Doctor of Credit reports a data point from reddit that Hotels.com is offering at least some customers the option to get a 15% bonus when choosing to receive a Hotels.com credit in lieu of a cash refund on cancelled bookings. While cash is king, it might be worth taking a bonus like that in some cases.
We frequently see deals for discounted Hotels.com gift cards. As a couple of examples, there is currently an Amex Offer good for $10 back on $50 that we recently added to our Current Amex Offers and there has been a 10% back offer at Lowe’s (which expires at the end of June) whereby some folks may have purchased Hotels.com gift cards. As we reported a few months ago, those can once again be combined online.
If you’ve been waiting to make a cancellation, now may be a good time to do so especially if you think you’ll book again with Hotels.com in the future. Alternatively, if you’re sitting on some gift cards, now may be a good time to make a future booking. We noted that Hotels.com is currently offering double reward night credit on bookings made for the next few days. It appears that even a booking made with a gift card may be eligible for this type of 15% cancellation bonus if you need to cancel it. That said, I don’t have any Hotels.com bookings and I am not planning to make any, so I can’t confirm for sure that every booking will be offered this type of bonus rather than only being offered a refund. Of course, either is contingent on having booked a refundable reservation.
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
I cancelled a reservation yesterday to rebook at a cheaper price and take advantage of the double rewards offer. When I accepted the 15% bonus it said it takes up to 30 days to get the gift card. Maybe that’s been in place for awhile since COVID hit but I’m not sure since this is my first cancellation in a few months. Normally the gift card is sent quickly.