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Hotwire - Given Lower Star Hotel Than Booked

Hotwire - Given Lower Star Hotel Than Booked

Old Sep 25, 2015, 12:47 am
  #1  
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Angry Hotwire - Given Lower Star Hotel Than Booked

Apologies if this has come up before; I did a quick search before posting but couldn't find my exact situation.

I just booked a Hot Deals Hotel for 6 nights on Hotwire in Toronto. I selected a 3-star near the airport which was stated to be similar to a Holiday Inn, Ramada, Crowne Plaza, etc. When my booking went through, I was given the Quality Hotel, which is clearly shown on their website as part of the 1-star collection.

What recourse do I have to dispute this? I knew to be weary of Hotwire inflating star ratings, but this seems like false advertising when even Hotwire themselves say the Quality Inn is part of a collection 2 stars lower than what I paid for.
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Old Sep 25, 2015, 12:50 am
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Screen shot everything, then call Hotwire and ask for a refund.
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Old Sep 28, 2015, 2:18 am
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Originally Posted by Doc Savage
Screen shot everything, then call Hotwire and ask for a refund.
Thanks! I took screenshots of all the star ratings at 3 and below. Seems the Quality brand is listed in 1, 2, and 2.5. Not sure how that works, but okay.

I e-mailed customer service and got a standardized script response about 6 minutes later. I've now pushed back threatening an escalation to the BBB so hopefully I'll actually get a personalized response.

UPDATE: Another scripted response sent within the hour, this time written in grammatically poor English and also in two different fonts so I could clearly see where they copy/pasted the form response in. Off to the BBB!

Last edited by Tuneman1984; Sep 28, 2015 at 4:12 am
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Old Sep 28, 2015, 10:27 am
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While I don't disagree that calling Quality (not this particular one, but in general) a 3* is probably generous, if the hotel fits Hotwire's very vague description of a 3* hotel, I'm not sure there's much you can do. The description only says:
These mid-range hotels offer a relaxed and inviting environment. Extra amenities and clean rooms will make your stay comfortable.
I once stayed at a Quality that had an on-site mexican restaurant, so because of that, I wouldn't be surprised if Hotwire called it 3* for this "extra amenity", even though the rest of the hotel was a dump.
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Old Sep 28, 2015, 11:13 am
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On Hotwire's direct purchase side, where the hotels are named, there are several hotels with the word "Quality" in their name. All but one are listed as 3*. The remaining one (5585 Ambler Dr Mississauga ON L4W3Z1 ) is listed as a 2.5*.

Assuming you didn't get the one at 5585 Ambler, you probably are just frustrating yourself arguing with them.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but ...

Romelle
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Old Sep 28, 2015, 4:09 pm
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It's the Quality Inn on Islington, and Hotwire and Expedia list it as a 3-star. But my argument is, if they're going to include a well-established brand as part of that collection, then it should be listed in the 3-star category in the ratings guide, just as it is under 2 and 3 stars. Because then, if anything, I would've known to expect possibly getting that hotel for the booking and maybe tried for a 3.5 or 4 star instead.

I've filed the complaint with the BBB as I figure it couldn't hurt to squeak a bit louder and at least try to get something other than cookie-cutter responses. I figure either one of two things will happen: I get refunded/rebooked into something consistent with what I reserved, or this is likely the last time I use Hotwire.
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Old Sep 28, 2015, 8:27 pm
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The Quality Inn on Islington is also in the Hotel Lists-Hotwire on the www.betterbidding.com site as one which has been reported as received by a member. (Interestingly, in the Hotel Lists-Priceline it is a 2.5*).

Maybe next time you'd consider getting an educated guess as to what you might receive from Hotwire by posting the amenities, date, rate, etc. on betterbidding. Some of the 3* amenities lists for the Toronto airport area hotels are pretty generic, so for that location it wouldn't necessarily be a very certain guess, but the Quality Inn likely would be among the list of possibles provided.

I do hope you don't just swear off Hotwire. Admittedly their star levels can be different than Priceline, and there can be other issues. But, if used carefully, Hotwire can be one more good weapon in your travel arsenal. When bidding Priceline, and looking at Hotwire offers, I usually spot Priceline about a 1/2 star so I've got a closer comparison.

I'm not a hotel expert, but I've definitely noticed that hotel chains can have different star levels in different cities.

Romelle
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Old Sep 28, 2015, 11:42 pm
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I think Hotwire somewhere says they start with the Expedia rating and then adjust based on customer feedback, so if it's with 1/2 a star of the Expedia rating, I don't think there's much you can do.

A few years ago, I argued with them over a Days Inn that they gave us as a 3 star, whereas all other sites had listed it as a two star. In the end, we got nowhere with Hotwire, stayed at the hotel and it ended up not being so bad after all.
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Old Oct 2, 2015, 2:08 am
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If you haven't already stayed there, you could try doing a chargeback (or at least at first threatening a chargeback to hotwire).
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Old Oct 2, 2015, 9:43 am
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What would be the reasoning for the chargeback?

