Expedia against Hotels.com: Which Site Charges Less for Hotels? There is no fixed answer, as the price depends on hotel, date and rate. A sensible comparison looks at the final price with taxes and fees, the cancellation rule and the loyalty scheme.
One family, two shop windows
Expedia and Hotels.com are not rivals in the usual sense. According to a Vrbo help page they share one loyalty programme: One Key, with the same account for Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo. So comparing the two is mostly about offers and rates, less about the programme behind them. That is what this text focuses on.
Fees, cancellation and payment terms appear on both Expedia and Hotels.com only once you reach the booking step of an offer. We tell you what to look at there.
The shared programme
With One Key you collect OneKeyCash and trip elements when you book eligible hotels, holiday rentals, rental cars, flights, activities or cruises. The credit can be used on later bookings. There are four tiers: Blue to start, Silver from 5 elements a year, Gold from 15, Platinum from 30. An element must cost at least 25 US dollars, counted without taxes and fees and after coupons. For hotels one night per room counts, for car rental one day, for flights one ticket. The status you reach is valid until 28 February of the following year.
For you that means it does not matter whether you book one night through Expedia and the next through Hotels.com. Both count on the same account. The programme can also be combined with airline loyalty points, says the help page.
Price, taxes, fees
What is inside the numbers changes with the rate. So put both offers side by side in the last booking step. Look at four things: the total for all nights, whether taxes and fees are included, whether breakfast is part of it, and what is charged at the hotel on top, such as city tax or parking. A higher price can be the better offer if it includes breakfast and a flexible cancellation.
We give no blanket verdict on which site charges less. There is no evidence for it, and the same rate can come out differently on one date than on another.
Cancellation and payment
On both sites deadline and cost depend on the rate. Before you click, check until what day and time cancelling is free, whether you pay online or at the hotel, and keep the confirmation. Very cheap rates often say they are non-refundable. Keep that in mind if your travel dates are still moving.
Service
Both sites show their contact options on their own pages. The account is shared, so it makes sense to look up the contact options at your first booking, before you need them.
For comparison: Booking.com
As a yardstick we use Booking.com, whose help pages state the rules plainly. Booking.com quotes the price for the room and the whole stay, taxes depending on the property, and says it charges no reservation fee. The property sets cancellation fees, none are due on free-cancellation bookings. Payment is mostly at the property, some ask for a deposit. Its Genius programme gives 10% off stays after sign-in (before taxes and charges), 10 to 15% after 5 bookings in 2 years and 10 to 20% after 15 bookings.
That is our recommendation if you want the terms in black and white and not only in the booking step. We do not claim Booking.com is always cheaper.
At a glance
| Point | Expedia | Hotels.com |
|---|---|---|
| Loyalty | One Key | One Key, same account |
| Tiers | four, from Blue to Platinum | four, from Blue to Platinum |
| Moving up | 5 / 15 / 30 trip elements a year | 5 / 15 / 30 trip elements a year |
| Hotel element | 1 per room and night, from 25 US dollars | 1 per room and night, from 25 US dollars |
| Cancellation and fees | depends on the rate | depends on the rate |
| Cashback via us | no | yes, see below |
| Payment method | shown with each offer | shown with each offer |
Who each one suits
If you use One Key anyway, choosing between Expedia and Hotels.com comes down to the offer for your hotel and your date. Give both searches the same data and compare the final amount. If you want cashback, Hotels.com has the edge because it is on daily cashback and Expedia is not.
If you would rather read than ask, Booking.com has the clearer help. That is our recommendation for most people who want to book without surprises.
Cashback at Hotels.com
Open the Hotels.com shop page and book in one session. The current rate is on the TripPrice page for Hotels.com. Using a discount code may cost you the cashback. For Booking.com there is the shop page at daily cashback.