First review I’ve ever written on the App Store, but after my dozenth good experience I have to! I’ve been using Hotwire for years after inheriting the habit from my parents. Of course the hotel rates are great(the “boutique” hotel offers have let me stay in some of the coolest places I’ve ever seen), but what always shocks me is the responsiveness and helpfulness of the customer service team. Whenever I’ve had an issue, they respond through the messaging feature within the minute, and I have NEVER walked away unsatisfied. Just recently, a hotel double charged me. I contacted Hotwire and they called the hotel for me, got me a refund, and gave me a gift card for the trouble. What could have been an entire afternoon of phone calls and headaches took a few texts and all of five minutes. Of course, things go wrong with travel- that’s the nature of it. But it always helps to know you’ve got someone in your corner, and Hotwire has always been attentive and ready to help solve any issue that arises. Five stars now and always
Wow where to start, first I booked a Hot wire deal for a hotel in Shamrock, Tx. I showed up at the hotel by the address found in my confirmation however they could not find my reservation. Come to find out somehow they have this account mixed up with another hotel in Dallas, TX. When I called Hotwire, I was hung up on 3 times due to them “not getting ahold of the hotel to verify reservation” I advised them the phone # they have associated with this hotel is not correct. I provided the correct phone number to them by a simple google search and 1 rep hung up on me when she told me she called them and no one answered. I placed her on hold and called the hotel and they answered immediately. When I told her this she hung up on me. The 2nd time I spoke with a rep she told me the number that I provided to her for the hotel was a cell #. I advised her it isn’t and did a 3 way call with the hotel. They confirmed they did not have a reservation for me and that I am not the first person who this has happened to with them through hotwire. The rep hung up on us during our conversation! The 3rd rep, I don’t even know what happened, I thought she was actually gonna do something but she hung up when I was on hold and it went to some voicemail message. I have NEVER had problems with hotwire before, I use them frequently however I will NEVER use them again after this! I have spent at least 2 hours on the phone with them and I still have not gotten a refund!!!!
Hotwire is by far the worse booking site I could have possibly used. There customer service agents are not helpful, I requested to be escalated to a supervisor and then they ignored my request. My issues were bit resolved and I was unable to receive a refund that even the rental company who I used said they were happy to issue. On my family’s vacation to Florida my wallet was left on the plane. I had my id but sadly my license and such were in the wallet. Upon getting to the car rental place they would not allow me to retrieve the car without the license but they would refund it. Hot wires policy said I needed an id and since I didn’t have it there was nothing they could do to help me. So now I have no car and won’t be refunded. The customer service rep then went on to say I won’t transfer you to a manager because they will just tell me the same and stopped responding. If the company the rental was from would honor a refund I don’t see why Hotwire shouldn’t. Furthermore this would have been easier to accept if the person I spoke with wasn’t so rude and condescending. This was not an ordinary circumstance and if this is their policy I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone. I plan on making complaints on the site until someone gives me a more accurate response. And for the record the booking policy says id not drivers license if this wants to become a technicality thing. BBB will hear this.
Terrible app with wrong information and you get bottom of the barrel bookings
This app is not easy to utilize. The information you get is subpar if any at all. Most of the rooms to book you don’t even get to see them beforehand you get a sneak peek. Which is inaccurate information and an accurate photos. Even if there are photos they can’t be believed. Both times I’ve used Hotwire you end up in a hotel that you wouldn’t put the worst ex-husband in the world to rot. Not only that but the information is incorrect you’ll get additional charges if you get the right hotel that you checked. Use a different app or book straight through the hotel save yourself a lot of time money and heartache and probably bedbugs Their customer support is probably just as bad as the bedbugs even after my issues were not resolved and I asked them to stop contacting me they continue to do so with a snarky rude attitude Again book straight through the hotel save your self some time and money do not use this app or the service whatsoever I’d like to additionally add from working in hotels for four years this is the most difficult app to communicate with if you can get your information correct or you can get what you requested God forbid there’s additional charges you’ll likely never see a refund
I booked a hotel through the Hotwire app for the first time a few weeks ago, since a friend recommended Hotwire. It’s a total disappointment when I found that I can get the same hotel / same room at a CHEAPER rate with FREE cancellation. I called Customer Service to ask about their Low Price Guarantee and was told to use the Chat or Message function. I had to spend hours “chatting” with several agents (Celyn, Vince, Jemar, Omar, Mary, Chella) on May 11, chatted with one agent (Bree) on May 10. Everyone told me that my chat history will not disappear and they will get back in 5-10 minutes, which did not occur! When I finally spoke with someone who knew how to search or click on the link I sent, and look at how the other websites are offering lower/better rates, she agreed to issue a refund back to the original form of payment. After checking my bank statements several times, I decided to reach back out to see if they’ve processed my refund. Of course, I was told that because I did not respond during the chat session, they can’t do anything. The agent did NOT even ask me any questions. She was merely stating I’ll get a refund back on the same form of payment. Be careful when using Hotwire because you will NOT get customer service that will provide support.
