from a Fraud Department. The person calling did NOT introduce himself, nor did he state what company he was calling from. He mispronounced the name on the order and questioned if I know that person (who turns out is my friend after we figured out the name). Considering I tried several other websites to book a hotel for these dates, I thought he was calling from Priceline and someone tried to commit fraud with our credit card. This person yelled at me saying he is not calling from Priceline, refusing to tell me where he is calling from and accusing me of lying. All confused, I kept trying to clear up what he wanted from me. At which point he abruptly ended the call saying he is cancelling the charge. The next thing we know, a concierge of the hotel we were all situated in, contacts us stating that our payment was cancelled.

Booked rental car for Thanksgiving travel while visiting San Diego. Then we had a sudden death in the family in October. I had to change my flight reservation. I was hoping to change my rental car reservation. Hotwire said I could not but for me to send the obituary.Cool. I did a step extra, sent my cancelled/new flight information copy of the obituary. Two days later, I get an email stating they are sorry for my loss, but I will not be able to get a refund. This is crazy. I will never use this company. Although I did not lose as much as some on this post, I LOST MY HARD-EARNED MONEY! Hotwire is stealing consumers' money. They are internet and cyber thieves. Something needs to be done to stop these practices.

I booked a San Diego, CA hotel they presented as their save up to 45% Non Cancelable Secret Hot Rate of $91.12 ($72 + 19.12 tax & fees) which turned out to be a Travelodge. BIG DEAL! The rate for this Reservation directly from the hotel is $92.39 ($82 + 8.39 tax) Cancelable. So I saved $1.27 and lost my cancel privilege and points. Also, Travelodge is hardly in the class of the Comfort Inn, Best Western and Ramada you used in your comparisons.

Hotwire would not let me cancel my reservation for a car rental 8 days in advance. Their cost was $100 more expensive than other options. I called customer service and got no satisfactory answers. Once they have your money, they will never let go. This is not a reputable company. Stay as far away as you can.

I buy 1 vacation package from HOTWIRE for $1,800 to Florida which includes hotel, airline and rent car. And my wife was at the hospital with seizure and heart situation. After I sent doctor's letter to Hotwire, they refuse to give me my refund...

Please Share!!! BEWARE of HOTWIRE hotel reservations. For those of you who have never used Hotwire to make a reservation with a hotel, let me explain how it works. You select a destination and they give you a general rate on hotels in a star rating system. For example, any hotel in that area with three stars will be one price, and any hotel with four stars will be more, but you are guaranteed a savings because they don't show you the name of the hotel until after you have booked. So you are playing Hotel Roulette. However, you can feel comfortable booking a hotel without knowing the name because of the star rating that they have. I have used this service for years and have scored some pretty amazing deals, but last night was the exception, and the customer service on Hotwire's end to fix the problem was non-existent.

This company made me eat $353.11. I called to them within 51 minutes because the funeral arrangements were randomly changed by my brother in law. They hide behind "their terms and conditions" and do not have any customer empathy. At 51 minutes, they stated "there is nothing we can do". This company is scum. I will make my $353.11 back through spreading the word on these scumbags. Their operators aren't nice either. "Oh well, there is nothing we can do" is the consistent response even from their supervisors. This company will steal your money without any regard for you as a person. They are rotten. Avoid Hotwire at all costs.

They have you pay for a Hotel that was not listed on their advertisement, bait and switch. Gave me a crappy hotel after I paid my money and the place airport shuttle is not available at times needed. They are scamming consumers!!

My son and I were scheduled to go on a trip. It was suggested by a co-worker that I use Hotwire for my travel arrangements - and I did. Hotwire scheduled us on a flight with Virgin Airlines to Los Angeles from Phila round trip. Prior to the trip my son, who is in the Military, broke his leg at the knee and could not travel. We did all the necessary requirements - including submitting a note from the Military that he was not able to travel at that time. They said we would be able to reschedule within a year and had to have it completed by August 2, 2013.

I made a discounted blind hotel booking on Hotwire.com. The selection window showed a more than 30% savings between Hotwire's price and market price. When the name and location of the hotel were revealed, I checked the Hotel's own website. The Hotel website's price for the booking for the same dates was actually LESS than the Hotwire price. Hotwire's price was not 30% less for the booking. It was MORE than the published price of the booking. Additionally, the hotel site offered a choice of rooms and free cancellation. I called customer service at Hotwire thinking this must be a mistake. No mistake, no recourse. This feels like misrepresentational fraud to me.

