Hotwire Reviews
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About Hotwire
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Hotwire is a travel and vacation website that offers deeply discounted deals on hotels, car rentals, flights and more. With Hotwire, you can book deals directly from the site or through the company’s app.
- Deals in many categories
- Easy to book online or with app
- Significantly discounted rates
- No cancellations
- Doesn’t show hotel name until booked
Hotwire Reviews
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Reviewed Aug. 6, 2016
Well I wanted to give my sister a great time for her 24th birthday July 10th. I booked through Hotwire in hopes of making things great for us at an affordable price. I purposely paid 326.00 for a double queen or suite. When I arrived they only had me for a queen. I had myself, my sister, and my boyfriend. That was unacceptable. I was not accommodated for the amount of people in the room. I called Hotwire for them to fix it.
The only options they had were to recharge my card for another hotel but my money I had already spent wouldn’t be reimbursed until the following week which meant I would be out of almost seven hundred dollars for my trip. I was very upset and dissatisfied with that option. The second option was to pay 50 more dollars for an upgraded room. I was not happy with that as well but I was forced too to sleep comfortably. It is now August sixth and I’m still arguing with them for my fifty dollar refund. I will never deal with this type of fraudulent people ever again.
Reviewed Aug. 6, 2016
I had purchased a ticket for my father and mother who are traveling to Mexico. I clearly remember wanting the 7th of August and I remember because I was booking 2 different flights and my wife helped me. Well I never received an email with confirmation. I thought no Biggie it should come in later or maybe tomorrow! I work long hours and so didn't have time to wait on the phone to call and have someone assist me. So I finally called in to confirm my booking and find out my date were switched to the 8th!!! Very disappointed.
On top of that wanted to charge me almost $500 to switch my date back!!! Why the hell did they switch it in the first place!!! Now I have a unrefundable ticket and had to purchase another one because it was cheaper to purchase another one than to get my date changed (no I didn't pushes to them). They clamp that I lurched the 8th. NO I DID NOT! But it's OK I am not going to waste my time with a company who said they didn't care if I didn't purchase through them again. Never will I make this mistake again in purchasing through Hotwire! Expedia works with you and has it cheaper.
Reviewed Aug. 3, 2016
We booked a hotel for our anniversary that was labelled 'boutique' with 4.5 out of 5 stars. It was a 'secret' hotel released only after paying. Turned out to be the 'Radisson Blu' - a remodeled downtown chain hotel, not 'boutique' in any meaningful sense. When we checked in we found the biggest dust kitty I've ever seen and the room reeked of disinfectant. The agent at the counter offered an 'upgrade' but the larger room smelled of stale cigarettes and chemicals. We left the hotel and went home. About $160 with tax gone. I emailed customer 'support' and after brief conversations with two agents who were unable to help and about 40 minutes on hold, Hotwire hung up the call. Their claim about the hotel was false - it was not 'boutique'. The hotel was below standard. Their 'customer service' is anything but. We, obviously, never use them again.
Reviewed Aug. 2, 2016
Reserved online for Microtel in Buda, TX. Went smoothly, no problem checking in. However, later I saw Hotwire charge was $114 while the hotel receipt showed $94. I called Hotwire and they graciously refunded the difference with no hassle.
Reviewed Aug. 1, 2016
We booked our flights with Hotwire because they offered the lowest price; I had always used Expedia in the past with not one complaint. Yesterday our flight was cancelled due to weather. When I called from the airport to 'file a claim' I was told by a representative of Allianz (don't know if this is for real as I have not checked them out yet) they had no record of our insurance, Hotwire Itinerary number, name. Then he told me he could only find it with the CC number that had been used to pay. Even after hesitating because I felt uncomfortable with the request, I gave him everything including the security code. Arghh. This morning I got on Hotwire to retrieve the itinerary and check the Insurance; it's gone. After checking it several times after purchase I know it was there. NEVER USE HOTWIRE - GO TO EXPEDIA!
Reviewed Aug. 1, 2016
I had to get to Troy Montana on a family emergency. I used HOTWIRE because I have never traveled before. From the beginning it was a terrible experience. The flight to was late to meet next flight out. It caused them to have to put us on a flight 10 hours out! Stuck in Denver for 10 hours and day of family situation missed. Due to the flight time the rental car wasn't available. We were outsourced for the car and not refunded yet to this point. Required a larger car due to being in mountains and got a tiny compact car. Horrible. Didn't even hardly hold our things.
On the flight out we were going to be extremely rushed to barely make it on time. I told the agent ** that I would like to see if we could switch flight to tomorrow so I did not have to be in that kind of rush somewhere I'm unfamiliar with. She said that would be fine, give her a minute to see what she could do. She left me on hold for 4t min. I quit rushing causing me to in the end miss my flight and then she telling me that since I missed I cannot use the insurance I bought even though again it was their fault. Absolute nightmare and horrible customer service as well as horrible service as well as horrible at honoring their plans.
Reviewed July 31, 2016
I bought a hotel in Hotwire discount rate. When I finished the purchase (that is "blind" until you put your credit card number), I had a Huge surprise of payment almost twice of the price that was showing in the booking.com. I didn't like the hotel (was far from my expectations) and also pay a lot more!! I tried to refund the difference but didn't have an answer it. I am writing to express my terrible experience in Hotwire. I Hope that Hotwire could respect the customers more and solve my issue. Please refund me or cancel the trip as soon as possible.
Reviewed July 31, 2016
I booked a hotel in LA through Hotwire for 2 nights on 7/27/16. After I paid in full, an email confirmation about my booking was sent to me which stated that it was guaranteed for late check in and no reconfirmation is needed. On the night of our arrival, I found out that there's no reservation made under my name in the said hotel and they were fully booked that night. I called Hotwire customer support and a female staff told me that she will call the hotel.
After been hold for several minutes on the phone, she finally get back to me and told me that a booking problem occurred due to a system error. She never admitted that it was a Hotwire system fault. I told her to find an alternative hotel for me and my family since it was already 11:00 pm. She assured me that she will find a hotel nearby and it won't take long, I was placed on hold again until another customer support staff pick up the other line and asked me how she can help me. I told her that her coworker is already dealing with me and I was just asked to wait. She told me that there's no record/report that somebody is dealing with me at that moment and to better assist me, I need to give her my itinerary number and other details. I went through the same process again and was placed on hold until another staff pick up again the other line.
I told her the same thing so she put me back on hold until the line got disconnected without hearing back from those staff dealing with my problem. They never called me back in spite of asking my telephone number at the start of our conversations so they can call me in case I got disconnected. I called Hotwire again to ask for a refund this time as I know that they are not taking this issue seriously. The customer support staff told me that she will need to call the hotel to ask if a refund can be issued since there's no record of my previous calls made prior to her so she has no idea if there's a booking problem.
After been held for several minutes again, she told me to wait for 5 business days for my refund and she will write a report about this issue. Hotwire gave me so much stress, made us stayed in the streets while we're inside our car calling different hotels that can accommodate us. We ended up in a pricey hotel in Torrance, CA which is far from the amusements parks we visited since all the hotels in LA which I inquired were all fully booked. It was almost 0100 am when we finally reach a place where we can rest/sleep that night. Hotwire is suppose to make a vacation stress free for travelers instead of causing trouble and ruining one's vacation.
Reviewed July 31, 2016
Got a hotel on hotwire.com. Will never use them again. 1st I told the lady on the phone I want a hotel as close to the park I was bringing my family to. She sent us almost 45 mins in traffic out of the way. Also when we get to the hotel room I go to sit on the bed and one side of the bed flips completely over and I fall on the floor. Not cool. Understand that it's not Hotwire's fault for the bed issue but now I have been on the phone with hotwire for over 2 hours and not one person can speak the english language or how to spell. So here I am being transferred to the 5th person. Not a happy person right now...
Reviewed July 28, 2016
I had booked a hotel on Hotwire.com for 4 nights in Vancouver. Hotwire claimed that I was going to get 4 star hotel at 30% discount. Within 30 min of booking I checked hotel I was to stay in. It was 3 star hotel. Also I was charged $500 more if I had booked direct with hotel. I spoke to 3 customer service representatives -- very rude and not at all helpful. I would not recommended to any who are planning to book holidays. Also trip insurance is a scam. They offered me $16 Hotwire credit.
Reviewed July 26, 2016
Worst place ever. Hotel fell under 3 star hotel and was nothing close to it. Rooms smelled. Tub nasty. Drug addicts walking around. I walked in then walked back out. Called Hotwire back and was hung up on, waited on hold about 40 minutes & transferred 3 times. Will never use them again. All reviews are online.
Reviewed July 26, 2016
I had one of worst experiences with Hotwire. I travel a lot and I have used many different website to find the best deal on hotels and everything. I just a book a hotel and just finished with the customer service. When you book a hotel through Hotwire, they don't show you what exact hotel you are booking. It shows different options like Red Roof, or Days Inn etc. And you will never see what hotel you are going to stay until after you pay. And then I found out that the hotel that I got was a hostel that you wouldn't expect by the optional hotels that they promote.
I told them this is way different than what I expected and wanted to cancel. Yup! They don't cancel or change or anything for you. Just curious why they run customer service department when there is nothing they do for their customers. I complained from my frustration and the guy on the other side was very rude and hung up on me while I was still talking. And he never called back. I don't feel it's worth it to argue with them and just move on. I am very disappoint how they treat their customers. And their deals are not even better than other websites, actually it's worse. I found the same hostel in hotels.com and they had a better deal. So as a customer, I highly encourage you to stay away from them. No wonder why I've found so many bad reviews on this website. NEVER AGAIN HOTWIRE!
Reviewed July 25, 2016
They do not let you know that you cannot cancel the reservation, while booking. DTPA. I added a day and was told I would not have to return the car and pick up another one. A lie. NOW I am under call review. It is like talking to a script. Could of had a customer for life by just adding a day to a reservation. Also person lied. Said no manager available as well as transferred to Avis and a different car rental.
Reviewed July 25, 2016
I booked my honeymoon to Florida, unfortunately I broke my ankle so couldn't fly there. I called to cancel the flights and accommodation. A week later after no contact I called back to discover that they only canceled the flights. Due to this I lost my money as it hadn't been cancelled early enough (even though I called them on time to cancel). I have spent hours and made numerous phone calls to them. They still haven't sent me the information I need to give to my holiday insurance company! Basically they have stolen €4000 from me, poor company, please avoid!
Reviewed July 23, 2016
Simple story. I booked a hotel through Hotwire. Never rec'd a confirmation email. Called them and was told my hotel was "confirmed" and there was no need to reconfirm. Arrived at the hotel. They had NO RESERVATION AND NO ROOMS AVAILABLE FOR THE EVENING. Called HOTWIRE from the hotel front desk. Hotwire reconfirmed that I had a reservation until we actually got a person on the phone. 3 phone calls later they admitted to but could not explain their error.
The problem is that I called them a total of 5 times before they even would acknowledge that they had made a mistake. But of course they never contacted me because as it turned out, THEY KNEW THEY HAD MADE A MISTAKE... but must have figured they could keep the money anyway. I have no idea how they make these decisions but they really suck on the customer relations front. They finally refunded the money and I was fine but had it not been for the hotel itself allowing me and my son to stay in an out of service room, we would have been sleeping on the streets as there were zero rooms available in the Boston area that week.
Reviewed July 20, 2016
I went for my trip, and returned the car as arranged. Everything was perfect.
I was very surprised to notice that I was charged per mileage instead of “unlimited mileage” as written on my contract. I was supposed to pay $59/day. Not only Budget charged me $59/day, they also charged me for every mileage I used. I ended up paying around $300.00 more of what I was supposed to. I showed my contract to the Budget personnel, she reviewed it and confirmed my claim is right; unfortunately, she couldn’t decide on the case. She called the corporate to present the situation.
The Corporate said it is not their fault, but up to Hotwire to reimburse because their advertisement is not right. I contacted Hotwire by email and phone. It is very difficult to have someone over the phone if you have a claim. However, if you want a new booking, you get someone immediately. Finally, they answered my email, requested some proofs like my credit card statement, my receipt; we had several email exchanges. After I sent everything they requested, I never heard from them again. I finally got someone over the phone some days ago. I gave the person my claim number, and he couldn’t find it. Disappear!!! Surprising!! The person talked me he will reopen the case and I should receive an email shortly. The email never came to me. Hotwire people are really not serious with their business. I do not recommend renting anything from them. To all my friends I have talked about Hotwire, please forget about it. Hotwire is a liar!!! Thief!!!
Reviewed July 19, 2016
Trying to get a good deal for a flight from Saskatoon Canada to Winnipeg. Also in Canada, when you go to book Hotwire has the lowest price only after you book. Then they tell you all prices are in US dollars. That little trick cost me a extra 40 dollars. Will never use them in the future. What a scam...
Reviewed July 19, 2016
I booked with Hotwire and was told the hotel would be a 3-star hotel and it was not. When I checked in the check-in counter was surrounded with plexiglass. The room was suppose to be a smoke-free room and it stunk like a dirty ashtray and there were cigarette burn marks everywhere. When I went to get my bag from my car there were prostitutes standing in front of the hotel. This hotel is a dump and that is being nice.
Reviewed July 19, 2016
When booking through Hotwire, I was booking rooms for 2 families. One family of 1 adult and 1 child. The other with 2 teenagers and 2 adults. When booking the 2 rooms, I tried to choose that there were 3 adults and 3 children and it would say it was too many per room (even though I had already indicated 2 rooms). So I assumed it was asking "per room" amounts and I just left it at 2 adults and 2 children. We arrived at a booked hotel to have only rooms with 1 king size bed. They brought 2 rollaways - one for each room. So our 6' tall family, slept one child on a rollaway and the other 3 slept in the king size bed.
Hotwire said I only indicated 4 people total for the 2 room. What a waste of money and an exhausting experience. The post-booking department basically said I had booked it wrong. I explained that it would not let me specify more people without telling me there were too many per room and he said it just didn't work that way. Not shocked that I got no response.
Reviewed July 18, 2016
On 7/9/16 I tried to rent a car through Hotwire. Unfortunately I should have remembered that last time I could not use my debit card with them. So a friend used his and it took him a month to get a refund. But on 7/9 my rental did not go through. I called customer service and actually got someone that spoke english and was told that my money would be refunded in 3-5 days. On 7/14 I called HOTWIRE and talked to 2 customer service reps and a supervisor. They could not find my record of my rental. Even though it was found on 7-9. Could barely understand them and was asked if I was sure if it was Hotwire. It was the worst customer service ever. Needless to say they could not find my records so I had to call my bank to fight to get my money back. Hotwire is a company I will NEVER use nor would I ever recommend them. They are quick to take your money but play games when you try to get it back. And the customer service stinks.
Reviewed July 18, 2016
I booked through Hotwire many times without problems until 6/15/16. Reservation went through for a 3-star hotel. Charged my daughter's credit card 131.71. I then proceeded to contact the hotel to see about a possible late checkout. The phone number was a non-working number. I called Hotwire to have the number verified and she also said it was a non-working phone number and she would have to transfer me. I held over 32 minutes. Hung up and tried Hotwire back only to be told wait times were 30 minutes but if I left my number the first agent would call me back. Well they did but no live agent, holding again this time for 18 minutes. Repeated this, and the same no live agent, hold for 17 minutes. Frustration kept building. I decided to do some research and found out the hotel was CLOSED PERMANENTLY.
Took to FB and they seemed to care less than the bogus recordings you listen to while on hold. I wound up having to pay for a hotel for my daughter in the amount of 250.00 in addition to what Hotwire charged her of 131.71. Needless to say we have not been able to receive a refund from Hotwire and the stress of this situation would never allow me to book with them again. One bad experience is all it takes and I travel using Hotwire 6-8 times a year. I always was satisfied with their service. However, I could not put my young daughter, traveling by herself in harms ways and had to act. I feel ashamed that I put myself and my daughter through an already stressful situation but in my opinion Hotwire committed fraud selling rooms at a hotel that is not opened and the reviews I was able to find on this particular certainly would never have been a 3-star.
Reviewed July 18, 2016
Called Hotwire because I wanted to book a hotel room in KC, but needed an accessible room and didn't know if that was possible to get. The customer representative told me the particular hotel I was looking at online had no accessible rooms, but she could find me one (remember, I could see no information). I told to go ahead with the booking, reminding her again of the accessible room, and also stating I needed the cancel insurance because of my MS. She stated "I had booked a hotel, the price, and the location", and I said "Does it include the insurance," and she said no. She had forgot (BIG SCAM!!). I asked again about the accessible room, and she it was accessible.
Feeling uneasy, I called the motel directly, and NO accessible room. Tried calling customer service, couldn't find my itinerary #, put me on hold for 20 minutes, and I was cut off! I called back. This time was told he could not help me, supposedly connected me to the dispute line, where they never answered. After 20 minutes, I hung up!! Foreign call center, will never use again!!
Reviewed July 17, 2016
Tried to book a reservation for a hotel with Hotwire. When I submitted my credit card information, the wrong date and the wrong number of rooms were booked. I called customer support number for Hotwire. Over 2 hours total I was placed on hold. The customer support personnel could barely speak the english language. They could not repair my hotel booking. They said, "All reservations for this hotel were no refundable and no cancellations". Will NEVER book through triage or Hotwire ever again. Horrible experience. Horrible customer service!
Reviewed July 17, 2016
It was a last minute booking and normally I always use Booking.com but this time I wanted to try something new. What a mistake! Hotel booked, received confirmation and hotel details. At the hotel first I had to deal with head shaking receptionist. They had to re-confirm if room is available. I asked them about the additional costs and details and they were not able to tell me. I should ask Expedia they say??? But yes, I booked on Hotwire and that's not what they saw. Trying to reach Hotwire since days...no answer. When I checked out I asked for the invoice and they say "No, it private" and I should ask Hotwire (which of course does not response). I will never use their services again.
Reviewed July 16, 2016
I have made hotel reservation in Atlanta with Hotwire. I have made reservation for 4 adult with 2 bed. When I reach to hotel, I came to know that Hotwire made wrong reservation and they have booked cheap room which has only 1 bed where we cannot accommodate. I struggle a lot to get another room. I called Hotwire customer care but they are not able to help as they don't have any power or any authority. I spend at front desk for 2 hours and keep on talking on phone with Hotwire customer care. In the last they said, "you book another room and whatever is the fare difference we will pay you."
After 2 days I sent credit card stmt and hotel booking receipt for reimbursement. I didn't get any response from Hotwire for 15 days. I called them so many times and every time they are not able to help. After 1 month I again call and spoke to manager (so called). After that they ask me to submit documents again. I submitted that again. I called them again, take followup on emails but no response. It's been almost 2 months and they are not able to help. Because of their mistake, me and my family face a lots of trouble and pay too much extra. I feel like very poor customer support. I am not planning to make any booking in future with Hotwire. Initially they saw low price offers but facts are different. Be careful.
Reviewed July 14, 2016
I tried to change a booking and they completely messed everything up. I'm so upset that I decided to use Hotwire to book my tickets. I finally got on the phone with a supervisor after 7 calls and they said that I would have to pay to change my flight in order to fix their mistake.
Reviewed July 14, 2016
I generally stayed in hotel more than 4 stars. I specifically looked for hotels like this on hotwire. However I receive a hotel that is 3 star. Customer service is unreachable. I called them and the rep put me on hold for more than 30 minutes to load my account information. I don't understand how a person's account information can take that long to get.
Reviewed July 11, 2016
Be very careful of Hotwire online booking tactics, what has happened to me can happen to anyone and in fact I've read a few instances of nearly the identical tactic occurring to some others when booking a car rental online. I'm sure a hotel rental is no different. Here's the tactic they illegally use: I needed to book a rental car from Minneapolis airport. I filled the required online info out. The first page is the car you want (standard, full size, etc) and the second page is your credit card info. After filling this out you then hit "book". In my case, the site returned a message and said "oops the full-size car option you selected is sold out". The only option they then give you to click on is "ok" which sends you back to the main page to pick another car and re add your info. At this point I closed the site as I did not want anything less than a full size. I then went directly to another site (Alamo) and booked the full size there, done deal.