First of all, wish there was an option for no star. I booked my stay in downtown LA through a 4-star hotel hotwire deal. Ended up getting a 3-star hotel… called their support desk. They said they will call the hotel and try to cancel. Unluckily, they said hotel wouldn’t authorize cancellations but said they will refund the full price less $60 cancellation fee and provide $60 credit to my account to use on any future hot-rated deals. I confirmed multiple times because the website said they don’t offer cancellations or refunds (thought this was maybe the benefit of calling the help desk). Two days later, saw only credits on my account and no refund back to my credit card. Again called their help desk, but this time they said they will not provide any refund, and it is against their policy. Explained that’s not what I was told on the phone two days ago. They said they will check their recordings (assume he checked cuz he was gone for ~10mins). After he got back, he said even if the previous representative have misspoke, he cannot do anything. He said that representative will get punished…. but if they misspoke… they should still honor the deal. It was my first time booking through hotwire and will definitely not using it again. Please stay away from this.
I book a lot of last minute personal travel. They have about the best prices for what I’m looking for. I’m in LA alot so the neighborhoods matter, and the ability to filter the map by neighborhood and amenities like free parking is fantastic. I haven’t seen another app that does what they do for the value. I have even checked my hotels on google maps, where they list the going rate. I found once a slightly cheaper rate from another app (like five bucks) so I tried it out, and then saw it was lacking the filters I rely on — so I’m sticking with Hotwire because I haven’t seen anything better. Is it perfect? No I don’t get the points and on the hot rate they won’t let you modify (because is the best deal) but it’s easy to extend your stay and I’m pretty happy. Not sure what all the bad reviews are about.
I originally loved Hotwire. It’s what I’ve used for years to book hotels and rental cars. HOWEVER, their policies are complete garbage if you get stuck in a bind. Especially during Covid-19 and all the special restrictions for each state. I live in New York and our governor doesn’t care about the 2 week quarantine mandate that was lifted by the CDC. So me thinking it was now ok to travel (without having that mandatory quarantine) I booked a trip to Utah with almost 600 dollars worth of hotel nights and car rental days. Once I found out that I couldn’t travel there because of our jobs not wanting us to have to quarantine for two weeks, I immediately got ahold of Hotwire assuming they would respond as a good company like Delta would and show compassion on the matter and refund me for the misunderstanding. Long story short, I talked to four different people with one of them being a supervisor and they all said the same thing. Their policy is this and they will not stray from it no matter what. They wouldn’t even give me credit through Hotwire for the 600 dollars I just lost because of something out of my control. DO NOT USE HOTWIRE. THEY WILL ROB YOU THE FIRST CHANCE THEY GET. There is no compassion, there is no forgiveness. This company is scum and it needs to have light shed on it.
So I’ve never had problems with other sites booking a hotel and didn’t expect to have such a headache of a time with these scum. I have had two bad incidents now within two days. First I pick the hotel and the bed and go to book and pay I click pay and it says oops the deal is gone select another room and book now. All the while my card was charged the full amount for the room that was never booked. Now when I contacted them they said they didn’t charge my car that it is a hold placed but not by them so says the rep I’m talking to they can only release the funds and then I have to wait 5-7 days for my money to be put back into my account. So I figured alright I’ll wait. Then couple days later going to book another room what do you know same thing happens again charged my card full price and didn’t book the room at all. Now I’m out a couple hundred dollars until this “release” goes through and I get my money credited back to my account. DO NOT ISE HOTWIRE AT ALL FOR ANY REASON THEY WILL SCREW YOU OVER AND NOT TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY ON THEIR END AND BLAME YOUR BANK AND THAT YOU NEED TO CONTACT THEM INSTEAD OF HOTWIRE IM FILING A COMPLAINT WITH BBB AND MY BANK IS OPENING A FRAUD CLAIM AGAINST THEM FOR THEM SAYING THEY NEVER CHARGED MY CARD YET IT STATES CLEARLY IN MY STATEMENT HOTWIRE SO OF THEY DIDNT AUTHORIZE THE CHARGE THEN ITS FRAUD AND NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED SO IT WILL BE!!!
I booked a car in Fort Lauderdale through the app. I got charged 26% taxes. When I got to the rental place they charged me again the same amount. So out of the total charge 52% was just taxes. I don’t know any state in the country that charges 26% on taxes. So I go to the rental agency to ask more info about the charges, they showed me the state law on taxes and why they charge me. So I go back to Hotwire support and asked them why they charge me for taxes when you have to pay at the agency. They explicitly told me that they don’t know why. I asked them what was the percentage they charge for taxes, they replied saying they don’t have any information. So they charge me 26% and they don’t know why or how. The only option they gave me was to ask the rental agency. The rental agency told me they can only answer for themselves. So Hotwire trapped me and toke my money without explanation. There is a huge gap in the system that leaves us costumers with no control or proper explanation on the bookings. I’m beyond disappointed. Turns out I would’ve gotten a better rate direct with the agency. And now I’m left with no information or power to fix this matter. So think twice before joining them. There is no savings or good deals on the app.