This morning, I tried to book a vacation package that included airfare, hotel and car. On the last reservation page, it gave me the option of paying a $1,090 deposit and the remaining balance by August 5. That was my choice and I entered my VISA debit card information. When I hit the 'book this itinerary' button, the system stated: "We were unable to complete your booking at this time. You may wish to try again later. If your itinerary requires immediate action, please call our customer service center at 1-866-394-2015 for Vacation Packages support, 1-866-345-4007 for Activities support, or 001-817-983-0659 for international calls."

Hotwire hides under unfair practices with no refund policy. I had a hotel booking with them. They did not provide any service whatsoever to shift hotels when I got a smoking room, and I was traveling with an infant. Appalled by the lack of customer service. They promise comfortable clean stay, but you are far better in directly booking through the hotel. Hotwire misrepresents facts as they please and have 0 customer service. Be ready for a lot of headache when you book a hotel with them and things don't go well.

I used Hotwire to book a motel in the Jacksonville area. First of all, they gave me a room with bed bugs and flea. I had trouble all night and the next day, I upgraded to a 3-star motel and I was ripped off again. Room wasn't at the standard and I had to pay extra out of my pocket to the motel to get a room with fridge and a microwave. I booked the room for a week and now due to work reason, I have to check out from the motel in just 3 days and they said they won't give refund for unused portion of the stay.

I booked a 4-star hotel in St. Paul, MN for only $78 per night. After I paid, I got the Sheraton which is normally priced at $130 per night. I was pretty happy with my savings. I did, however, call to inquire about booking another room at the same hotel. I spoke to Janie, who didn't seem to understand what I was telling her. She kept pushing a whole new reservation, of which I wouldn't know the hotel, and was high pressuring me into giving my credit card number ensuring me that it would probably be the same hotel but wouldn't know until after booking. I asked to speak with someone else that spoke better English. I was put on hold without being told if I was going to actually be transferred or not.

I booked a 3-star hotel in Milan for 2 nights. The rate was $322 a night. When we got there, the hotel was small and clean but in no way warranted a $322 a night rate. We then visited a friend who stayed at a much nicer 3 star hotel and she paid $99 a night. Completely overrated and in no way justified. Since the fare was non-refundable, we were unable to get out of it. This was a total scam.

I had booked a 3-star hotel through Hotwire for 4 nights, but I had to leave after one night because of horrible room situation. They never gave my money back. Since I prepaid, they decided to keep my money. First of all, they didn't book me to a real hotel. They booked a cabin for me at an 80-year-old cruise ship that doesn't move and they call it a hotel. So once I got there, they booked me in a tiny cabin with single size bed. There was no desk and no table; my phone didn't work, and I had to pay for internet. The room was really hot once I got there, and it took until 4:00 am in the morning for the room to cool down enough for me to be able to sleep. They had a tiny hole in the wall to get the cold air in since there was no a/c.

I booked a 4 star hotel in Chicago with Hotwire.com's 'Hot Deals' promotion. Once the hotel name was revealed, immediately after booking, I looked up the hotel and saw the hotel has a room called a "Petite", which set off all alarms in my head. I called the hotel and they confirmed that the room booked for two was a petite, which on the hotel's website is advertised as "ideal for one person". I immediately called Hotwire and stated my case of having two people in the petite would not work for us. I was placed on hold and then disconnected.

I am writing to complain about a reservation for hotels I had made with Hotwire. I reserved an unknown hotel in La Jolla, CA for April 18, 2013. I confirmed my reservation at a good price. I called back to extend my trip and gave my reservation ID number and spoke with an agent in Manila, Philippines. I was told he could extend this same reservation. The reason I was specific was I gave a zipcode that I had to be in and in walking distance of as the hotel, same hotel I booked. I explained we walked on the Sabbath and a far distance as possible. We were spending a Sabbath in La Jolla and we needed to be near a synagogue. I held for 25 minutes and spoke to a representative.

