I booked a flight 3 weeks in advance with hot wire from san diego, california to st. louis, missouri it was only $340 which was good. My boss recently sent me to phoenix to work so I need to change this flight. I called hotwire and change the flight from phoenix to st. louis and they said they would charge me %150 plus air difference..I was charged $520, so a $340 flight ended up costing over $700 dollars.. I recieved a new email with my new flight plans, and noticed that the new charge was pending in my bank account...I looked the next day and it was gone and was never charged. Im wondering if they will charge me the extra for this flight or I will have problems when i get to the airport.

Booked a 3 1/2 star hotel in Sugar land Texas...Hotwire gives us a old Embassy Suites (now a Crowne Plaza) about 10 miles away...this place is musty, old, in need of many, many repairs...food is bad and very expensive...$25 for a below average breakfast buffet ...called Hotwire to complain and got nothing from them...they said they never looked at the properties ...just looked at what others rated the property...says to me that they did not send anyone out to see if this place is a dump or not...will stick with Priceline...

SWINDLED BY HOTWIRE - NOV 2010
In mid-November 2010, through KAYAK I linked to and booked a HOTWIRE “HOT RATE” hotel room at $333.21 for 3 nights with “restaurant on premises” in Frederick MD at a “3 star” accommodation.

On Nov 14th I arrive with my daughter at an empty (250 rooms w/maybe 10% occupancy) 1970-80’s era facility that sprawls at least an acre under one roof (old convention center with conference rooms, indoor pool, kids play areas, and lots of large common spaces with tables – all TOTALLY EMPTY ). We planned to have dinner at the restaurant but were told it was closed (due to low occupancy) and we could order food in the cocktail lounge.

Our assigned room was on a peripheral hallway (accessed via long empty corridors and metal doors) that looked on a hall with about 40 doors to rooms. It was isolated, the carpet and halls worn, and there was a strong dog odor. The room was dingy and adjacent to a very large, empty, and poorly lit parking lot. It was creepy.

At this point I called HOTWIRE CUSTOMER CARE to request a change to a more satisfactory hotel. KRISTA, listened to my complaint, and then called George at the Holiday Inn Frederick-Holidome & Conference Center front desk, who verified my complaint (awkwardly, as he and I stood 2 feet apart). After several minutes on hold KRISTA returned and told me nothing could be done.

Next I asked for a manger (KRISTA said it would do no good, but I (erroneously) thought HOTWIRE would make good on the 3 star rating, on-site restaurant, and value for money deal they advertised. I was transferred to CARL the supervisor (ID 1312). The following exchange occurred:

ME: The room is isolated, worn, creepy and on a long and isolated hall far from earshot of anyone. It feels unsafe. The hotel has 250 rooms and hardly 10% are occupied. No restaurant is available as advertised by HOTWIRE. We want to transfer to another HOTWIRE affiliated facility.

CARL: when HOTWIRE advertises a ‘restaurant on premises’ we don’t guarantee how many hours it is open. As far as transferring to another hotel, nothing can be done because the hotel has already been paid (thus HOTWIRE can’t recoup $). Furthermore, HOTWIRE just inspected the hotel the day before and rated it as a 3 star facility.

ME: That is INCREDIBLE! This place is dirty, dingy, with no restaurant and definitely not 3 star hotel. I’m at the reception desk looking at torn upholstery in the reception area furniture. Please tell me what the HOTWIRE INSPECTOR’S comments were on this facility?

CARL: (again) This is a 3 start hotel that we just inspected yesterday. Also, before Thanksgiving holiday most hotels have low occupancy. There is nothing we can do.

ME: (again) This in INCREDIBLE. This is not a 3 star facility. Can you tell me what the HOTWIRE INSPECTOR’S comments were about this hotel?

CARL: (hedging about what a “HOTWIRE INSPTECTION” meant) said the inspections were not always on-site and sometimes they use other website ratings to claim it is a “3 star accommodation”.

WHAT???
BOTTOM LINE: I’m physically there describing a hotel that is not what HOTWIRE advertised, nor is it what I paid for. With my own eyes I describe the conditions. And CARL is assuring me (that I am mistaken) this really is a 3 star facility based on NO INSPECTION EVIDENCE. That’s crap. I ended up losing $332.21 I paid to HOTWIRE and then paid a similar amount at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Frederick MD (BTW, booked to capacity before Thanksgiving) for a clean and comfortable room.
HOTWIRE SWINDLED ME.

On Oct. 23, Hotmail sent me an email advertising a 3 start Boston hotel for $83 per night. I made a reservation for the following day (staying Oct 24, leaving Oct. 25). I accepted its condition that the hotel might charge "additional fees...".

The way Hotwire works is similar to Priceline, i.e. that once a customer pays the rate (plus $18 handling fee) the customer is told the hotel name. I learned that the hotel was the Beacon Holiday Inn. I called them to find out the parking fee. I was told $40 per day, which is nearly 50% of the hotel rate. I called Hotwire Customer Service saying this is exhorbitant. Clearly, Hotwire customers are seeking discounted hotel rates; the hotel rate is no longer a good price if the hotel recoups its discount by gouging customers via parking!

Furthermore, Hotwire is fraudulent by failing to disclose that a hotel might charge as much as 50% more for parking. I called Customer Service. Neither the representative nor her supervisor would cancel or allow for a transfer to a hotel with a more reasonable parking fee. I said that if a hotel charges 10%-15% more for parking, this is acceptable. But Hotwire is misrepresenting its "discount" by allowing hotels to pass on exorbitant parking fees. At minimum, Hotwire could inform customers BEFORE they accept the rate, about the actual hotel parking fee OR by having a policy for its publicized hotels to not exceed 10-15% of actual hotel rates for parking.

I will never use Hotwire again.

Destroyed my 40th Birthday!!!

My husband chose a hotel for my friend and myself to celebrate & spend a 5 day holiday in Chicago for our 40th birthdays. The reservation details were read off of 'Hotwire.com' & booked with 'Hotwire.com'. After contacting 'Central Loop Hotel', we realised the reservation was not for a spacious room with 2 double beds. Hotwire.com misrepresented the accomodation!! The room was a small room with 2 twin beds!!
We contacted Hotwire.com to change the reservation & tell them their details were wrong. They told us "NO CHANGES". Then we said we would like to cancel because the vacation was over 2 months away. They said "NO CANCELLATIONS".

Hotwire.com charged our credit card for a vacation we never took and locked up our Master Card from having any power to stop the payment!!!

DON'T USE 'HOTWIRE.COM' to BOOK ANYTHING!!!