So last week I booked a San Diego trip, I tried Hotwire for the first time! I booked a hotel called 4 points San Diego, we drove from LA through traffic with the adress given by hot wire and arrived to a abandon hotel, we get stoped by a security guard that tells us the place has been shut down because of the pandemic, we tell him how that couldn’t be since I just booked through hot wire, he said a lot of third parties haven’t updated! So I had no choice but to book something within 5 min, because I had 2 children in the back, I end up calling to try and get my money back and a Jose told me sure we’ll give you your money back and 5 dollars hot cash, I said ok I’ll probably won’t use them (something I shouldn’t have said) because he came back on the line and said sorry I investigated more and we can’t give you your money back, the hotel is still there you just went to the wrong addressed and they took it as a no show, I told him how can that be if I went to the address given by them, and he said they’re nothing I can do, it’s my first and last time booking with them, it’s not about the money I lost but it’s the fear of them pulling something like this again!
Booked a hot deal and my card was charged. I was then brought to a screen that said an error occurred and that deal was no longer available. So I had a full trip charged to my card and Hotwire customer care refused to do anything except lay the blame on my credit card company and me. Took 4 days for the credit to be available on my card again. Their customer care department is a third party company out of Malaysia that refuses to give you information on how to contact Hotwire corporate offices after they ultimately refuse to help you. Stay away from Hotwire. They’ll cause your money to be caught in limbo while you watch hotel prices get higher by the day waiting for it to be freed back to available credit. I booked my room directly through Hampton Inn, the hotel Hotwire suggested I’d get with the hot deal and they were more sympathetic to my problem than Hotwire was and provided the same rate. Do yourself a favor and book directly through the hotel. Many times they’ll honor prices found on apps like Hotwire. Avoid Hotwire, Expedia and Priceline. They’re all the same company who doesn’t care about you. Just a middleman trying to carve a slice of something they don’t deserve.
I booked a hotel through hotwire and when I arrived at the hotel I was told they would not honor my reservation. Because they were overbooked. I called the hot wire customer support number and waited 20 minutes until someone answered. I was on the phone with a customer service rep for another 20 minutes when we got disconnected and no one called me back. I had to call back again and it took another 20 minutes to get a new customer service rep, he attempted to get another reservation and could not find one so he told me he would refund my account and add a complementary credit. He put me on hold but before he did I asked him if he would call me back if we got disconnected he assured me he would, we got disconnected and he never called back. Finally I started a chat with a customer service rep which took almost an hour. The final result of the chat was that he would refund my account and send me a confirmation email. I never got a refund and never got a confirmation email. This is absolutely the worst customer service I’ve ever received. I finally had to dispute the charge on my credit card.
I wasted a whole evening on the phone with customer service after driving 9 hours to the hotel I booked through Hotwire. My hotel couldn’t find my reservation and Hotwire offered me a measly refund when ANY other company would take care of the customer by covering the FULL cost of the new hotel booking. I took Hotwire’s reimbursement option at the “walk in rate” only to then find out that my hotel was fully booked with no rooms available for me…Hotwire wanted to put me on hold again to look for a hotel in my area but still wouldn’t offer me a full refund for all my trouble. But wait it gets worse. They couldn’t find an open room in my area even though I found one on my own while waiting on the phone…I ended up just paying for my new hotel out of pocket (which was more expensive than what I had previously booked) and settle for a refund for the first hotel booking. At least this was better than wasting more time on the phone. This makes me sick to my stomach and I really hope this company cleans up their mess by reimbursing me for my second hotel booking.
This has been happening 4 days in a row every time I use their website or app looking for a car rental: the search results page shows prices 1/3rd to 1/2 of what I see when I attempt to check out. I took pictures and even recorded a video of the entire experience, in case anyone wants to reach out. And to be clear, it’s the case for literally every single result on that page. If a deal is already redeemed by somebody else it should no longer be advertised because it’s clearly false advertisement, and if you’re using a price comparison website that shows you Hotwire has the best deals it’s a complete waste of time. I've come to the conclusion that either their app / website is well overdue for an update, or it is an intentional business practice. Neither of which are acceptable. A confirmation at checkout with a much higher price feels like a slap to the face and makes me wonder how many people have accidentally checked out assuming that the price is the same as what they clicked on; only to find out afterwards that they got a larger bill.
Worst app ever. For most hotels it only shows 1 picture, even when there are dozens on the Hotwire Website. I tried to book a trip on the app anyway, but it kept saying my credit card wasn’t recognized. So I called my credit card company and they said They authorized the transaction, but Hotwire canceled it. So I called Hotwire and they said it’s because I was trying to book a deal that wasn’t available. After hearing this, I looked again, and the deal still showed up on the app. I also had $15 of “HotDollars” credit, which an email said I could use to book, but couldn’t use it on the app. This app is so much worse than the website. As an aside, the Hotdeals, you know, the deal where it’s cheaper because you don’t know which hotel it is? Yeah, that’s terrible because they tack on higher fees. I booked a Hotdeal that was $10 per day cheaper than if I knew which hotel I was booking. Great deal! Except after I checked out, the Hotdeal wound up being about a dollar per day more than the normal booking after taxes and fees were added. TLDR: Hotwire has good deals, just stay away from the app or the Hotdeals.
