Complaints
This profile includes complaints for HotelPlanner.com's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 1,098 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 687 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:08/22/2022
Type:Status: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.
On May 19, 2022, my mother attempted to reserve a hotel for an 18 person family vacation online and was prompted to book through Hotelplanner.com. Because she prefers phone calls, my mother called the reservation number listed and spoke to ******. After offering a Super 8 in the town requested, ****** realized the 7 rooms requested were not actually available. She next offered a stay at the Baymont Inn in ********, ** for one night on 6/10/22. My mother paid in full ($******) and did receive a confirmation email with Itinerary number. On June 10, while traveling to the hotel destination, a number of us were unable to bring the address up on GPS. This led to an internet search which indicated the Baymont Inn in ******** ** had been demolished by tornados some years prior and that address was now a vacant lot. We then urged my mother to call the original number she called to reserve the hotel. No one answered after several attempts and many rings. We then searched the website for other phone numbers and eventually were connected with ******. ****** was very apologetic and confirmed that the location wasn't available. She mentioned a voucher but those can take over 24 hours to activate so she recommended cancelling the reservation for a full refund in **** business days and connected us directly to an available hotel, the Quality Inn. After vacation, my mother waited a few weeks for a refund to be processed before contacting HotelPlanner.com. Each time, she requested to speak to a supervisor and was connected to an automated message. She was assured several times her refund was in the works. It has been over two months and she has yet to receive a refund, an apology, or anything acknowledging the fact that 18 of us were almost stuck 10 hours from home with a vacant lot as a hotel. My mother was charged for the original hotel reservation (******) as well as the Quality Inn stay, which was more money.
Business Response
Date: 08/23/2022
Greetings,
We show a refund in full was processed for this guest booking - Refunded($934.32).
Regards,
HotelPlanner
Initial Complaint
Date:08/22/2022
Type:Status: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 a hotel (********************) through *************. I did not receive an email confirmation but called back to cancel my reservation because when calling the actual hotel they let me know they never received my reservation and do not take reservations through *************. When contacting ************* to cancel, they let me know that they notified me that there is a "no refund policy" via phone call and that I would not receive my refund. I was charged $520.00 and would like a refund. This company is a scam!!Business Response
Date: 08/31/2022
Hello *****,
You have been refunded in full for this reservation. We sincerely apologize for your bad experience. Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance.
Regards,
*****************************
Initial Complaint
Date:08/19/2022
Type:Status:ResolvedMore 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.
Called to book a room using our mobile phone. When we clicked the 'call now' button associated with the hotel, unbeknownst to us, we were rerouted to another number. We asked if this was the Comfort Inn, ******* *********** and the agent said yes. We proceeded to book. We were told the amount was $315.88. Arrived at hotel and showed email confirmation to front desk - shocked it was in U.S. funds, not ********. Hotel refused to help us - have sent countless emails - saying we booked through third party, and not directly with them. (We use booking agents all the time to book hotel rooms and have NEVER had an experience like this). Sent response to email where confirmation of booking came from and to date I've sent over 15 emails and am getting bounced around. They asked for 'proof' that we were actually charged, so I've sent screenshots of my posted transaction on my credit card, which was the conversion to ******** funds in the amount of $414.63 - a difference of $98.75, which is what we are seeking. We have no issue paying for a room (although it was steep), but we were charged in U.S. currency which should not have happened. Tried calling them and calls either get disconnected or I am put in a queue that is never answered (on hold for over two hours once then disconnected). I keep getting emails asking me to send my concern to an email address, which I have, and they just keep sending me email after email with a different agent's name each time. I am so frustrated. It is impossible to reach anyone and nobody wants to help us. Thank you.Business Response
Date: 08/20/2022
Greetings,
Thank you for contacting us in regards to the guest complaint. Please note that when reaching out to the hotel, the guest would have needed to utilize the local area code of the hotel to contact the hotel directly not a toll free number to which the guest did contact our company to book their reservation and as we are a US based company the guest was charged in USD to which their bank charged them the equivalent in CAD. Unfortunately we are unable to issue a refund for the difference in rate as the guest was charged correctly for their booking per the terms agreed upon at the time of booking.
((The following policy was agreed to at 5:53PM CDT on 13-Aug-2022 at the time of booking.))
Regards,
HotelPlanner
Customer Answer
Date: 08/22/2022
Complaint: 17741846
I am rejecting this response because: our call was rerouted to a **** number and we were connected to a booking agency who took our reservation. We book hotels all the time using a central booking number often times located n *****************, and our room is booked in the currency associated with the hotel. In our case, the amount should have been in ******** dollars, not **** currency and the agent never once mentioned it would be **** currency. We are not asking for a refund, we are asking for the difference - which is $98.75 (billed $315.88 in **** currency converted to ******** which amounts to $414.,63).