After 15 minutes I receive an email confirmation from Alamo but then receive a second confirmation from Hotwire for my full size car reservation. I can't believe this happened considering I never went fully through the Hotwire booking page and the fact the site had returned me to the main page to pick another car. So essentially after I closed the site they found me a car, booked it and charged to my CC info I had left on the site. This incomplete filling out on and then receiving the booking charge has happened to others in the identical manner.
Make matters worse when you call Hotwire, you are guaranteed to get a degenerate, lying, poorly educated and hard to understand foreigner in customer service who can offer you nothing but their policy of no refunds at all costs, or they will sling shot you through the phone chain that will get you nowhere and consume your time that will eventually outcost most of the US population's hourly rate. So you lose even more money. This is probably the worst fraud I have ever been exposed to with no recourse of action. I'm sure this company is probably a few third world hacks holed up in a basement somewhere in NYC running this business. Live and learn but just want others to be aware.
Reviewed July 10, 2016
I booked the hotel (Microtel Inn and Suites by Wyndham - Fort Worth North-Fossil Creek) via Hotwire and got confirmation. When I went to the hotel with my dad driving for more than an hour, the hotel front desk told me that do not have any rooms left and they even inform Hotwire about it. We had to make other arrangements. It was just a mess and inconvenience. Would stay away from Hotwire in future. They even did not bother to inform me on my cell # about the issue.
Reviewed July 9, 2016
Hotwire booked me at a hotel that had reviews that said the hotel was mediocre. It was just a simple 2 night business trip so no big deal, all I needed was a bed I can sleep in, nothing more. Unfortunately, that was the overstatement of the year! The hotel had to switch me rooms multiple times because of spiders and roaches. Also, the rooms were extremely dirty and the door for the entrance did not seal correctly and had gaps at least a half inch wide. On top of the situation, before I was able to even know what hotel it was I had to book it first. Then I had to book the twice because Hotwire could not verify my address according to them. They were able to easily debit the money from my bank though.
I called Hotwire multiple times and their solution to any problem or refund is to put you on hold until you hang up. They periodically keep checking with you and if you say hello they put you right back on Hold. Then after about an hour of waiting on average per call they hang up on you. Then you call back and they want to start the whole situation over again. Hotwire used to be a site that was reputable. It has now become a site that is worthless and miserable. They have no customer service relations, no way of being respectable of a person's time or concerns. This has undoubtedly become the worst company that I have ever dealt with online.
I literally just got off the phone after waiting yet another hour from a call that I had previously waited an hour before to have a situation not be resolved whatsoever. Then, because the way they have the booking set up, the hotel can do nothing for you. If there are major problems only the booking site, Hotwire.com, can do something for you. That's something that they will do is called NOTHING! Like I said, this stay was for a business trip and the only thing I needed was to be able to feel comfortable sleeping in a bed. That was nowhere near possible. I was so happy that the trip was over because I basically had insomnia from waiting for something to crawl on me. If I would have had any way of staying somewhere else I would have left. Unfortunately, I did not.
I tried to explain to Hotwire that I took video and photo and ask for an email address to send this to so that they could see for themselves. This way they could either refund or credit me for the horrible experience that was provided on their behalf. The response I got was the hold for the next hour and nobody giving me any information.
Beware this company! They are not going to do anything about a bad experience, a problem or anything at all for that matter. All they want to hear is how great your experience was. Other than that they don't want to hear anything. It definitely seems like they have guidelines for the customer service department for people that do complain. The guidelines must be make sure you do nothing for this person. I have used Hotwire many many times over the years and will never use them again. I have had problems in the past and have overlooked many things but this was the last straw. Hotwire, you should be ashamed of yourselves!!!
Reviewed July 8, 2016
I feel I was the victim of "bait-and-switch" on my Vancouver car rental. I filled in my dates, and clicked on what seemed to be a good price. However, at the conclusion it had booked 2 days instead of 5! I waited for an hour to talk to a Hotwire rep who repeated there were no changes and no refunds on my prepaid booking (not stated upfront!). I finally talked to an Alamo employee who found the Alamo number, which was not on the Hotwire booking. Alamo offered no solutions. My advice - AVOID HOTWIRE!!
Reviewed July 7, 2016
I had inadvertently reserved a car a day later than my flight, I called Hotwire to correct the error. The representative spoke very little English. For 16 minutes she told me that no change can be made. After 16 minutes, she relented and allowed me to make a change. She then quoted me $6.00 per day more than the web page quote. I was told that I was not entitled to that price because of the change. Basically a penalty for changing. After much persistence, she "refreshed" her screen, and the correct price appeared. This transaction took a total of 39 minutes, which it should not have. I will never use Hotwire ever again, nor will ever recommend them to anyone.
Reviewed July 7, 2016
The third bait-and-switch, and the last time we use Hotwire. The last three hotels including the Sawgrass Grand Hotel in Sunrise, Florida is a bait-and-switch. When booking on Hotwire, the page clearly shows the group of hotels we might have gotten - 3.5 stars: hotels similar to Hyatt, DoubleTree, Sheraton and Embassy Suites. The Sawgrass Grand Hotel is 2-stars at best. The room smelled like someone had smoked in it, even though they claimed to charge $250 if anyone did smoke in it.
I was told during the booking process that I would have to pay a $15 "resort fee" at check-in, which I accepted. The problem is it is not a resort by almost anyone's definition, and they claimed the fee was for wifi, parking and use of the pool, which according to the Hotwire description of similar properties was included. To add insult to injury, the hotel claimed to sell Starbucks coffee and used Starbucks cups for $2.50 per cup. When I questioned if it was Starbucks coffee, they admitted they did not sell Starbucks coffee, but a no-name brand. Hotwire and Sawgrass Grand (there's nothing grand about it) are unethical, misleading and betrays the public's confidence.
Reviewed July 7, 2016
To start with Hotwire service is pathetic. Since I set the tone, let me explain the horrible experience. We booked a hotel via Hotwire for July 2, 2016, with their best possible offer. Got confirmed at Econo Lodge Inn, 503 North J.K. Powell Blvd, Whiteville, NC, 28472. The email confirmation stated that we don't have to neither call the hotel nor Hotwire because it's confirmed and congratulated for taking that decision. With utmost trust on the verbiage on the email, we as a family travelled (which includes our 1-year-old daughter). After appearing at the front desk, they say we are not booked and couldn't offer any other room because it's a long weekend.
I have shown the email confirmation and still they couldn't find me. After I am not allowed to a hotel which is already confirmed, I am asked to leave and have nowhere to go in the middle of the night. I called other hotels and they are full because of July 4th long weekend. Tried to call the Hotwire customer care and waited for 1.5 hrs to get to a customer care specialist. After a long wait with my family in the car, the customer care specialist told me that he can reverse the money already debited. My only question was, "What should I do now if you cancel in the middle of the night because of your system/process issues? Should I and my family sleep in the car?" The customer care specialist said, "Take your money and go home." It sounded very arrogant.
After the arrogant answer, thought there is no point in arguing and tried to find our accommodation for that night. Since it is a long weekend, after 2 hrs of phone calls, all I could find was a cheap motel which charged me $179 for that night that to 50 miles from where I was stuck. I don't have a choice so went ahead with ahead.
So I came back from the trip and tried to call Hotwire. Here starts the insane inhumane part. Again the most disgusting customer service was on display and they made me wait and wait for 8 hrs. Yes, you heard me right 8 hrs. Finally, they said will transfer me to a supervisor and did transfer me to a different department who doesn't even can access my itinerary number. The customer specialist I spoke were Venice and Claudia. That's what they said their name is. I completely understand there are process gaps, system issues and they could not board me, but how on earth can some company be so insensitive when there is a genuine issue?
It made me feel sick. Disgusting. Who would pay for all the extra money I spent? Who would pay for the extra Gas mileage? Who would pay for all the cell phone bill for follow-up? Who would pay for the agony? Who would pay for making my 1-year-old daughter suffer in a middle of the night? Hope someone answers these questions before proving that you are such inhuman bunch of people and insensitive company. Thanks.
Reviewed July 6, 2016
THIS IS AWFUL!!! I have used Hotwire DOZENS of times and NEVER had this happen. I am going to Ashville, OH, and Hotwire put me into a hotel that is a 42 minute drive from my destination! I was on the phone all afternoon trying to get someone to help me. I would gladly rebook with you guys but the only hotel showing up is a 33 dollar stinker with 2 stars and a 20% approval rate. Your overseas phone support hung up on me 3 times. I will not accept this. Since there are no acceptable alternatives I just wanted a refund this time so I can continue telling everyone about how great Hotwire is!
Instead I'm forced the world online how AWFUL Hotwire has become? Worst case, I am going to work with MasterCard since I CAN'T and WON'T be staying in this booking tonight. I hope you can pull the recordings from this loyal customer's calls today. Awful awful awful. I am simply wanting a refund for this hotel which is way too far away and shouldn't even be showing up as an option in my opinion. This is only $99 but I will not accept this. What has happened to Hotwire? I am so disappointed... Does anyone there care to help? Apparently not...
Reviewed July 6, 2016
We booked two rooms for 4 adults and 4 children, not sure how hotwire can get rooms where smoking was allowed. We could not enter into rooms, so tried booking rooms in other hotels. After requesting so many times and waiting for 30 mins got one non-smoking room. All 8 people had to sleep in one room. Some on bed and some on floor.
Reviewed July 6, 2016
I booked the Holiday Inn Vail Apex Hotel in Colorado for a three-night stay beginning April 5th, 2016 and prepaid for my stay through HOTWIRE. I paid in Canadian dollars. When I checked into the hotel, I gave them my Visa for incidentals. When I checked out, the hotel charged me for incidentals, but in addition to this, charged me for my hotel room, in US dollars. I realized this when I returned home, contacted the hotel and they reversed the room charge. Unfortunately, the exchange rate worked against me and the refund was $25 less in Canadian dollars. I have contacted Hotwire repeatedly to have them cover this difference - the customer care group is impossible to reach. They have deflected all responsibility and most recently they hung up on me. I would be extremely careful using HOTWIRE - if you ever have a problem they are hopeless to deal with.
Reviewed July 6, 2016
I use Hotwire all the time and was truly disappointed. I booked a hotel and was told it was an outside pool. When I arrived there was NOT an outside pool and the pool that was offered was adjacent to LA FITNESS. The Crowne Plaza (King of Prussia). It was my anniversary and if I wanted to use LA FITNESS pool, I have a membership. I would have used my LA FITNESS membership. Totally dissatisfied! I was offered a $25 credit - NOT GOOD ENOUGH - my anniversary was ruined.
Reviewed July 6, 2016
I made a reservation through Hotwire at the Crowne Plaza River Oaks in Houston, TX. I received my confirmation and the payment was taken out of my account. I then contacted the hotel directly to make sure there were 2 queen size beds in the room and everything was confirmed. When I arrived to check into the hotel, I was told that my reservation had been canceled. I tried to explain that I had just confirmed the night before and I had not canceled the reservation. I called Hotwire and the hotel called Hotwire and got the run around. I had to pay the hotel directly, although I had already paid Hotwire. The room that I was put in had roaches and they had to then move me to another room. I went to Houston to celebrate my daughter becoming a RN. Our trip was totally ruined, along with my blood pressure going up. I felt totally humiliated. That was my first time using Hotwire and my last time.
Reviewed July 5, 2016
I was so upset with my recent Hotwire car rental. I made a booking from LGA one way rental returning in CLE one week later. I was given a price which was high but I realized one way will be more of a charge. When I rented the car at Thrifty - LGA, I was told that the price is $230 more!!? I called Hotwire and I went through step by step in my booking process and was told to email them to final receipt and they would deduct and reimburse it back to my cc. I emailed Hotwire my receipt and after a few emails and long long waits on hold they determined that they did nothing wrong and will not reimburse anything. They were very stubborn and rude on the phone. I have used Hotwire many times as normally it has not been an issue, when it comes to a hiccup (one way) they are a DISASTER!! BEWARE.
Reviewed July 4, 2016
I recently booked a room at the La Quinta Hotel (Bush Gardens) Tampa FL and had to prepay the room. I needed to make a change on the date (not cancel) and was told by Hotwire their terms and conditions that stated once booked no refunds. I find this very odd to pay for a room, since every Hotel out there does not charge your credit card until you check in/check out. I then went to La Quinta's website and booked the same Hotel, and get this the same price with their terms and conditions stating that you must cancel 24 hours before check in. It looks like I will never use Hotwire again.
Reviewed July 3, 2016
After travelling to London for the first time ever, hungry and exhausted, my husband and I discovered that our accommodations had moved around the corner and up the road. Not a big deal, right? Well, we went to check in and discovered that Hotwire had CANCELLED the first three nights of our stay with no attempt to let us know ahead of time. We called once and got disconnected. The second time we got someone and the employee said "We sent you an email." The email we got only told us that the rating of our hotel had dropped a star, nothing about cancelling our stay.
They also refused to refund our money OR help us locate somewhere else to stay, which is the bare minimum I would expect from such a "reputable" company. My husband was on the phone for two and a half hours with them before a manager finally relented, although wanted us to pay an additional 400 dollars to be moved to another hotel. We refused and finally had a place to stay at no extra cost. We will never book through them again.
Reviewed July 1, 2016
I booked a hotel through hotwire.com. It said parking was free but when I got to the hotel, I was charged $12/day for parking. I called Hotwire customer service and the rep said she does not see that on the website and only see "accessible parking". The rep was being real rude to me. I explained all the places on the website that I see "free parking" and she didn't care. She called the hotel and had me speak to the front desk on three way call. When we were asking if she was still on the line, she didn't respond to us and we were asking for her about 10 times then she finally decides to respond.
After further debate about what it says on their website she hangs up on me. I think her name was Jennifer. I call back again and the next rep hangs up on me after he says "Let me check on something". This is ridiculous, the customer service is beyond horrible. The website states one thing and then do give you something different. Beware of bookings through hotwire.com. I will never be booking through hotwire.com again.
Reviewed July 1, 2016
I booked a hotel through Hotwire for the Greater Downtown Denver area. I was planning a trip to Coors Field and wanted a hotel within walking/free bus ride distance of the park. Unfortunately, Hotwire does not reveal the name or location of the hotel until it is booked. Once I booked the hotel, I found out it is located over 5 miles north of downtown Denver. I'm guessing the actual address is Thornton not Denver. I even narrowed the search area to Greater Downtown Denver to assure I would be staying downtown. When I called Hotwire to complain, they refused to change the booking to a hotel that is actually located downtown. Hotwire kept telling me this is within their mapping area for Greater Downtown Denver. Apparently they expanded their mapping area to accommodate this hotel. I would not recommend using Hotwire if you actually want to stay downtown.
Reviewed June 30, 2016
Booked a 3 star hotel in Amarillo TX. When I got the name of the hotel (Five Seasons Inn) I read the reviews on TripAdvisor. "Smells like piss", "found needles and ** in drawer", "please, please, please, stay away", "would not let my children sleep in the bed or take a shower", does not sound like a 3 star hotel or the Radisson as they compare it to. Plus they will not refund your money, not even under these circumstances. I WILL NEVER USE HOTWIRE FOR A HOTEL AGAIN.
Reviewed June 30, 2016
I made a reservation on Hotwire for a minivan at the ATL airport to drive our family to FL, the vendor was Payless Rental Cars. When I arrived to pick up the van, the Payless rep advised me I needed a utility bill to verify my residence, since I was a "local" driver. My Hotwire confirmation clearly stated no need to confirm this reservation with Hotwire or Payless. Nowhere in the confirmation was there a notation to bring a utility bill. I was paying with a credit card so I was shocked they wanted me to provide a bill. No one carries a bill around with them. The Hotwire rep advised me this is policy mandated by Avis, which owns Payless.
I called Hotwire and after staying on phone with them for over an hour, no help. They only offered a new reservation at a higher rate of course. I asked for a manager to call me back and I'm still waiting for a call back. I decided to make a new reservation with a reputable company, which was of course at a higher rate than my reservation. Hotwire needs to provide their customers with these "policy" requirements in advance.
Reviewed June 29, 2016
I obtained a pet friendly hotel on Hotwire.com and when I checked into the hotel, I was charged an extra $100 for my pet, a small dog. I immediately asked if the amount was refundable and was told it wasn't. I objected, to no avail. I then contacted Hotwire and they wouldn't refund my stay at that hotel. I objected, since nothing on their site indicated this charge would apply to my pet. They said there was no way they could indicate it. I said that was deceitful to their customer. They didn't care and didn't care that I used their services on many occasions to rent hotels, cars, and for flights. I told them they were losing a good customer and they didn't care. All of this happened to me yesterday, and I obviously have a bad taste in my mouth from it today.
I will not use Hotwire, or its other associated companies, Expedia and Hotels.com ever again. I suggest anyone reading this to not use these services. They won't change their practice of misrepresenting what they sell their customers until they lose enough of them to matter to them. I'm only one person among you, but perhaps together we can force this company and others to actually reveal what you get and what you pay for it. This experience completely ruined my trip and basically forced me to drive another 500 miles back home on the same day I had already driven that distance. I'm in no way happy about having paid for a hotel and not having used it. And, about being so angry that I risked the safety of my family and my own by driving all the way back home. I think this anger will last for a very, very long time. I will Never forget the lesson I've learned today. I will Never use Hotwire again.
Reviewed June 29, 2016
I booked a hotel for a one night visit to Burlington VT. According to the advertised location and price the hotel was meant to be between 0.2-7.2 miles from city center and $109. Upon booking I was informed the hotel was actually nearly ten miles and two cities away and the price would be 130 with taxes and fees and an additional $20 resort fee that Hotwire knew to include on their site but failed to add into the cost.
Of course, I assumed that any reasonable customer service agent and especially a senior booking manager would be mature enough to recognize the mistake of false advertising. When I explained that me, my wife and 9 month old had hoped to stay within the city limits and not travel 10 miles to put her down for a nap midday or have the cost increase by 38% from the advertised price, I was met with a hostile reminder of the terms and services of the website and absolutely no humanity.
The woman I spoke with was not only uncooperative she also rudely interrupted me. The charge on my account has not even been processed. She had it within her power to cancel the transaction and allow us to book a more appropriately located hotel within the city limits. Instead Hotwire has lost a previously satisfied customer. Apparently this is not a site that cares to keep their customers satisfied and are simply looking to make money regardless of integrity or honest advertising. Do not use Hotwire.
Reviewed June 28, 2016
This was my first and last time using this site. I booked a two day stay at a hotel in Milwaukee, WI for my husband and I anniversary (credit card info was taken and all). I had to call within plenty of time to cancel just one of the days due to having babysitting issues. I called the hotel first and they said I needed to call Hotwire to make any changes. I called Hotwire and was told AT FIRST that sure we can drop one day. The lady even went over the rate for one day, confirmed the date the room type, ETC. She asked if she could place me on hold to finish up the change. After being in hold for 15 minutes she came back on the line and said her computer was having issues and she was waiting on her supervisor to come assist her (again I was placed on hold for another 15 minutes). Finally she comes back on the line and said the hotel is booked, there are no rooms, but yet my two days are still booked???
I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO I HAD TO PAY FOR BOTH DAYS OR LOSE BOTH DAYS. I was so upset I asked the customer service rep that this is unheard of. How can they say there are no rooms when I have a room for 2 nights. All she had to do was drop one night. Needless to say I was told they or the hotel could not do ANYTHING so I was basically strong armed into paying for 2 night, one in which I will not be using all because someone somewhere is too lazy or money hungry to fix it. What is suppose to be a happy time is costing me more than I bargained for. I also asked to speak to a supervisor after being in tears and I was hung up on!! STAY AWAY FROM HOTWIRE.
Reviewed June 27, 2016
GPS bug on mobile site. When using the Hotwire site through the phone to book a hotel in Philadelphia, the "current location" feature gave me hotels on the other side of the world - in Germany! Of course I didn't notice until I had booked the room and received the confirmation email for a hotel over 12,000 miles away... When calling support they said they couldn't refund me and only gave me the option to transfer the booking to 1 of only 2 choices, even though their site showed a list of over 10 deals... The only affordable choice they gave me was a low-end 2-star hotel (the other choice was twice as expensive as my original one), unbelievable. I wasn't given compensation for THEIR OWN faulty product. Hotwire is a joke. Bunch of shameless thieves who use any opportunity to bank on their own customers.