Used Hotwire for many years. But it has recently changed for the worse. They have misleading descriptions and maps to push hotel in undesired areas. I tried to book on the strip in Las Vegas. Their title “center strip.” They have a rectangle on the center strip so you assume that’s what your getting. They gave me a hotel 2 miles away in the middle of no where. No one help at customer service. Gave me a “Hot Wire Credit” after my complain minus $60 dollars. Said it would automatically be applied. Tried to use it in my next booking it wasn’t applied. Said I need to book from a desktop not the Hotwire app. Dealt with 7 reps in total. None of them care. They say they will call to ask hotels for reimbursement but it’s just a lie. They aren’t really trying to help. If they can scam you for $60 dollars and give you a credit they probably get some props for screwing the customer. BEWARE THEY HAVE CHANGED CUSTOMERS ARE NOT IMPORTANT. Pay more at kayak and Southwest vacations they frustration and time you’ll waste isn’t worth it. You’ll eventually get a bad hotel bc they quality is slipping, and then you me upset.
Be able to afford a mistake, even if it is not your fault.
There are deals on here, no doubt about it. However their strict policies don’t allow for any change even if the fault is on their end. I attempted to book a rental car for an upcoming trip and was given an “Error- transaction can not be processed” message. I closed and re-opened the app and re-booked the same rental. The second attempt approved immediately. However, to my surprise I got trip information for both reservations in my profile. Agents through chat and on the phone confirmed that the details of the reservation were the same and scheduled minutes apart, but there was nothing they could do and I would have to choose which reservation to fulfill and waste the second. A supervisor also confirmed that while it was impossible for me to pick up two rental cars, at the same location, on the same date- that her agents were correct in telling me that Hotwire would not refund either one of the $170 charges. Turns out saving 50% isn’t that great of a deal when you have to buy the same thing twice.👎
Hotwire car rental is such a scam!!! I booked car online on September 30th and I got HOT RATE for it. When I went to rent a car agency ( Ace ) they told me that there is mile limitation for my reservation ( 150 miles a day ) and that I should cancel reservation because if I go further that 450 miles in 3 days I will pay 25 cents per extra mile. These conditions WERE NOT in terms and conditions when I accepted reservation. I called hot wire after agent in ACE told me to call them and cancel. Hot wire did not wanted to cancel my reservation because they told me it was a blind reservation and it is not refundable?! I told them that even if it is blind reservation they SHOULD put all the conditions when you book it, otherwise I got stuck with the car I cannot use. They said they will put those information in the future 😡 I told them I don't care about the future, I want my money back now because it's crazy to scam people like that and do not put all the conditions when you book a car. I ended up being charged for a car I did not use. PEOPLE SAVE YOUR MONEY, do not use HOTWIRE! Their customer service is rude and their supervisors not doing their job.
The app no longer shows current or past bookings - have to log into web version to actually see bookings, as no confirmation emails are sent either, leading me to believe that I had not actually booked a hotel for an upcoming trip like I thought I had. After scouring my email for a confirmation of what I thought I had booked 3 months ago and finding nothing, I booked another hotel for the same date and not getting a confirmation on that one either, I reached out to customer support. They were VERY helpful in getting me straightened out and actually reached out to the first hotel to help refund my “non-refundable” booking due to the confusion. Customer support admitted they have a known issue with email confirmations not being sent out either. The only way I have ANY information about my recent booking is from the screenshots I took during my recent interaction with support. I’ve used Hotwire happily for many years but will be looking elsewhere next time.
I rented a car through them a month in advance to get better pricing five days before the pick up date they send me an email saying my car will not work for me because the rental company is not open on the return date that I picked previously so I have to cancel my current reservation, rebook a new reservation and then they will reimburse me the difference in hot wire money to use in the future! so I tried to do that through texting and that didn’t go very well after two hours I called in that did not go very well neither she said there is no cars available in the same class as what I had reserved ! so I opened the app, and there was plenty of Saint class cars as I had reserved and I re-booked a new reservation on the app but when calling to get the difference they said they could only reimburse me up to $25 in difference! because I rebooked on the app, and not with them on the phone! After working on this problem for over two hours, they did nothing to help me, and in the end ripped me off!
Booked my stay at TownePlace Suites by Marriot Ft Myers Estero through a Hot Rate so, I really didn’t know what I was going to get but from the minute we stopped by the Front Desk it was nice experience. Staff was friendly and warm, allowing us to do a earlier Check In, offered suggestions on places of interest etc. The common areas are nicely decorated and clean. Although I didn’t get their best room, it was perfectly sized. The kitchenette has a full size fridge, small range, microwave, plates, utensils even pots. Room was super clean, aside of the king size bed there’s a couch and small desk and like that wasn’t enough they offer other small appliances upon request. Hot breakfast was included, eggs, bacon, hash browns were served by staff and waffle bar for self service. To summarize it was PERFECT, will definitely recommend and return to this hotel
I have no idea how this is a 4 star hotel. Convenient to trolley stop and location feels fairly safe. Otherwise staff is rude, elevator smelled strongly of weed and got stuck with my son and husband in it, if you self park in the garage there is no access to hotel. You have to walk up on foot from the underground parking and enter the hotel through the front doors. It’s a side business run by the valet guys - super shady. Our first room REEKED of cigarettes and we immediately noticed it had not been cleaned. That was confirmed when we opened the toilet and there was urine, ash and a partially smoked cigarette in it. Asked front desk for a new room and they were rude and unapologetic. Second room was cleaner, but still not what I would expect from a 4 star. Maybe a motel 6 level of quality. We booked 2 queens but ended up with 2 doubles (if they were even double size. So very small that the sheets just hung off of them). For the price, I’d definitely skip this one and choose a different hotel.