Sincerely,
***********************Business Response
Date: 08/31/2022
Hello *******,
We sincerely apologize for this mistake. It looks like our agent made an error. We have refunded per your request. Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance.
Regards,
*****************************
Customer Answer
Date: 09/02/2022
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
***********************Initial Complaint
Date:08/17/2022
Type:Status: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.
On April 9th 2022 ********************* stayed at the Hampton Inn in ******** ** and got booked through Expedia. However she got double booked upon arrival and we successfully (after several attempts) to get the *************** to admit the mistake and agree to refund us the $340.78. They refunded a 3rd party HotelPlanner.com and not us. We have made several attempts to get a hold of this company to have them release the funds back to us, but they will not respond. The hotel gave us ************************* Please help us to recover our funds. I have supporting documentation but this system is not allowing me to upload and then it kicks me back to the beginning to start all over. Frustrating process. Please contact me at ************ or my wife at ************ or we can be reached at ***************** or ******************* Thanks.Business Response
Date: 08/20/2022
Greetings,
Thank you for contacting us in regards to the guest complaint. In our system we show that the guest disputed the charges for their booking and unfortunately once a charge is disputed we cannot action any items on the reservation until the dispute is closed. We have confirmed on our end that the dispute is closed by our merchant service department and as such we are now able to process a refund for the guest duplicate booking.
The guest will be issued a refund for Booking Confirmation #: H4866986 and the refund will be processed back to the guest account information provided at the time of booking. Please note that refunds do take between 7 to 14 business days to be allocated back to their account.
Regards,
HotelPlanner
Initial Complaint
Date:08/15/2022
Type:Status: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 on August 8th to book a hotel room for August 27th. The person on the other end of the phone got all my information wrong. I clearly stated I needed a room with two double beds and a dog friendly hotel and the date I needed August 27th. I called back when I didn't get an E-mail conformation. I spoke to another agent about 20 minuets later and asked if she got my E-mail wrong and everything else. She had me booked for the day I called and for one bed and the hotel was not pet friendly. That agent said he was putting in for a refund asap. Never heard anything back..... Because my Email was incorrect AGAIN after correcting it with that agent. Called again the next day and went through it all again. Called again after checking for my refund Monday the 15th and still no refund. I was told more then two timed a supervisor was going to call me back and has not at all. Help *******************Business Response
Date: 09/02/2022
Greetings,
Thank you for contacting us in regards to the mutual guest booking. ON the guest behalf we reached out to the hotel for the refund waiver requested for their booking and unfortunately the hotel denied the request to refund the booking. Without the hotels approval to refund the booking, we are unable to process a refund for the booking on our end.
As a gesture of goodwill to the guest, we have issued the guest a Hotel Gift Voucher for the total of their original reservation booked that they utilize in the near future to book a reservation using our services. The voucher has a one year expiration date and the details concerning the voucher has been sent to the guest email address provided on file at the time of booking.
Regards,
HotelPlanner
Initial Complaint
Date:08/15/2022
Type:Status: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.
July 30th 2022 I made a phone reservation with hotelplanner within the hour we were at the room opened the door and there was no AC on it was 100 degrees that day the smell of mold was so bad I immediately took the key back to front desk and call hotelplanner and canceled the reservation I was told within 5 business days my money (*****) would be back on my card I have called several times since and was just informed there was nothing else they can doBusiness Response
Date: 09/04/2022
Hello *****,
As per our previous correspondents, we are unable to offer a refund due to the hotel denying the refund. When we contacted the hotel, they stated you used the reservation and made no complaints.
We are however, able to process a voucher with the value of $81.86 as a gesture of good will. The voucher will be issued to ************************. The provided hotel credit can be used worldwide towards a hotel offered on our website. The hotel credit is in lieu of a refund and is valid for 1 year from date of issuance. Please understand that your acceptance of the hotel credit is in lieu of any claim.
Kind Regards,
*****************************
Initial Complaint
Date:08/11/2022
Type:Status: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.
