Is Hotels.com Legit? (BEWARE Before BOOKING)

Last Updated: December 25, 2022

Are you attracted to the cheaper hotel rates on Hotels.com, but are concerned about its legitimacy and reliability?

If so, then your search ends here!

By the end of this post, you will find out EXACTLY if it is a legitimate and reliable platform or a scam and whether you should book through Hotels.com or not.

Let’s get started.

Is Hotels.com Legit?

Hotels.com is definitely legit as it is owned by Expedia Group, one of the world’s leading online travel companies. However, the risk of issues associated with booking through Hotels.com is higher than booking directly with the hotels.

Although problems can happen even with booking directly, the chances are much lower compared to booking through Hotels.com. 

Why are the risks associated with Hotels.com high? 

In short, it is due to the involvement of a third party (Hotels.com).

Let me explain!

In case you do not know, Hotels.com essentially acts as a middleman between you and the hotels.

As an intermediary, Hotels.com collects your payment and is responsible for your booking, not the hotel you booked with since your contract is not directly with them, it is with Hotels.com.

Therefore, you should not expect any direct assistance from your hotel.

In case of any issues between you and your hotel, you will have to involve Hotels.com, and then they will reach out to the hotel on your behalf to resolve the matter. 

But the problem is:

There is a lack of customer service on Hotels.com.

It is not just Hotels.com where customer support can be lacking; online travel agencies (OTAs) generally skimp on customer service to keep their costs down and offer you cheap bookings.

So when you booked a hotel through Hotels.com and need any help, you are most likely going to be stuck in a lot of back and forth between your hotel and Hotels.com before your issue is resolved.

And it is also possible that your issue might not be resolved either, especially if it is urgent due to the lack of customer service on Hotels.com.

Similarly, when you are booked through Hotels.com and need to make changes or cancellations to your hotel reservations, especially if you paid in advance for your bookings, it may be challenging.

To put it simply, having a middleman (Hotels.com) can complicate any mishaps because hotels will tell you to contact Hotels.com rather than offering you direct assistance.

And Hotels.com may then turn around and push things back to the hotel, leaving you stuck in the middle.

In contrast, when you book directly with the hotel then it will be a lot easier for you to make changes, cancellations, or resolve any other issues since there are no third parties involved.

Furthermore, the hotels give more preference to customers who booked directly with them rather than those who booked through Hotels.com or any other online travel agencies.

Here’s why:

Hotels make more profits from direct sales than those made through Hotels.com since they won’t have to pay any commission fees to Hotels.com.

Furthermore, it is easier for hotels to manage customers who booked directly than those who booked through online travel agencies like Booking.com, Agoda, Traveluro, Trip.com, etc.

One example of this is that the hotels may not receive your booking confirmation from Hotels.com, resulting in no reservation and overbooking for the same room.

There have been numerous cases where a guest has been stranded in a strange city without any room availability in the hotel, despite making an advance booking with them through Hotels.com.

However, it is not always Hotels.com’s fault.

Sometimes hotels also scam customers when it is overcrowded.

In a situation when a hotel is overcrowded, it is quite possible that they might “bump” those who have paid the least through an online travel agency like Hotels.com and sell it to somebody else who has paid more directly.

And upon your arrival at the hotel, hotel staff may lie and claim that your reservation was never made.

But regardless of the reasons for not having your reservation, when you contact Hotels.com for help in such a situation, you are unlikely to get immediate assistance from them since its customer support is unreliable.

Consequently, you will either have to pay more directly to the hotel to get another room or if no rooms are available then you must have to find another hotel nearby.

If you book directly with the hotel, on the other hand, you won’t have to encounter any reservation issues since there are no third parties involved (Hotels.com).

Long story short, Hotels.com works out just fine until something goes wrong.

The major advantage of booking a hotel through Hotels.com is that you typically get cheaper rates than direct bookings with the hotel.

But if something goes wrong, you may have a hard time cancelling, changing, or resolving any other issues when you’re booked through Hotels.com.

That being said, let’s conclude: Is Hotels.com legit?

Though booking a hotel through Hotels.com carries a higher risk of issues than booking directly, but as far as its legitimacy is concerned, it is certainly a legitimate platform.

Hotels.com’s legitimacy cannot be questioned as it is owned by the industry leader in the online travel sector, Expedia Group.

Expedia Group not only owns Hotels.com but also tons of other leading online travel sites including Expedia, Hotwire, Vrbo, and more.

If Hotels.com were a scam company, it probably would not be a part of such a big travel company known as Expedia Group.

Moreover, Hotels.com has been in business since 1991, and if it were a scam company, it probably wouldn’t be around today.

Considering these factors, one can easily judge whether or not Hotels.com is legitimate.

So, Should You Book Directly or Through Hotels.com?

Avoid booking through Hotels.com if the price difference between booking a hotel directly vs through Hotels.com is the same or slightly cheaper.

However, if there is a significant difference in the price then it mostly comes down to personal comfort.