Reviewed June 24, 2016
Booked a hotel highly recommended thru Hotwire but when I arrived the place was a total dump with only smoking rooms. I immediately tried to cancel but hotel said I have to talk to Hotwire. Hotwire refused to cancel or change my reservation saying "all sales final." Needless to say I stayed somewhere else and will never use Hotwire again. Brutal customer service.
Reviewed June 24, 2016
I booked my stay for the correct dates, it took 24 hours to get my confirmation email, and once I got it, it showed the wrong dates. I called, and they told me that it was my fault and that I can only get my money back within the first 24 hours. Literally horrible customer support. Absolutely will never ever even type the phrase "Hotwire" into even a text message ever again unless it's to let people know how truly horrible they are. They made off with my money and are laughing all the way to the bank.
Reviewed June 22, 2016
I asked for a hotel in the Flagstaff, AZ area. The hotel I chose was supposed to be in the area near I17 & I40. When I booked it the hotel they sent me was in Cortez Colorado. This is just not right. Of course they just keep telling me it's non-refundable. Then they put me on hold for several minutes and then just hang up on me. They've hung up on me twice today. I just recommend people stay away from this site. Never had trouble with Priceline or Travelocity. Foolishly thought these guys would at least put my hotel in the vicinity of the area I requested. Don't know how this is even legal. Seems like fraud to me.
Reviewed June 19, 2016
I have used Hotwire several times and have never been disappointed until the last 2 times. I have been given crummy dated rooms 1 in san francisco and now in seattle wa. My booking in seattle had so many bad reviews and looked seedy and nowhere I would want to stay. I was very disappointed. The 1st thing I would say about customer service is I don't understand why you outsource to countries that don't understand English. I had a very hard time understanding the lady I was talking to in India. That was very frustrating. The 2nd hotel I was given was just a tad bit better than the 1st one. I have to say I don't think I will use hotwire again. You are now on the level of expedia and that's not good.
Reviewed June 19, 2016
BEWARE! BEWARE! Don't believe what you're getting. HOTWIRE Hotel Ratings are fraudulent. ALSO, HOTWIRE trick you with hidden fees you will not learn about until you reach your destination. Most of their 3 and 4 star hotels are rat-infested, run-down dumps. HOTWIRE does not include resort fees and others fees in their room rates which can be an additional $50 per night fee. HOTWIRE customer service stinks. They put you on hold for 40-60 minutes at a time with no good results in the end. They offer no refunds even when they breech their own contracts. BETRAYER OF TRUST TO THE HIGHEST DEGREE.
Reviewed June 16, 2016
I just booked a hotel through Hotwire. I put all my information in and was quoted a price of $130 per night. I double checked everything: 3 adults, 1 child, 2 nights, dates correct, price is right. After I booked it, it changed my reservation to 4 adults and added an 80 fee on for extra guest. Still stating that the room was only 130 per night. I have seen an extra fee on all the other hotels I booked tonight $10 per night. This fee was not apparent until it had been booked. Con artists! I would have stayed somewhere else for $160 per night. NEVER USING HOTWIRE AGAIN.
Reviewed June 15, 2016
I booked a 2-night hotel with Hotwire. When we arrived at the hotel (late, with an exhausted child), they had no record of the reservation and had received no payment. The hotel said Hotwire does this to them ALL THE TIME. My kid had been up since 2:00 am and it was 10:00 pm. Hotwire put me on hold 15 to 30 minutes FOUR TIMES!!! I had to get my kid to bed so I paid for another room at the hotel.
Eventually Hotwire said they'd reimburse me, and they'd replace my 2-night reservation with a different hotel (but I'd have to pay), and they'd give me "HotDollars" in return. (HotDollars are, of course, credits for future Hotwire bookings. Ugh.) When they learned I'd already paid for 1 of the 2 nights in a hotel while I was on hold forever (I had to get my kid to bed), it became ANOTHER HASSLE to simply get the HotDollars (which I will never use, at this point). I'm supposed to email them receipts... for each of the two nights, but he basically said I'd get only one night in HotDollars in return (because I had made the mistake of booking my own room while on hold for 30 minutes). ARGH. I'm SO ANGRY. I WILL NEVER, EVER, EVER AGAIN USE HOTWIRE!!!
Reviewed June 14, 2016
This will be kept short because I can ramble all day about how a company like this can still be alive treating customers basically like stupid idiots. I was trying to book a hotel and I asked my cousin what would be a good place to book. I was told Hotwire would find a great price but it didn't even find a better price. You basically make a blind bid on a hotel and hope that it's near the area you’re staying. I called the hotel I was booked at to cancel my transaction. They said they did but I wanted to reinstate the transaction because after researching it wasn't too bad of a distance. After waiting on the phone all day while trying to enjoy my vacation I couldn't reach any help and once I got connected I would get disconnected. Something this simple that even a monkey could figure out to reinstate a transaction after already being charged all you have to do is resend the number to the hotel so I can actually check in. What a waste of time. Terrible.
Just straight out worst customer service ever makes Walmart look like a saint. I got a response finally from corporate after sending a distasteful tweet. I don't even want to explain the situation nor even care if I get a refund. All I can do is learn from this and move on. I definitely will tell all close friends and family to not use this service and will be trolling the hell out of their websites and making a stink so everyone will see and learn that Hotwire will be bankrupt.
Reviewed June 13, 2016
Lawd!!! These people have heavy accents that just don't listen to anything you are saying. You stay on hold 30 to 40 mins at a time if you have a problem. I have been waiting on my refund for 3 weeks!!! Nothing. They booked me a room with blood in it!!! This was at the Westin in ATL!!! My kids were expose to it. The Westin gave me my money back. I still haven't received any funds 3 weeks later!!! Just use Expedia!!
Reviewed June 13, 2016
This company is thieving, heartless, and very deceiving. The descriptions and hotel star ratings are completely inaccurate which misleads you as a customer to think you are getting a great rate for a hotel up to par. Yes, the rates projected for 3 and 4 star hotels may seem amazing but best believe you are not going to get what you are paying for. As far as being heartless, they will not under any circumstances (sick, family emergency, etc.) consider refunding your money if you are unable to make your trip which to me is completely heartless and translates to stealing.
People book trips in advance and unfortunately cannot predict a sickness or family emergency and should never be penalized for enduring any of those circumstances and not be able to enjoy a trip. Any company that receives, takes, or holds a person's money for services never received is a thief. That is equivalent to stealing no matter which way you look at it. Please, please do not support this type of company with your money you work so hard for.
Reviewed June 13, 2016
Hotwire & Expedia are the BIGGEST ripoff artists of any online service! Hotwire hide behind Expedia, their parent company, and both of these websites survive on ripping off consumers with air, hotel and car "deals"! They give star ratings to their filthy, rundown, unsafe hostels by calling them hotels! Entice you with "this is what the last person got" and then they hit you with Extended Stay motel as a 2.5 star rating. When you call to complain they say: Expedia has it a 2.5 star! How come other respectable web sites don't even offer Extended Stay as a hotel? The answer: Expedia does! Don't ever get a hotel, air or car from Hotwire or Expedia, you're in for a very pricey experience! Save yourself the troubles and got with a more legit Web service, your family will thank you for it!
Reviewed June 11, 2016
Having a horrible time trying to get my situation resolved with Hotwire. I have spoken with Customer Service Representatives via email and they are not addressing my issue just providing back a standard response. Multiple phone calls! I went online and saw various recognizable logos when I clicked on a hotel deal of $85. Days Inn etc. This is a reasonable rates for these advertised hotels. I then find out I am staying at a low budget motel. I have done my research on this motel and the room rate is $50-$60 MAX! From all your competitors and the motel itself. I have to say even $50 to stay in such a motel is a rip off. The reviews are horrible. I have been grossly overcharged and mislead as to what type of hotel I would end up in.
Your website is extremely misleading showing logos for hotels that are better than what you put your customer in. I would have never ever even looked at such a motel. Now I have paid almost double for this sketchy motel than what anyone else would pay. Complete and utter false advertising. I feel ripped off and scammed! I am a frequent traveller I book online constantly and with this experience can't imagine ever recommending this site to anyone. I can't believe the lack of customer service I am receiving from Hotwire trying to get this fixed. I have had representatives hang up on me when I ask for a manager when they pick up the phone not even getting to say anything else.
After 46 minutes on hold today I got thru to Logan who told me he was a supervisor. He listened to why I was calling asked for my itinerary number at start of convo. He then told me he was contacting the motel and would be back. After 18 minutes he came back and told me he was a supervisor for Expedia not Hotwire and could not help me even though you are partner companies. The number I called was attached to my email response from a Hotwire Rep so how did I waste so much time on the phone waiting for him and how did it take that long for him to realize he couldn't help me. He was asked to put me thru to a Hotwire manager and after 10 more minutes on hold I was connected to a Hotwire Rep not a manager, to be placed on hold again! As I am typing this is am at the 2 hour mark and was just hung up on! I have screenshots of call length and prices at other sites.
Reviewed June 10, 2016
HOTWIRE IS A JOKE! The customer service sucks. I called because I booked a hotel online in Okoboji IA for the 4th of July weekend. I'm not an idiot, I know how to do almost anything online. I chose the option to pay at the hotel and it said to enter my card info to reserve the hotel and that I wouldn't be charged until check in. After 15 mins I happened to check my back account balance and of course $600 missing. I called the customer service and explained my issue. They told me it's non-refundable and I can't cancel. I wasn't financially prepared to pay for the hotel yet but the guy I was talking to just said "Sorry can't help you" and hung up on me.
I called again and right away asked for a supervisor. The supervisor I spoke with ironically sounded like the person I was previously speaking to and the "supervisor" even hung up on me (real professional). I had to bite the bullet and figure out a different way to pay my bills because Hotwire online says one thing and the customer service says another. I will NEVER use them again & if you're reading reviews before using Hotwire (like I should've done) don't go any further - they're not worth it. ** Hotwire, I will tell anyone and everyone not to use them!
Reviewed June 6, 2016
We assumed that Hotwire was a discount travel website; it is not. It guarantees matching the current price offered. Who knew? This was explained to me in an e-mail from Hotmail after I complained. We ended up paying more through Hotwire than we would of paid booking directly through the hotel, the same day we booked online with Hotwire. Plus, our trip is to a location of historic beauty. The Hotwire booking was in an industrial area with a view of hydro transformers. Seriously!
When booking we selected the highest star rating possible and that's what we got. I'm sure the staff and hotel will be very nice. We looked at it online. This is how we knew we had paid more through Hotwire than had we booked directly through the hotel. Had we booked through the hotel, it would of been cheaper with free 24 hour cancellation and payment would of been due at the end of our stay. NEVER again. I past we have used expedia. ca and have never been disappointed. It was my mistakes to try someone new.
Reviewed June 3, 2016
Reserved a car through Hotwire online, called customer service to make sure they had a car available at the specific location and was assured they did. Received email with confirmation number and details. Showed up at the rental dealership (Enterprise) on the reserved day and was told that there were NO cars available in the whole valley! And that they "hoped" some would be turned in by the evening. I went back to Hotwire and proceeded to book 4 cars at various rental companies and the reservations went through with no problem. Problem is...there are still NO RENTAL CARS ON THE LOTS! Family reunion missed because of trusting Hotwire.
Reviewed June 3, 2016
I booked a refundable hotel room at the Stratosphere in Las Vegas. I used by PayPal Debit Card to pay for a $117.00 deposit. Someone at Hotwire stole my credit card information only I didn't know it at the time. Three days later they used my card at a WalMart in Las Vegas to charge 200.00. I had to file a police report, close my account, and basically go through the hassle of reporting this to PayPal to be refunded for the theft and receive a new card. I needed to cancel my reservation a few days later. I noticed it had already been cancelled! I never received my deposit. They claim I don't have an itinerary number and I do. Something fishy about them. I'm not wasting my time on them anymore. They are obviously a bunch of lowlife thieves. Karma will get them. NEVER USE Hotwire!!!
Reviewed May 31, 2016
I booked a nonrefundable car rental thru Hotwire with a Sixt Car Rental. Later that day I went to Sixt website to find the same car as I booked for $31.20 less for the 3-day rental. When I went to Hotwire website I wasn't able to file a claim for the difference. I called the toll free # & after 45 minutes they decided I needed to take a screenshot of the Sixt website & send it to them on their email. I couldn't attach the screenshot or anything else thru their email account. I called them back & after 27 minutes on hold they hung up on me. Nowhere on their website does it say ANYTHING about screenshots, numerous calls, or numerous emails in order to get the "price guarantee". Bottom line is they did not honor their "price guarantee" & neither did they pay me the difference. BEWARE & use ANY other website but Hotwire!!! Oh & you can ONLY talk to someone in India. Great job Hotwire on using labor from another country rather than Americans.
Reviewed May 31, 2016
Someone stole my credit card info and charged 165.71 through Hotwire. After calling them and being put on hold for over 25 minutes they tell me they can't do anything because I don't have my itinerary number. I asked "how could I. I didn't make the charges." All they could say was "without your itinerary number we can't help you". Stay away from them. Their customer service is run by very heavy accented people from the Middle East.
Reviewed May 29, 2016
My experience with Hotwire has been the worst form of service. I booked a hotel through your company. Not only did you over book that one room, I had to sit in a hot car for 9 hours speaking to your customer service department that spoke barely any English. They were not only hard to understand, they were rude. Stated no, they would not help after waiting three hours. I was given the wrong relocation department. The only one that was willing to assist me was Chris. I find that really crazy after speaking to 15 different representatives that the only one that stayed on hold with me for two hours and wanted to help me was an American.
Then I was on the phone with this representative Mae for three hours for her to state she cannot find me another hotel and will just give me a refund. How are you going to give me a refund when I am in a different city than where I live and have nowhere to stay. We had to lookup hotels for her then when she is doing this she hangs up on me and never calls back. Your company cost me an additional 200 for a different hotel. As well my reason for coming to Jacksonville was for an event that cost me 260 each person to not be able to attend as I had nowhere to shower and change to go to the event. That make a total of 711.01 for a hotel that I never got.
This is fraud. You cannot knowingly take my money and not provide the service and now I am being told I cannot receive a refund. To be honest you should be paying me the full 711.01 as I was on the phone for 9 hours to have to call back the next day to be told I cannot get my money back. That is outrageous. Your company is clearly running some type of illegal practices because you cannot do this to customers. I am demanding my money back for services I never received.
Reviewed May 29, 2016
It been ** terrified experience with Hotwire. First of all these guys booked me an hotel where there is no vacancy at all and more I got to know from hotel they stopped business with Hotwire. I was with my little kid and wife in the middle of the searching for another hotel. Due to holiday all the hotels completely booked. I made 3 attempts to call you ** their customer service with each call lasting 45 min waiting. If the call gets dropped these ** don't have courtesy to return the call. I was made to wait again 45 mins. I have to travel 50 miles in the middle of the night with my family to find another accommodation. It was pathetic experience. Never want book thru Hotwire again.
Reviewed May 28, 2016
Never use Hotwire.com. You will be passed between Indian customer service people who will keep you on hold for hours. Then you will get a smart mouth response from a ** lady named Kay. And you still won't get your money back. Just use Priceline or Orbitz.
Reviewed May 26, 2016
I will never, ever use this company again. I had a trip planned and booked a car rental car, as I needed work done on my car. I learned that my car would be repaired five days prior to picking up the car. When I called to cancel, I was told there was a "no cancellation policy", because they had given me such a good rate on the rental. The only way to cancel would be a death or physical impairment. Now, I have a charge on my Visa for over $200 for something I do not need. What a rip-off!!! This is an average rate, and certainly no bargain! I have used other companies and this so-called "bargain price" is in line for their regular charges. What a bunch of crooks!! Buyer beware! Do not use this company unless you want to get ripped off!
Reviewed May 24, 2016
I have used Hotwire for years. I used to love them!!! No more. Never, never! The information they provided on the hotel I choose was wrong and I was stuck with a totally unsatisfactory room. After an hour on the phone with three different people, they simply would not satisfy me - it was a total mind-** joke. Stay away from them.
Reviewed May 22, 2016
Very dissatisfied with customer service! Beware HOTWIRE bookings! I just got burned by Hotwire!!! I booked a hotel for Ottawa while in Canada. After booking I learned (as is their normal procedures) that I would be staying at the Lord Elgin Hotel. Hotwire Total for 2 nights $510.26. That sounded fine to me until I received my Credit Card Statement and realized Ive been charged CAD $690.
Nowhere in the Hotwire Reservation/Itinerary does it say that the rate is in USD $. You would assume that if you are booking in Canada and for Canada the rate is in CAD $! Given that I made this reservation well in advance, I called customer service and requested that this reservation be cancelled and they give me a different hotel downtown that would cost me around CAD $500 for 2 nights, which is what I am willing and able to pay. Customer service answers out of the Philipines and they refused! VERY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE.
The worst part of it is that since I booked online Ive been receiving offers for those same dates and for the same hotel. If I had booked thru Booking.com I would have gotten a much better rate. Would not have had to pay in advance and would have been entitled to cancel with no penalty. I was so burned that I will never use them again. Shame on you HOTWIRE!!!
Reviewed May 22, 2016
I booked a 1-day rental with Hotwire and when I got to the counter at Payless rentals, they claimed that it was only an estimate. So instead of paying $23 dollars as Hotwire booked for me, I ended up paying over $70. I will never book through them or rent Payless car rental again.
Reviewed May 22, 2016
I booked a resort through Hotwire. They gave me the total and said that there would be a $15 Resort fee. When I go to check out the Resort hits me for an $89 cleaning fee. I called Hotwire. They said yes. Down in the fine print there could be things that we don't know about. The only way that you can find the fees is not to go through their Hotwire deals but go to their regular site and pay full price up front. Otherwise they just show you a low price and then they can charge you whatever fees they want. I guess I'm lucky there wasn't some $500 go screw yourself fee. I have used Hotwire to book multiple things on this vacation however it will be the last time that I use them. I don't like unethical practices and trying to make their numbers look lower than everyone else but actually have hidden fees.
Reviewed May 19, 2016
I just used Hotwire for the first time yesterday, and will never use them again!! I booked the fast rate/hot rate rooms in the Downtown Chicago area and then when they sent me my confirmation, it was a hotel booked 45 mins away. I called them within 10 mins of getting the confirmation as well as emailed them within 3 mins of getting it, to let them know there was a mistake because I did not book my room for 45 mins away when I only live 2.5 hours away. After endless emails, and calling more than 15 times, usually being put on hold for 45 mins plus then hung up on, I got a hold of someone who first told me they couldn't do anything and it must have been my fault, then getting hung up on.
Then around 5:30 last night I got a hold of someone and they told me they could transfer my room. I told him I was on my cell phone so I couldn't look at locations, but I wanted something 10-20 mins out of downtown Chicago, and it had to be 3.5 stars or better. He told me he would give me a discount from a normally $200 plus room a night, to $115 altogether since I was having such problems, and it would be close to Chicago. He sent the confirmation to my work email, so when I got in this morning, I see that not only did he book me in a super 8 MOTEL - it was in the worst part of town, and it was an HOUR away, so not only did he move me from a 45 min away hotel to an hour away hotel - he told me I was getting this amazing deal, since I had the problem with them in the first place, and then he books a room for me and my children and husband further out and more money, and in a cheap, druggy environment!!
So of course I am not thrilled, so I have tried calling multiple times, keep getting disconnected, and I have emailed at least 4 times, so we will see what happens, but my guess is I will have to call my bank and tell them to put a stop payment for anything from Hotwire, and I will end up writing a formal complaint to BBB... I wish I would've just stuck with Expedia!
Oh and not to mention, I called the MOTEL they booked me at as a courtesy to let them know I will not be staying there, and the lady at the motel told me the rate (my special discounted rate) was way more than what she charges, and that she would not recommend a family coming there to stay, her herself told me "It's not in the best of areas hunny, and I wouldn't recommend families coming here to stay for a vacation - this is more of a place people stay for months at a time, like part time home" then laughed... Good job HOTWIRE.
