Complaints
This profile includes complaints for HotelPlanner.com's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 1,107 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 699 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.
Initial Complaint
Date:08/08/2023
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I requested a full refund for my upcoming reservation and the agent gave me a vocher instead of a refund. Once he told me this, I told him I did not want a vocher, I wanted a refund. He then put in a ticket for this request and nothing has happened. I contacted them 3 times about getting my refund and they just keep saying they will pout **** ticket and someone will contact me, but no one has contacted me. I spoke with a manger this ****** (*******) and received the same runa round and no refund. This really feel like a scam and I would like to report them to the BBB so this does not happen to others. I would like a full refund of $342.99 issued to my credit card.Business Response
Date: 09/14/2023
Hi *****,
The reservation was refunded on August 8th, 2023. Please let us know if you need any further assistance by contacting us at *****************************
Sincerely,
***************************
Initial Complaint
Date:08/08/2023
Type:Order IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I booked a nonsmoking room at a hotel/casino in *********. The hotel lobby was full of smoke. The hotel hallways upstairs away from the casino engulfed in smoke. THE ROOM ITSELF smelled like smoke. As someone with severe asthma, I struggled to breathe. My friend with smoke allergies and sensitivities had multiple nosebleeds and coughed up blood. We leave the hotel. The hotel was cooperative and apologetic. HotelPlanner offered a 1 year voucher as a resolution and requested J waive all claims. I refused the voucher and asked for a full refund. Now, herein lies the problem: I booked the hotel for approx. $760 but I was charged nearly $2600. I go to my bank and explain the situation. The banks advice was to deactivate the card because of the unauthorized upcharge and ask for the remaining portion of the refund to be sent as a paper check. Now a month later, I am still trying to get the remainder of the full refund. HotelPlanner has given a partial refund (as theyve admitted it to be) for $760, but they refuse to refund the remaining money. I have asked for a check to be sent to my address. They also say that sending checks is not in accordance with their policy. Is charging people over double the amount authorized part of their policy because they did that very well. The card was deactivated by the bank due to the unauthorized upcharged i.e. potential fraud. Now HotelPlanner refuses to refund the unauthorized upcharge, but in the event that there is a change of heart, theyre saying I still cannot get my money because they dont send checks, ultimately leaving me without recourse.Business Response
Date: 09/14/2023
Hi Journee,
The total charged is two different reservations. The booking for ******** was fully refunded but you rebooked for The Westin and disputed this reservation as fraud. The dispute is still pending please contact ***************************** to follow up on this dispute status.
Sincerely,
***************************
Initial Complaint
Date:08/08/2023
Type:Product IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I called hotel planner to book 2 room for july 8 and she reserved the first room but while she was reserving the second room she told me that there is no more room available so I request her to cancel the first room that she reserved since I needed 2 rooms and she told me that the reservation has been canceled but unfortunately I was fully charged $322.75 for the service I never received. When I called hotel planer to be refunded they told me that I was never charged by them or the hotel . I send them my **** statement that shows that I have been charged. Then they lie to me that I never canceled the reservation I send them my call log as a proof that I have called them 11 times that day then now they are Lieing to me again by telling me that I was never charged by them or the hotel .then I called the hotel and they said they have charged me $322.75 because the reservation was never canceled by hotel planner.I have called hotel planner 10 times and have emailed them but they are keep Lieing to me and refusing to refund my money. Im very disappointed with their services as they are making me to pay for their mistake.Business Response
Date: 09/08/2023
Greetings,
Thank you for reaching out to us. The guest was charged for their reservation by the hotel directly - we have refunded the guest on our end for the service fee that was charged ((Refunded($11.01))). The guest will need to follow up with the hotel for the refund request as the hotel was the billing party for the guest reservation - they booked a "*************" reservation.
Regards,
HotelPlanner
Initial Complaint
Date:08/07/2023
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I contacted who I thought was Motel 6 online and reserved a hotel for one night at $139.99 plus tax. Once the transaction was completed, I received a receipt for $212.01. I called them immediately and was told that the extra $72.01 charge was for tax recovery and fees. I asked for a breakdown of these charges and was told I could not get this receipt. I was told if I cancel the reservation I had just made ten minutes prior, I would be charged a 25% of the total. I asked to speak with a supervisor and was told no one was available. She did say that her name was ******. She would not give me a receipt and she would not tell me how much I would receive if the room was canceled. I asked for their website and she said they didnt have one. I asked for the company name and she stated, We make reservations. She refused to tell me what company just charged me $212.01!! Then, she hung up on me. They are very deceptive through the contact in a ****** search by making people believe it is the hotels website page and continued to be deceptive by not providing a receipt of the transaction, refuse to tell me the name of the company who overcharged me, refuse to let me speak with a supervisor, and denied they had a website.I found out that it was HotelPlanner.com who overcharged me. I called again to speak with a supervisor and was told by *** that a supervisor was not available. At this point, these people have my credit card information and I believe it is a scam. I contacted my credit card company and am going to dispute this charge once it is no longer pending. I will never do business with these people! To not know the charges I am being charged makes me believe they are charging whatever they want. To charge 50% of the cost of the reservation should be illegal. Even loan sharks give a better deal! I tried my best to resolve this but I truly believe this company is scamming people and should be reported. Thank you for taking time to read this. Best regards.Business Response
Date: 08/07/2023
Hello,
Please be aware that all information pertaining to taxes and fees, as well as the cancellation policy is fully disclosed before you ever complete your booking on our site.
