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Hotwire Hotel: 5* Las Vegas (Summerlin - Las Vegas West) Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa


kylekmcd
By kylekmcd,
in

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I’m having issues with Hotwire and I was wondering if anyone else out there has dealt with similar problems.

 

I made a reservation at a hotel in Las Vegas on 2/22, for a trip roughly two months out. I found a great deal on a property very close to my event (west of the strip), booked it, and was very happy. Prices for this hotel increased significantly (3x) over the next few weeks after I booked.

Today I received an email from Hotwire that said “Hotwire has been notified that the hotel has been overbooked during the period of your scheduled stay.” It went on to say that they have rebooked me at a different property. This new property is a full star level down (I booked a 5* and this is a 4*), and it’s EAST of the strip…an hour away from my event.

 

I first called the hotel, who said that they do in fact have rooms available, and that the cancellation was initiated by Hotwire.

 

I then called Hotwire and was told several different things in the span of about 15 minutes. First, customer service rep said the hotel was overbooked. I said I just spoke with them, and this is not the case. She then said it’s not an issue of availability, but rather Hotwire “has been having problems with that hotel.” But, this property is still listed on their website…just not for the price/date I booked.

 

The Hotwire rep was not helpful, telling me that this other property is the only “comparable” hotel available to re-book. She eventually gave me the option of receiving a refund instead, which I didn’t accept or decline on the call. My issue is, any comparable hotels are now hundreds of dollars more per night than what I paid…this is exactly what I booked so early. I would be willing to relocate to another property that is actually comparable, but Hotwire has given me only one option, and it’s far inferior in every way.

 

Is there anything I can do in this situation? Have others encountered this type of scenario, and if so – how have you handled it?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

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14 hours ago, kylekmcd said:

Is there anything I can do in this situation?

You can start by sharing your purchase with the board.:wink:

 

As per Our Rules and Policies:

On 5/27/2004 at 10:58 PM, thereuare said:

While we welcome both positive and negative experiences, please keep in mind that the spirit of this message board is helping users.

If you have a complaint, problem, or question with a recent or upcoming Priceline/Hotwire stay, we will be happy to do what we can to help, but please be considerate of the board's primary goal of helping others and first post the details of your 'win.'

 

It is important for everyone to know when problems and customer service issues arise, but the majority of the users come here to see winning bid information... so please oblige them with this information before asking for them for help.

 

Please post the details of your purchase (star rating, city, zone, hotel name, room rate per nite (before fees/taxes), dates, and full list of amenities associated with the hotel... you can still view this information by going to HOTWIRE and clicking the MY ACCOUNT >> MY TRIPS link on the top right of their home page... then reply here and we will comment on your situation above.

 

Please post all of your wins as you receive them, not just when you have a problem, so that others can benefit from the information.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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You're right - my apologies. Please find this information below:

 

Star Rating: 5*

City: Las Vegas

Zone: Downtown Summerlin - Red Rocks

Hotel Name: Red Rocks Casino, Resort and Spa

Rate Per Night: $40 (before taxes, resort fees, etc.)

Dates of Travel: 4/28/17 - 4/30/17

Date Booked: 2/22/17

Amenities: Resort, Free parking, Free Internet, Casino, Airport shuttle, Fitness center, Pool(s), Restaurant(s), Business center, Internet access, Golf nearby, Spa services, Children's activities

 

Please let me know if any other info would be informative and thanks in advance for the insight.

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Thanks for the above information... do you happen to see any 'accessible' amenities (such as Travel Accessible,  Room Accessible,  Bathroom Accessible,  Handicapped Parking, etc) also associated with this property (they may be listed under the amenities you already listed but not have an icon next to them like the others)

 

In regards to your situation above, it's difficult to know how is really at fault... HOTWIRE submitting the reservation incorrectly or the hotel cancelling the reservation.  I just now directly checked the Red Rock Casino's own website and they are indeed sold-out for the nite of 4/28, so i suspect that the hotel may be the one that is not honoring the previously booked reservation.  Regardless of where the blame lies, let's try to figure out what you should do going forward...

 

So with this hotel not currently being available thru any source, what is it that you ideally want from the situation:

-force the hotel to honor the reservation (this would be the best case scenario, but little you can do to make it happen)

-have the reservation honored for a different set of dates (if you can change your plans a week earlier/later)

-have the hotel honor the reservation for the last 2 nites of your stay and you book someplace different for the first nite

-find an equivalent hotel that will replace your existing 3 nite reservation (issue here is that i don't believe there are any other 5* properties in this zone)

-stay at a 5* hotel in a different zone? (ie- the Strip?)

-refund the reservation and you make some other plans on your own?

-some other option not listed above?

 

Let us know how you would ideally like to see this issue resolved and we'll advise accordingly.