Reviewed May 18, 2016
I booked a car through Hotwire in my trip to the US and the rental agency charged me more than that given by Hotwire, ignoring the original price. In another reservation, the car rental co. simply said they do not have any car left when I contacted them on time. It appears that the rental car agencies in the US do not appreciate their contract with Hotwire.
Reviewed May 17, 2016
Trying to cancel rental car and they told me no refund for me since I have hot rate rental car. Waiting for long time on the phone with supervisor named Jane and she told me the same thing, no refund. I called 3 days before the due date. I don't understand the policy on Hotwire, please fix this policy. My trip been cancelled and I will losing the money. I don't want to deal with Hotwire anymore.
Reviewed May 13, 2016
I used Hotwire for the 1st time recently. I assumed they were a reputable company (not). I booked a rental car to pick up at Ft Myers airport, price was given as $300. Arrived to find no car at either of the airport locations, had to take a $40 taxi to another Hertz, was then charged $500 instead of $300. This happened in mid-Feb 2016. I have been trying to get a refund of $200 since then. Repeated phone calls and emails; they promised to send the refund, never did. I will NEVER use Hotwire again, and would strongly advise staying away. My "reservation" meant nothing at all and cost me $200 more than I'd planned to spend.
Reviewed May 13, 2016
I travel a lot but have been hesitant to use Hotwire in the past. However, I wanted to give it a shot this time and boy what a mistake. I understand that the hotel examples listed under each star category are only examples and not a guarantee. However, while I had the option to book a 4 star hotel with category examples such as Hilton, Westin and Hyatt, I chose a 4.5 star and more expensive category with non-corporate examples such as Sofitel, Omni and Intercontinental. YET, after booking I was given Westin. That is not the same level or category. So I decided to call customer service, and this where the real disaster starts.
I called the general number over 15 times to speak with someone and EVERY time they hung up the phone before listening. They have a call center in India where there is zero way to get to an actual manager and have your issue addressed. I wasn't able to find an email address on their website to contact the corporate office. I got a hotel that was in a lower and different type of category than what I paid for since none of the corporate hotels were listed as examples in the category I selected. A ripoff business with a terrible customer service. I will never use HOTWIRE again. But what now? Can I dispute the charges?
Reviewed May 11, 2016
Hotwire does not disclose their deceitful fees. Just called to find out why so much fee. $98 for three night hotel stay, they are saying it's the hotel who's charging that amount. Not true. Just called the hotel and "only thing we are charging is the tax." Tax does not come to $98 for three night stay. Hotwire is not disclosing their charge after I asked many times. Frauds... Class action should be reinforced.
Reviewed May 8, 2016
I recently booked 3 hotels with Hotwire using their blind hot rate system. Each time, the hotel was either the same price or substantially cheaper on the hotel website. Hotwire customer service was extremely vague and misleading about their replies to my complaints. They had standard responses to these complaints as though they happen all the time. Basically their prices are not prices of the hotel (as they appear to be), but simply an average of all hotels in its star rating. But this means that 50% of the time, you will pay more for the hotel than it is worth.
If you assume that most of the best hotels will be purchased by regular customers on sites such as Expedia, then hotwire will more often than not get the bottom 50% of hotels in their class. In order to sell these hotels, they must be deceptive to make you think you are getting a good deal. Don't get me wrong, it is possible that you may get a good deal, but all three times I booked, I got a very bad deal. Hotwire knows this, and they will not refund you. They also make it very difficult to redeem your Hotwire Guarantee, which is another indication that the company is deceptive. Be sure to double check your "deal" if you do book through Hotwire.
Reviewed May 5, 2016
As a pet owner, we know most hotels charge a pet fee. The problem with Hotwire is that since you can't see the hotel prior to booking, you don't know what that fee may be. Here is my situation. I booked a four star hotel for $55. I was told by Hotwire that there was a $11 resort - nice courtesy notice. Once I was booked I went to the hotel website to find out that the pet fee is $100/night. I would have ended up paying $110 for my stay and $200 for one dog. I have two, so I could have been charged $400 for two nights. That is absurd. Why can Hotwire tell you about a $11 resort fee, but not about the pet fees. Of course, no refund.
I then booked a different hotel on Expedia and saw the same deal with Expedia, but I could have seen the hotel. So I will never use Hotwire again. Pet owners need to know the hotel before booking, or at least know the pet fee. This complaint has also been submitted to the Better Business Bureau. I do believe this is an error in their process that they must fix. It is not fair to pet owners.
Reviewed May 4, 2016
Well I gave Hotwire the opportunity to make good on them stealing 250.$ from me. They're lying thieves who know nothing about making the customer happy. NO-THING. They are sly and dishonest. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH HOTWIRE. The CSR quoted me a price for a car rental. Said it included tax. I needed the car for five days. She made the reservation for six days by making my drop-off time 30 mins later than pick-up time, and included taxes and fees on top of the quoted price. My husband heard the convo on speaker phone. Hotwire has "listened twice" to the conversation after my complaints. Only to repeat back to me nonsense that was never spoken to me on the call. They are like foreign-speaking robots with no regard for the truth or customer service. None. They so badly need to be run out of town. I see here, that I am not the only one they have screwed.
Reviewed May 3, 2016
My first time using Hotwire and I booked a "Hot Rate Deal" for an upcoming trip. First of all they did not provide the name of the hotel before booking. After providing my credit card information, then I get the name of the hotel. I have never traveled to Indianapolis, IN before so I googled the hotel. SHOCKER -- first of all, the hotel was not in the area that I requested. It was almost 20 miles away. Then I find hotel reviews and I see numerous complaints (most recently the day before). Five minutes after the booking I find that this hotel is old, nasty, dirty, burn holes in the carpets and spreads, and that the place should have been torn down years ago because it is known as a place that prostitutes, junkies and drug dealers frequent!! WTH?
If I can find this out 5 minutes after booking why couldn't Hotwire do their research? Why would they even have this HOT MESS of a deal on their website? Next, I immediately call Hotwire (10 minutes after booking) and try to EXCHANGE -- not cancel (even offering to pay the difference for an upgrade) and they refused to do anything. Well I am not putting my family at risk by staying at a place like this. I am very disappointed that Hotwire would choose the all mighty dollar over their customer's safety and satisfaction. I guarantee you they are making hand over fist taking unhappy customers’ money by booking with these unscrupulous places!!! Keep scrolling past this site for your own good!
Reviewed May 3, 2016
On 4/13/16 I booked a hotel for 1 night, via Hotwire.com (hot rate). On 4/14/16 I checked my email for my itinerary and receipt of purchase. I did not receive anything. I checked my bank statement and found that the $75.00 I paid for the room had been charged to my account. I immediately sent an email to Hotwire (I prefer email communication since It documents everything) asking them to resend both the itinerary and receipt. I was emailed back instructions to view my itinerary online. These instructions did NOT work.
Again, I contacted Hotwire with the same request, and was given the same useless instructions. At this point I asked for a refund/cancellation so that I may re-book and get the proper confirmation. My request was denied as per Hotwire no cancellation policy. Fine, then provide me with my receipt and itinerary. I have been going back and forth with Hotwire for nearly 3 weeks now (even dealing with a Cust. Serv. Supervisor) and still have not been given a receipt, itinerary, refund, or contact information for their legal dept as requested. I will be glad to forward the email string for anyone's review.
Reviewed May 1, 2016
Crazy! I booked a HOTWIRE HOT RATE (Mystery hotel) where it states "Get better rates" and confirmed me at the Hilton NYC Fashion Place. The total reservation was $418 for 2 nights. I went to the normal site where it lists this hotel and looked at the price. It was the same total $418 but $15.00 more per night for the room rate. How can that be? What Hotwire did was tacked on an additional $30 fee to my hot rate reservation to make up for the lower room rate. I have been on the phone for 3 hours, disconnected twice and pretty much worthless support. Never again.
Reviewed April 30, 2016
How is this company still in existence? My "4.5" star hotel turned out to be a W hotel, which is nice, but I paid $34 more for the hotel than if I went to Expedia (Hotwire.com parent company) or booked directly with the W. I notified Hotwire how unhappy I was and... No response. Very disappointed with them.
Reviewed April 26, 2016
I called to add my middle name to my reservation on a domestic flight with JetBlue so I could use my KTN and TSA PreCheck. I was put on hold after speaking to the first representative, then transferred to her supervisor. I spoke to him, he reiterated everything the first rep said, asked the same questions, and then repeated himself again. And then again. Then he put me on hold. Then told me luckily it's JetBlue's policy not to charge to make this change. And then repeated himself, and again. Then put me on hold. Then answered again, repeated JetBlue's policy AGAIN, and put me on hold. Then finally he said, "Even though it's JetBlue's policy not to charge to add a middle name, we must reissue the ticket. Luckily, it's JetBlue's policy not to charge to add a middle name, but the new ticket costs $140 more. Even though it's their policy not to charge to add a middle name, but we must issue a new ticket."
I heard you the first time. And second. And fifth. And no, that's not acceptable. Neither is being on hold for OVER AN HOUR while you figure out how to add my middle name to a reservation. And you still didn't. One tweet to @jetBlue and @Hotwire took care of it. JetBlue DM'd me within 2 minutes and we took care of it while I was STILL ON HOLD with Hotwire. I hung up. Then the Hotwire representative called me back with his manager on the line. I told him JetBlue had already taken care of it for me while he had me on hold. He had the gall to ask me if I wanted to continue with the purchase! Absolutely not. I will never use Hotwire again, and urge anyone to avoid them at all costs.
Reviewed April 26, 2016
When making the reservation they offer you an area to choose from. This supposed area will totally mislead you. I choose Bonnet Creek and they gave me Disney Maingate. Allegedly you cannot guide yourself only for the area name. You have to be a wizard to guess in the shaded map. The map is B/S trust me. This is a scam, usually you won't even get anything close to what you hope for. So sad, it was our anniversary. :(
Reviewed April 26, 2016
So, I was told by the Hotwire reservationist that any of my bookings can be cancelled. I had to change my flights and thus my arrival time was later than was booked. I was told that the reservation could not be changed, could not be cancelled and that no one at Hotwire is authorized to do this then they hung up on me.
Reviewed April 26, 2016
I always book my car reservations on Travelocity. When I went that site on top of the page was a link to "Click here save money". It took me to Hotwire and it asked me for a deposit (Not a purchase). I gave my credit card number and got an email saying I just prepaid for a car I actually was not sure I wanted. I immediately called Hotwire. 3 agents and thirty min later I got a cancellation code and was satisfied. Then I saw my credit card bill and they charged me. When I called and told them I had a cancellation code they said there was no record of my call. This company is unethical and liars. Do not use Hotwire. Repeat: Do not use Hotwire.
Reviewed April 23, 2016
I rented a Canadian hotel room in Canada, where I reside, and used my Canadian credit card, expecting to pay in Canadian dollars. It was only when I reached the payment window I realized I was paying in US dollars. Unfortunately I missed the VERY small print showing this information. I called them back immediately to cancel. I contacted the hotel and got permission to cancel with Hotwire. I was informed by Hotwire my cancellation would be approved immediately. Upon receiving my credit card statement, there was an additional charge of $10 posted. I have been told by my credit card holder this is due to the exchange rate change between the time it was posted and time of cancellation. I am disgusted with Hotwire for taking advantage of me as a potential client and charging me an increased rate for the limited time they had use of my credit information.
I have attempted to contact a supervisor at Hotwire to amend my credit card situation. That process was a joke in itself. It took 3 phone calls and an extending wait time. I never did speak with a supervisor. The agent wanted my phone number before we could proceed so she could verify my identity. I explained to her she had my itinerary number. We got disconnected. SHE called me back even though I did not give her the number. So she had my phone number. She would not allow me to connect with a supervisor until I provided it. At the end of this discussion, it would seem they will not take responsibility for the additional charge and apparently my bank is responsible. They posted the charge, they posted the refund for the same amount and are not responsible for the additional charges. I will never use Hotwire again.
Reviewed April 22, 2016
I will never use Hotwire again. Tried to book a hotel close to where my kids live in Florida. I clicked on central and when I was done the hotel that they chose was nowhere near my kids. Yes that's right, wouldn't let me choose a hotel that was close. And the hotel that was chosen is not even central FL. It is South Florida. I was mad and called them to complain and told them where the hotel was. The lady at the other end said there's nothing she can do. Not even cancel or refund. Well that is so stupid. So I will not be using their website again.
Reviewed April 20, 2016
Hotwire emails you a booking confirmation assuring you that "You're Confirmed! No need to contact the Hotel!" Unhappily, I've learned that's just not true. I've been quite a regular Hotwire customer for several years. Sometimes I got unexpectedly shabby rooms or hotels in inconvenient areas, but I thought, "Well, serves me right for chasing a bargain." Then, a few Saturdays ago, we had our Las Vegas melt-down. We had a one-night layover, and booked with Hotwire about 10 days earlier. We got the Orleans, and when we arrived at about 10 PM, a quite rude front desk manager informed us that they had no reservation for us, and that they were full. "You must be mistaken", said I, and showed her the Hotwire confirmation number on my iPad. She retorted that this was Hotwire's confirmation number, not theirs and it meant absolutely nothing to them.
So, I called Hotwire's "customer service", and spent 50 minutes on hold before giving up on that. By this time it was 11:30 PM and, thinking this was the hotel's error, not Hotwire's, I booked again, for the night, with Hotwire. This time we got the Venetian. Once again, "You're confirmed! No need to call the Hotel!"(Naive? I know.) We cabbed straight over, and were informed, by a very nice, sympathetic front desk clerk that, not only did they not have any rooms, but that they had informed Hotwire that they were full at 2 PM earlier that afternoon. Again, Hotwire's confirmation number meant nothing. She called around for us, but, no vacancies in Sin City on a Saturday night.
We had a cabbie drive us around for a while, looking for rooms in motels, but no luck so, at 2 AM, we were sitting on a bench in the airport. And Hotwire had my $600. I emailed them to explain what a terrible thing they'd done to us, and got a reply that kind of implied that I was likely trying to scam them, but that they would have their "Research Team" look into this. It would take 7-10 business days to determine if I was owed a refund. As always, they would strive to "exceed my expectations".
After hearing nothing for about two weeks, I called them. It took a while. I spent more time on hold, and was cut off twice, but I finally got someone who could deal with the issue. Apparently, the "Research Team" had been unable to contact the hotels. Who would have imagined that the Orleans and the Venetian don't answer their telephones. Fortunately, she was able to contact both hotels while I waited on hold, and confirmed that I was owed refunds. When I asked what happened to my Hotwire reservations, she mumbled something about it being the hotels' fault. Both times.
My refund credit did arrive, so I guess they did "exceed my expectations" on that count. However, we're still out a considerable sum for cab fares (substantially more than the $50 trade credit they offered), and, more importantly, we spent an absolutely miserable night because we trusted Hotwire to deliver the rooms that they sold us. And then, to top off, their customer service is surely the most abysmal I've ever encountered. No more Hotwire for us. These characters don't deserve customers.
Reviewed April 18, 2016
I am a small business owner and myself and employees do a lot of travel. We have used Hotwire in the past and have been satisfied with its service. I would rate my service as an F this time. I booked a HOTEL in Miami for a couple of weeks. Turns out it is not a hotel but an apartment in an apartment building. This is NOT A HOTEL and if apartments are going to be used it should be disclosed 100% that apartments can be used as part of the bookings. I booked a hotel and expect to stay in a hotel and to then change it to an apartment without any disclosures to me is fraud and deception and really cuts the credibility of Hotwire. Never had this issue with any other.
Reviewed April 18, 2016
My wife decided to book a hotel 4 stars through the Hotwire website for a weekend in Quebec City. We drove 3 hours to our destination where she is 8 months pregnant and we have a 2 yrs old baby in the car. When we arrived in hotel (Best Western Plus) around a lot construction they said "we don't have parking, you have to pay an extra $24 per day". I thought, ok. This is fine! But I found a parking in front of the hotel with the security camera for $5 per day. First bad impression!
I did a check-in around 4 pm and I went to my room #106, the room was hot, so, I put the air conditioner to change the temperature and I went outside to take some fresh air. When I came back the room was hotter and I realize the air conditioner was not working, thus I called the front desk and asked about it. I received a nice guy in my room at 9:30 pm to confirm that its not working. He said: "I have to go to the roof to fix the problem". I said "ok!" But after 30 minutes he came back and told me that the problem was not solved and he needs to call another company to fix and he gave me a little fan saying that I have to wait more 45 minutes.
In the meantime I was trying to talk to Hotwire to explain the situation, but they said we are trying to connect with the hotel and I didn't received any answer after 10 pm, but I was waiting till 0:00 - sweating with my baby crying and I wife complaining. In the next day after the terrible night I went directly to home. I didn't visit anything in Quebec and when I drove back in the morning I got a message from Hotwire asking me to call them to know about my issue. I called them and after I explained everything and have been waited for so long in the line, a guy called Nick just said, "I talked with the hotel manager" and he said at 10 pm my room was fixed, so I can't do anything about it and gave just a weak sorry on the phone. I hope nobody pass for this in the future where I didn't received any refund for that! I attached the photo of my room with the fan!
Reviewed April 17, 2016
I've booked a 4 star hotel for the weekend of 18th of Feb. in Amsterdam to 21st of Feb. The Memphis Hotel Hotwire reserved for us wasn't a 4 star. They had a ongoing constructions in the Hotel which were very noisy and disturbing from 6 A.M it was already extremely too much for us! Then we called Hotwire to ask to canceled that booking. Then after 2 hours she could finally send us to a Ozo Hotel way out of the city as we reserved and offered us Ozo Hotel without knowing where it was, cost us 104 Euro. When we realized the taxi meter was going over 50 Euro asked the driver to return to the area where we were picked up and find Best Western. Now after waiting for Hotwire to refund 207 Euro to us!!! Hotwire apply some strange attitude to steal our money.
That manager told they will review the conversation we had with their agent to hear if we asked to be in the city center, however now Hotwire trying to bully his way over my money which I will not accept. The manager stated they cannot refund my 207 Euro because we agreed to the hotel offered by the agent after Memphis disaster night!!! Why shouldn't we agreed to that hotel when we believe she understood English very well and heard we asked over we asked to be in the city? While on the phone for almost two hours with her under the rain outside of the Memphis Hotel.
Reviewed April 16, 2016
I searched for a car rental through Kayak for a car trip I needed to make the next day. I entered the reservation information on the Kayak site and Hotwire was the lowest rate offered. I booked the reservation. An email arrived a few minutes later with my receipt for the car rental and I noted that the date was for the wrong date, (over a month out). I immediately contacted Hotwire to notify them of the error. The representative was completely unhelpful and simply stated our software doesn't have errors and we have a no-refund policy. I tried to escalate the request to no avail. I then contacted American Express since I had made my reservation using that card. Turns out that there is no way to challenge a bogus web transaction from Hotwire once you have booked it. The receipt is merely proof you will be charged. LET THE BUYER BEWARE. THERE IS NO HOTWIRE CUSTOMER SERVICE.
Reviewed April 14, 2016
I booked online for a hotel in Washington, Missouri. After the booking I discovered by doing my own research that the property is actually in Washington, North Carolina. After 3 phone calls, and on hold for a total of 1 hour and 15 minutes the problem is still unresolved. Very poor customer service. They first accused me of being incorrect, and now admit it is a problem with their site. I am very disappointed and have been using Hotwire for many years.
Reviewed April 14, 2016
I recently purchased a flight ticket from Toronto, Canada to Greensboro, NC on Hotwire's website. Changed the person flying to my name and thus I lost my money. I will no longer be doing business with this company and will urge others to not use them. They refuse to change the name on the ticket and offered for me to book another flight and that was not happening. I will have an attorney or the courts address this in court.
Reviewed April 14, 2016
I booked a hotel on Hotwire and then it took me to the transportation page suggesting a shuttle to the hotel. I booked that and when we go to the airport, the shuttle service does not go to that hotel and paid for a cab. Called Hotwire and they had me on hold for over 30 minutes. They should research their services before selling them. I will go back to using Expedia.