I’ve used Hotwire twice now, both to book hotels in Charlotte, NC. First one was a 4-Star Hotel in Uptown Charlotte for about $111/night which was about $140 cheaper than any other hotel in the city. Next time I used it we got a 4-Star Hotel in the heart of the city for about $104/night - even better than the first time! Although you may not know exactly where you’re staying at the time of booking, it may be worth while if you are planning on being in a big city or somewhere loaded with hotels because this website will give you the best rate because of that no show until book policy. Just read the details like free WiFi, parking, choose your bed or hotel chooses for you, etc. before booking and you shouldn’t have a problem!!
Our company is removing Hotwire as an option for future travel needs. Due to human error (or perhaps a manipulation by the app) the incorrect date was selected on a reservation. I did make the mistake of confirming that purchase without rechecking the date. Once the error was determined we contacted Hotwire 24+ hours before reservation and they would not cancel and credit. After reaching a supervisor on phone I brought up the fact confirmation email does specify it is prepaid and can’t be cancelled. She wanted to resend confirmation email so I would have the right polices. She sent the email and well it was the exact same. So now I question if I made a human error in date selection or if app moved date. See the hotel was actually sold out for the dates I believe selected and the Hotwire reservation was a night following when the hotel had availability. In any case, Hotwire was unwilling to offer a credit or refund and chooses to loose out on future business. Poorly run and a shame human error is being taken advantage of. Fool me once but not twice!!!
Booked Nissan Versa or similar and Hertz just had electric cars available
Just had a pretty bad experience with Hotwire + Hertz. I booked a car for my wife and daughter for a week trip to Orlando, and paid upfront to it through Hotwire. When I booked the car I selected Nissan Versa or similar, which was more than enough for the two of them for a short week trip. When they arrived in the Hertz office, the attendant said that they only had electric cars on that "category"... They ended on fixing it and gave my wife a gas car above the category we rented. However, it was very stressful situation, as they would stay in a hotel and using an electric car would not be suitable for their travel needs. Hertz claimed that the possibility of getting an electric car was "on the rental notes"... and just upgraded the rental at no charge after we insisted that they were not correct. On the same time that I agree that I could have been more attentive to the contract "notes", I don't think that this is reasonable... Where in this world is a Nissan Versa any close to a Tesla or a Polaris of whatever they had available as an option for the compact car "category"? From my point of view electric cars are a category by itself and should never be in the same rental "category" as gas cars... I own a Tesla myself and love it... however it was just not suitable for their travel needs.... Hotwire and Hertz must fix this!
It’s a great concept… a great idea. I like it so much that I’ve given Hotwire chance after chance over the years. I kept thinking they’d figure it out, but they just kept getting worse. It started with little things: I’d filter by pet friendly hotels, but they had no means for me to specify a pet friendly room, so I would get to the hotel and all of the pet friendly rooms were gone. Then it turned into larger issues, like paying for rental cars that weren’t available and never getting a refund. There are still small issues though: I’m typing this in a hotel room that is 6 miles from the map they showed. They claimed it would be one of three hotels, all of which were less than a mile from where I would be working. Six miles isn’t a huge deal, but it is the last straw; I’m sick of being lied to. It’s a great idea, but the way Hotwire executes it, they have literally never failed to disappoint me except when it’s much worse than disappointment.
I used Hotwire to book my car rental for a trip 2 months from now. I had to make a change to the dates so went to the hotwire site, no change button to be found. Called customer service and asked to simply change my itinerary dates and was told not possible and reservation non-refundable. Just like that, a click of the button and they are stealing $300 from me. Whatever contracts they have in place with car rental companies, a customer should be able to make a date change, especially for a trip 2 months down the road. We are not talking about airline seats last minute at risk of going unfilled. This is a silly car rental reservation. At minimum Hotwire, you need a flashing pop-up warning with flames at checkout that says something like, “BEWARE Hotwire sucker, if you dare try to make a date change after you click this, just know it won’t happen because we’ve already charged your credit card and pocketed your money!” Next step, contact my state attorney general and file a complaint.
Hotwire sometimes has a good deal, but I wonder if saving $15 now and then is really worth dealing with their unpleasant customer service. They booked me into a hotel that ended up being full, and was talked by their customer service into accepting the refund with Hot Dollars when they told me I would not get my refund for 9 days otherwise. They did not bother to tell me that you can only use Hot Dollars on their website where the prices are like $4 more so I had to call them back to figure out to login on their website. They did absolutely nothing beyond wasting my time putting me on hold to confirm over the phone with my original hotel that they overbooked, reading me terms and conditions for another 10 minutes and making me pay $4 extra on a different hotel to make me happier after they made my evening such a hassle. My recommendation is to avoid their crummy Hot Dollars for refunds. Live and learn.
I use Hotwire 99% of the time for car rentals. I have used Hotwire for Hotel Rentals. My work and life require a large amount of travel. I have used Hotwire consistently for over 10 years. I recommend to everyone I can. I just booked a car for an incredibly discounted rate. I have only once had an issue with a Hotel that was not clean however this was during the pandemic and staff were far and few. I was able to finally get a refund for that and it did take a lot of work. However in over 10 years that was my only issue. The car rates almost every time beat any other 3rd party. Thank you Hotwire for helping to keep the world go around.