 

Please remember to return to BetterBidding and use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPSandHOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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Thanks for your response. I just checked the bidding helper and this list includes some accessible amenities. Here is the full list: Free parking, Free Internet, Resort, Casino, Airport shuttle, Fitness center, Pool(s), Restaurant(s), Business center, Internet access, Golf nearby, Spa services, Children's activities, Accessible path of travel, In-room accessibility, Accessible bathroom, Accessible parking

 

My best outcomes would be as follows (note that the initial reservation was for 2 nights, sorry if my initial post was confusing, but your point still stands that one of those nights appears to be booked):

 

1) Get the hotel to honor the reservation - this is by far the best outcome, as this is a great property in the location I wanted, and was very inexpensive when I booked.

 

2) Stay at a 5* property in a different zone - I would be willing to stay on the strip if possible for the same price, but prices are so much higher now than when I booked that it's likely not possible if I need to start the booking process over.

 

3) Find a different hotel that will replace the reservation - I would be open to this (even in a different location), but would another hotel possibly honor a rate so much lower than what they're offering for new bookings? Or would I need to convince Hotwire to do this for me?

 

4) Refund the reservation and start over - If I can't figure out a solution from the above, this is likely what I'll do...that leaves me paying 3-4x the price for a less desirable hotel, but it may be my only option.

 

My event on that weekend is west of the city, so this hotel was perfect for my needs, but I realize I'll need to be somewhat more flexible now. At this point, my objective is to find a luxury hotel that is reasonably-priced (as close to the rate of my current booking as possible) and conveniently located (on the strip, or west of it). 

 

Thanks again for your time and I welcome any suggestions or ideas.

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For what it's worth and in case anyone is interested, here is the email I received from Hotwire:

 

We are contacting you about your hotel reservation with Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa, Hotwire Itinerary [xxxxxx]. Hotwire has been notified that the hotel has been overbooked during the period of your scheduled stay. I regret any inconvenience this may cause you. I am pleased to provide information on this matter.

 

Unfortunately, overbooking does occur occasionally in the hotel industry. In such situations, hotels do their best to accommodate customers at equivalent properties during oversold dates.

 

We recognize that this situation is less than ideal and do our best to work with both customers and hotel partners to reach a satisfactory resolution for all involved. In this instance, the hotel was able to provide alternate accommodations for your stay.

 

You will now be staying with Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, located at 3000 Paradise Road South, LAS VEGAS, NV 89109. You can reach this hotel at (702) 732-5111.

 

If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to reply to this email or contact us directly at 1-866-HOTWIRE (468-9473). Thank you for choosing Hotwire.

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The objective is to get HOTWIRE to make the replacement for you... it may take a bit of effort, but they should have to 'add' something to the reservation in order to make you 'whole', as you purchased a 5 star hotel and their current offer is for a 4 star property; they can't make that swap without some additional form of compensation.  This doesn't mean that they are going to give you the top floor suite at Caesar's Palace, but you should be able to do better than a swap for the Westgate without any additional form of compensation.

 

Based upon what you have told us thus far, i would look for either of the following:

1) indicate that you booked a 5* hotel and that is what you are expecting.  As there are no other 5* hotels in the Summerlin zone you are willing to have them re-book you at the Trump at no additional cost to you (tell them that you will actually take any 5* hotel, but you assume the Trump is the least expensive, and you are trying to work with them given you understand the difficult situation that they are in)

2) if you're willing to change hotels another option would be to see if the Red Rock Resort will honor the reservation for the second nite (the nite they still have availability) and for the first nite you're willing to accept the Westate in exchange for $50 Hot Dollars as you would like the first nite to be free which is standard industry practice for when a customer is 'walked' (assuming you will use HOTWIRE again in the future and could use this version of their 'gift card')

3) take the Westgate replacement but ask for $100 Hot Dollars in exchange for accepting the lower star rated hotel

 

I would consider these 3 scenarios to see if any (or all) of them are acceptable to you and rank them in your preference order.  I would then call HOTWIRE and tell them you understand that they are in a difficult situation since they can't force anyone to give you the room that you have already booked, but that you booked a 5* hotel that you're not going to accept a 4* replacement two months after your purchase and with just a month before your arrival, as you have already made other plans based upon the location of the original hotel booked.  I would then tell that that you're willing to accept (insert your first choice here) and see how it goes.  Be firm in your stance, but don't ever resolve to screaming, yelling, or getting irrational, as that won't get you anywhere.

 

Oh yeah, and as soon as you call ask to speak to a supervisor (and if you're asked what it's about, just tell them that HOTWIRE is canceling your reservation and trying to replace it with a lower rated hotel and that you would like to speak to a supervisor about it)... the initial contact personnel at the call center will not likely have the authority to handle this situation, so save yourself the trouble of having to explain it twice.

 

Good luck and let us know how you make out... remember that HOTWIRE wants to sell you a hotel room and having the hotel not honor the booking is not their ideal situation either; be calm and rational, and i'm sure you'll reach some sort of amicable solution.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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This is the best advice I've received on this situation - your response was extremely thoughtful and helpful. Thank you.

 

I'll give Hotwire a call and employ the strategy you set forth in your post. I'm still not sure that I'll get anywhere, but I feel much better prepared to speak with them now than I did yesterday.