Reviewed April 14, 2016
We booked a hotel through Hotwire. After learning what hotel we're staying at we went to the hotel website and found out that all we're getting is a $5 discount. Had we booked through the hotel we could cancel reservation anytime, we'd know what we were paying for before booking it, etc. I see no value in Hotwire. Nothing but frustration. False advertising in saying it's deeply discounted and the little number they scratch out on the website (i.e. they are slashing the price you would normally pay) means nothing. Contacted customer service (Philippines) and was on the phone for 1 1/2 hours with them. Passed off to 5 different reps, could barely understand any of them. Zero resolution.
Called again the next night, not even wanting to cancel the reservation, just think they should honor what they claim and give us the "amazing rate/discount" they claim. Transferred to 4 different reps, some would say about 2 words and then cut out. Still zero resolution. Asked to talk to a supervisor and was told they did not have supervisors. Since they're headquartered in San Francisco why can't we talk to someone in San Francisco? Not worth it, they get your money and that's all they care about.
Reviewed April 13, 2016
We have just been burned by Hotwire, and it was our first time using them so also our last! We booked 5 nights away just before Easter staying in places in coastal South Africa. The places were fine but we had to pay to stay each night as the hotels had NOT received the payments which Hotwire HAD taken from our account a month earlier when we booked. I have tried contacting Hotwire and Expedia (as the hotels said the bookings were done under Expedia, they had not heard of Hotwire) but have only been told I must phone them to sort this, which will cost me as an international toll call, even though I have sent them all the details they had asked for as well as a letter from A Hotels. I feel ripped off badly and will tell others NOT TO USE HOTWIRE OR EXPEDIA.
Reviewed April 13, 2016
I rented a car. I got a stomach virus. I called to get a refund and was told I could but they would have to research to make sure I did not rent a car somewhere else. They said I needed to bring medical documentation. I had a stomach virus. I did not go to the doctor. I am very disappointed in the service I was provided.
Reviewed April 12, 2016
I booked a hotel in Long Beach, CA using the Hot rate secret hotel option. The hotel was rated a 3 star at a good price but when we arrived we found it was barely a 2-star hotel in the worst location ever. It was an unsafe crime ridden area. I would not allow my kids out of the room unsupervised due to the nasty area with vagrants wandering the parking lot looking like drug deals going down with no police presence and no security measures allowing anyone to enter the hotel from the back lot right into the elevators and direct access to the guest rooms.
I was informed by Hotwire during booking that if the hotel didn't meet our expectations, they would place us in a different hotel under the same brand name. So as soon as we arrived I called them before check in and told them to look for another property. Suddenly their tone changed telling me we are stuck without even attempting to look to another location and when I asked for the supervisor I was told she was a supervisor (what a lie). I would never risk my family's safety by using Hotwire again.
Reviewed April 12, 2016
Although the itinerary stated that there was no need to confirm my reservation, I decided to contact the hotel to ask a few questions concerning the many fees that their site stated that they had and the absence of wifi in the rooms unless purchased. During this time the representative at the front desk asked when my stay would be and if my reservations had already been confirmed. He checked their reservations and noted that he did not have a reservation for me in their system. He suggested I contact Hotwire and let them know that I had no confirmation.
When I contacted Hotwire I was placed on hold, transferred, rerouted and hung up on by dial tone. After a third attempt to get a hold of a customer service representative I reached the sales department. The sales representative was fantastic he stated he would remain on the line until he actually connected me with a customer service representative. God bless him. One of a kind!
I finally spoke with a young lady. She was difficult to understand, placed me on hold to speak with the hotel representative. When she came back to the line she stated that my reservation had been faxed but that I was to contact the hotel the next day to see if it had gone through. (My thoughts, Why? Isn't that Hotwire's job. I paid for a "cheap hotel" but not "cheap service".)
When I asked her to re-state what she had just asked me to do the next day. She confirmed what I thought I heard and then stated "Would there be anything else?" I asked to speak to a supervisor or manager. She declined and stated, "There just going to tell you the same thing." When I insisted that she put one on the line, I would hold, she left me on hold for about 20 minutes and then hung up on me. I never got an opportunity to speak with her supervisor. How unprofessional, rude, poor customer service and management should be ashamed of these ratings. I would love to see them on "UNDERCOVER BOSS".
Reviewed April 11, 2016
We requested a 4 star + when booking on Hotwire and we received a 2-star hotel. Arrived at our hotel, broken window with screen hanging (picture taken), remote control not working, rooms was extremely dirty with food crumbs & popcorn around the base of both beds (picture taken), broken bathroom tiles (picture taken) and shower drain clogged with hair (picture taken). Will never book through HOTWIRE again! They do not provide what they advertised. This is the definition of FRAUD!
Reviewed April 10, 2016
Very poor service. I never see such worst service in my life. Customer care is not responding. They disconnect calls anytime. Hard to understand customer cares. Hotwire didn't refund my car booking charges even they confirmed "you will get refund soon." After multiple follow ups I only gave up but still no response from Hotwire and no other communication channel as well like mail, email. You can use any other travel site but don't go with Hotwire in future.
Reviewed April 9, 2016
I had to cancel my car reservation as my wife had surgery and her physician advise against travel for 2 weeks. The surgery was on 4.7.16. The car was reserved for 4.14.16 to 4.19.16. I called Hotwire to cancel the reservation on 4.7.16 and the person I spoke to said the reservation was non cancelable. I explained my wife's condition and was told there was nothing they could do - that was the policy. I have never been treated like that. Even the airlines will allow you to cancel a flight due to illness and put funds on hold for a future use. There are policies but there are extenuating circumstances. Needless to say I will not conduct any future rentals with Hotwire.
Reviewed April 9, 2016
I had to cancel my car rental and Hotwire would not allow me to cancel. Booking.com cancels as long as it is 24 hours in advance. I will only use Booking.com from now on.
Reviewed April 8, 2016
Cancelled my reservations last minute after traveling all the way to the hotel. Didn't send me a cancellation email and never told me why it got cancelled. The money still was taken out of my account and can't get a refund until 5-6 business days. So I was left with no reservations and no place to stay for the night. I called them & they had me on hold for over an hour just to process my refund. They didn't really care about my situation and kept on transferring me over.
Reviewed April 8, 2016
We booked 2 rooms for March 3rd at the Best Western Plus Fort Lauderdale Airport. At the time of booking (December 17, 2015) the website for Best Western Plus Fort Lauderdale Airport South Inn & Suites stated in the amenities that the hotel was a "smoke-free property". When we checked in and found our rooms were "smoking rooms", we proceeded to the front desk and we pulled the website on my phone that listed the hotel as a "Smoke Free Property". The Hotel clerk admitted it was misleading and that it needed to be changed. Hotwire initially agreed to find us another 2 rooms at a different hotel but then said it was a third party transaction and they could do nothing.
As of March 17th the website still listed the Hotel as a "smoke free property." I have a photo that I took of my smartphone on March 17th that shows the Hotel was listed as a "smoke free property" under the amenities. Since filing a complaint with the BBB the hotel website has been updated, and no longer reflects "smoke-free property" in its amenities. BEWARE: even if you act in good faith and according to Hotwire guidelines to obtain a "non-smoking room" it may not happen. We are out $300, and they refused reimbursement.
Reviewed April 8, 2016
After many years of booking thru Hotwire, last night dilemma marked the end of my business with them. In a nutshell: We got booked in a hotel that was not ADVERTISED on the booking page. The page had 6 possible hotel options but we received a different one. None of the ADVERTISED hotels listed on the reservation page had available rooms so we end up with a reservation in a hotel we didn't want in the first place.
The call to customer service was more aggravating as it was futile and fruitless: Representatives didn't want to cooperate. Calls were intentionally dropped by the reps SO MANY TIMES. Representatives were misleading, tried in so many ways, to wiggle their way out of the calls and at times we overheard others giggling in the background. We were placed on extended hold many times. The dilemma above took FEW HOURS of our precious time.
I understand that losing my business may not mean much to them, nevertheless, in this day of social networking, borderless communications, YouTube, twitter, etc. combined with my IT expertise of 18 years will surely ensure that the whole story will be well advertised out there. Back in the days before the Internet, a survey indicated that a happy customer often shared their satisfaction of a particular service or product with one or two people, a dissatisfied customer on the other hand, would share their dissatisfying experience with thirteen people on the average. This was before the golden age of the Internet. There are so many companies out there deserving of my business, NOT Hotwire.
Reviewed April 6, 2016
I had one of the most frustrating experiences with Hotwire. I thought I was getting a deal for 70.00 a night and when the information for hotel came up it was actually a hotel I could have gotten on my own for much cheaper if that was a place I wanted to stay at. To make matters worst I had to cancel trip due to an emergency and Hotwire would not even consider giving me credit for those days that I paid for and could not use, so they gladly took (feel violated) my money. I paid for a room I wasn't even able to stay in at all. So BEWARE, PLEASE do not use Hotwire for booking anything. The company has unreasonable policies and they absolutely do not get you the best deals. I am out 421.00. I don't know about you but I don't like just giving away my hard earned money. Thanks again Hotwire for your unreasonable policies and for making me feel as if I was robbed. Never again.
Reviewed April 4, 2016
I rented a car through Hotwire for a trip to Costa Rica. I rented a 7 passenger SUV which was confirmed on the receipt from Hotwire. I called Dollar Car Rental directly in Costa Rica to verify that they received the proper reservation from Hotwire because I've had issues such as this before. They explained that the reservation they received was for a 5 passenger SUV. I contacted Hotwire prior to the trip and was told by an agent that if Dollar charges me more for the 7 passenger vehicle once I arrive, to fax in the difference in price and Hotwire would refund me the difference. They provided me with the fax number and I asked them to please put the notes of our conversation on my reservation so that I wouldn't have a problem getting reimbursed later.
The difference was over $1000.00. After 3 months and countless emails including faxing and emailing in all of the information multiple times, Hotwire will not respond to me nor send me the check. It is one of the most frustrating experiences I have ever had with renting a vehicle, especially since I was so proactive up front with confirming all of the information.
Reviewed April 1, 2016
I booked a car through Hotwire and took the insurance coverage. They charged me for two days even though I picked the car up at 7:00 pm and dropped it off at 6:00 pm the following night. They claim that the insurer has a "transition" time of midnight so it counts as two days, not one. Hotwire refused to remove the 2nd day so I have removed them from my list of trusted suppliers.
Reviewed March 30, 2016
I booked a hotel in Lake Tahoe several months in advance. It was one of their hot deals. After I booked, I went on the hotel's website to check their price, and the hotel was almost $200 cheaper! Hotwire even added in extra fees that were not part of the tax. I called the hotel and they confirmed the price. I called Hotwire and said I wanted an adjustment. They refused.
Reviewed March 29, 2016
I booked a trip with Hotwire to Rwanda this March and unfortunately, the Brussels Airport bombing happened while we were there. Our flight to and from had us connecting at the Brussels Airport, thankfully we were not there when it happened. While in Rwanda we found out about the attack and immediately started contacting Hotwire to see what our options were since the airport was closed. They provided very little help and the customer service is extremely hard to understand. Every time we were able to get a hold of someone they also had no idea what we were talking about when referring to the attack in Brussels.
Eventually, we had to book new flights with a completely different airline or else we would have been stuck there. When I got back stateside I had a voicemail from someone at Expedia (apparently Hotwire is owned by Expedia Inc) about getting a refund. Awesome I thought, however, I called back and had the same experience. I gave them my booking number and the man I spoke to asked if I had missed my flight in Frankfurt???
At no point did I have a flight in Frankfurt. I went online and they had cancelled my original flight home from Kigali, Rwanda to Brussels, Brussels to Montreal and Montreal to Boston. They replaced it with a flight from Frankfurt to Liege, Belgium. That's it! No flight from Kigali to Frankfurt. No flight from Liege to Boston. Just one flight from two European countries that I was not even remotely close to nor on the same continent as. I am not sure on what world they thought this would work and they didn't even email me or call telling me they had changed it to this useless flight. Needless to say, I did not get a refund from calling them back, just high blood pressure and severe rage due to their complete incompetence. Thankfully I was able to reach the airline directly and get some reimbursement. Never again am I using Hotwire or any site owned by the Expedia Inc company for that matter.
Reviewed March 29, 2016
I booked a room for $70.00 through Hotwire. Hotwire said it was 35% off. When the hotel revealed the name of Value Place, I found I could get the room for $53.43 through the hotel. I contacted Hotwire and was informed that the 35% was off an average of 2 1/2 stars in the same area. The hotel was awful. Charged for everything including internet and extra towels. The towels were worn out and they only provided us 2 for 4 people. Maybe worth the $53.43 but not $70 plus Hotwire fee. Do not book through unless you like paying more. Hotwire charges a premium, not a discounted rate.
Reviewed March 28, 2016
Went through Hotwire as a friend told me of the deals you can get and took the chance on booking a hotel in Universal City Los Angeles, California. You book the room then find out where it is and once I did book it and looked up the Yelp reviews the last three complained about BED BUGS!!! And to top it off it would have been cheaper to book straight through El Patio Inn. Through El Patio Inn it would cost $119 with taxes and fees and through Hotwire it cost $134.22 and you don't know where you'll be staying till you book it. Now that my girlfriend is trying to cancel the reservation and letting them know they charge more than the actual Motel does they said they can give us a refund if we book a different hotel through them and all the choices they've been giving us are more expensive and have bad reviews too. "DON'T USE HOTWIRE.COM."
Reviewed March 24, 2016
Booked online 2 rooms in Richmond, Georgia with my family. Found a rate on Hotwire that described it as a hotel and 3 stars. Arrived to a motel, rooms were extremely dirty, with mold and wet carpets, peeling walls and bathtub enamel. Hotwire contacted and they basically said "Sorry about your luck, should have complained to hotel" (was motel and was booked so what would they be able to do), will not give money nor credit or anything. They didn't even acknowledge that they advertised a 1 star motel as a 3 star hotel. Never book with Hotwire!
Reviewed March 23, 2016
I booked a hotel using their daily save her a question and it was a two star hotel. I called ahead and confirmed my reservation. I had to get two rooms because we had extra people. I requested non-smoking and adjoining rooms. Great question I checked in, receive my keys, went to our hotel room. There were bugs in the sink. There were also missing fixtures in the same, there were broken wall protectors, the room had been smoked in and you could tell it had recently been smoked in, there was mold around the walls. I was told there were no other rooms available so I checked out immediately.
I called Hotwire on the next business day and they contacted the hotel. The hotel had never called me back but apparently Hotwire was able to speak with somebody there and they told him that I had never requested another room and that I had never tried to contact them. I explained to Hotwire that they were lying and that I was to speak with April and they were speaking with Sandy so I explained that there was something wrong there - they never refunded my money because they said that they did not find that they had violated any of the rules. I plan to continue pursuing this. According to their website I am suppose to seek arbitration however, they still have not contacted me concerning this.
Reviewed March 23, 2016
Used Hotwire.com "hot rate hotels" to find a 2.5 star hotel comparable to LaQuinta, Best Western, Holiday Inn, Comfort Suites, etc. WHAT I GOT was Shasta Lodge in Redding CA WHICH Google Lists as a 2 star hotel and doesn't have great reviews. On Priceline, it is a 1 star hotel. Hotwire also charged MORE than what the Shasta Lodge charges themselves! When I called Hotwire, they said they go by the customer review rating for the Hotel. No refunds. Then they changed the hotel status, online, to "booked" so no one could see the price. WHATEVER!!! DO NOT use them ever!
Reviewed March 21, 2016
If you purchase tickets for Delta flights via Hotwire.com you will not be allowed to choose your seats. Upon arrival at gate, you will be assigned the last seats in the plane, row 35 or 36. Doesn't matter when you check in or if you are there in time. Consumers need to know.
Reviewed March 19, 2016
Horrendous organization. I will never book through Hotwire again. I paid an extra fee to be able to cancel a hotel reservation. I have been given three different individuals to speak with and I have been on hold now for over an hour and have now been transferred to two more people. STAY AWAY FROM ANY RESERVATION WITH HOTWIRE. They make any refund aggravatingly difficult. I have just been told that I now have to fill out paperwork with Allianz, the insurance company that covers for Hotwire. STAY AWAY. Not worth the difficulty of doing business with Hotwire.
Reviewed March 17, 2016
I booked a room late in the day on a busy weekend in Las Vegas. I hadn't expected to be staying in the city that night. I booked through Hotwire, and received a confirmation within moments. I proceeded immediately to the hotel. I was informed at the counter that the hotel was overbooked, and that Hotwire had listed the room in error. I immediately called Hotwire. I was on hold for over 25 minutes. After finally getting through to customer service, I was put on hold again as they called the hotel to confirm my situation. After over forty minutes waiting for an answer, I was informed that the hotel was in fact overbooked, and because it was now after midnight, I was essentially out of luck.
Hotwire offered to refund the money I booked on the room. When I informed the agent this was unsatisfactory, she replied that there was nothing else she could do. I became irate, and she hung up. I immediately had to repeat the process. For my trouble I was awarded with 25$ in credit on my Hotwire account. I ended up having to call a friend after two in the morning, and crash on the pullout sofa in their room. Not only was the initial problem unacceptable, the subsequent customer service experience and resolution was maddening. I now view doing business with Hotwire as a risky proposition, and am unlikely to take a chance on them in the future.
Reviewed March 17, 2016
I have booked hotels several times through Hotwire. Every time they show you a list of good branded hotels of which one will be selected after making the payment but unfortunately once payment is being made you end up getting a 2 star hotel. And it didn't happen once or twice rather every single time. Very recently I booked a hotel in NY JFK area, and the list had all three star hotels such as Best Western, Extended Stay America, Clarion Inn, but after making the payment I was again provided with a 2 star hotel (JFK INN). Therefore, it's better to use other websites than using Hotwire.com. DO NOT FALL FOR THE HOAX.
Reviewed March 15, 2016
When selecting to purchase Allianz Global Assistance insurance while booking a hotel or car rental, do not make the mistake of choosing to use PayPal as a payment method. Allianz Global Insurance does not accept PayPal as a payment method. Hotwire will provide a policy number but Allianz Global Assistance insurance will not process and issue a policy number, even after receiving an email confirmation of purchase from Hotwire.
Hotwire please work with your partner Allianz Global Assistance insurance to better communicate to your customers that when selecting to utilize payment method to pay using PayPal, the Allianz Global Assistance insurance will not be purchased. Hotwire provided me with a policy number but Allianz Global Assistance has no record of the policy number when I needed to file a claim believing I had purchased the Allianz Global Assistance Insurance. I am still in contact with Hotwire to rectify my issue. A report claim had been submitted and escalated according to the senior lead and manager I was able to work with from Hotwire. Please help to rectify this issue as I am not at fault. I feel disappointed and victimized by this whole ordeal and believe hotwire should take full responsibility for this incident and need to resolve this asap.
Reviewed March 15, 2016
Hotwire booked us at a hotel that was closed for business. We only found out after calling the hotel to ask a few questions about our arrival. We booked 2 months in advance and found out about the hotel 4 days before our trip. No notice from Hotwire whatsoever. Hotwire is dishonest and a ripoff.
Reviewed March 15, 2016
My recent experience at Wyndham Hotels in Orlando, FL -- I realized when I pulled in, the car attendant asked a question/statement about the $8 a car parking fee that this might be a surprise to me... "Do you understand/accept?" I had no idea of what he was referencing as I have used Hotwire for many trips and have been pleased as to the details of what you are about to purchase, but not in this case. I felt I was taken advantage of by this Hotel. The resort fee was clearly disclosed, $20.50 in addition to the nightly fee and taxes to the penny, but somewhere hidden was the fact that one had to pay $8 to park on their (Wyndham) property. I actually printed the document that was sent to me from Hotwire and nowhere was this mentioned about the charge for parking. Had I known this, I might have picked a different hotel... Knowing this now, the way everything was presented, I would have chosen another place.