Multiple time problems with Hotwire. Their customer service is basically to tell you there’s nothing they can do. I’ve paid for hotels that were fully inhabited aka no vacancy and got no refund and had to pay again. I’ve booked a room and they put me in an unfinished room like a closet - no refund or discount. I’ve been kicked out of a hotel bc it was for out of state travelers and I live in the state I guess too local for them - no compensation and today I didn’t fully send a payment with apple pay and it didnt authorize my card. Then I went back on the browser and got a new room, and Hotwire charged me twice for the same date. Again I called and nothing. Just sorry no refund. Why would I book two hotels on the same night? I guess I forget all these horrible times getting stiffed by Hotwire bc I continue to book thru them. I guess I deserve what I get for being stupid.
PLEASE DON’T USE THIS APP! Just go ahead and stick to booking or Airbnb! I had a reservation for Travelodge in Orlando. When I got to the hotel after a long trip, I was informed the system in the hotel wasn’t working and they could not check me in neither cancel my reservation and refund me so I could go to a different hotel. They left me waiting at the lobby for 2 hours until they could finally get me a room at another hotel. you would think problem solved, right? Wrong! The new hotel was not only more expensive than the one I had already booked, but it was also not as nice. I had booked a room with a king bed and they could only offer me a room with two twin beds. It was a downgrade. In addition, they wouldn’t refund me for relocation costs (such as Uber to the new hotel) nor pay for the difference in price. I wasn’t offered any kind of compensation either! Very poor customer service! I’m very disappointed with the Hotwire app and will never use it again.
Hey human beings is what we are or are we human doings? IDK about you but it is safe to say that we all got to get our hands and knee’s dirty slide around to Homebase then : What’s that!!! Penalty on the play due to me getting it in or out? You know what I mean by this? Whatever happens next year will be different and better than the last one so moving on is not the same as letting go! I believe as we all understand it’s destiny a of developmental stages in our life and all. How do you think we can get better at sorting out the issues behind what is happening in the world right now and then find ways to better manage it all to make positive impact on the future. Turning around your life now is best way forward and I believe that you can do and you will be glad that you reached the point of my topic and feeling better off as an active member of human-beings existence vs wished a wish for those of ya’ll shamelessly ugly human-doing’s/// Doing the most, Basically! Email me if you’re interested in joining my community of friends and caring people. So far I got “1” member and guess who it is???!
I'm a long time user of Hotwire and thought to have learned the ins and outs of the app through experience but when I booked a rentacar with Ace @ LAX I was greatly disappointed to discover not only is Hotwire deceptive but also dishonest. They are swindlers! A few days before pickup they issue a notice on where to pick up your car. It stated there’s a shuttle from the airport to Ace but sure enough I soon discovered there is no shuttle bus to Ace whatsoever! In fact, ACE's scam is to use other car rental shuttles (thrifty is closest). I was walking around the airport jet lagged after a 10 hour flight like a zombie with my family in tow trying to get to my car. It’s absurd! I attempted to get a taxi but they told me $30 min for a 5 min. ride. Finally I figured out how to get there by thrifty's shuttle. What’s more, I wrote a long letter to Hotwire explaining my predicament and got no response. They never reply to these reviews here because they are swindlers and liars. I pray nobody goes through rentacar hell like I did.
I can’t tell you how many times plans have quickly changed when I’m at the airport or in a different city or need to head somewhere really quick, and I log onto Hotwire app and my problem solved in less than five minutes. This thing really is amazing, and it’s way cheaper than booking directly through the hotel . I’ve also had to cancel my reservations several times before, and hotwire was gracious enough to call the hotels and get the reservation canceled even though their policy says otherwise. I can’t tell you how happy I am for this given our plans change last minute so frequently, especially given Covid. I love hotwire.
Last year I used Hotwire and I got booked at a Hotel that I was previously booked at through Hotwire in another year and which I felt very unsafe. When I called to see if I could switch hotels and explained to them that the previous year I had an incident happened to me where I was assaulted at that hotel, they refused to change me into another hotel and told me that all bookings were final. It took me two hours to finally get them to at least change my Hotel as they would not give me a refund. I gave them another chance and I am really angry that I did. This year, I wanted to book a hotel and after entering in a different credit card information for whatever reason it booked a different listed hotel that I did not want to stay at. When I called to rectify The situation they would not do anything about it. I never write reviews and I really hope that no one ever uses this service ever they’re awful.
I booked a hotel for the past weekend in a 4 star hotel. I get there and there was a “pipe” issue so they said don’t worry we will place you in another hotel. Whatever as long as I get a bed for the night. The following night I go back and ask if I can get a room in the hotel I paid for, they said no. They send me back on my way to a cheaper hotel and I have no choice some I’m obviously using a hotel because I do not live in the area. Now, the following day I send Hotwire support a message and they say that they can not do anything to help me because I accepted the redirect and am contacting them after the booking was used? How am I supposed to know that I needed to contact Hotwire the minute my room was not available. I assumed the hotel would right their issues and waited, now it turns out they were not able to and it’s my fault? Well it is according to Hotwire. Beware when booking through Hotwire.