Hotwire advertises in the Entertainment book with a coupon that must accompany a form. My form was filled out and submitted with the original coupon immediately following my stay. The coupon was the only reason for me using Hotwire. I followed up and Hotwire stated that it would take 6-8 weeks to process. After following up again, Hotwire informed me that they were backlogged because of the holidays. After following up again, Hotwire informed me that they didn't have my paperwork and to resubmit. After resubmitting and following up again, Hotwire informed me that they need the original coupon but to send a letter explaining that the original coupon was lost by Hotwire. After following up again, Hotwire informed me that I submitted my paperwork too late. I rebutted with follow the email string of dates. Still no resolution after six months. I recommend using any other travel discounter. I will NEVER use Hotwire and will always direct people here to read the truthful reviews of bad service!

I tried to reserve a hotel reservation for our upcoming family vacation for April 27-May 1, 2013 to Universal Studio-Los Angeles. I was able to go to the whole process of trying to reserve the room but after I put my husband's credit card info and was waiting for the confirmation and the hotel name, I got an error code 435. It states, "We are unable to authorize this request. Your credit card had not been charged." I thought it had something to do with our computer and iPads, so I did the request again but still got the error code. Out of curiosity, I checked my husband's online banking and now I have hold for the hotel that Hotwire was unable to authorize even though they said that my credit card will not be charged. I spoke to a Mary, Hotwire rep, and was given a risk management phone number 415-343-8808. Of course, it was a recording and the only thing I could do was leave a message. I also emailed Hotwire. I own my own business and this is just unethical in Hotwire's part.

Their customer service for end users is definitely in need of an upgrade. I understand their hot deals are purchased with no refunds and they unveil the airlines and flights after you purchase. It's a gamble. However, I recently booked a hot deal through them, and before clicking to purchase, there was a "?" mark next to the price they were quoting. When I clicked the "?" mark, it states: “You'll see your exact flight times, number of stops, an airline immediately, once you've booked your reservations. Your flight times are chosen for you, within the time period specified. This is a confirmed ticket and you will not be flying standby.”

I'd like to make fellow consumers aware of false advertising by Hotwire.com, Hotwire, 655 Montgomery St Ste 600, San Francisco CA 94111-2627. Often discount websites for hotels may allow for reduced rate. However, I had the experience with Hotwire that this reduced rate was grossly exaggerated and feel that fellow travelers should be made aware. When I booked, I thought I was getting a fantastic rate ($158) on a hotel that was listed on the site as originally $289, a more than $100 savings per night. I booked the hotel and discovered that it was a Hyatt. When browsing Hyatt's website directly, I noted the room (+ free breakfast not offered through Hotwire) was only $170. This is merely a $12 savings rather than the more than $100 savings. In light of the free breakfast and room type guarantee, I would have booked directly with the hotel. I called Hotwire to inquire about their advertising of the room at originally $289 and requested a refund of the 2 rooms I had booked for 3 nights. They did not issue me a refund.

The car rental dates not what I entered into the computer. I wanted a rental and put in dates and times that corresponded with my air travel. I did not realize that what actually was booked and paid for ended up being for two days noon to noon the following day. I saved confirmation without looking closely at it since what I requested was what showed up on the screen prior to hitting the final purchase. I wonder if Hotwire gets all the money and the supposed car rental company, Alamo, got nothing.

Hotwire showed a 5-star hotel for $70 in Las Vegas. Great deal. But once we booked it for three days, it had $122 in taxes and fees, then after we found out what hotel it was, it said the hotel will also add on resort fees. Actual cost of hotel per night of $139 doubled of what Hotwire said. If they would have said $111 per night (plus this hotel does have resort fees), it would have been more to the truth. Hiding costs does not make me want to use them anymore. This happened before last year also. We were stupid enough to do it again. If they would have said $70 x 3 plus $122 taxes which is on all hotels, it would have helped.

I booked a trip through HotWire.Com for the Homestead Inn in Austin, TX on August 21, 2012. In preparation for a possible cancellation, I also purchased travelers insurance through Allianz Travel Insurance during the same purchase. I was not able to make my trip that day due to the poor customer service that I received from Cowboys Cab & Rangers Cab Company whom I wrote about to the Better Business Bureau. I recently found out that my grandfather has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. And even though he was not diagnosed on the day of my trip, it did have a factor in my travel. I spoke to several representatives with HotWire that day and was directed to Allianz to file a claim. However, because my situation was deemed a non-emergency, I have been denied a refund. I also spoke to HotWire and Allianz representatives again on August 27, 2012, including a Len stationed in Oregon and a supervisor by the name of Miguel who works with HotWire and a Sandy stationed in Virginia working with Allianz. I even spoke to a Joe with Claims Assistance for Wells Fargo whom I bank with. I was told that even with documentation to show that he is indeed ill, because he was not diagnosed on August 21, my claim does not matter. This is a strenuous time for me and my family. I simply just want my money back.