Originally Posted by bamba70
If you haven't already stayed there, you could try doing a chargeback (or at least at first threatening a chargeback to hotwire).
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Old Oct 5, 2015, 7:40 pm
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Originally Posted by Tuneman1984
Apologies if this has come up before; I did a quick search before posting but couldn't find my exact situation.

I just booked a Hot Deals Hotel for 6 nights on Hotwire in Toronto. I selected a 3-star near the airport which was stated to be similar to a Holiday Inn, Ramada, Crowne Plaza, etc. When my booking went through, I was given the Quality Hotel, which is clearly shown on their website as part of the 1-star collection.

What recourse do I have to dispute this? I knew to be weary of Hotwire inflating star ratings, but this seems like false advertising when even Hotwire themselves say the Quality Inn is part of a collection 2 stars lower than what I paid for.
I am sorry this happened. Hmm a 3 star is totally different than a 1 star hotel. With Hotwire I will not book anything lower than a 4 star. With a 3 star hotel you can definitely get it for less than you paid. Now for a 4 star and above hotel generally it will be way more to book it on another website.

As others have stated take the Screen Shot of the hotel and websites that show it being a 1 star. See if you can dispute the charge with your Credit Card Company for False Advertisement of Product and send them the necessary information as well.

In Dubai I got a 5 Star Hotel for $85 with Hotwire and was able to upgrade it to the Executive Lounge for $155 for 2 which includes meals throughout the day, Happy Hour, Access to a Private Beach Club. Transportation to the airport and the hotel offers complimentary transportation to select areas as well. It was worth paying the fee to upgrade.

In Las Vegas I got the Trump for $100 per night on Hotwire. For Barcelona we found a nice Boutique Hotel for $80 per night.

My point is the best deals on Hotwire are 4 stars and above. If you really saw a 3 star for less then you just may risk Hotwire as they can give you an independent motel like room. Notice how they say "Hotels like Crown Plaza" that does not guarantee you anything really. A Best Western can be 3 stars and so can a Hilton or Marriott.

I hope you get this resolved OP and please let us know the outcome.
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Old Oct 5, 2015, 9:34 pm
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Just an update, I've escalated to the BBB and am waiting for Hotwire to reply. If they refuse to refund or re-book then I will be initiating a chargeback and have a folder of screenshots to send to my credit card company.
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Old Oct 10, 2015, 2:36 am
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Thailamd Star Hotels

Their 3 starts is really crap and cheap. Their 5 star are world class and really pricey. Hard to find the middle ground
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Old Oct 25, 2015, 2:53 am
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Hotwire Replied

Got a reply from Hotwire on my BBB claim. They basically just gave the same cookie-cutter response I got from customer service and refused to re-book or provide a refund. Curiously, the person replying said "I understand the customer had concerns based on the star ratings seen on some other websites". Um, no, I was concerned simply with the rating on YOUR website, and giving me a hotel you plainly advertise as belonging to a lower rating than what I booked.

I replied to say I was not satisfied and included the screenshots for all the star collections, showing the Quality brand in 1 and 2, and nothing in 3 which I booked. Trouble is, the business now has until November 5th to reply, and my trip ends on Nov 3rd. I did also say I would be sharing the screenshots with my credit card if I chose to dispute the charge. Trouble is, I'd now have to risk booking a 2nd hotel on the chance that maybe this one gets refunded either my Hotwire or my CC, and I can't really risk paying twice for one stay.

So, it looks like I'll just have to go ahead and take it, but rest assured I will never be booking with Hotwire again in the near future, and I'll be sure their management is aware of this after my stay. I have zero tolerance for bait and switch.
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Old Oct 29, 2015, 9:48 am
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Never ever touch hotwire

Hotwire has a long history of inflating hotel stars by their so-called details-not-disclosed "adjustment based on customer feedback". Hotels on Hotwire may appear to be cheaper than what offered by its competitor. However, the fact is they are more expensive if these hotels are matched and compared 1-on-1 against each other. Hotwire tricked customers into using its "Secret Hot Rate Hotels", and takes advantage over customers by manipulating star levels, not disclosing the hotel name, and making the sale final.

Last time I booked a hotel via "Secret Hot Rate Hotels" on Hotwire, exact same thing happened to me. I called Hotwire and talked for hours, and they kept replying with the same generic answers. I initiated a chargeback (Not as Described). They waited for a while and fought back dishonestly. (I guess they probably have too many chargebacks and prefer dealing with them altogether periodically.) Their response to chargeback was pretty generic but unfortunately the credit card company accepted their response. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. The only thing left for me is to vote with my feet and choose never ever touch Hotwire again.

p.s. Any lawyer who is interested in initiating a class action lawsuit may contact me.

Please enjoy Hotwire's response to chargeback:

Last edited by SysOp; Oct 29, 2015 at 10:10 am
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