Hotwire.com Review

Hotwire used to be a great site for booking hotels. Back in 2004, If you researched your area well you could make some really great bookings - eg. Embassy Suites Manhattan for $135 in August or the Paramount at Time Square for $109 over Easter weekend. You had to realize that the sale was final and that some of the "Star" ratings varied from one travel site to another, but you could get some excellent hotels at the absolute lowest rates around.  Despite the odd disappointment I felt representation was fair and I still got value for my dollar.

A recent Hotwire experience has really changed my opinion of this travel site and its Customer Service Department. Hotwire typically flags the best deals and special rates as "Best Value" and lists the retail rate and amount of savings per night. Based on this information I purchased three nights at a 3.5 star hotel in Monterey, CA. The rate was $159 per night with the "retail rate" listed at $252.33 per night with a nightly savings of $93.33.

As soon as I learned the name of the hotel, Casa Munras, I went to the hotel website to learn that the same room retailed for $161.10 on the first night and $179.10 on the subsequent nights - this was the regular rate and not a special promotion. I immediately fired off my first email to Hotwire customer service.

The response received indicated that the retail rate advertised was an average of other 3.5 star properties in the area. They put $25 of Hotdollars in my account and I fired off another email and asked that it be forwarded to a supervisor. The supervisor sent the same canned response. Upon reviewing the entire website there is absolutely nowhere that the retail rate is defined as anything other than for the one hotel represented. This is a misrepresentation which should void the contract.

After sending one more email to be forwarded to "the CEO and legal department" no response has been received and a week has passed. At this point I will file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Branch of the State of California (Hotwire is a San Francisco company).