Personally, I recommend booking a hotel through Hotels.com only under these conditions:

1. The price difference is huge between direct booking vs through Hotels.com.
2. You want to book an average hotel for your stay, not an expensive luxury hotel.
3. Avoid making reservations for too many days at once.

In addition to these conditions, you must be aware of the tips below.

7 Tips To Book Safely on Hotels.com

Before making a booking with Hotels.com, keep these seven tips in mind to minimize the risks associated with your booking:

1. Properly Check Pictures of Hotel And Its Rooms

Before booking any hotel, check multiple photos of it provided in the listing of Hotels.com.

If the property seems good to you, make sure you’ve checked the photos of the room you’re considering booking.

Next, you have to:

2. Read Guest Reviews

Prior to booking, it is extremely important to read guest reviews to get an actual idea of what to expect from the property.

Always choose a hotel with a minimum of 100+ reviews and a minimum rating of 9.0 out of 10.

In case you are wondering:

Are the reviews on the properties listed on Hotels.com real?

In short, YES!

The reviews are real since they can only be submitted by people who have genuinely stayed with the property before.

3. Be Aware of The Policies

Most often, guests don’t pay attention to the policies when booking which later on results in many problems such as unsuccessful cancellations and refunds.

Therefore, to avoid such issues, make yourself aware of the room cancellations and refund policies before booking your room.

Moreover, make sure you are familiar with the hotel’s policies/rules.

4. Check For The Amenities You Need

Before making a booking with a hotel, make sure the room you are considering has the amenities you need.

In addition to this, check the property amenities, too, to ensure it has your required amenities.

5. Don’t Make Prepayments 

Never make prepayments when booking a hotel through Hotels.com.

Always book a room with a hotel that offers a “Pay at property” option so that if your plans change, you can easily cancel your booking without dealing with Hotels.com’s lengthy and complicated refund process.

6. Ensure The Booking Details Are Correct

Only a minor error in your booking details can result in major problems for you even beyond your control. 

Therefore, when booking anything through Hotels.com, make sure the booking details are correct as incorrect details cause real problems and it might be a hassle to make changes.

And finally, you should:

7. Confirm Your Booking From The Host

As I said before, one of the major risks associated with booking a hotel through Hotels.com is that your host may not receive your booking confirmation from Hotels.com.

This can result in no room availability when you arrive at the property. 

To avoid this issue, contact your host and confirm your booking with them before going on your trip.

There you have it!

By following these seven tips, you are less likely to get stuck in any problems.

Why Booking Through Hotels.com Is Cheaper Booking Directly?

Hotels.com is able to provide cheaper rates than booking directly because of these two business models they employ:

1. Merchant Model
2. Agency Model

1. Merchant Model 

By using this model, Hotels.com buys hotel rooms or another type of booking in advance and in bulk to get discounts and then sells them to customers over time at a relatively higher price (but lower than the current rate), passing some of its commissions to the customers.

Confused? Consider this example:

Hotels.com uses its purchasing power to buy rooms in bulk and in advance at a discount rate from the hotel.

For instance, Hotels.com books a block of 50 rooms from a hotel for $100 per night while the current market rate sits at around $150 per night.

Over time, Hotels.com resells those rooms at a higher rate ($130) but cheaper than the current market rate by the hotel ($150).

• Hotels.com gradually resells those 50 rooms for $130 per night.
• Hotels.com profits $30 if one customer books a room through them.
• The customer is still able to purchase below the current market ($150) by the hotel, saving you $20. 

By selling those rooms at a higher price than they purchased for, Hotels.com makes a profit but also presents savings to the customer over the current market rate.

So that’s how Hotels.com are able to offer us cheaper rates than direct bookings with the hotel.

Another way how they are able to offer cheaper rates is due to:

2. Agency Model

In the agency business model, Hotels.com acts as a salesperson by facilitating a booking between the customer and the hotel.

To help hotels sell their bookings, Hotels.com gets a commission in exchange.

Since the hotels pay a commission to Hotels.com when a traveler books through them, Hotels.com, in turn, may pass some of that commission on to consumers. 

Thus, Hotels.com is able to offer you cheaper rates than booking directly.

Conclusion

As far as the legitimacy of Hotels.com is concerned, it is undoubtedly a legitimate online travel agency. 

Hotels.com works out fine but if something goes wrong, things get more complex to resolve due to the involvement of a third party (Hotels.com).

On the flip side, Hotels.com generally offers cheaper rates than booking directly with the hotel.

So, should you book directly or through Hotels.com?

While it mostly comes down to personal comforts, I would say that you should book a hotel through Hotels.com if these conditions are met:

4. The price difference is huge between direct booking vs through Hotels.com.
5. You want to book an average hotel for your stay, not an expensive luxury hotel.
6. You are not making reservations for too many days (more than a week).

Besides these conditions, you must follow the safety tips discussed above.

Got any questions or want to share your personal experience with Hotels.com? 

Please feel free to comment below.