The taxes and fees are a total of the suppliers and hotel fees. Please see below for our company's full explanation of those charges.
The tax charge on *************** transactions is a recovery of all applicable transaction taxes (e.g. sales and use, occupancy, room tax,excise tax, value-added tax, etc.) that we collect from customers and pay our vendors (such as hotels, etc.) in connection with our customers purchasers. We are not the vendor collecting and remitting such tax to the applicable tax authorities. The vendors bill us for applicable taxes, and we remit such amounts directly to our vendors. We are not a co-vendor associated with the vendor with whom we book to reserve our customers travel arrangements.Taxability and the appropriate tax rate vary greatly by location. The actual amount paid to a vendor may vary from the tax recovery charge, depending upon the rates, taxability, or other factors in effect at the time of the actual use of a given travel service by our customers. We do not incur the cost of sales tax from the vendors located in ******, ********, *************, and ******, as these states do not impose sales tax. Also, certain jurisdictions impose a hotel occupancy tax or other type of transaction tax upon the renting of a hotel room, an automobile, etc. The type of tax collected by a vendor will vary by service and location. We use third-party distribution channels for individual reservations.When you canceled this booking, as a gesture of good will, all funds that were being held were released. If you have any further questions or concerns, please reach out to me directly at **********************************************.
Regards,
*****************************
Initial Complaint
Date:08/01/2023
Type:Product IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I made a reservation for the Baymont by ******* on July 18th for that evening. As my family as I were getting ready to got to bed that morning at like 1 am we noticed a bed bug on one pillow with a baby bug larvae next to it. We took a picture and packed up all of our stuff. I went down to the hotel desk to express my concerns about the health and safety of this hotel room. I made sure the guy at the front desk new about the bugs and that we would be leaving as soon as possible. They said the refund would take 3 days. 3 business days later there was still no refund for this hotel room. So I called the Hotel Planner Reservations and they said they would investigate it further and refund me in 10 business days. I called them again on July 31st and checked with them on my refund. They said the ticket was marked as Solved even though the agent who helped me had no information on how it was solved or why I didnt get a refund or when I could get me refund. So she re submitted the ticket to see what they could do. She didnt give me a time frame but just said wait for an email from us. So I have been waiting for far too long and they need to refund me for the bed bug hotel room that we had to leave at the middle of the night. This Hotel Planner ******************* is a rip off jack *** service. Its almost fraud that calling the ********** to a third party reservation company. They need to be professional and just refund my money.Business Response
Date: 08/03/2023
Hello,
We are so sorry about any inconveniences you may have suffered at the hotel. This booking has been fully refunded.
Please reach out to me at ******************************** if you have any further questions or concerns.
