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HotelSlash comes from the makers of AutoSlash, who've turned their magic touch for savings toward booking your next hotel stay. The subscription-only service promises to deliver heavily discounted rates for stays at over one million hotels worldwide.
But should you use HotelSlash for your next booking? Here's how it works and when it could make sense.
How Does HotelSlash Work?
HotelSlash is a subscription service that works by exploiting the time between booking your hotel and showing up to check in. HotelSlash monitors price fluctuations between reserving and checking in for your stay. When prices drop, users are notified and can cancel and then rebook at a lower rate.
However, the HotelSlash algorithm works on more than just the base price. It also looks for additional opportunities, such as rebooking to receive complimentary breakfast, upgraded rooms, and other add-on benefits.
You can monitor your reservations by forwarding them to HotelSlash via email.
HotelSlash works by providing rates that aren't available to the public. According to HotelSlash CEO and Co-Founder Jonathan Weinberg:
“HotelSlash provides exclusive, members-only access to exceptionally discounted rates, which are currently unavailable to the general public, for over one million properties worldwide. It's like price protection for your hotel reservation.”
How Much Does HotelSlash Cost?
HotelSlash is a subscription-only service for savings on hotel bookings. The service costs $29.95 annually. If you aren't satisfied, HotelSlash promises a “no-question asked, 100% refund guarantee.”
AwardWallet readers can receive six complimentary months of membership and then a 50% discount after that. Sign up using the code AWARDWALLET or via this link to receive the discounted rate.
Is HotelSlash Worth It for Your Next Hotel Booking?
It's too early to see the discount levels available from HotelSlash or the returns provided to customers. However, the team behind HotelSlash also pioneered AutoSlash. If that's any indication, the annual fee should be overshadowed by the savings you receive via HotelSlash. But only time will show the exact levels of savings provided.
Related: Beginner's Guide: Save on Car Rentals with AutoSlash
It's also worth considering what you want in your next hotel stay. Do you just want the cheapest price possible? If so, HotelSlash may be able to help. If you're looking for more, this may not be the best option for you.
If you're chasing hotel elite status, stays booked through platforms like HotelSlash won't count in programs like Marriott Bonvoy or IHG One Rewards. That's because you only receive stay credit when booking directly with the hotels. And if you already have elite status with a hotel, you likely won't receive your status benefits (room upgrades, free breakfast, etc.) when booking with HotelSlash. Those benefits come when booking direct with the hotel — not third-party websites. Think about these when deciding how you book your next hotel stay.
Final Thoughts
If you are familiar with AutoSlash, then you should be excited by HotelSlash. If you travel regularly and have no loyalty to a specific brand, the program could provide a ton of savings. Even if you book only a few stays a year, the savings can mount up and may be worth the annual membership fee. Time will tell, and we will provide updates as data pours in.
Are you using HotelSlash? Let us know in the comments below!
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
CAVEAT EMPTOR: My first experience using HotelSlash was so disappointing it will be my last. Generally speaking the ‘savings’ were extremely minor. However, one occasion a four night stay appeared to be reduced from about $1,100 CDN to $871 so I booked it. Only later, when the credit card bill arrived, did I discover the $871 was in USD! So, again, the savings were small and, in fact, I lost money because the original booking had been made with Hotels.com which offers a 10% discount after ten nights. Repeated attempts to settle the matter with HotelSlash were unsuccessful beyond them offering a $50 credit toward future bookings I will never use.
This seems identical to what Pruvo has been doing (for free) for years, so what am I missing?
Bill, yes it’s a rival service to Pruvo.
Seems worth a try
Does it take into account if you have an corporate/discount rate attached to the reservation? Example: If I have a Hilton reservation booked directly though Hilton, priced on the AAA discount, when I forward my confirmation to the HotelSlash alias, will it send me updates based on that booking rate’s changes?
Kevin, I’m going to confirm and get back to you.
Hi Kevin, I checked with HotelSlash about this. They said they don’t typically work with corporate/association discounts. Those rates usually require booking directly with the hotel, and HotelSlash doesn’t have an easy way of pricing these. However, many customers have booked AAA/senior citizen rates and had HotelSlash beat it through its access to wholesale hotel inventory. “Corporate rates tend to be harder to beat but it does happen.”