Hotels.com Review 2019: Pros and Cons – Is It Safe and Legit?

Hotels.com is quickly becoming one of my favorite hotel booking sites online and I use it when sites like [eafl id=”100000416″ name=”Agoda” text=”Agoda”] (read my Agoda review) are fully booked.

It’s easy to find cheap hotels no matter what city you are currently in. They accept all major credit cards and Paypal, too.

In this review, I’m going to review the pros and cons of using Hotels.com versus other major booking sites.

Why Use Hotels.com?

When you arrive in a new city, the first question you will ask yourself is: where can I stay for the night? This is very important if your flight arrives late at night and you need a clean, safe place to stay.

Hotels.com lists hundreds of hotels in every city and provides detailed information along with pictures to help you compare and choose a decent room.

How to Use Hotels.com

Go to the Hotels.com homepage and type in your City, arrival dates and # of guests.

Next, you’ll see a list of Hotels.com favorites but I prefer to sort hotels based on price. Click the “Price” link on the far right side and sort from Low to High.

To narrow your search even further, use the filters on the left hand side to sort rooms based on amenities like free WIFI, swimming pool, free breakfast and pet friendly rooms.

Tips on How to Find the Best Rooms

Here’s a few key tips on how to properly use Hotels.com so you get the best value for your money:

  • Use flexible dates: Friday and Saturdays are the hardest days to book while you can find hidden deals if you are flexible with your dates.
  • Book low rates for several days: If you find a low rate, try to extend your booking for as long as possible. The same room may be much more expensive tomorrow.
  • Try 5am to 7am for the lowest prices: If you wake up early in the morning, you will find the best deals while nobody else is awake. The worst time to book a room is around 12pm (it’s very close to checkout times).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is Hotels.com Reliable?

Yes. I’ve been using them without zero problems or concerns. The bookings go through quickly and have had no issues.

Is Hotels.com Safe?

They use SSL security to protect your information from hackers and I haven’t experienced any security issues.

Is Hotels.com trusted?

Over 60+ million people visit their site every month and it’s owned by Expedia (a multi-billion dollar company traded on Nasdaq). Hotels.com is one of the top 5 largest booking sites in the world.

Is Hotels.com Legit?

Yes. They send a confirmation email after your booking and you can checkin right away.

What are the different Hotels.com payment options?

Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diner’s Club and Paypal

Does Hotels.com accept debit cards?

Yes. You can use debit cards to book as long as you have enough cash in your balance.

Does Hotels.com have hidden charges?

No. They charge a 10 to 12% service charge on most bookings. This is standard practice in the online booking industry. You get a complete breakdown of charges on the “Payment Details” page before you book.

Does Hotels.com charge a booking fee?

Yes. They add a 10 to 12% booking fee aka service charge to each booking.

Hotels.com Pros – Things I Like

  • Fast loading website
  • Hundreds of rooms to choose from
  • Accepts all major credit cards and Paypal
  • Simple 3 step booking process
  • Hotel Rewards offer 1 free night after 10 complete bookings
  • Provides email confirmation after completed booking

Hotels.com Cons – Things I Don’t Like

  • Doesn’t have as many user reviews as [eafl id=”100000416″ name=”Agoda” text=”Agoda”]
  • Taxes and service charges add an extra 10%+ to your booking costs
  • Prices can be as expensive as renting a condo on Airbnb
  • Doesn’t offer a lot of bigger hotels chains (lots of smaller cheap hotels)

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

I really like using Hotels.com and plan to use them in conjunction with [eafl id=”100000416″ name=”Agoda” text=”Agoda”] more often. You can often find available rooms on Hotels.com if they are no rooms left on Agoda.

I’ve saved A LOT of money by hunting for cheap rooms on this site. It’s a great tool to use.

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