I have been using Hotwire for years..it has saved me a lot of money (although I only use it for business not with the wife…however having said that she did get a suite in Boston for $90 once…I was a hero on that one). I recently booked a hotel by mistake..I was able to get an operator who was able to cancel the reservation and give me a credit..which I used on my next visit. I do understand that sometimes things just screw up…as a consumer we want to be taken care of…that starts with company training. I do give companies especially in the hospitality industry the benefit of the doubt as it’s been hard to find people to work.
I used to use Hotwire and recommend it to everyone. I have used it for more than 5 years. Lately they limit the reviews that you see to “2”. Some of those reviews can be quite misleading. You use to read 20 or more reviews and you could get a sense of the place. In my recent trip I booked 5 hotels with Hotwire. 3 were fine - as advertised. Two were complete misses. I couldn’t even stay at the hotels - they felt unsafe. The reviews for my most recent miss were 1) Good! 2) Great Location. Both reviews were so wrong. There was a Sheriff parked in the lot all night. I asked him and he says the place is active at night. Good grief! We left of course. Lost our money! Limiting reviews hurts Hotwire Clients from making good choices. I think Hotwire is more interested these days in protecting the hotels than they are their app users.
This app and the company behind it are horrible and you can save yourself a lot of pain by avoiding them both. I was trying to book a hotel for the following week and noticed that the app kept changing my dates to the current day every time I refreshed the search. Finally booked one and thought I was good to go. When I arrive at the hotel they have no idea who I am and it turns out the app booked the hotel for the same night I booked it. Then the hotel says someone checked in and used the reservation. I called Hotwire and they said since it’s a “HotRate” deal there are absolutely no refunds or changes, which apparently includes their system screwing up. So now I payed for someone else’s hotel room last week and had to get a last minute room at full price when I arrived totaling over $700 for what ended up being a 7 hour stay in the hotel. I will never use anything with the Hotwire name again
Hello, I will say that I have booked multiple rooms with great views of the city. Being able to use the Hotwire app to see where I get options for hotels allows me to accurately determine where I would like to be located within the city I select. Do not hesitate, Hotwire gives you top of the line rooms for a very affordable price. Everywhere I’ve stayed has been absolutely beautiful, I have plenty of places for food, Drinks and restaurants. Also the staff always shows top of the line professional service. Even during Covid 19, If you want to be smart with your funds and still book with a luxurious look, Book with Hotwire, I promise you that you won’t forget a memorable stay. 🏨🔥
Wow, Where do I even start! WHAT A AWFUL EXPERIENCE I was supposed to travel across the contry out of a very small air port on Christmas Eve to travel with family, got to the air port for my flight only to be told it took off an hour ago, myself and the gentleman next to me never got any notification of a flight time change. (When the lady behind the desk realized I used Hotwire she straight up laughed a little bit which was scary.) so I thank god got another flight 6 hours later but that was an awful start and then now on New Year’s Day I am up at 5 am to check in for my flight and the flight have no record of me what so ever. Come to find out because my first flight on Christmas Eve was changed(DUE TO HOT WIRES MISTAKE) Hotwire took that as a ‘oh she missed the whole trip’ and completely canceled my flight home AGAIN WITH OUT INFORMING ME. So now I am stuck in Florida until the next red eye. DO NOT USE WILL NEVER USE AGAIN
First of all, I’ve used Hotwire on several occasions without any problems whatsoever. I scheduled a one day rental on 12/26. It was confirmed and I headed to the airport to get the car. I was then told that they didn’t have any cars available and that they don’t have any way to refund my payment. I reached out to hotwire and they informed me that Alamo did have cars and I should go back to get the car. Long story short, same thing happened no rental available and I should call Hotwire. After several conversations with Hotwire they were able to confirm that I did go tobthe airport and once again NO CARS ! They finally refunded my payment. We had to find an alternate way to travel but it all worked out!
I just booked a hotel for our anniversary weekend through Hotwire and used a “hot rate” option. After years of using that option, I have come to trust the company to choose decent properties and use customer ratings to compare the different deals and choose the best one that meets our needs. We have used this app for reservations across the country, even getting a great deal on an historic boutique hotel in the heart of Washington DC when we wanted to drive there to watch the Independence Day fireworks at the National Mall. I don’t even bother with other travel sites any longer.
Booking problem turns terrible with Hotwire system
I never had problems with booking before this time. I booked an hotel of whom front desk refused to give me the room and was rude. I turned it to Hotwire to get reimbursed and kept on the phone for more than 40 minutes. Assistant said “you know we book the cheapest prices...” I told him “it doesn’t matter since the service is rejected”, he tried to call the front desk themselves which they said it is rude as well. Asked me again of what has happened: I told him the details again but wondered “are you trying to blame me cause I said this already why are you asking again” he said “no I am actually on your side but trying to find the reason to tell them they should reimburse me”. He apologized he wouldn’t be able to reimburse me in this case as the hotel refuses. By the way the hotel is whom have told me reimbursement is not theirs it is Hotwire’s.
