INDFlyer

Has anyone made a booking through Hotwire and cancelled it by calling the Credit Card Company and disputing the charge? I recently purchased a hotel 4-star in Singapore for a total of ($1430) 2 rooms for 5 days. It turns out to be some old hotel without even some basic facilities found in a 3-star hotel
1. All other major sites (Expedia, hotels.com etc) has listed the hotel as 3 ½ star.
2. The so called 4-star hotel does not even have a small pool
3. They have a restaurant but don’t serve lunch
4. Recent reviews posted in Tripadvisor says that the room is old and the carpet smells

Can I just call my credit card company and ask them to cancel the transaction? How long does the credit card company take to resolve an issue like this?

Doc Savage

You don't have much of a leg to stand on here, and I think disputing with Hotwire is the way to go rather than your credit card. Point out to Hotwire that the place doesn't have the amenities they promised you (screenshots help), and expect significant resistance.

Good luck!

wharvey

You really have no recourse with your credit card company.

What hotel?

What amenities are promised at that level that are not at your property?

Did the amenities list show an actual pool icon? I know some of the 4 stars in Singapore do and some do not. You cannot assume that all 4 stars are the same.

I agree with Doc, if you can show they do not have the GUARANTEED amenities that Hotwire promises, you might have a chance... especially if you tell them you will take another four star that does meet the requirements... exchange vs refund.


Unfortunately, it does not really matter what other websites rate the hotel.... they do not match up to Hotwire's ratings.

INDFlyer

Doc Savage and wharvey Thank you for your input. I went back and tried to input the same date and try to get a screen shot of the hotel, but they pulled off all icons for that particular hotel.

Star rating? Have you seen their star rating they claim that their 4-Star hotel is comparable to Westin, Hyatt, Sheraton, Hilton etc http://www.hotwire.com/travel-inform...el-ratings.jsp I think those Hotel grops should sue Hotwire for tarnishing their brand name. They should just say that we inflate our ratings compared to other popular travel website.

Doc Savage

Clear your cookies or use another browser to see if the amenities come up.

AEmgee

I think you are out of luck on this one. I have found that Hotwire is generally not a great choice outside of North America.

As an aside, I have had luck with Priceline giving my money back when I called and told them I put in the wrong dates (which was true).

wharvey

Can you share details on the property you got and what dates?

Then we can try to recreate and get the amenities list for you.

SK AAR

Why would you even use Hotwire for Singapore - and for a 5 nights stay This has most likely lead to a significant higher rate than using conventional booking channels.

In general Hotwire and Priceline is only usefull for single nights at US properties.

Anyway, forget about your credit card company -you have to fight it out with Hotwire - good luck!

dogcanyon

That has not been my experience at all. I've used Priceline for multi-night stays in the US many, many times and gotten rates at about 35 - 40% of the lowest rate for those dates on Expedia, Orbitz and the hotel's own website. Outside the US I've used them for multi-night stays in Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong and gotten rates far lower than Expedia, Orbitz, Asia Rooms, Octopus Travel, Somebody's-Friend's-Uncle's-You-Never-Heard-Of-Them-Hole-In-The-Wall-Agency.com etc. As recently as last November I got a friend a multi-night stay at the Marriott Zurich for US$176 a night when the lowest rate for those dates on Marriott.com was US$400.

AEmgee

I've had some luck with Priceline too outside of North America but Hotwire has largely disappointed me, even compared to a 20-25% discount using CheapTickets (which is okay, but not a super deal).

cbn42

Hotwire provided you with what you agreed to. You have no basis to challenge it unless they specifically promised an amenity that is not provided. Star ratings are subjective.

1. All other major sites (Expedia, hotels.com etc) has listed the hotel as 3 ½ star.

3 1/2 and 4 is close enough for practical purposes.

2. The so called 4-star hotel does not even have a small pool

Not every hotel has a pool. A pool is not required for a 4-star hotel.

3. They have a restaurant but don’t serve lunch

Once again, not a requirement for stars.

4. Recent reviews posted in Tripadvisor says that the room is old and the carpet smells

That is likely to be an issue with one room rather than the hotel as a whole. If you encounter this, take it up with the front desk.

When you use blind booking sites like Hotwire, you may get a hotel that does not meet your expectations. If you are unwilling to accept this, then pay a little more and do a traditional booking.

Romelle

Hotwire just generally is a little more generous with stars than Priceline is. It seems to average about a 1/2 star, although I've seen examples of a full star difference and also examples of both vendors using the same rating.

I can't speak for Asian hotels, but I know there apparently is also a more general difference between the star ratings for US and European hotels. I've seen quite a few US 3*s that compare well with European 4*s. If I can possibly afford it, I don't bid less than 4*-Priceline or 4.5*-Hotwire. Less than that gets iffy.

I think you've been getting good advice here.

I use both Hotwire and Priceline regularly, and just mentally adjust for the rating difference when I'm comparing things.

To the poster who said PL and HW only useful in the US, I've used them in many other countries - happily. IIRC, the longest was 10 days, but there have been many in the 3-4-5 day range. I've always at least been OK, and sometimes down right tickled pink, with what I got. A river front room in Budapest was my most recent super-score.

Time to eat this one and move on, IMO.

Romelle

lewisc

PP gave you the correct information. Your question is how long will it take your credit card to decline your request. They may give you a temporary credit while awaiting a response from Hotwire. Maybe a week before that's reversed.

Your only grounds. Was a pool listed as an amenity? If so you have grounds. Take it up with Hotwire. How many hotels in cities like NYC have pools?

erika33

You should be able to see the amenities when you log into your Hotwire account to see your reservation.

Hotwire is notorious for inflating their ratings. This is fairly well known and documented here. Hotwire inflated hotel ratings.

It really sounds like you do not have any recourse, unfortunately. It happens to all of us. I remember a very scuzzy hotel in Ogden Utah that was 2 1/2 stars on Hotwire. I've stayed at other 2 1/2 star hotels in the past, and this was much worse. My room stunk (or stank, not sure :-). It also seemed unsafe for me and my vehicle. I actually LEFT THE HOTEL AFTER CHECKING IN without a refund. When safety is a concern, you just got to go with your instincts and mine were telling me to stay away.

Zuko

I used Hotwire once to book a hotel in Istanbul a few years ago.

But I really did explore options and information available to narrow my search to only two hotels, both acceptable to me (Holiday Inn and Crown Plaza). So, when I paid I knew I would get one of the two. And I did.

Unfortunately, it seems you were not so sure and now I think it will be very difficult to get it refunded...