Expedia offers more bundled vacation packages with flights and hotels combined, while Hotels.com specializes purely in accommodations with its loyalty rewards program that provides free nights. Both are major OTAs, but Expedia has wider travel options while Hotels.com focuses on maximizing hotel-specific savings.
Expedia vs Hotels.com — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Expedia if you're booking a complete vacation with flights, hotels, and activities—the bundled discounts can save 30-40% compared to booking separately. Choose Hotels.com if you're booking accommodations only and want maximum loyalty rewards through free night certificates, especially for frequent hotel guests.
Global online travel agency offering flights, hotels, cars, and vacation packages with direct booking capabilities.
Specialized hotel-booking platform with industry-leading free night rewards loyalty program.
Structured comparison data for Expedia vs Hotels.com with 142 attributes.
Average Domestic Roundtrip Airfare (Spring 2026)
Year-over-Year Airfare Change (Spring 2026)
Average Price Difference vs Direct Booking
Expedia vs Hotels.com — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Expedia vs Hotels.com.
Which is cheaper for booking a hotel only?
Hotels.com typically offers 5-15% lower prices on hotel-only bookings due to its specialized focus and higher inventory. However, Expedia occasionally matches or beats prices on select properties. For pure hotel shopping, Hotels.com is statistically cheaper 58% of the time based on rate comparisons across 3,000+ properties (2025 analysis).
Should I book a flight-hotel package on Expedia or separately?
Expedia's flight-hotel packages save an average of 30-40% compared to booking flights and hotels separately. For example, a typical $1,200 roundtrip flight + $800 hotel package costs approximately $1,680 as a bundle vs. $2,000+ booked separately. This makes Expedia the clear winner for multi-component trips.
Hotels.com's free night rewards (10% of spend) are significantly more valuable than Expedia Rewards (1% points) for hotel-only bookings. A $100/night hotel stay earns a $10 certificate at Hotels.com vs. $1 in points at Expedia. However, Expedia's points work across all travel categories (flights, cars, activities), offering more flexibility.
Which platform has better customer service?
Hotels.com has faster response times (2-3 hours average) and a higher customer satisfaction rating (4.6 stars vs. 4.5 stars). According to customer reviews analyzed in 2025, Hotels.com resolves 73% of issues on first contact compared to Expedia's 61%.
Can I trust the prices shown on both sites?
Both offer price match guarantees—Expedia within 24 hours and Hotels.com within 48 hours. Hotels.com has the edge with a longer window. Both sites are owned by the Expedia Group and pull from largely the same hotel inventory, so you'll typically see identical base prices with minor variations in fees and member discounts.