Hotels.com To Add $5 Redemption Fee On Free Night Certificates, Waived On App Bookings

Hotels.com is my favorite hotel booking website, mainly because it’s possible to buy gift cards at a discount and then also get a free night for every ten nights stayed. Unfortunately Hotels.com has announced that effective November 27th, 2019 when redeeming a free night certificate a $5 fee will be charged. This fee will be waived if that booking is made via the Hotels.com app. Personally I hate this change, I never like being forced into using an app and I can easily see Hotels.com increasing this fee in the future or removing the waiver. It looks like this will also be retroactively applied to certificates already earned as well which is a dangerous precedent to make. Obviously a $5 fee isn’t the end of the world, especially when it can be waived but I don’t like the direction Hotels.com seems intent on taking.

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TDD
TDD (@guest_805140)
August 31, 2019 13:10

All the more reason to use Orbitz. Get the credit card, make 10% back on hotel purchases when using the App (not forced, but you get only 8% if you use the website). Add on the usual 10% coupons they have and you are getting 20% off. They have a great pricematching system, and the rewards system is great (get 12 nights to make Platinum, get TSA Precheck free once every five years, plus $50 in airline bag check fees returned for bookings made on Orbitz, which make 6% cash back by the way)

Fathiss
Fathiss (@guest_804957)
August 30, 2019 16:48

This does not seem like a big deal to me. One data point does not make a trend.
I love Hotels.com. Can save a lot with 20% discounted gift cards bought at opportune times that also give bonus cc points. Added with the cash back and 9% savings on 10th night free and this is a huge winner.
I also love their customer service. On several occasions when I’ve callled with issues I received a free $100 coupon for future use.
Sure, may need some flexibility with hotels that use coupons and gift cards, but I’ve not found that to be a huge issue. You have to make some concessions for the savings.

OyVey
OyVey (@guest_805087)
August 31, 2019 10:05

My understanding is however that when you do buy your gift cards at opportune times, there is no guarantee you’ll be able to utilize them at your next stay as not all hotels accept them.

veeRob
veeRob (@guest_804939)
August 30, 2019 15:32

My European friend got the email like 5 days ago and I was like nah, this ain’t gonna hit us US folk. 🙁

ssss
ssss (@guest_804915)
August 30, 2019 14:26

My issue is viewing hotels on the app is much harder than on a website. I wonder how the site is getting around ADA issues? Not everyone has a smartphone so this seems like the site is eliminating a social class from the site. I agree I see this as a slippery slope in a negative direction.

Frank Rizzo
Frank Rizzo (@guest_804923)
August 30, 2019 14:41

It’s marginally harder but you should be checking prices on the app too. Don’t know how many times I’ve seen lower prices for the same property.

dk
dk (@guest_804972)
August 30, 2019 17:11

maybe favorite the property on the web and then go to the app?

OyVey
OyVey (@guest_804898)
August 30, 2019 14:02

I’m wondering if they did this to offset fees they pay to cashback sites. I’m assuming they don’t pay those fees when booked via the app. I like hotels.com, but between this and the 1 year expiration for the earned nights, it’s really annoying.

ssss
ssss (@guest_804913)
August 30, 2019 14:24

I have never used the app for my bookings, but I use gift cards. Is there an implication on using gift cards on the app? I wonder if this move has to do with fraud. Are people less likely to have multiple phones?

James
James (@guest_804891)
August 30, 2019 13:29

I know I’m going to be an outlier, but this doesn’t bother me too much…yet. At least there is a way to get around it for now. And even if it goes to all channels, I’ll still use hotels.com if it is cheaper than the other OTA’s that I use. I don’t always assume hotels.com is the best…I always compare. For the moment, the free night after 10 and the 10 Cap One points combined gives a 17ish % return (I haven’t done the complete math), which I don’t mind for off chain bookings.

Ian Pearson
Ian Pearson (@guest_804881)
August 30, 2019 13:07

No big deal for me. I rarely accumulate points as I always apply a 6-10% coupon code to booking. I don’t travel enough to earn a free night before the points expire anyway.

captainsave
captainsave (@guest_804878)
August 30, 2019 13:05

Their merging gift cards tool been down for a while now.

ssss
ssss (@guest_804910)
August 30, 2019 14:22

I suspect that has to do with fraud. The rep asks more and more questions such as the amounts on my gift card, where it was purchased and when? Seriously, anyone outside this credit card world doesn’t likely maintain spreadsheets for their gift cards.

Daniel
Daniel (@guest_806034)
September 4, 2019 09:32

You can basically make up the answers. They’re not checking them or anything.

Sang Kancil Guru
Sang Kancil Guru (@guest_804872)
August 30, 2019 12:46

Dishonest shi*tty company. Had many issues this week redeeming my gift cards on this dishonest OTA. Will not be using Hotels.com moving forward in the future.

dk
dk (@guest_804970)
August 30, 2019 17:11

Its just a whiteboxed expedia.

Rob
Rob (@guest_804865)
August 30, 2019 12:21

After my next free night I may abandon hotels.com completely

dk
dk (@guest_804969)
August 30, 2019 17:10

well I can get the gift cards for 25% off face value, and I currently have 6 free nights built up with them lol. I’m planning on using the nights during a trip next fall. Then we shall see.

Daniel
Daniel (@guest_806033)
September 4, 2019 09:31
  dk

can you please share where you get the GCs for 25% off?