cant tell what motel u get until pay. thot it would be days inn, la quinta, or comfort. was microtel that was filthy. have stayed in other micros that were fine.

this one had messy lobby, filthy carpets in elevator and hallway. tdrapes were hanging loose and dirty. sheets unchanged and dirty.

took one look at room and walked off. reported this to microtel too.

are there any class actions currently pending against hotwire. seem to be a lot of bad experiences, deception, bait and switch and fraud.

We had a disaster of an experience with this website. We just completed a 6 day vacation. We booked 5 nights of rooms with other providers, but the 6th night I had the misfortune to book on Hotwire.

Although I clearly requested a room for 4 adults, Hotwire in its inimitable wisdom forwarded this to the hotel as a request for a king bed and a couch pull out. I'm not sure what was more uncomfortable, choosing who would be in which "bed", or the choice between the rock hard king and the lumpy, let's meet in the middle, couch mattress.

The room was tiny, and Hotwire rated it 3 1/2 stars. If you are at all familiar with Europe, imagine an Italian pensione, and you'll get the idea of what I'm talking about.

When the couch was pulled out into its "bed" configuration you actually had to climb over both an end table and a chair in order to get to it. There was no closet in the room. The bathroom was barely big enough for a shower and a toilet. The shower curtain was so far inside the shower that you had the opportunity to enjoy a shower curtain rubbing up against you that had obviously enjoyed rubbing up against countless total strangers in the past.

However, if you think that sounds unpleasant, try dealing with Hotwire's "customer service" number (a term which must be used VERY loosely). The words "the customer is always right" have never passed their lips. They pawned off this travesty as somehow being our fault instead of their's. No help was offered, and none was forthcoming when requested. This was the single worst night's experience I've had in over 30 years of hotel stays.

Do NOT use Hotwire to book hotels. This site is a complete ripoff.

I arranged a pre-paid car rental through Hotwire and National car rental. I received confirmation that the minivan I paid for would hold seven adults and five suitcases. After flying cross country, we were told that to get a vehicle large enough for seven people and five suitcases, we'd have to upgrade from the prepaid reservation, at a cost of $22 a day. Since we had three tired small children and it was VERY hot, we decided not to argue, and paid for the bait and switch operation of Hotwire/National car rental. I'll never use either company again.

I reserved 2 airline tickets for travel to Ecuador. On April 13, about 3 weeks later, I call the airline, COPA, to confirm that everything is o.k. To my surprise, the first name for my mother in law, my traveling partner, was misspelled, and the last name was completely different, one that she hasn't used in 40 years. I have been married to my wife 23 years; don't you think I know what her mother's last name is? Besides, I did check all 3: first name, middle initial, and last name in her passport, before I submitted the reservation with payment. I had my wife check the information, it was correct. The airline agent told me there might be a problem at the airport, that she might not be allowed to board the plane, because the name would be different from the passport. That's understandable, so I called Hotwire, they said they would forward the information. I confirmed a day later that it was received, but when I was about to print the boarding passes, I found the names were still the same. No correction had been made. I called COPA, they said they cannot make the change because I didn't do business directly with them. So then I called Hotwire, they forwarded the information for the change to be made, but when I called the airline, they hadn't updated it They received the note, but not a request to change it. They told me that this was because of government regulation, so I called Hotwire again. By this time I was losing patience, but I managed to maintain my composure. The lady who answered told me that the change could not be made, because that is the name on file, the one I submitted. In short, my mother in law could not travel, COPA would not change the name, and Hotwire would not change it. I pleaded with her, to no avail. I asked to talk to a supervisor, I waited nearly 40 minutes, and he said the same thing. I pointed out the mistake, they both blamed me for it. They said that no human hands touched it, that everything is done digitally. I find that hard to believe, they stand by their system being perfect, but that is a lot of bull! There are computer glitches, breakdowns in systems, so don't tell me that doesn't happen.
So that got me nowhere. I had to cancel the itinerary. As for a refund, I got none. One thing the supervisor said was that when I cancel the date or change it, it loses value. Well, I can travel at another date, I have one year from the date of reservation. I could have traveled by myself and my mother in law would follow once space was available, but buying a new ticket at twice the cost of what she already paid is ridiculous. She is 72 years old, she cannot travel by herself, that's why she was taking me with her, to help her and visit her country of origin for the first time. Now I will do whatever I can to remedy the situation, however the prospects don't look good. Advice: NEVER USE HOTWIRE!

When booking hotels through Hotwire, beware that the hotel is free to tack on an involuntary "resort fee" (usually between $15 and $25 per day) to the price. This is NOT included in the Hotwire advertised price. I booked a "5 star Mid-Strip" in Las Vegas (Trump International) for $114 and was charged an additional $15 per day. The price should have been advertised as $129. When I complained to Hotwire they referred me to their "terms and conditions" page which states that "special fees" may be added. Very nice of them to warn me that if I use their site I am subject to getting ripped off! Hotwire Buyer Beware!