Hotwire refuses to return my money and doesn't want to give me credit for the purchase done. I had a reservation for a baseball game, and the coach canceled on me. I am a single mom and can't afford for you to steal my money. Please return my funds or give credit.

Hotwire.com gave us a hotel well-known for its bedbug population. We're now apparently locked into paying nearly $400 for 4 nights at a Kill Devil Hills, NC hotel that we will not sleep in. We're having to cancel our entire vacation now which was to have been my wife's Mother's Day gift. Thanks, Hotwire.com!

It was the first time that I booked with Hotwire.com. I've heard radio advertisements of the great deals that people receive on rooms so when I saw their "Hot Deals" offer for a 3 Star room at a great savings off of the rack rate, I figured it was ok to let them pick the hotel. After all, it will be a 3 Star place at a hot deal room rate.

I booked the Hot Rate hotel which marked "University of Minnesota" area on the face. So I booked it step by step. And then, they sent me the hotel information which indicates that the hotel is nowhere near UMN, and there is no bus that can take me from UMN to that hotel. I called up the customer service, and they said it was completely my fault not to do further research on the map coverage. And it was also my fault that I chose to get the cheap hotel. The lady has a really bad attitude and made me realize that that's how they usually trick customers--trick the ones who do not know about the area, trick them with lower price, and say "It's completely your fault"!

I made reservations for a hotel out of state to attend a competition. I was bumped from the roster before the competition so I had to cancel. I assumed incorrectly that the $8 travel insurance that I purchased was in case I had to change plans and couldn't travel. My fault. I should have read into the deal. I'm out US$86 for the room, and $8 that I paid to Hotwire's affiliate, Allianz Criminal Global Thiefdom. It is my position that they created the menu in Hotwire so when people like me who are in a hurry are booking, they unknowingly purchase the $8 policy and are trapped into the deal. Shame on me for not being on guard.

On Saturday, February 24th, I booked a vacation package as advertised by Hotwire. This vacation package was supposed to include roundtrip flight, car and hotel. Since this is a special sale package, the hotel, car and flight information is not disclosed until after the package is booked. In addition, it was clear to me that I will not get a refund or be allowed to make any changes once booked. However, after paying my money I noticed that the package booked did not include my roundtrip flight. So, I called Hotwire to ask if I can add a roundtrip flight to my package considering that there was a miscommunication in their advertisement that led me to believe that this was a full package. Unfortunately, I am not being accommodated and being told that I have to book my flight separately, which will cost me close to or about the same as what I would be paying if I had the full package that include hotel and car.

Hotwire provides misleading and deceptive information at its website regarding hotel rating. It sold me a low-star hotel for a high-star price based on "their own review data". Its price was actually higher than it was listed at Expedia.com (which shows as a low star hotel!). Even in their own rating guidance, the chain hotel was listed as low start. I called customer service. I was told for this specific hotel of the chain, it is worth high star. Such a deceptive and misleading practice should be warned, given consumers can not access to or understand what Hotwire Review Data is. They can claim whatever the hotel rating is without following the practices of other websites. I will never use Hotwire!

Rented SUV through Hotwire for 01/30/2012 until 02/14/2012. $791.85 comes out of my account. My employer changed my work dates to 02/02/2012 - 02/15/2012. I called both Hotwire and Budget and was not allowed any credit on the car even for the 13 days I had already paid for on 02/02/2012. I would have paid for the extra day 15th. It was beyond my control that my schedule was changed and I was three days late getting to my job in CA from TX. I rent an SUV 17 days a month and now I rent from Hertz.

I purchased an airline ticket from hotwire.com because they guarantee confirmed seats for every ticket sale. I received a standby ticket at my time of check-in. I was bumped to the next flight and not allowed to board my flight and had to wait almost 7 hours in the Atlanta Airport. I contacted the company about this and did not receive any help, so I filed a BBB complaint. The company refused to refund my ticket cost. I disputed the charge with Discover card, and unfortunately Discover says all sales are final with Hotwire. They can not be allowed to blatantly lie to the public like this. This company is out of control and a simple review of this site shows numerous complaints against Hotwire for their business practices. Please help the consumers!