H5283700 Paid $469.71 July 15,2022 I reached out to ************** which is the parent company of a hotel I stayed at bia phone. They advised that they are issuing a refund and since I booked through hotel planner to reach out to them. I did and my refund is being denied. Makes no sense. Stayed in a hotel that smelled like cat urine, hair all over the room, overall very dirty and the parent company understood this. So by booking through a third party like hotel planner, you need to jump through hoops to get a refund. Makes no sense. I have called ******* and they advised that they did their part in issuing the refund and the rest is up to hotel planner. I advise to never use this company. Saving a few bucks is nice but when you have an issue, you need to bend over backwards. Please release my refund.Business Response
Date: 08/19/2022
Greetings,
Thank you for contacting us. On the guest behalf, we contacted the hotel to request the refund for the guest booking, however the hotel had denied the refund request as they did advise that the guest did not provide and or report any complaints while ****** that would have given the hotel the ability to rectify the issue at hand. Unfortunately without the hotels approval, we are unable to process a refund for the guest booking.
Regards,
HotelPlanner
Customer Answer
Date: 08/20/2022
Complaint: 17703522
I am rejecting this response because:
I did advise of my issues and the receptionist which was an older woman took down my complaints. I went actually a few times.
Sincerely,
*****************Initial Complaint
Date:08/11/2022
Type:Status:ResolvedMore 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.
To whom it may concern,The ************* company had booked the incorrect ***************** in *******, ******** instead of the Hilton Garden Inn in ****************, ******** on 5/15/2022, regarding itinerary number H5039975 for $328.18 I had contacted the ************* customer support on 5/15/2022 to cancel the incorrect hotel reservation for itinerary number H5039975.The ************* did cancel the incorrect reservation on 5/16/2022 and credited my credit card $318.33 instead of $328.18. Therefore, the ************* company still owes me $9.85.I have made weekly phone calls and sent weekly emails to the ************* customer support for the past two months without any resolution to the credit discrepancy.I would like the ************* company to refund me the $9.85 to complete the entire credit that is due regarding this cancelled hotel reservation.Business Response
Date: 08/26/2022
Greetings,
On our end we show the full refund has been processed to the guest ((Refunded($328.18))) - the remaining balance that was due was processed back to the guest account. Please advise the guest that refunds normally take between 2 to 10 business days to be allocated back to their account.
Regards,
HotelPlanner
Customer Answer
Date: 08/28/2022
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
*************************Initial Complaint
Date:08/10/2022
Type:Status: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.
On 7/30/2022, I googled a number for the *************** in ********* and ************* came up. I thought I was taking to the hotel. I made a reservation for 12/2-12/4/2022 but explained that I need to be able to cancel it because my family member is in the navy and his plans change with out his control. They were more than happy for me to pay extra for insurance so that my reservation could change. The itinerary is H5363672 confirmation # *****ED783374. After the phone conversation, I talked to my daughter and realized that I have made the reservations for the wrong day. The reservations are cancelled but we cant get the money back. We have been scammed. I called the hotel, Expedia and we have spoken to someone at hotel planner but they have refused to reverse the charge.Business Response
Date: 08/19/2022
Greetings,
***************************** - 9155858864824
Thank you for contacting us. We are pleased to confirm that we have been able to secure agreement from the property to process a refund for the booking. Please note that refunds normally take between 7 to 14 business days to be allocated back to your account.
Regards,
HotelPlanner
Initial Complaint
Date:08/05/2022
Type:Status: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.
We were in ******** on vacation. We tried booking a room with HotelPlanner.com. Why in the world would we want a room in ********* 10 minutes from our house when were over 3 hours away? He gave us the address on ********** Street and my husband wrote it on his hand. He asked if we received the text. I said yes and he hung up. It was a series of 3 texts...this is when I received the texts. The top text read: June 29 5:13 PM ************** Itin: H5234851 Check In: Jun 29 (3pm)Check Out: Jun 30 (11am)Support: ************** Text STOP to cancel these msgs Then: 5:14 PM (2/3) Your booking is pre-paid, but you will be asked to provide a credit card for incidentals. Enjoy your stay![Use guest name to check in]Conf: And: (1/3) Econo Lodge ******************************************************************* We are looking forward to your arrival today! Below are your stay details and check in time. I called back immediately being put on hold for nearly an hour. When I returned home, I called Econo Lodge in *********. They were sorry to hear about my situation. They would have refunded our money but they never received the payment. It is ridiculous that your company received my money and you can't even offer us a room for a night. We will never ever book through HotelPlanner.com again or any other online booking service.Business Response
Date: 08/06/2022
Greetings,
Thank you for your contacting us and allowing us the opportunity to review this for you. We were able to locate your reservation in our system and we show that you disputed the booking; once a reservation is disputed we are locked out of the account or "charge" for ****** days.
Please work directly with our charge back team at [email protected] to provide you with an update on your refund request.
Regards,
HotelPlanner
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