Regards,
*****************************
Initial Complaint
Date:08/01/2023
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I called the *************************** ************************** ****** and asked specifically if my truck could fit in their parking garage. The guy who took my reservation put me on hold to check, and returned to say yes the parking entrance was 8feet tall to accommodate my truck, so I booked the hotel stay with them that day for that night. I went to put my truck in the parking garage and it wouldnt fit because the opening was only 7 feet. So they tried to find me another sister hotel that could accommodate me, but could not. So I never checked into the hotel and canceled the reservation to which the Hyatts reply was that I wouldnt be charged for the room. I never got refunded on my credit card for that charge. So I got ahold of this third party hotel reservation service who actually charged my card. I asked why I didnt get a refund and they said they couldnt give me a refund without first checking with the hotel. So they put me on hold and said they called the *********** and the worked **** said it was too busy- to call back later. So I filed a ticket with this company to investigate the charges and request a refund. But then I also called the Hyatt and told them about the frustration and ****** from the Hyatt said no one named **** worked there, but that she saw the reservation was canceled and was happy to speak with the third party hotel reservation service to get me my refund. So I called back this reservation Hotel Planner again, and they didnt want to call the Hyatt to verify anything, after much persistence the agent agreed to call ****** at the Hyatt to process the refund. She put me on hold and said she called and spoke to ******, but that they still couldnt give me a refund, but they would look into it. I have called so many times to sort this out and be refunded my $592 but to no avail. This Hotel Planner third party service is nothing but a fraudulent business with no professionalism.Business Response
Date: 08/03/2023
Hello,
We are so sorry to hear about the inconveniences you have suffered. This has been fully refunded.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please reach out to me directly at **********************************************
Regards,
*****************************
Initial Complaint
Date:08/01/2023
Type:Product IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
This complaint is from a hotel stay from July ****, 2023 for an educator workshop in **********, ** that was booked through hotelplanner.com. I prepaid $539.43 (only way to obtain the lower rate). The (not itemized) tax recovery and fees totaled $82.47. When checking in, I presented the hotel (Fairfield ************* my ** school district's ** Hotel Occupancy Tax Exemption form. I understand that it is only the ***** hotel tax that can be exempted. On July 12th, I double checked with the hotel to make sure the exemption would be applied and was told that because I booked through hotelplanner.com and not through the actual hotel, the hotel could not apply the exemption and that I would need to contact hotelplanner.com. On July 12th, I called the customer service line and was told to email customer service to request the exemption. I also provided a letter from the hotel explaining why they could not apply the ************** replied "when you booked your reservation, you agreed to the listed rate. We cannot change the rate once the reservation is booked and utilized." I replied to A.G., that I saw in the notes on my confirmation email about the ***** but not any info. about the tax exemption denial. I asked for where in their policy online was the info. about not being able to provide the tax exemption upon booking. I also attached a completed hotel occupancy tax exemption from my district.On July 13th, C.M. replied: "We understand your inquiry about getting the tax exemption, however, this booking was made online that was disclosed the taxes and fees for this reservation. Please be advised that we do not offer or have the option for tax exemption."On July 14th, I received a final email from G.R.: "Thanks for taking the time to reply back, dear guest! We really do apologize for any experience you have faced, we understand that probably that was not the response you were hoping to hear"As a resolution, I would like a refund of the state hotel tax.Business Response
Date: 08/03/2023
Hello,
We are so sorry about the inconveniences you have suffered. When needing a tax exempt room, you must contact the hotel directly by calling the number found on the hotels website.
Because this was a prepaid reservation, we charge everything upfront and we do not get refunded even if you present a tax exempt form. As a gesture of good will, we have refunded you for the state tax. Please allow up to 10 business days to see that reflected to your account.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please reach out to me at **********************************************.
Regards,
*****************************
Initial Complaint
Date:07/29/2023
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Complaint: 20395247
I am rejecting this response because:email to *****************************
******,
Would someone who can actually resolve this issue with some level of understanding contact me?
I dont know if anyone keeps contact notes on a clients files, but I have been trying to speak with somebody directly since July 11. It is utterly impossible to connect. Trying to resolve matters via email takes you down one rabbit hole after another, as each person gives you a different response because they dont accurately comprehend the issue.
When I booked through your site I was told I would be charged $165 ******** for resort fees at the property. I was charged 195 CDN. This is what hotel planner was to be looking into for me. Hotel planners response was that I received a credit of approximately $100 US. I did not receive this. I dont know how many more ways I can explain the situation to anybody who will actually listen.
This is a Hotel planners problem because it is this site that told me I would pay $165 ******** for resort fees at the resort itself. Not $195 ********.
cts after ringing once, or I answer and I am hung up on as soon as I say hello. It has been absolutely impossible to communicate with anyone from this company. I have tried calling three times and each time I was on hold for more than 45 minutes before I hung up. I want a receipt at the very least to show me the history of charges and credits on my account. I am owed money and nobody is listening to my concerns.
Sincerely,
*************************Business Response
Date: 08/03/2023
Hello,
If you are looking for a refund of the resort fees, you must call the hotel directly. Their phone number is, **************. By the screenshots you provided it looks like you were charged a resort fee, and an incidental fee. None of those charges came from ************.
We are unable to refund your card for the resort fees as we were not the merchant on these charges. We are sorry for any inconveniences that you may have suffered.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please reach out to me directly at **********************************************.
Regards,
*****************************
Business Response
Date: 08/03/2023
Hello,
I am the one that resolves these complaints with competence. I am happy to answer your questions in a clearer way for you to understand.
As I said, the hotel is the merchant on this charge (the screenshots you provided). The information we had given you is information from the hotel. We do not have control over the fact they did not update their price.
Each time we have contacted the hotel, we have been advised they already refunded your card. With it being international it may take a little more time, but that depends on your banks processing time.
