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Southwest Hotels - Do Not Use!

tenaciouss
Explorer C

Decided I would try to use Southwest Hotels for 2 upcoming trips.  Never again!  First my credit card was charged and it took almost 2 hours to get confirmations.  Reservations both state that I cant cancel and they are non refundable!  I know that I reserved using a clear Free Cancelation choice.  I know this is a Booking.com partnership but it is carried under Southwest Hotels and customer service is very lacking, unlike the normal SouthWest customer service.

 

Bottom line is I may be stuck with these 2 reservations, but I will never book again through Southwest Hotels!  Better staying with the Hotels own services which allow better flexibility and customer service.

9 REPLIES 9

Re: Southwest Hotels - Do Not Use!

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

Ugh, you are correct that booking directly with the hotel is the best option 99% of the time.  If you haven't already, you could contact the booking.com customer service to confirm the cancellation policy.  I'm not sure I would absolutely believe an email confirmation if you saw something different when booking.

 

While we're on the topic, this is a good time to remind anyone reading that booking through Southwest Vacations is also discouraged.  Southwest Vacations is not Southwest Airlines and reports of their customer service have been pretty atrocious.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: Southwest Hotels - Do Not Use!

SWAnotherWokeCo
Adventurer C

Sometimes I would book through SW Vacations, that is before 2021, and only when it was cheaper than booking separately. Never had a problem with their service. Now their prices are sky high because of inflation. The only bad part was that you have to pay the full amount at the time of booking.

Re: Southwest Hotels - Do Not Use!

jksobonya
Aviator A

@TheMiddleSeat wrote:

While we're on the topic, this is a good time to remind anyone reading that booking through Southwest Vacations is also discouraged.  

 

--TheMiddleSeat


Sorry, I disagree wholeheartedly. Firstly, the poster is talking about Southwest Hotels, not Southwest Vacations. 2 different things. Secondly, we should not be putting down Southwest Vacations with each and every post on these forums. Like it or not, Southwest has a prominent partnership with Southwest Vacations, and we should support and promote them positively. 

 

With that said --

 

I'm sorry you had a bad experience with Southwest Hotels (not Vacations). When you book with Southwest Hotels, it it typically very clear on their web site which rates are fully refundable and which rates are not. Some rate offers charge you immediately, and some charge after the completion of your stay. Often these rates very in price. 

 

As a FYI, I book with Southwest Hotels quite often, and I used to book with Southwest Vacations as well, with no problems. I only stopped with SW Vacations since I like to book my hotels and flights separately now, preferably with the hotel directly. 

 

--Jessica

Re: Southwest Hotels - Do Not Use!

floridaguy
Aviator C

File a written dispute with your credit card carrier.

Re: Southwest Hotels - Do Not Use!

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

@floridaguy wrote:

File a written dispute with your credit card carrier.


Based on what?  OP booked a room and got a room.  IF the OP needs to cancel, which they did not say they did, they should first contact booking.com to clarify the return policy (as I previously suggested).  OP only stated the email policy appeared to be different than their expectation, not that they attempted to cancel.  Only after discussing options with booking.com could they possibly even consider filing a dispute.

 

@floridaguy again with the horrible advice.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: Southwest Hotels - Do Not Use!

N82EZ
Adventurer B

I've had a bad experience with said service. NOT very Southwestlike and I avoid them like the plague or should we say Covid now!?

Re: Southwest Hotels - Do Not Use!

floridaguy
Aviator C

I am going to ask one final time that you LEAVE ME ALONE.

 

Quit tagging me in posts.  I have the right to be a board contributor and have done so.

Re: Southwest Hotels - Do Not Use!

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

@floridaguy If you are going to continue posting, please start providing helpful and accurate posts.  I and others will continue to correct you as long as you provide unhelpful and inaccurate information.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Southwest Hotels - Do Not Use!

SWFlyer007
Aviator C

@tenaciouss I've booked over 100 rooms through the SWA hotel (booking.com) process and have to say only once did I have any issue.  That once was my fault for not seeing no cancelation, however, I still got it cancelled by going through the process of contacting booking.com and working with the hotel.  In the end, it's up to the hotel to force you to keep the room, or courteously cancel it.  With all that said, I know that it's often cheaper by direct contact with the hotel, but you get no SWA points.  I've had a companion pass for the past 6 years primarily due to the fact I use the SWA link to bookings and get on some stays up to 8,000 SWA points.  Getting something, I need any way, a hotel room, and paying a bit more than rack price that helps me get companion, Priceless.  To end this, no I've not had any issues with SWA and booking.com on any of the hundreds of bookings I've made.