I booked a trip (for $15,000) and tried several times to get customer service to please do one simple task for me, change my seating arrangement (I have Parkinson's disease and need to be on an aisle seat with my husband to my left or right, depending on which side of the plane I am on). I asked customer service at Hotwire to please put me in an aisle seat and to please upgrade me to the seats where a person had the extra inches of legroom (and I knew I had to pay for it as I had paid for it before). This was an overseas non-stop flight and I have always gotten the extra legroom before. The lady at customer service told me there was no such thing as extra leg room and I would have to talk to the airline.

They have the worst customer service ever. I rented a car through Hotwire for a family vacation. I put the car under my husband's name. When we got to the counter to pick up the car, my husband had forgotten his driver's license. The Budget agent said that I would have to contact Hotwire since we were making a change to the contract. Hotwire told me that “I should have read the fine print and it was my own fault that we were out the $189 bucks”. However, if I wanted to rent another car from them, they would be happy to help. I asked to speak with another supervisor. I was told, "Sorry, they will tell you the same thing.”

I am writing to complain about the above reference booking. I made the booking approximately 15 minutes before arriving at the hotel. When I arrived at the hotel, I was told by the guest clerk that no reservation for me was found. When I told him that I had booked the room through Hotwire, he told me that it usually took about an hour and a half for them to receive a confirmation from Hotwire. I told him that I had the confirmation on my computer and offered to show him the confirmation. He said that wouldn't do any good and that he had to have the confirmation directly from you.

I called to modify a return trip and was told that the regular Customer Service could not assist. I was informed that there is a special group that manages air flight changes due to an emergency surgery for my daughter. I was told that there was no direct number to contact them. Additionally, I was told that I would be contacted within 2-3 days from the initial point of contact. Also, I was not asked nor given a specific time that they would contact me.

I booked a hotel stay with Hotwire and within 24 hrs upon returning to work being a newly promoted supervisor, I was informed the weekend (Oct.2009) had been taken from until December. I called Hotwire, informed them of the issue and was even willing to receive half of the payment if they could not book the hotel for me in Dec.2009. Hotwire stated they could not do either, so I went to Rushcard to assist with the issue and they sided with Hotwire.

For over a year now, either I can't make outgoing calls or people get busy signals when calling me or both. I call them an average of once a week. It will be okay for a week or so.

On my family’s vacation to Orlando, I purchased transportation for airport to hotel roundtrip. Upon arrival to Orlando airport, I tried to use the travel vouchers I purchased in my Hotwire package. The Mears transportation people told me that the vouchers are from Disney to hotel only. I purchased from airport to hotel because the hotel I was staying at was a Disney hotel and it provided transportation to all the Disney parks for free. So I paid a taxi of $55.00 to hotel and $55.00 from hotel to airport. So now, I have paid for transportation twice. Upon getting home, I contacted Hotwire to see about refund and they would not honor my voucher refund.

I booked a rental car on line with Hotwire on 16 June 10 using my MasterCard for $742.63 that morning. That same afternoon on 16 June 10, I tried to use my MasterCard to purchase some item for $42.00. The sale was denied due to account being over the limit. I called my bank and was told that there were two Hotwire charges for $742.63. There should have been only one charge. So I called Hotwire and was told that there was a problem with their system and that customers were being double charged and that they should soon have it corrected. I sent Hotwire a email 6/17/10 and advised them to credit my account, the 742.63. I did not get a response.

I attempted to book a vacation package on hotwire.com and was told many different things by many different people. Initially, I tried to book using two credit cards and the operator could not get the address correct after spelling it multiple times. So, the card was denied due to the multiple requests. I then attempted to pay for it using my debit card, but it did not go through. I increased my maximum daily purchase amount, but again it didn't go through.

I made reservations on 6/14 at 4:02 pm and this morning 6/15, I needed to cancel my flight and car reservations within a 24hr period. I was told it was valid contract and they could not give me a refund. I asked to speak with a supervisor and basically had to give a compelling reason for the cancellations even though it was within 24 hrs. The supervisor put me on hold and came back to tell me that they would refund the airline tickets and when canceling the car rental, he told me that he could not complete it without further documentation. I said there was a death in the family. Now I found out that you can cancel the car at any time unless it is that day.