If you would still like a call, let me know as I have to adjust my schedule to make phone calls.Regards,
*****************************
Initial Complaint
Date:07/29/2023
Type:Product IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Complaint: 20393871
I am rejecting this response because: ************** never received the "Voucher" or any payment from Hotelplanner.com. As you can see below, I called the Hotel directly and made my own reservations without any support from Hotelplanner.com. (Documented reservation paid for by me is below)************************ comment is misleading when she said her company paid my hotel reservation. ********* she is referring to is ********************. When I called ************** they said they not been paid by Hotelplanner.com. Please read the letter from Mr. **** ****, General Manager, ****************. His hotel suffers from scams like Cow Hollow's perpetrated on unsuspecting online users who are lead to believe they are working directly with a hotel reservation system. READ HIS LETTER BELOW:
From: apoon ********************* <************************************************>
Sent: Saturday, July 29, 2023 10:56 AM
To: ************************* <***************************>
Cc: reservations ********************* <**********************************>
Subject: RE: Hotel Reservation Cancelled - Itinerary Number: H7129107Good morning ******************,
Thank you so much for your email. Yes, not only were aware of the scam from some 3rd party web site that they made them looks like its from the hotel itself, the whole hotel industry is totally disturbed by it. Unfortunately, once its on the web, thats not much we can do because most of the time we dont have idea who create them. Its totally unethical and illegal. The best thing for hotel guests to do is to disputed the charges with the bank.
Our hotel official web site is: www.cowhollowinnandsuites.com,please made a note of it.
Thanks again for bring it to our attention.
Best
Andy ****, CHA
General Manager
Cow Hollow Inn & Suites
**************************************************************************; 94123
Tel: **************
Fax:**************
www.CowHollowInnAndSuites.comI am taking ************************ advice by refusing to pay for the scam Hotelplanner.com brings to unsuspecting customers. ******************** would be wise to drop this matter since it has cost her company nothing in the way of goods or services provided.
To date, I have posted nothing on Yelp and other company review sites. That will change quickly if this matter isn't dropped.
Below are my confirmed reservations below with Cow Hollow. No thanks to Hotelplanner.com.Cow Hollow Inn
******************************************************************************
************ fax ? ************
Friday, July 28, 2023 RESERVATION CONFIRMATION
*************************
********************************************************************************************** Reservation C-******
Received 7/28/2023 1:37 PM
Thank you for booking a reservation with us at ************** Inn & Suites. We look forward to having you as our guest.
Arrival: 8/24/2023
Nights: 4
Departure: 8/28/2023
Room Type: DBL DBL Deluxe
Guests: 1
Guarantee: Guaranteed
Rate: 8/24
$210.00 8/25
$225.00 8/26
$225.00 8/27
$210.00
Lodging Subtotal: $870.00
Incidentals: $0.00
Taxes and Fees: $131.04
**********: $1,001.04
Check in time is 4:00 pm. We are a 100% non smoking hotel. Pets are NOT allowed. There will be a $100.00 refundable security deposit required upon check-in.
Please cancel your reservation 24 hours prior to the date of arrival or you will be charged one night lodging for each room you have reserved. The credit or debit card you have given to secure the room will be authorized 7 days prior to the arrival date in the amount of one night room and tax. Thank you for selecting ************** Inn & Suites.
Check-in time is 4:00 PM. Check-out time is 11:30 AM.
If you have any questions or need to change any details of your visit, please call us at ************. We will be happy to assist you.
Cow Hollow Inn Management
E-mail: ********************************** *************************End of response:
could change my reservation up to one day before arrival and that the phone call was being recorded. When I called back to have them check the recorded phone message, they never called back. I pride myself in never having been scammed. It looks like my time ran out. Please help me resolve this scam.Please note, I called the actual front desk at ******************** and made reservations again and gave them my **** credit card and rebooked the visit. And they confirmed I may change my reservation at any time within 24 hours of arrival with no penalty. I have contacted my USAA **** Credit Card company and filed a dispute.Best Regards,************************* ****************************************************************************************************** Home: ************ Cell: ************
*************************
*********************************************************************************************************
Home: ************Business Response
Date: 08/03/2023
Hello,
It looks like a reservation was canceled free of charge, a voucher was issued then you booked a new reservation with different dates with that voucher.
When trying to call the hotel directly, it is imperative that you dial the number on the hotel website.
If you have further questions or concerns, please reach out to me directly at **********************************************.
Regards,
*****************************
HotelPlanner.com is BBB Accredited.
This business has committed to upholding the BBB Standards for Trust.
Why choose a BBB Accredited Business?BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.
BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles.
When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.
BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period, except for customer reviews. Customer reviews posted prior to July 5, 2024, will no longer be published when they reach three years from their submission date. Customer reviews posted on/after July 5, 2024, will be published indefinitely unless otherwise voluntarily retracted by the user who submitted the content, or BBB no longer believes the review is authentic. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. If you choose to do business with this company, please let them know that you checked their record with BBB.
As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation. BBB charges a fee for BBB Accreditation. This fee supports BBB's efforts to fulfill its mission of advancing marketplace trust.