 

Thanks again and I'll post an update whenever I have one (hopefully by tomorrow, depending on how this goes).

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After several conversations with both the hotel desk and the Hotwire customer support team, I finally have a resolution and wanted to post an update. 

 

The calls with the hotel were, for the most part, not helpful (as expected). My strategy with Hotwire can be condensed down to the following argument: I booked a 5* hotel, and I expect a 5* hotel for my stay. I knew that there were no other 5* properties in the zone I initially booked, so I told them I would be willing to accept a room on the Strip instead.

 

Eventually I got the right person on the line (or they have sick of fielding my calls) and they agreed to re-book a 5* hotel. They told me they could book me another Hot Rate hotel and gave me three zones to choose from: North Strip - Fashion Show Mall; North Strip - Grand Canal Shoppes; or Center Strip - Fountains. I asked a few basic questions about amenities, and agreed to take the Center Strip property. It ended up being the Vdara. While I would much prefer to stay in the initial property I booked (Red Rock), I'm satisfied with this outcome given the circumstances.

 

Regarding payment, they effectively transferred my prior payment to the new booking, and provided a credit for the difference, so my out-of-pocket amount is unchanged (aside from differences in resort fees and parking charges). I've included the details for the new booking below:

 

Star Rating: 5*

City: Las Vegas

Zone: Center Strip - Fountains

Hotel Name: Vdara

Rate Per Night: $221 (before taxes, resort fees, etc.)

Dates of Travel: 4/28/17 - 4/30/17

Date Booked: 3/29/17

Amenities: Condo, Free Internet, Pet friendly, Suite, Boutique hotel, Smoke-free rooms, Fitness center, Pool(s), Restaurant(s), Business center, Internet access, Golf nearby, Kitchenette, Spa services, Accessible for visually impaired, Accessible for hearing impaired, Accessible path of travel, In-room accessibility, Accessible bathroom, Roll-in shower

 

Thank you very much for all your help on this!

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Glad to hear you reached an acceptable resolution and that we were able to help.:smile:

 

Although not what you originally intended from the onset, certainly can't complain too much about ultimately getting the 5* Vdara for just $40/nite.

 

Thanks for the follow-up and enjoy your stay.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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Thank you for the followup Kyle. I was reminded of your issue while reading some hotel reviews for the Excalibur. Someone that posted a review a few days ago had their reservation to Red Rock changed to the Excalibur on very short notice due to 'overbooking.' 

 

I'm so happy that HOTWIRE gave you a heads up and gave you a nice hotel too

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No problem! Hopefully the context of my situation is helpful for your negotiation. With that said, I do have another update to share. 

 

As you know, Hotwire agreed to re-book me into another 5* hotel and cover the difference in cost with Hot Dollars, so my initial amount paid remained the same. After going through the re-booking process with them, I thought I was all set at the Vdara. As it turned out, this was not the case. I was reviewing my credit card statement and noticed that HOTWIRE BILLED MY CARD FOR THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF THE NEW RESERVATION. They also credited my account with Hot Dollars for the difference in price between the old and new reservations, but that didn't help much since those Hot Dollars were supposed to be used to pay for THIS reservation, not another one in the future.

 

I immediately called Hotwire (again) and they agreed that their agent made an error when re-booking me, but they weren't terribly helpful in correcting the situation initially (shocking). At this point it's painful to call them because there have been so many calls on this situation and each new agent asks me to explain why I'm calling...then needs to review all the previous notes. Eventually, they agreed to refund the amount on my card, and re-book me AGAIN using their Hot Rate tool. Of course, there was no guarantee in this case that I would keep the same hotel, and no discussion of what would happen if the price for said hotel increased from the previous booking. Luckily, I was able to identify the Vdara with confidence (it has a unique set of amenities), and I could see that the price had not increased, so I agreed to this solution. They re-booked me and I received the Vdara again, so I *think* I'm back to where I was last week, but I'll come back and share any future updates.

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Thanks for your follow-up, Kyle.

 

I started with my first call last night and outlined my position that I booked a 5-star, etc. They said they would have someone review my file and get back to me within a day (and it is coming up to the 24-hour mark).  I will share as well what the resolution is.

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I'm not sure if your question was directed at me or mudd_stuffin, but I'll answer from my perspective.

 

I would like to think of the case as 'closed' but I am hesitant to do so. I've considered the case to be closed twice already, and both times Hotwire has reopened it by 1) cancelling my reservation and 2) improperly charging my credit card. I'm *hoping* that everything is all set at this point, but I probably won't feel completely out of the woods until I actually check in at the Vdara in a few weeks.

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Well, I shared what I learned not to open a case per se but was intended to exchange notes with Kyle and others here who may be similarly affected.

 

In the end, they offered me the same deal: they would 1) charge me the same amount again as my original booking, 2) gave me HW$ for an amount that together with the payment in 1) would total the amount required for the "new hotel", and 3) refund the original booking charge.  I might be staying there a bit earlier than you, Kyle.  My case at this point is just as "open" as yours.

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