I booked a room on Hotwire for a 4-star hotel. I got a 3-star room in a location that was not on my itinerary and it was almost two miles from the location as promised on my confirmation itinerary. I booked two rooms, one for me and my wife and another for my in-laws. We took a taxi to the location only to discover that we were not checking in at that location.

I moved to this condo on Dec 1, 2009. I had HotWire hook up my internet and cable TV service at that time. They are the only choice I have for internet and cable TV here. When the technician was showing me how to use the cable box, I noticed that I was receiving channels that weren't in the package that I ordered, so I told him. He mad a phone call and they took them off immediately. Well, later I noticed that I wasn't getting 2 HD channels that I should be getting (one of them my most watched channel). I also noticed that every channel was having bad pixelation problems at different times.

Hotwire website offers a fixed price for a hotel, but you don't learn the name of the hotel until you have paid with your credit card. I took an offer of $66 for a 4.5-star hotel west of Las Vegas. As soon as I paid for the hotel, I was told the name of the hotel - Red Rock Resort. The message was "Congratulations. You've saved 32%." Then it says there will be a $25 per night "resort fee" to be paid to the hotel upon arrival. I would never have booked a hotel way out of the city for $66 if I'd known I would be hit with an extra $25 in charges. This was a fraudulent, bait and switch tactic. I didn't "save" 32%; I was hit with an extra 40% charge.

Hotwire has shown the same fares for a round-trip flight from Philadelphia, PA to Orange County, CA for over a week. None of the flights are available and haven't been for the last week (July 20-28) at the lowest rates. They have emailed me that rates have dropped within this same time period. Sometimes their site will indicate the rates have gone up by $50 or the flight is full, but they are not updating the info. I have called 3 times and emailed them, but the old low rates are still advertised on their website. Any recourse they promise is not done. This is false advertising. Orbitz, Expedia, and Priceline also do this but I did not contact them.

A confirmation email was received on 7/05/09 for a car rental in San Juan, Puerto Rico at Dollar car rental at $26.49 a day for four days from 7/11/09 to 7/15/09. Upon arrival on 7/11/09 at San Juan Dollar rental office, the rate was changed to $26.49 a day for the first two days and $32.99 a day for the third and fourth days. The Hotwire representative Laurie and the Dollar rental representative Madeline stated they were unable to change the terms even if I had in my possession a confirmation email with the $26.49 a day price, which was presented to the Dollar car rental representative Laurie.

Hotwire violated their own ranking policy and rated a hotel a 3-star based on the hotel ranking of itself. Priceline, Yahoo, and Expedia all ranked lower than a 3. The policy is to take an average, but when most rankings are 2s and the highest is 3, the average cannot be 3. Customer service after 45 minutes told me that they had cancelled the reservation. But 3 days later, the credit card had not been refunded. A second call resulted in an admission that the reservation had been cancelled, but they would have to refer it for research before refunding money from a cancellation. I understand the no refund policy, which is fine as long as the quality of hotel is what is advertised. This is a bait and switch scam. The chain itself is listed by Hotwire as an example of a typical 2-star property. Although not all chain hotels earn the same rating, this is clearly not a 3-star in terms of facilities, safety and location, which was only on the fringe of the advertised area.

I booked a hotel through Hotwire.com. The hotel was listed as a 3 star hotel. When we arrived at the hotel to check in, my mother, my son and myself were registered as guests. They put us in the old hotel location which is not even a 2 star hotel. They put three adults in a room with a single bed. The TV was so dark that we could not even see the picture. No one in the hotel would do anything because of the contract they have with Hotwire. The contract from Hotwire states that no changes would be made at all. So we are stuck in this old, dirty hotel for 3 days with a single bed and an old lumpy roll away bed and no TV that we can see. If you book through Hotwire.com, I recommend that you inquire as to the specific details before agreeing to any booking.

I reserved a car with Hotwire.com on 4/9/2009 for use from 4/17 to 4/20. On 4/11, we decided we would not take this trip and I called Hotwire to cancel. I was advised that they had a no cancellation policy. I was told this policy was on the agreement, which I later found after I had entered all information on the website, including my card number. This is a totally deceptive situation. No one should have to pay for something they cancelled at least 24 hours before the reservation day, unless it is a special made product. What ever happened to fairness?