Reviewed March 15, 2016
I booked reservation for last Sunday, but modified the reservation date to following Sunday through their automated answering machine. But, my first reservation did not get cancelled. And Hotwire charged me entire money for the trip. I do not want to even give them one star.
Reviewed March 13, 2016
I am a Platinum member of Hotwire and literally book hotels through them once a week. One of the hotels I booked for a trip to AZ had bed bugs. When I called Hotwire and asked them about it, they said their policy was to do nothing about it. They have lost me as a customer. Any business that would ask their clients to risk bed bugs should not be in business. PERIOD.
Reviewed March 11, 2016
I have been on and off the phone with at least 3 customer service agents, one of them being a supervisor, asking them to please provide a confirmation of cancellation on the trip that I booked. I cancelled within the 24 hour period and was told I am getting a full refund. The confirmation was never sent to me and when I call back and ask - they act like they have no idea what is going on. I am still currently on hold waiting for someone to help me... How difficult can it be to email me a confirmation? My total wait time for the calls was over an hour. I have had two terrible experiences with Hotwire and I will never use them again.
Reviewed March 11, 2016
I reserved a car at the Atlanta airport thru Hotwire and fulfilled by Thrifty. Hotwire promised me a Kia Rio or similar. The Rio is a 4 door, 4 seat car. When I got there all of the economy cars were Smart Cars, a 2 door, 2 seat death trap. I paid Thrift another $92 to upgrade to a car like I was promised. After I returned I called Hotwire and complained. They said to email a copy of my receipt to customer service and I would get a refund in 10-14 days.
I never got a reply from Hotwire, so I called and complained. The excuses were impressive! First, they complained that my itinerary number was invalid (even though the voice response system accepted the number and said it was good!). I emailed them a copy of THEIR OWN confirmation while on the phone. I also emailed Hotwire a copy of the Thrifty upgrade receipt. I kept getting transferred from one person to another. Each time there was a half hour delay before anybody answered. After over two hours on the phone I was told to contact Thrifty for a refund! I am going to contest the entire charge with Amex instead. DO NOT use Hotwire, I DON'T CARE how good their rates look to you! You WILL get SCREWED!
Reviewed March 10, 2016
I booked a hotel reservation for the Best Western in Mulberry, FL. Hotwire called me the night before I was supposed to leave to inform me that the Best Western did not have rooms available. They were willing to move me to another hotel, but told me that since I paid my initial reservation by debit card, I would have to give them a major credit card (not debit card) to make the new reservation and they would refund my debit card in 1-3 business days. I said "no, transfer my payment that has already been deducted from my account to the new reservation." They refused to do so. I asked for a supervisor. They told me there was no supervisor available, but they would request that someone call me back in 24-48 hours. So at this point, they have my money and I do not have a hotel reservation hours before I am due to arrive.
Reviewed March 10, 2016
When I arrived to my destination in Costa Rica, at the Alamo desk, I showed them my Hotwire reservation and they pretty much laughed at me. I paid Hotwire $239 which was supposedly including insurance required in Costa Rica for the car. When I arrived there, I was told that they do not accept this third-party insurance and that my total for the car would be $554, AND they needed $2000 to hold on my credit card for additional insurance. There were other rental car desks around, and I asked them all and it was the same thing. So Hotwire had absolutely no clue what was needed exactly for renting a car in this country!! I will never use Hotwire again for international travel.
Reviewed March 10, 2016
I just booked a 3-night stay on Hotwire in Honolulu - website stating the room was comparable to Microtel, Candlewood Inn Suites, Econo Lodge or Quality Inn. What we got was an old hotel, "Kuhio Banyan" with terrible reviews and NO PARKING. These other hotels always have parking available, now where do we put the car? Extremely deceitful practices to fill hotels no one in their right mind would book. WE WILL NEVER USE HOTWIRE AGAIN!
Reviewed March 10, 2016
I was attempting to make a reservation and the system said the reservation did not complete. I looked at my card statement and discovered that they had charged me, tying up the funds on my card. When I attempted to speak with Hotwire they told me it was my bank holding the funds. After speaking with my bank and Hotwire they attempted to do an auth code but my bank said it was not a hold but a legitimate charge made by Hotwire. Hotwire refused to help me, I was on the phone 3 hours, hung up on by Jeung the supervisor twice. She also refused to give me her supervisor's name and came up with nothing. I had been in a car accident and needed to get a rental. Because of them holding my money on my card I was unable to do so. This is the WORST company I have every dealt with.
Reviewed March 7, 2016
I booked a car rental w/ Hotwire.com that they collected the full car rental and taxes/fees but didn't pay them to the car rental company. I had to pay taxes/fees again at the car rental facility and Hotwire never refunded me the taxes/fee paid to them and never paid the rental car company the taxes/fee.
Reviewed March 6, 2016
On January 22, 2016 I was booked into the Best Western Hotel in Tamarindo Costa Rica. Hotwire sent me a confirmation # ** and the hotel did not honor it. When I tried to call 1-888-HOTWIRE and 1-866-HOTWIRE, the number isn't assessable outside the USA and Canada. When I tried to call the number for international calls that was not toll-free, all it gives is an automated answer service with no option to talk with customer service.
Through e-mail correspondence I was able to get through to customer service. Unbelievable is all I can say, the worse service ever. After 15 e-mail correspondence, all they repeatedly inform me to do is call the 1-866-HOTWIRE which I repeated informed them of is not available outside Canada and the USA. Through e-mail I asked them to call me directly and they would not.
I ended up having to pay again for the room which was a 2 night stay. To date, I have not received my refund. I called several times since I've been back and every time when they put me on hold after several minutes, the phone hangs up. They even ask for the best phone number to reach me at in case we lose the connection. I never received a phone call back. I will never use Hotwire again, my wife and I were in a vulnerable situation and luckily I had funds to cover the cost of the room.
Reviewed March 1, 2016
I booked a car two days ago thru Hotwire.com with the understanding of no cancellation. Today when I looked up rates I noted the cost of the car was $50 cheaper. I called Hotwire and asked if they could adjust cost and was told there was nothing they could. I asked to speak with a supervisor and was asked why. They did not allow me to speak with a supervisor but the representative checked her "sources" and told me "Be glad you got the price you did." Representative was difficult to understand. Customer service is non-existing. BEWARE!
Reviewed March 1, 2016
The first thing to remember when booking through a third party online is that there is ALWAYS something in it for them. Although Hotwire offers hotels are discounted rates, what I have found with my experience is that often these hotels are lower in quality. If the hotel is a 5-star outstanding resort, don't you think that those rooms book up without the help of third-party companies???
Here is my honest experience. I have always booked through Hotwire and have never had a problem but I have never needed to get out of a hotel. I booked through Hotwire 3 stars and got a hotel that had nothing but AWFUL reviews and traveler pictures of bed bugs, rats, and roaches. After seeing this, I immediately called Hotwire and explained the situation and told them that I did not want to risk mine or my families health.
After a little bit of back and forth they transferred me to a different hotel, which I was very appreciative of. Once I got confirmation of my hotel I quickly went online and read the reviews. The hotel they put me in was WORSE. I had close friends of mine warning me about how awful this hotel was and the traveler reviews were nothing but bad. I called Hotwire, very frustrating, that they would even have a hotel on their site that is known to have rats in the rooms. After speaking to more than 10 NASTY/ DISRESPECTFUL representatives and supervisors and more than 3 hours on the phone nothing had been resolved.
During those 3 HOURS ON THE PHONE I was ignored, hung up on, transferred to PRICELINE??? Disrespected, one woman even went dark and completely stopped talking to me, as I could hear her breathing, for more than 4 minutes. I was told by a supervisor that the hotel had the authority to issue a refund and if the hotel was willing then Hotwire would start the refund.
After calling and speaking to someone at the hotel and calling back to Hotwire, they told me this was NOT the case and that a Hotwire rep had to call the hotel directly. The Hotwire rep "called" the hotel and came back and told me that the hotel denied my request. After calling the hotel and speaking to them they had no record of any Hotwire rep calling and requesting a refund. Finally, after TONS AND TONS of back and forth I get a hold of a Hotwire rep that says that the hotel is willing to "CANCEL MY RESERVATION AND ISSUE MY REFUND" but I would be charged for a night because I "missed the window to cancel". I WAS SO FRUSTRATED.
I am now still stuck in a hotel that is "infested with bugs" for my 1 night stay this weekend. I was told by Hotwire that if I check into the hotel and there is problem then to call Hotwire and make it right...doesn't that take away from a vacation...HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE FIASCO TO GET A HOLD OF A HOTWIRE REP AND WHEN I FINALLY DO TO BE DISRESPECTED AND LIED TO. I am so fed up with Hotwire. It is sad that it has come to this. I have used Hotwire on multiple occasions and always had great success. If you are confident that you will LOVE your hotel and in no way need to get out of the hotel then go ahead and use Hotwire but if you can use any other online service then please do so!!!
Reviewed Feb. 29, 2016
I could not be more frustrated with Hotwire and I will never use them for any reservations! I was attempting to book a car rental reservation on Hotwire and after I entered my payment information an error message on website came up saying my reservation did not go through and I should start my reservation over again. I attempted to redo my reservation and received a message saying there were no cars available at the location on the requested dates. I went to carrentals.com and booked a slightly higher rate than what I had originally been trying to get on Hotwire. A few days later I see on my bank statement that Hotwire charged me for the reservation. When I called explain the confusion, Hotwire claimed that they would not refund the money unless I had a screenshot of the error message! I won't even get into the rudeness of nearly every representative with whom I spoke. I fail to see how this practice isn't simply illegal.
Reviewed Feb. 29, 2016
I booked a long needed vacation for my husband and myself on Jan 7th online. I ended booking a package with the flight, hotel and car. To make a long story short, I ended up calling to extend my trip 1 day and needed to change my flight. I purchased the insurance which shouldn't have been a problem to change. Little did I know even if you get the insurance, you still have to pay $135 pp for any changes that is to be reimbursed back to you within a few days. This made no sense to me. So the representative (mind you this phone call took 3 hrs. No exaggeration!!! About 2 hrs was me being on hold and them not willing to call me back), guess what? They charged me for the WHOLE TRIP + $270!!! I was beyond infuriated that they would take that much money from me without my consent and be very cavalier about it.
I decided to cancel my trip in its entirety and book with another site. It is 2/29/16 and I still have not received my refund of $2545.00. I call only to be transferred, put on hold for 45 min at a time only to find that they do cannot find my reservation or my information!!! FRUSTRATING. I'm disputing this with my bank now. This has been a total nightmare. Reading these reviews that are posted daily about hotwire is sickening. I had to cancel my credit card because they charged me another $50.00 the day after this call. THIS COMPANY ARE CROOKS. DO NOT USE THEM.
Reviewed Feb. 21, 2016
I just booked a Hot Deal on Hotwire. It was represented as a 2.5 stars with a 100% LOVE IT rating. Additionally, when I went to book it they specifically listed it as having a 4.5/5 customer rating. However, the hotel I got has a 3.5/5 customer rating and while they rate it as a 2.5 star everyone else that I've now looked at rate it a 2 star. Not so concerned with the 2.5 stars but very concerned about the customer ratings. When I called to speak with them they said the customer ratings had nothing to do with a hotel and only the overall area (which no other hotels have a 4.5 /5 in that area). They provided no customer service and refused to do anything about the fact that they misrepresented their information. Will NEVER EVER use this service again. Very deceitful and obviously don't want any return business or happy customer.
Reviewed Feb. 20, 2016
I am usually not that person who will take the time to complain however this whole situation with Hotwire is completely ridiculous. Against my better judgement, I made a reservation for a hotel in Vegas with Hotwire. I used their "mystery" hotel deal and the caption read "Center Strip Area Hotel" and the highlighted area was completely over the centre of the strip. A logical person would think it's a hotel on the strip.
After making my purchase, my heart sank when I saw the hotel they gave me was EAST of the strip. I panicked and contacted their customer service line right away. I was hoping that the rep could see that the caption was misleading and move me to a hotel actually on the strip. I even offered to pay an additional fee. All she kept saying was they were unable to do anything. She escalated me to a supervisor who basically said the same thing and that I had enough information to know that the hotel was not on the strip. Did I? Even though after purchasing, your site says that a cancellation MAY be possible?! But that's not misleading, right?
The supervisor said she would have a manager contact me the next day. Well, this manager did call me however I missed her call. Instead of being "professional" and saying this to me live, the manager left her "opinion" on my voicemail and said that they cannot do anything and no cancellation is possible (even though I wasn't asking for a cancellation) and that there is pretty much nothing else they can do. I called back the toll free number and spoke with a rep named Cheryl. I wanted to document everything and politely asked her if I can have the names of the people I spoke with the day before. Cheryl said due to privacy issues, she cannot give me the names of the reps I spoke with. What privacy issues? All I was asking for was a first name however Cheryl gave me hers?
I asked if I could have a manager call me and she asked me for a reason. I explained my situation and that I wanted to speak to a manager to find out my options. She asked me again what my reason was for wanting to speak with a manager, again, to find out my options. She asked me a few more times and at this point, I am completely annoyed. How many times does someone have to ask? Cheryl told me that she can document this on my file but cannot guarantee me that a manager would call me! She also said that the manager will tell me the same thing that there is nothing they can do. So, I am stuck for five days at a hotel I was mislead to stay at. Great customer service Hotwire!! I feel completely duped. For those reading this review, just pay the extra couple of bucks and book with the hotel you want so a situation like this does not happen to you!
Reviewed Feb. 20, 2016
I rented a car through Hotwire.com for a Hertz rental car to use upon arrival where my daughter would begin college. 2 weeks before we were set to leave for her college experience, she required a surgical procedure which led to complications resulting in her untimely passing. Hotwire.com was extremely helpful, but since the reservation was made through Hotwire.com, I needed to go through them directly to get a refund. I called to cancel the reservation 3 days after. I followed up by sending the death certificate for my daughter as requested. I continued to follow up with everything Hertz asked for a total of 9 phone calls.
I found out 3 weeks later, that I only received a 1 day refund for the rental as the reservation had been partially used. I immediately called their corporate headquarters and spoke with an executive customer service agent by the name of Lily. At first, she seemed very willing to help me resolve this problem. I forwarded the obituary and explained the entire situation and that on the day in question for the supposed rental, it was impossible for us to have rented the car as we were burying our daughter on that very day. I received a phone call back from Lily stating "We have video evidence of your husband renting the car." I explained that was impossible. She told me "I have photo proof" and explained that my husband's driver's license was entered for the reservation.
I offered to send a photo ID of my husband. She said "No, it could be anybody you're sending me a picture of." I asked her to check the driver's license number of the person to see if it was in the same state. I also asked her to check the phone number and address. This was all to no avail and I began to yell that it was not my husband and we were burying our daughter on the day the car was rented. She stated "We have the photo proof so feel free to take legal action if you want." Through all of the numerous phone calls and checkups I had completed, and explaining to Lily at corporate, NOTHING was done to help me. They didn't even recognize that I had paid for the vehicle in full, but they charged another credit card for the use. (Why would they need to do this if it was paid in full by me?)
Then, I remembered I could request a receipt online. When I did, a receipt under my fiance's license number and credit card number both returned a no receipt message because it was not the information entered. I eventually obtained a copy of the receipt on my own through the confirmation number. It was rented to another person. I called this person who lives in a completely different state with a completely different address and credit card number, as well as a completely different license number (of course). After I researched and made contact with this individual MYSELF, I called Hertz back and requested to talk to Lily. It was explained she was at lunch but she would call me back as soon as she returned.
Long story short, Lily never called me back as promised by the customer representative and she was conveniently busy when I called back again later on. Josh, the customer representative who helped me at that time, asked if I could send a picture ID of my husband/fiance. WOW! I explained I wanted to earlier but was told NO. I also was hesitant at this time to send a picture because I did not trust they would keep this information safe. But it was explained they needed the picture ID, so I did. Finally, I received an email that they had made a mistake. Hertz Rental Car is an unreliable, immoral business. NEVER contract with Hertz Rental!
Reviewed Feb. 20, 2016
We book our vacation a week before Christmas, which included a weekly car rental through Hotwire. My wife required emergency abdominal surgery and hospitalization, from Dec 31 through Jan 8. Even I required a couple of weeks to get back to normal, but my wife needed additional tests and follow ups, as her blood chemistry was also abnormal in addition to her intestinal resectioning recovery.
We did finally realize that we needed to do something about our planned vacation, that's when we contacted Hotwire about our car rental. At first, they stated that there's no refunds - but when I mentioned the surgery, then the tone changed but only a bit. That's when Hotwire said that they needed a note from the doctor, on their letterhead, and that the dates must overlap with the vacation date. We got the doctor's note, but no specific "do not travel" dates, only the surgery date and that she is still under the doctor's care.
They denied our claim, and as I stated that we were very upset at their denial and will use social media to show their insensitivity. They basically said, "Oh, well, go ahead and complain but you're not getting a refund." So, do not use Hotwire unless you plan NOT to have any medical emergency, unless you plan to still be in the hospital during the same days as your vacation - and you have lots of money.
Reviewed Feb. 19, 2016
I will not go into the annoying, exasperating details that occurred while trying to make a 3 day reservation for a hotel in NYC. It took 3 hours+ speaking with 4 service representatives. My blood pressure has risen dramatically because of this experience - and I am a calm individual! This morning, we received an email indicating that if we booked before 12M today a $15 credit would be applied to our reservation. The bottom line is that we DID NOT get the $15 credit off of the reservation.
In addition, we ordered cancellation insurance thru our original representative (Lyn) - because we were asked if we wanted this. We noticed on our confirmation that NONE OF THIS HAPPENED and when we called back we got the run around to 3 different representatives and no $15 credit and insurance was not in the confirmation. Whatever savings we got was not worth the aggravation. I know this incident sound like "nothing", however, if the same thing happens to you - you will understand. Go somewhere else!!!
Reviewed Feb. 19, 2016
In January I booked two nights on Hotwire.com hotel bidding site for two nights in April 2016 - location Maui. After pushing the button agreeing to pay 176.00/night, plus 83.00 hotel tax for two nights given the area, star rating, etc. you must agree to their terms to move forward. You have no idea what hotel but for a competitive rate gave it a shot. Having done this for years on many websites, familiar with resort fees, parking fees that I am aware of I moved forward with and pushed the button.
Once my email confirmation arrived I read through it. Last paragraph states "Mandatory check out cleaning fee of 125.00 for one bedroom. 175.00 for two bedroom plus an additional 4.1% excise tax!" Shocked and dismayed I immediately called Hotwire and explained I have never seen these types of excessive extra fees when booking online and wanted to cancel immediately.
All the agents that work for this company are in the Philippines, hard to understand and basically are trained to repeat "You agreed to the terms when you pushed the button. This is nonrefundable." This went on for a month between the Outrigger, Makena Condo place, Hotwire and Chase Visa. I am still in dispute, flabbergasted and outraged over the deceit and arrogance from customer service I have received. Through this I have learned that my Chase bank's visa department is also exclusively in the Philippines. No one cares. "You pushed the button, you agreed to the terms." This is non-refundable.
I always thought my credit card company would protect the customer from fraud and abuse. They used to, but no more. Just getting the word out there - this company is out to grab your money, and keep it until you give up the fight. Well, I am not giving up and I just want to warn others to be careful. Going forward I will only use Costco Travel or deal directly with the hotels. I am out almost 500.00 at this point. BUYER BEWARE!
Reviewed Feb. 18, 2016
Eventually, the entire trip was cancelled. Hotwire booked a room at the Aloha Hotel in Arroyo Grande, CA. A confirmation email was sent. I personally called Hotwire to double confirm the reservation. When I arrived the hotel owner said that Hotwire overbooked me and there was no room available. I called customer service several times. I was placed on hold 6 times for over an hour each time until the phone just disconnected. Each time I talked to a representative the answer was the same. "We can offer you a refund that will take 1 to 2 business days to reflect." We were 5 hours from home and had been sitting in a car now for 11 hours.