Worst service! Showed confirmed in app but no reservation details not sent to hotel
I have booked hotel in CA from Hotwire. when I reached Hotel at 1 AM after flight delays and all, the hotel ppl informed me that Hotwire didn’t send at information or booking info with my name. Contacted Hotwire customer care and received no response from them. Booked same room for double the price at 2AM. The next day contacted Hotwire after 24 hours they cancelled my hotel trip and refunded my original amount not the difference which I paid. Customer service was so bad said you have paid that with your card so Hotwire is not going to refund that money. I lost money because of this faulty application or bad service. Don’t use Hotwire and seems like I’m not the first person, lot of people faced similar issues. DON’T USE HOTWIRE JUST FOR SAVING 30-50 use direct site or any other application but not Hotwire.
I can’t voice my disappointment enough in this hotel. I came to Chicago to shop and go to a play. I input ‘downtown’ when making the reservation and even called the hotel, when I saw it was an option, to ask if it was walking distance to the main shopping areas. I was there three nights and paid more for urber rides than the hotel! I would have done so much more in Chicago if it wasn’t an additional $20+ to get to the city. Hotel itself was okay. Tiny and old. Plus when you get there an additional $20 per night, in the small print when you book, for extra amenities that you will never use. Spa down the road, discount at the bar(that was never open late enough to use). Live and learn. Unless you are planning on staying in the Gold Coast area book someplace else. The extra for the room is worth it. Ended up costing me over $100+ more than planned.
I booked a hotel and one of my main filters was a hotel with a pool. I chose the hotel but upon arrival noticed construction going on at the hotel near the pool. I then ask the receptionist and she says it will be opened the next day, FOR SURE. The next day, the new girl now working the front desk, says the pool will be opened after 5. Again I let it go because our reservations were for a few days and we would have time to hang out by the pool once it opened. I return to the hotel later that same day with my two children and husband to see posted signs saying the pool will not be opened til renovations are completed. I was very disappointed with Hotwire for not letting me know this hotels pool would be out of service and then the hotel, Comfort suites Odessa, for giving me the run around. Very inconvenient and upsetting. I work hard for my money and want what I pay for.
Hotwire uses bait and switch when you book with them. They said I was guaranteed to receive my car rental from Enterprise Alamo National Hertz Dollar Budget. When I went to book car rental they gave me Advantage. I called them to mention that advantage was not advertise in my five guaranteed car rentals companies. They did a bait and switch on me and they refused to switch me to one of the other car rental companies. In which they advised I was guaranteed in their online listing. I reviewed advantage and their customer reviews had so many negative complaints with this car rental company. I didn’t feel safe using them for my family trip. Hotwire refuses to issue me a refund or switch me the the rental company that they guaranteed to me. I will never use Hotwire ever again. Poor customer service and not a trusting company. Their bait and switch was very this honest. Buyers beware
Warning false advertising - just as another reviewer experienced I was also charged for a room but then receive an error. Which means the room and that deal “got away” which is bs. I called and they stated the price went up reason why it did not book but yet charged my card. So I asked can you they use that credit to pay the difference to book another room they said no. So I let it be and waited til the next today to see if my credit card got refunded back. Nothing yet..... so I saw the same deal again (my mistake) and I tried to book it and the same error I received. I got charged again, so now I have two charges pending. I understand that it’s not fully charged just a hold but on my end it shows that it’s charged, now I have to wait 3-5 days. So now I can’t book anything for my birthday weekend. So be aware DONT USE HOTWIRE - PURE FALSE ADVERTISING!!!!
Save even more with exclusive, last-minute travel deals in the Hotwire app. Hot Rate® deals make booking travel easy, exciting, and affordable! 1. You pick the star-rating, location, amenities, and price. 2. We reveal your top-notch, deeply-discounted hotel right after booking. 3. Done and done. We've added new ways for you to hack your trip and get the best deal, available only on the app: • Discounted pricing and app-only coupons. Saving cash looks good on you. • Draw your ideal neighborhood. Circle a specific location on the map, and we’ll find you a Hot Rate® Hotel right there. • Sync with your schedule. You can add trip details directly to your calendar in a matter of seconds. The Hotwire app packs in everything our customers love about our site—and more—including: • Unbeatable deals up to the last minute. Hotwire is the go-to app for booking money-saving, unforgettable trips. Book weeks in advance or the day of. Either way, Hotwire has you covered. • Thousands of hotels to choose from. Think: trendy, boutique properties and iconic brands like Fairmont, Hyatt, and Marriott. • Get 1 of 2 Hot Rate® Hotels. Hacking your Hot Rate® just got easier in the app. We’ll show two hotels, and you’re guaranteed to stay at one of them. • Our low price guarantee. Book with confidence—our rates won’t be beat. • 24/7 customer service. Message our team with any questions, day or night. NEW iOS 14 Features! DEAL WIDGET: Plan a last-minute getaway in just a few taps with Hotwire’s new deal widget! Check out top weekend deals near you, right from your home screen. Just add the widget and enable location services to get goin’. APP CLIP: New to Hotwire? Try out our App Clip, available via Hotwire.com on your mobile device. See app-exclusive features, including hotel reviews, and quickly book using Apple Pay. The App Clip will also keep your reservation details on your home screen for up to 10 days. Can’t get enough? You can also easily download the full Hotwire app!