When I told the representative the immediate danger we were in because we were in a bad part of town, their response was "I am sorry for your inconvenience", but did nothing to help get us out of the situation. 50' to the right a girl on some kind of drug, to the left a drug deal happening. Two police cars with lights on searching a homeless man's belongings. Several suspicious persons turning away anxiously as soon as they saw us in a car.
We missed our nonrefundable event due to being on hold with customer service. We were told that we can book our own 2 star hotel and send them the bill. But they already had all the money I had on my card for lodging and would not return it for 1 or 2 business days. So after driving 5 hours then sitting 6 hours we decided for our physical safety we just needed to cancel the trip. So now completely emotionally and physically drained Hotwire tells me they are sorry but maybe that is best that we cancel the trip and drive exhausted in the middle of the night another 5 hours home.
Reviewed Feb. 18, 2016
We had booked a secret location hotel. All was good with the booking until I saw O had paid the identical price the hotel offered. Meaning I had no discount or low rate as advertised. I contacted Hotwire the next morning to state I wasn't happy with this as I was on the understanding we had received a good deal. I have on endless occasions called US to sort this out, as they go round in circles on emails. But what a surprise, their call handlers are exactly the same. Never have I received such bad customer service to the point where I don't think they even know what they going on about. We just went round in circles for a 45 min call, to the point where you're going crazy. Keep back tracking etc. They have now taken my phone number (which I asked the girl to recite and she couldn't as she didn't write my number down). So now they lie as well. What horrendous going ons for a travel company. One that I would never recommend to anyone.
Reviewed Feb. 17, 2016
I booked a hotel that was supposed to be 2 1/2 stars. The possibilities included Holiday Inn, Ramada Inn and Best Western. As these were all over $100 I thought the $44 would be a pretty good deal. Instead of what I expected, I got an extended stay, which would have cost me less if I would have booked directly with them. By nobody's standard is this a 2 1/2 star hotel. They do not even do housekeeping during your stay. It like you buy a new car and you get delivery of something used and bashed up. I don't know if this is illegal, but it should be.
Reviewed Feb. 16, 2016
I am not one to email complaints but due to such a disrespectful upsetting experience that I received from Hotwire I will make sure to voice my issue. About a year ago, my husband and I went to Spain and booked through hotwire. We were expecting to have a great experience due to reviews that were said about the company. Unfortunately we have had absolutely nothing but problems since the day we decided to go through your company. We booked our hotel and after almost a day of flying and being exhausted we finally reached our hotel only to find out that hotwire had booked us a hotel that was already overbooked and had no room for us. Not only is this absolutely ridiculous but it made no sense to me. My husband and I were standing in the middle of the street on the phone with hotwire for over two hours.
Finally one of your customer service members got us a hotel and told us that we would be able to only refund us $500 that I paid for the hotel that we could not stay in. We ended up staying in a terrible hotel. Next morning my husband called to confirm the $500 that was promised to us. He specifically asked if the money would ever expire and your customer service representative replied "absolutely not". Now less than a month ago my husband and I decided to take a small trip to Vegas, assuming that the $500 that was promised to us is there to use. We booked a hotel through hotwire like the customer service representative told us on the phone. He also said that the $50" credit would be automatically added to the bill which means my card would only pay the remaining balance after the $500 credit.
After booking we instantly noticed that our card was charged the full amount and the promised credit was no one to be found. My husband and I were absolutely enraged at this point. We had gone through enough problems through hotwire and were promised compensation for ruining what was supposed to be a great trip for my husband and I and now your company was doing it again for our Vegas trip. We continued to call customer service to get everything straightened out. We are not asking for anything that is not absolutely our right to ask for. We want our refund of the $500 that were charged to our card that was supposed to be accredited money. We do not want credit anymore. We simply want what's ours, our money back. I spoke with numerous people on the phone only to be promised phone calls back that I never received and honestly nothing but crap.
This is absolutely ridiculous that I have to go through all of this and on top of this my husband was on the phone with one of your reps. and was asked to hold and continued waiting on hold to be transferred for 44 minutes. How unbelievably disrespectful and outrageous. We have never been pushed around and lied to like we have through hotwire and we are asking for nothing that is not rightfully ours.
I am emailing you because we are so upset about this situation and decided to contact higher management. Please understand that the refund we are asking for is rightfully ours and is not compensating any of the headaches and disrespect that we have been through since the day we decided to go through hotwire. Please email or call me at ** anytime after 4 pm or email me asap any time. Thank you for your time and understanding. Also, I have attached a screenshot of the phone call that my husband was put on and never answered back from.
Reviewed Feb. 15, 2016
I reserved a car using Hotwire with Hertz. My plans changed and I called to modify my reservation. I was told by Hotwire that cancellations or modifications were not allowed. I was shocked because at the time I made my reservation this was not made clear, it must have been posted in very small print somewhere on the webpage, but I didn't notice it. What kind of business are they running where you can't make a change or cancel a reservation and if you are unable to use the service they charge you anyway.
The agents I spoke to at Hotwire were not able to answer my questions with any clarity and kept repeating themselves. I called Hertz and they told me that Hotwire can cancel my reservation, but I had to go through them to get it canceled. I called back and requested to speak to a supervisor and was put on hold for over 30 mins and I had to hung up. Hotwire is horrible and should be put out of business, they are out and out ripping off the public.
Reviewed Feb. 14, 2016
I booked a hotel through Hotwire.com for one night in Bozeman. I chose the hotel based on their airport shuttle service because our flight arrived at midnight and the rental car office closes at midnight and we didn't want to risk not being able to get a rental car. On the day of our flight, I called the hotel to confirm that they will provide shuttle service. They said they don't have airport shuttle service and that they never did. They said they have asked Hotwire.com to remove that service from their website but they continue to ignore it. I called Hotwire and, first of all, they do not have a customer service number. Well, they do but it's only for new reservations or to confirm reservations. Because none of those options were for speaking to a live agent, they hang up on you.
I called back and pressed new reservation and a live person comes on very quickly. Then after I said I wanted to speak with someone, I was put on hold for 32 minutes. Then after I told the person my situation, they put me on hold for another 12 minutes. Then she came back and offered 25% off my reservation in the form of Hot Dollars which I had no intention of ever using. They said they would book another hotel with airport shuttle service but that they could not guarantee the rates. I said this was not going to work for me and she put me on hold for another 20 minutes. I am on hold right now, and I have been on the phone for over an hour now. The person came back on the phone and said she is not able to get a hold of the hotel. Are you kidding me?
I had called the hotel just before I called Hotwire. This is a hotel, with a front desk. What hotel doesn't answer a call? I will never use this company again. It appears they make it very difficult for customers to get help once something goes wrong. Their system is setup to discourage complaint. There should be lawsuit for consumer protection violation. I can see how someone might say if the deals you get through them is so good, they are willing to risk it. But, I learned that is not the reality.
For this same trip, I reserved a hotel in Big Sky for 5 days. I took a chance and booked the mystery hotel but given the description and the limited independent hotels available, I knew which hotel I was going to get. And as expected, I got the hotel I thought I would get. Just to see how good their deal was, I went on Expedia and checked the rates for this hotel and it was $200 cheaper for the five days booked. This is a significant difference. I know that Expedia owns Hotwire. I don't get it. Again, I will never ever use this company again. I was on the phone for 1:21 minutes and I ended up taking the 25% "Hotwire Dollars." Wow.
Reviewed Feb. 14, 2016
I was last minute booking a hotel and was looking for the cheapest price and had seen Hotwire commercials before. I decided to try and book a hotel through there. It does not tell you what hotel it is, it says it will tell you after you make the reservation. I called to try and understand why they couldn't tell me what hotel I would be getting prior to reserving it. I told the man on the phone there was specific hotel I DID NOT want due to the fact there was 3 murders there. He said if I book it and I get that specific hotel to call back and they would change it for me.
Of course, the hotel that I got was the one I did not want. I called back and the lady on the phone told me it was the wrong department, transferred me to another one. I waited 45 minutes, the same lady came back on and claimed she couldn't hear me and hung up. Then I called back again and I have been on the phone for an hour and 22 minutes waiting. I have never experienced something as bad as this.
Reviewed Feb. 14, 2016
Am completely disgusted by the way you handled my situation. You booked me at a crackhead hotel, where my taxi cab driver would not even drop me off at. His words..."From my heart, I can't let you go here. You will not be here tomorrow." After he kindly took me into downtown by the beach 35 mins away (where in my request for my vacation I had put, must be by beach in the first place), he took me to a hotel that did not have prostitutes outside and a man smoking crack in a crystal pipe. Being that it's Valentines Day weekend, they had no rooms available. They did direct me to another hotel a few blocks away. So I packed up my luggage and walked there. Well...they were booked also. This happened 4 different times!! I walked around with my luggage downtown California, by myself for HOURS trying to find a room. All the while waiting on hold in your customer service dept.
Finally found a room for ONE OF THE TWO nights (Friday) for 220.89 at a Best Western. After being on hold, being transferred 3 times and disconnected twice...I felt as though I needed to book this, so I was not out on the streets when it got dark...as it almost was. I spent the first day of my trip in an emotional panic. Finally got ahold of someone in customer service who told me they could not do anything for me...then transferred me to a manager who then told me he could credit me back 100.00!!? But not showing any rooms for my 2nd day!!! I demanded to talk to his manager who was too busy to talk, but promised me a call back within 30 mins. STILL HAVE NOT HEARD FROM ANYONE... STILL HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THROUGH!!! It's now Sunday, the last day of my trip. I am now on my 18+ hours of being at the airport. The benches here are not very comfortable to sleep on!!! But this was my only safe option.
You left me with nothing, no concern of my safety. No regards of your responsibility to your customers. I want a FULL refund of this disaster trip!!! I want to be compensated for having to book another room when one should have already been booked (one that I would still be living after an hour of being there)! I want to be compensated for all this emotional turmoil this has caused me. I've never been so scared and cried so much! I want to hear back from you within a timely manner or I will seek council for this unbelievable horrible experience.
Reviewed Feb. 14, 2016
Hotwire has wasted so much money just on Vology alone. Vology makes more from Hotwire than any other client. They mark up the products more for Hotwire than any company in their history - more than 60% than any client. Rick would buy a Cisco switch or router for less than $2k and sell it to them for $24k. Another rep would of charged Hotwire maybe $4k or $5k. Hotwire is getting screwed by Vology and they waste so much.
Reviewed Feb. 13, 2016
I was looking for a car to rent in Texas. I'm from Utah. I saw those reviews and I got scared. But I decided to call Hotwire and see if they were legit and everything. Their price was ridiculously low compared to other companies. $6,99/day instead of $69,99. Well, I won't lie, I was afraid but I decided to give a shot. The saving were way too much. And seriously, amazing experience!! A week after I returned my car I made my mother in law rent a car with them too. I'm sure a lot of people had problems with them, but honestly I didn't, nor did my mom. They were amazing. The company they picked was great, amazing price. I'll definitely keep using them before I use anyone else. I've downloaded their app and everything. I'm not the kind of person who leaves reviews, but because of so many bad one I thought I should. It's always the unhappy people who leaves reviews, so here's a happy customer.
Reviewed Feb. 12, 2016
I booked a car through Hotwire and printed the checkout paper with a quoted fee that stated no taxes and fees. But when I picked up the car, 25% extra was added in fees and taxes. Nowhere on my checkout receipt was there any indication that the total cost was only an estimate. In all fairness, later when I checked the email receipt I did notice it stated "total estimated cost," but the word "estimated" was not on the checkout receipt and even still, 25% more? That's too substantial not to give some warning. After an hour on hold, I was given $25 in credit for $55 in added taxes and fees. So, when you go to Hotwire, check your email receipt, not your checkout receipt. Or better yet, forget Hotwire. If you can't trust the price they give you, why buy their products?
Reviewed Feb. 11, 2016
I cancelled my reservations within 5 minutes of making them. I realized I had let the wrong dates be entered for my reservation. It immediately let me know that I had been charged $103.00 for cancelling. I called the Hotwire number and the representative said he tried to get it resolved, but that it was not their policy to let cancellations be done without penalties. This is my first time using (Hotwire) and this will be my last time. This is very unprofessional and as far as I'm concerned this Hotwire people are thieves and falsely let me believe that all I had to do was cancel my reservations. Didn't tell me that I would be penalized for it. This is a criminal group of people that is preying on the public. I want my money back...
Reviewed Feb. 7, 2016
There should be a class action suit against Hotwire's car rental process. I had a rate for a car rental in Florida that was already booked for six weeks in the future. This rate was locked in without giving a credit card and was a pay when you show up to pick up the car. An unsolicited advertisement for a possible much lower rate from Hotwire was advertised for the same Florida location as a pop up on my computer. I clicked on it and began to fill out the requested information, including my credit card information. If I accidentally left a required information blank I was redirected to the site to complete it. If I got a number accidentally wrong on my credit card, I was redirected to the form to correct this. Having accidentally forgotten to put in the right date for my future trip, I clicked on the final button to reserve the car at a much lower rate.
Then I discovered I had not put in the correct dates for my future trip to Florida and the dates had been auto-populated with the date I was filling out the form in New Hampshire. I called Hotwire immediately and they said I could not cancel the reservation but would allow me to book for the correct dates. However, using the correct dates changed the rates to a higher rate than I already had locked in without advance payment. I explained this to them and they still would not let me cancel my reservation.
My concern is that it is very deceptive advertising to publish a rate for the day you are making the reservation, populate the form with that date, and then allow people to make the same uncancelable mistake that I made. I am reasonably computer savvy for a 65 year old but anyone could make the same mistake I did with recourse. At the very minimum, if Hotwire is going to populate the dates as they did with my reservation, they should have a warning prompt to check to make sure the dates for the car rental are correct before making a reservation one cannot cancel.
Reviewed Feb. 7, 2016
I booked a hotel through Hotwire!! I get to the hotel to check it out and before I could get out the car the guest checking in before me I could smell the marijuana coming through my vents. The lady in front of me stated that a guy had knocked on her door all night begging for cigarettes!! The clerk told me to come back at 3 pm to look at the room and see if I want it however after driving through the parking lot and seeing people hanging out I immediately cancelled my room and went elsewhere!! So Hotwire is refusing to reimburse me for a room that I never stayed in!! Hotwire should check these places out before they represent them online!! THAT IS PUTTING MY LIFE IN DANGER!! Hotwire should want to protect their buyers.
Reviewed Feb. 3, 2016
Hotwire.com - I booked a hotel on Hotwire. Despite reviewing the hotels in CAD (I reside in Toronto), when I booked the hotel I was charged in USD (about 50% more expensive). I realized it in the same day and called using my itinerary number to cancel the reservation in the same day, as per the policy of the website that said I could cancel 48 hours in advance of the check in date. This date was at least a full week so I was well within policy.
I called into hotwire and got an answer almost immediately, however, that person then transferred me to the cancellation dept, which put me on hold for 17 minutes. When I finally got a hold of them, they could not find my reservation despite me having received a confirmation email from Hotwire. I was told to wait a day. I called back the next day (again long hold period) and no dice - they could not find the reservation. I waited another day and tried again. No dice.
Finally I called the actual hotel front desk and they tried to resolve this from me (very nice people - Sutton Place in Revelstoke if you ever find yourself skiing the rockies). The hotel tried for a few days and a few email exchanges later they couldn't resolve it. I tried calling again into hotwire and seeing if there was any luck and after an hour and speaking to a manager who called the hotel desk while I was on the line they "agreed to issue a refund". I thought I was finally home free, however, 10 days later I never saw a refund on my credit card statement. So I called in again.
This is where I am right now - i.e. 30 days since my reservation, 5 phone calls and multiple emails and I still have not gotten my refund back. DO NOT TRUST the refund policy on their website. They clearly have a runaround policy to collect from people who are willing to give up. PS - I forgot to mention that one of the hotwire agents actually hung up on me even though I was not rude or anything, simply persistent that he find a solution or escalate the issue.
Reviewed Feb. 3, 2016
I booked a trip only to have them spell my husband's name wrong. It took 4 hours to figure out they couldn't correct it and finally I was able to get it reimbursed to my credit card. There is a catch. I found they used my card to charge another flight for someone to Chicago. Now I have to fight a $2,684.80 charge I didn't authorize. Unbelievable.
Reviewed Jan. 31, 2016
I have used Hotwire for my first and last time on a recent FL vacation. I booked what I thought was a 1 bedroom condo with laundry facilities. On the website that's what was described. When I arrived to the location I was told I had a hotel room not a condo! I called Hotwire and after being put on hold for 45 mins they returned to tell me I would have to pay an extra $75 for a condo, that I had booked a hotel room, even though the paper receipt I printed clearly stated a 1 bedroom condo with laundry. I in the end paid the extra to the resort. While at the from desk I asked how much a condo would be if I had just walked in off the street. It would have been $20 CHEAPER!! Be aware when you book through Hotwire that you may NEVER get w$at they promise!! I will NEVER use them again!
Reviewed Jan. 28, 2016
Since the hotel is "anonymous" until after you have paid for it, I trusted that they used reputable and safe hotels. When I arrived, I was ok with it, but it was not in an area where I would be outdoors after dark. I was on the 3rd floor, interior hallways. 2 am in the morning I heard screaming in the room next to me and loud talking, hallway doors slamming. Yelling, running, and profanities in the hallway. After 45 minutes, I called the front desk and they said police had been called. Police came, another hour had gone by and finally arrested the woman. Quiet for a few minutes, then more noise, not as loud.
I think that may have been hotel staff cleaning up the room. Needless to say, I got no sleep, was scared, and no offer was made to move me. I initially asked for that. I called Hotwire, asked for a refund. After being on the phone with them for too long, they put me on hold, called the front desk of the hotel to confirm my "story". Did that and said they would make a generous offer to me for my inconvenience of 25 Hotwire bucks! I won't be using Hotwire ever again. Bad products, bad company! "Take the money and run" should be their motto!
Reviewed Jan. 25, 2016
I encourage everyone not to rent from Hotwire. It's not worth. I rented a minivan for 1/23-1/24 but because of the blizzard, I was unable to get the van and they refused to work with me to change the date. I WILL NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH THEM AGAIN.
Reviewed Jan. 23, 2016
I ordered a "hot rate" 5 star hotel in Barcelona. Coming to the hotel I found it is clearly not close to a 5-star. More like a 3/4 star. I wondered if perhaps this is just me, so I checked with Expedia, Travelocity, hotels.com and other - ALL OF THEM list this hotel as a "4 star". Only Hotwire have it as a 5 star, to trick you into bidding for something you would not otherwise go for. Wrote them and attached screenshots of a bunch of other sites showing it as a 4-star, but they don't care. They say they "are confident" their rating is right, and are "unable" to refund me.
Reviewed Jan. 22, 2016
I prepaid SIX months in advance for a 6-night stay at Hilton's Embassy Suites, South San Francisco on Hotwire. The charge of $781 showed up on my debit card and was paid in July 2015. In December, when I arrived at the hotel, check-in was easy and they had the reservation. They asked for a credit card for incidental charges, and I complied. When I checked out, I paid for the $122 incidental charges of parking and telephone and received a receipt.
I thought this concluded my obligations with Hilton, but a month later, I see that they charged my credit card for the room $624. I complained, but Hilton says the third party claimed my charge did not go through. The third party, Hotwire, clearly charged me, but both are pointing fingers at each other and I've been charge twice. Neither can be trusted. If they didn't receive payment from Hotwire, why didn't they charge me when I checked out? I think that would be the time to bring the matter of the room payment, not after I am gone and with no receipt or notice of the charges. Never a notice by email, mail or phone - SNEAKY and FRAUDULENT. Unless you like stress, I recommend staying away from HOTWIRE and HILTON HOTELS.
Reviewed Jan. 18, 2016
The Hotwire charged me much more than the price the hotel charged on the day I checked in. I asked for the refund of the overcharge but get no penny back. I called several times to ask them to let me talk to their supervisor, however, they kept me on the line to wait for half an hour and then they hung up. This happened every time if I got through to talk to some representatives.
In addition, I also noticed I have been actually blocked by their system since the second time I called them. The automatic phone system would turn dead when I put in my itinerary number or my phone number. In order to get through, I did not to put in my numbers and then I could talk to the representatives. Again, I have to wait and then got hung up. Never ever use Hotwire!!! All they care is the money not the service. You can never get cheaper price from them, instead, you paid way much more than the price the hotel charges. Run away from Hotwire!!! It is not a trustable company!
Reviewed Jan. 18, 2016
On January 16 I booked a reservation for a hotel room in California - the website listed the hotel reservation. I have called them six times, they have put me on hold and/or hung up when I asked for a supervisor. I have filed a complaint with the BBB but consumers, beware! This company is fraudulent.
Reviewed Jan. 17, 2016
I asked for details of my package before I left for my trip; they did not send it to me. I tried to access my itinerary online with my itinerary number, I was unsuccessful. They had my account but the trip was not linked to my account. Three times I requested itemized charges on my itinerary; I tried to contact them at least five times. I was promised to receive requested information; I did not receive as of today. They are very quick to book your trip; however, do not expected them to provide to you any additional information after you paid for your trip. I will NEVER use this company again.
Reviewed Jan. 17, 2016
Made a booking, had Hotwire paperwork saying it was confirmed but the hotel had no knowledge of this booking. Many other people were trying to check in and also had no booking registered at the hotel. I do not appreciate reserving a hotel room and paying for it when no room was available. This was a huge inconvenience. Refunding the cost of the hotel was not enough! Being on the phone for over an hour was unacceptable! Having to drive over 2 hours home to have to drive back tomorrow again is unacceptable! A confirmation should be a confirmation. How can I trust booking again with Hotwire? I can't! This whole situation was totally messed up. Hotwire should not make reservations at hotels that are full. I will definitely think twice about using Hotwire again in the future.
Reviewed Jan. 16, 2016
I booked a hot rate hotel with Hotwire tonight. I specifically chose the hotel because it did not list parking or resort fees (ALL other hotels listed the fees). After I booked and found out what hotel I would have, I visited the website. There, I found that there will be almost 40$ in fees per day. This makes the hotel just as expensive as other better hotels and had they been honest, I would not have even chosen it. Their representative told me that he would do a one-time courtesy cancellation and then sent me to the hotel. This was awkward as I did not know why I had been sent to the hotel. I called back and was treated very rudely by a supervisor (JC) who accused me of never having made the first call. I will NEVER use Hotwire again. I will make sure to let others know about the dishonesty of Hotwire.
Reviewed Jan. 14, 2016
We have reached an agreement to full refund. But Hotwire avoid their responsibility. Even there was no answer. No explanation was offered, still less an apology. Demand an apology and full refund.
Reviewed Jan. 13, 2016
I made a reservation back in December for my work trip to a Conference. My mom has cancer and her battle is nearing the end. I am setting up hospice care today so she can be comfortable at home. Because her time frame conflicts with my work trip my trip has been cancelled. If it were cancelled under any other circumstances I would have no problem with respecting the no refund policy. However, as I am sure you understand, this is NOT a normal or foreseeable circumstance. I need to be here with my family. I have called multiple times, the first time I was told a onetime courtesy exception could be made but the hoops I have to jump through during this difficult time is ridiculous. I am dealing with enough right now. This is a car reservation and that car can be re-rented on your site.
After sitting on hold for a supervisor for over 25 minutes they hung up on me. I called back, the call was disconnected again. I called back a 3rd time and gave all of my info, they transferred me again to another customer service agent who wanted me to verify my info all over again. I have now been on hold for 22 minutes. A supervisor finally got on the line and they just hung up on me again. I am appalled at the lack of empathy and customer service. I am asking for my $225.80 to be refunded as a courtesy during this time that I am losing my mom because their policy allows for this. I have been hung up on and left on hold. I want to speak to a supervisor and to get this matter taken care of.
Reviewed Jan. 13, 2016
We booked and picked up a Hertz Rental Car through Hotwire. A life-threatening medical emergency occurred and we needed to change the "contract". Both HERTZ THE HEARTLESS and HOTWIRE THE HEARTLESS said, "Oh so sorry to hear about your husband's sudden cardiac arrest but there's nothing we can do. You have to pay $2000 to change the contract." Of course, we had to prioritize my husband's life over the money. So at a time when we needed the money most, we had to spend an additional $2000 to return the car to a different location. Priceline was a bit better. They gave a partial refund after verifying the medical condition with the hospital for a hotel we had prepaid for and couldn't use. How do these people live with themselves?
Reviewed Jan. 12, 2016
We booked a hotel in the north Fort Lauderdale area with Hotwire. Looking at their extremely poor reviews and ratings, (after booking) we were shocked and disappointed. Why was this place listed? Arriving at the hotel, it was a hell hole. The lobby sofas were ripped, and it wasn't the most welcoming. We asked to look at a room. The washroom tub was BLACK, tiles were missing from the floor and there was a musty smell. We told the management we were misled and left. We instantly called Hotwire who wanted to find us another location paying twice the amount. Again, this was not in the plan. We were told a manager was to call within 24 hrs. Two weeks later, and NO phone call. DON'T BOOK WITH HOTWIRE!
Reviewed Jan. 11, 2016
After 1 hour on the phone with reps and a supervisor that clearly don't care about their customers... I'll state that we will not EVER use or recommend Hotwire again. On my confirmation screen I was told what hotel I got at the rate of $87 per night. Moments later I get an email confirmation saying I'm paying $117 per night. I AUTHORIZED a certain amount and was charged more. That is no different than someone copying down my credit card number and fraudulently making a $30 purchase without my consent. This is INSANE. They refuse to credit me my $30.
Reviewed Jan. 11, 2016
I reserved the 3 stars hotel for $44 per night. Name wasn't disclosed before making the reservation and none of the additional charges. I got the booking for 12/16-12/18 for The Queen Mary on 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, CA 90802. Found out after the reservation that there is $20 charge per day for Parking and $14.95 for Addition fee for internet/WiFi and other things.
Few issues: Hotwire said 3 star, and this facility is not 3 star from anywhere. I would give 2 star. I have taken pictures of the rusted bathroom tub and sink. Bathroom was small. WiFi didn't work work for me. I called front desk and they asked me to bring the device to them. I took the device to front desk twice but WiFi worked at front desk, Not in my room. They asked me to call HelpDesk. I didn't have the time to do it. I used my mobile data. Parking fee and daily fee wasn't disclosed before making the reservation. Room walls were not soundproof. We could hear people talking in next room.
Room that we got was too small for me, my wife and kid. It had only double bed. Hotel sold me upgrade and I had to pay additional $40 for it per night. Room basically cost me $119 per night before tax. Room was cold. When I asked front desk about the heat they said, that it can't be warmer than this because this hotel is on ship, it stays cold in winter and hot in summer. I checked out after one night. I complained to Hotwire for misleading star rating, WiFi issue and climate control but they were not willing to talk about it.
Couple of years ago, I had the same issue with Hotwire rating but back then they gave some hot dollars that I never used. This time customer service is somewhere offshore and they don't know how to service the customers. I would give them rating lower than 1 but there is no option. I would never use Hotwire again, at least their Hot Deals. If you find the cheapest rate at Hotwire - read the terms and conditions carefully and If you know the hotel name, compare the rating somewhere else. Photos attached of the rusty small bathroom.
Reviewed Jan. 11, 2016
I booked a hotel with 2.5 star in Hotwire, but turns out the hotel I got is just 2 star. Disappointed with the money I paid. Thumb down.
Reviewed Jan. 11, 2016
I booked a flight back in May and purchased insurance because I thought we may have to change the date we were flying - which we did. Turns out Hotwire did not allow me to do this as the ad for insurance had claimed. After hours on the phone with Hotwire, I accepted a voucher that I had to use within the next year. That brings us to date - I have a chance now to use the voucher BUT I have to call Hotwire to do this. I have been on the phone each night for the past week trying to use the voucher for a new flight - all within guidelines. Once I get someone to help me and we iron out all the details, I get put on hold for a manager's approval... Needless to say each time I get sent out to hold each time for over an hour. I will never use HOTWIRE - this is a scam to keep over $300.
Reviewed Jan. 6, 2016
I could not obtain access to the itinerary because, after waiting on hold for a half hour, I learned that they have me listed as a guest account when I have, on my end, a regular account, password, etc. Do I have to call every time?
Reviewed Jan. 5, 2016
On 12-27-2015, I booked for a 3.5 rating using Hotwire and instead it was a 1.0 rating. I received hotel or motel confirmation number to my email. When I got to the Hotel or Motel to check in, the clerk said they don't have any reservations under my name from Hotwire. It was 9pm by the time I was trying to check in, and me and my family were very tired just to find out there was no reservation. I've try multiple time to call Hotwire with no success to resolve issue, was put on hold long period of holds to about 2 hours, with no customer's resolution. It seems to be a bad practice from Hotwire and they don't even care once they charge your credit card. I advise you to stay away from Hotwire. Me and my family ended up finding another hotel around 1:00am without Hotwire.
Reviewed Jan. 4, 2016
I booked a hotel and paid Hotwire and the hotel charged me a service fee per night. I called Hotwire and they wiped their hands clean of it and told me it's part of the fine print when you agree to Hotwire's terms and conditions. Not only does Hotwire charge a large service fee to the end user, they don't disclose upfront additional charged. Customer service didn't care about my concern at all. Never using Hotwire again.
Reviewed Jan. 4, 2016
Just booked two rooms for the weekend for my family on the Hotwire internet site/phone. Hotwire representative took our credit card number and sent us an email to confirm. (We did receive the confirmation email.) I wanted to make sure that the kid's room would be adjacent to ours. Hotwire representative told us that we would have to call the hotel directly for that info, but could only give us the hotel name/number after booking was completed. After booking the rooms, the Hotwire representative gave us a hotel name (America's Best Value Inn and Suites in St. Cloud, MN) and phone number which I immediately called. (9:30pm) It rang once, then just a series of clicks.
I continued to call the hotel for a half hour, with the same result. I looked up the hotel info online, and got ahold of their national representative who informed me that she can find no info of the booking and that I needed to contact Hotwire customer service. I then called the Hotwire customer service representative, who also tried calling the hotel to no avail. I requested that the sketchy deal be cancelled and rebooked at another hotel, but the Hotwire customer service representative informed me of the Hotwire "NO CANCELLATION" policy.
Representative told me "just keep trying to call the number, maybe tomorrow, perhaps? Have a good evening." Hotwire customer service was of no help to us whatsoever! What a hassle! We can't help but feeling like we are getting scammed out of our family's hard earned money. We only wish that we would have paid the extra couple of bucks, and just called a reputable hotel directly. Next time, that is exactly what we are going to do! (Still calling the hotel phone number with the same result, one quick ring followed by a series of clicking sounds). :(
Reviewed Jan. 3, 2016
I rented a car from Hotwire. I was done with it 4 days earlier, and when I called them to ask for a refund they refused!! Can you believe it? That's not what other professional, respectable agencies do!! Really this is the first time I hear about something like this!! I will never use Hotwire again....
Reviewed Jan. 1, 2016
They booked my room in a hotel that was overbooked AND the office was already closed. Then waited hours on hold just for them to tell us they couldn't give us a room at a different hotel because they couldn't verify the hotel they first put us in was overbooked, because the office was closed... No one is there! It was hard to understand some of what they said and spent at least the first hour on hold while they tried to contact the hotel after I had already informed them that the office was closed. My info to book a room after 7. The office closed at 7. Wasted three hours on new year's eve because of their screw up. DON'T USE THIS SITE!
Reviewed Dec. 31, 2015
12.28.15 we were in Orlando visiting Sea World and because of the holiday season, the park were packed and we had visited two days but we're not able to get through the park easily so we decided to stay one more day to fit the stuff we missed in. We had to find a hotel in order to do so so we Google and compare hotel packages. We were lured by a promising deal from Hotwire that was supposed to be a nice well known named four star hotel just 5 mins from Seaworld. It showcase a very nice accommodation for just $99 a night and free breakfast, parking, Internet and onsite laundry. So we start to fill the online form out and pay. After we pressed submit, the page reloaded and stated that there was an error and our session had expired which is ridiculous because it had only been ten mins of answering questions.
In any case it ask to reload options and it gave a different page that states that we missed out on that deal but we had ten minutes to pick a very similar deal matching the previous deal with another choice hotel that was no more than 10 mins from the park and offer many free accommodation as well for again $99 a night. It also showcase photos of lovely accommodations. But would not reveal the name of the hotel because it was supposed to be a steal of a deal. Well we booked the room and it was revealed to us that it was a 3 star accommodation for $135.50 in a different zip code and city over 15 miles away!!! Not a known name hotel as promised.
We called Hotwire immediately asking for an exchange in reservations. The agent was extremely rude and refused to offer any assistance stating it was our fault we type in the wrong city and that the arrangement was none exchangeable or refundable. We stated that we type in the correct information and that the accommodation did not match what we originally book at all. After 45 mins of argument we ask for a manager and he was more than reluctant and instead disconnected the call. We continue to ask for a refund into the evening and Hotwire refused to do anything. We ended up having to go to that hotel. Which ended up being 45mins away by highway and 120 mins back to the park in the morning!!! Also it stated that it was a three star resort when in actuality it was more like a 1-2 star Motel 8 dump in the ghetto.
"Championship Resort" The photos did not match the actual accommodation at all. Luxurious lakeside view with large pool and playground and nature trails verses view of other rooms parking lot back of commercial district and garbage bins. Tiny pool that was buried in center of one building and the water reserve/canal was a trek into the neighboring lot. There was no free anything except parking. The room was outdated, unrenovated, painted and barely furnished. The toilet and sink were gas station dirty and the walls were filthy... Dead bugs, hair, discoloration and damp humidity. The ac was barely cooling the room and rattle load lay all night. Cold tile floor. A tv that had five lame channels. The bed lamps did not work. The towels were paper thin and few as well as the complimentary which included a microscopic soap bar.
The sore latches were bang to non use ability and did not seem in the least secure. We figure we just make it through the night since it was late. Well my husband had to do a load of laundry so he went to use the onsite laundry. Half the machines were out of order and ate our coins and then he had to hang dry the clothes after two dry cycles. He also had to drive to cvs for detergent since the resort did not stock laundry supplies. In the morning after barely sleeping in hard beds with paper thin sheets in a noisy AC room, we hustle out as early and fast as possible.
On the way out we saw a maid go into a room that some people were checking out of permanently. The maid went in with no cleaning supplies at all, dress the bed, put everything back in place folded the to paper and walk out of the room and label it ready for occupancy. Disgusting!!! Did not change bed clothes or towels wiped nothing down!!! Hotwire completely screw us on this deal and it was also label a Disney's Good Neighbor Resort! Hotwire blocked our review and experience of the whole ordeal as well, will never ever use their website again!!! Complete Scam!

Reviewed Dec. 30, 2015
I will not be getting the use of a car rented to me by Hotwire but they will be getting my money. I cancelled an hour after I booked it. This is a dishonest business practice. It is unethical and it is theft. Its simple: they got my money and I did not get their service. The scheduled service was a month in advance and it is my responsibility to warn anyone thinking of doing business with them. These types of practices are increasing and if we all resist, they will change their practices to comply with simple golden rule principles.
Reviewed Dec. 30, 2015
On Dec. 19, 2015 I made a booking through Hotwire and got a confirmation number # on the screen after I made the reservation. Then, like a normal customer will do, I checked my email that I used to make the reservation to see my reservation. Nothing showed up. Even my online account right now shows no activity. They still managed to charge my card without sending me any confirmation number. I called the Customer Service immediately but all they said was, "Due to the high volume we cannot find your reservation. Please call again." I got that message every time I called them.
I was unable to cancel reservation nor receive any email back from Hotwire. The supervisor kept telling me, "There is nothing we can do. The system shows that the email was sent on 18th." Funny thing is I booked it through online on the 19th. They kept telling me that there was a problem with my Google email for not receiving the email and that their system cannot have any errors. I think there is a problem with this Hotwire Customer Service. Please be aware that you will receive no customer service from Hotwire.
Reviewed Dec. 29, 2015
I have had amazing success on Hotwire, and was surprised to see all of the negative complaints on here, so I decided to write a review of my own. Most of the complaints that I read are the fault of the consumer, not Hotwire. When you book using their opaque option, you will get an incredible price discount, but you will not know which hotel you are staying at. They DO NOT offer refunds for these purchases once the booking is complete because people would book and then cancel if it was not the place they were hoping for. That defeats the entire concept of what opaque bookings are all about.
I feel most of the negative reviews were buyers remorse or not triple checking the booking information. If you plan on booking using the opaque method, you MUST do your homework ahead of time. They give you enough information about the place to get a general idea what you are getting yourself into. I have booked 4+ star places on there for trips with girlfriends, and also booked 2-3 star places for weekend trips with the guys. I have booked around 20 hotels from them now, and I have never gotten a deal where I felt like I have been misled.
There were 1-2 times when I was hoping for some better in the star category, but it fell within the expectations of what I was booking. There were also MANY times where I felt that I got a much nicer place than I expected. The money saved is worth the gamble regardless. I am sure some people got a raw deal using the site, it's bound to happen. I do a lot of research when I book on there, and check all of my check in/check out dates a million times. I find it a fun and exciting part of the trip. Remember, once you book, you are stuck with it... so do your homework. That's the nature of what the site is. Research, be smart, check your information, and you can find some sick deals on there.
Reviewed Dec. 28, 2015
Every time I contacted customer service after my nightmare of a stay, that cost me so much money after missing a crucial meeting, I was met with not only indifference but only what I can describe as mentally disabled customer service workers. I sent 9 emails and made 2 phone calls. At no point could anyone even understand what the problem was nor were they willing to do a thing about it. The hotel rooms were disgusting. I wanted 2.5 stars rooms and they were less than 1 star if that. I've stayed in shady prostitute ridden motels that were cleaner.
I was looking for a place in Culver City and they put me in Burbank. It took me 3 hours to get to Culver City in LA traffic. I trusted Hotwire to put me at least within an hour of Culver City. They are the absolute worst travel company to deal with. Run. Run away as fast as you can. Get a lawyer, quickly, if you use them. They are slippery and full of themselves. They completely believe they are above the law and consumer affairs.
Reviewed Dec. 26, 2015
I booked a trip through Hotwire and then found a much better deal from other agency. Hotwire offers Low price Guarantee (LPG). I called Hotwire Customer Service yesterday to request LPG or, if LPG is not available – to cancel. I was informed that LPG was not available (which is not true). It took me about 40 min to complete the cancellation because representative was continuously putting me on hold. Then instead of cancellation email I received flight confirmation email. I called again. It took additional 30 min to finally cancel. Therefore, instead of getting refund based on Hotwire LPG policy I had to cancel and rebook through other agency plus I lost 1.5 hr of my time. Additionally, it was difficult to understand all customer service representatives due to heavy accent. I would not book my future trips through Hotwire, and will advise my friends against using your agency.
Reviewed Dec. 24, 2015
I made a reservation for Orlando Hotel in LA. Of course it was blind reservation. I couldn't see address, photos, other customer reviews, etc. I was okay because I was getting a great deal. I finished and got the actual hotel information. Right away I made a search with another online reservation website. I found same hotel 40 dollars less. I sent email to Hotwire. They sent me form to fill and attach lots of things. I will not spend my time to do those things. I feel I am cheated and I don't think I will use them again.
Reviewed Dec. 21, 2015
Made online reservation for car in Madison (MSN). It came upon finalizing reservation as Minneapolis (MSP) - one letter different. I got on chat link, and they said "no" and got a lecture about policy. I've never seen or heard of a company who would not change an error on a reservation. Called the company twice and later e-mailed them twice - last e-mail was a cancellation notice, which they refuse to acknowledge. Had called Hertz in Minneapolis, but they could (or would) do nothing. Made two formal requests via credit card (AX) company - no one can do anything to help change this. A 250 mile error and I'm to walk there to take advantage of this reservation.
Hotwire Company Information
- Company Name:
- Hotwire.com
- Year Founded:
- 2000
- Address:
- 655 Montgomery St.
- City:
- San Francisco
- State/Province:
- CA
- Postal Code:
- 94111-2627
- Country:
- United States
- Website:
- www.hotwire.com
