Recommend to a friend
Hotwire Overview
San Francisco, CA
201 to 500 employees
2000
Company - Public
Travel Agencies
$25 to $50 million (USD) per year
Launched in 2000 in San Francisco, Hotwire is one of the earliest innovators in the online travel arena. Just a few years later in 2003 we joined the Expedia Group family of brands that includes Hotels.com, HomeAway, Travelocity and more.
Our roots are here ... Read more
Our roots are here ... Read more
Mission: Hotwire differentiates itself as a brand by offering a unique a core value proposition for customers and suppliers with our opaque pricing model. We offer great bargains on hotel room nights without sharing the specific name or location of the hotel until the booking is ... Read more
Company Updates
![Hotwire Logo]()
http://glassdoor.com/slink.htm?key=vQ8ue
0 Likes![Hotwire Logo]()
http://glassdoor.com/slink.htm?key=vQ8u4
0 Likes
Hotwire – Why Work For Us?
Launched in 2000 in San Francisco, Hotwire is one of the earliest innovators in the online travel arena. Just a few years later in 2003 we joined the Expedia Group family of brands that includes Hotels.com, HomeAway, Travelocity and more.
Our roots are here in San Francisco, but we also have offices in Seattle along with an important and fast-growing product and technology presence in Gurgaon, India. Hotwire has the energy and pace of a startup, plus the stability and backing of the incredible Expedia family of companies. Hotwire’s culture centers around delivering value to customers and supply partners by being passionate about building great products with the latest and greatest technologies available. We pride ourselves on our organizational transparency, a bias for action and a customer centric approach to everything we do.
Hotwire differentiates itself as a brand within the travel marketplace by offering a unique a core value proposition for customers and suppliers with our opaque pricing model. This concept revolves around offering great bargains on hotel room nights without sharing the specific name or location of the hotel until the booking is complete. By giving this flexibility to our suppliers, we can offer great value to our customers. Hotwire also offers a full retail suite of other travel products that can fulfill virtually any customer travel need.
We’re currently making substantial investments in our technology platform and our brand marketing strategy to enable our next stage of high growth. To make these endeavors possible, we’re on the hunt for people who are passionate about solving tough problems and are excited about the opportunity take on highly visible roles that will have an immediate impact on our business.
If you thrive in environments that are dynamic, action oriented, data driven and relish in conquering diverse challenges every single day, joining Hotwire is likely to be the most rewarding opportunity of your career. So-- what are you waiting for? Come join a household name brand that lives at the exciting intersection of technology and travel.
At Hotwire, our core values can be summed up with our APART philosophy:
Accountability - if not us than who?
Pride and focus for what makes us, us.
Action oriented bias; don’t over complicate.
Resiliency; this won’t be easy but will be sweet.
Transparency, in every direction.
Corporate Citizenship Program
At Hotwire, our success is fueled by a shared belief that every individual can make an impact, bringing our talents together to accomplish amazing things. Whether it’s serving communities around the world as part of our Global Day of Caring, giving in-kind consulting advice to help a charitable organization thrive, or providing grants to philanthropic initiatives worldwide, we believe in people helping people to make a difference.
Giving @ Work
Our commitment to giving back in our communities is a direct reflection of the interests and passions of our more than 14,000 employees worldwide. Read our virtual Giving Report to learn more about our giving efforts.
Our Giving Philosophy
- Corporate Charitable Partners
As a global company we are committed to supporting the life-changing work of organizations around the world like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Free the Children through direct grants, in-kind donations, and giving campaigns. - Matching Gift Program
Employee donations to eligible non-profit organizations are matched 1:1 up to $4,000 USD each year. In addition, employees that volunteer their time can have $15 USD per hour donated to a non-profit organization (up to $1,000 USD of their matching gifts benefit). - Employee Volunteerism
Our employees are passionate volunteers, giving their time and talents to organizations that reflect their interests, as well as community needs. In addition, our annual Global Day of Caring event held in September provides an opportunity for employees worldwide to put work aside for a day, gathering with colleagues to make a tangible impact for local charities. - Community Grants
Throughout the year, we provide special financial grants to a variety of charitable organizations to help deliver programs in the local communities where we have employees.
At Hotwire, we believe in a work well, live well approach and offer benefits to meet your professional, personal, and family needs. Below are samples of some of the benefits offered to our U.S. employees.
- Check-Up Time: comprehensive medical, dental, vision, prescriptions, flexible spending accounts, onsite flu shots, life and AD&D plus disability insurance, and more.
- Down Time: paid vacation at 3 weeks your first year (going up to 5 weeks based on tenure), company holidays, and sick leave.
- Travel Time: reimbursements for leisure travel each year ($250-$750 USD, depending on tenure).
- Wellness time: annual fitness reimbursement, lifestyle management coaching program, Expert Medial Opinion service (free second opinion on a medical treatment / diagnosis), online health and wellness tools and trackers, and much more.
- Investment Time: 401(k) savings plan with company match, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, plus retirement education.
- Other Perks: tuition reimbursement, transportation benefits, pet insurance, matching charitable gift program, adoption assistance, employee assistance program, group legal program, new parent benefits, employee rewards and recognition, retail discounts, employee referral bonus program, company events / activities, and no stuffy dress codes.
Hotwire Reviews
Hotwire181Approve of CEO
Neha Parikh
17 Ratings
- Featured Review
Helpful (2)
![Hotwire Logo]()
"Fast pace, exciting business--huge opportunity for growth"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at Hotwire full-time (More than 5 years)
Pros
Hotwire has changed a lot in the past few years, and for those who enjoy having a hand in the evolution of a business, this is a really cool opportunity. As others have noted, this is a unique company because it maintains the scrappiness of a startup but has the backing and long-term focus of a mature organization. I like knowing that I truly make an impact every day and that I'm not just a cog in the machine. Some of the other pros include:
-Lots of career growth opportunity. Many top leaders are homegrown from within Hotwire or Expedia, including our President
-Incredibly smart, dedicated people. They challenge me to be my best every day.
-The opportunity to learn. From different people, from different projects, and from the experience of making Hotwire better.
-Unique product. While the travel industry is crowded, Hotwire is one of only 2 major companies offering an opaque product. As a result, we consistently have access to the lowest prices on hotels and cars anywhere--our challenge comes in figuring out how to present these deals to customers in a compelling way.
-Exciting industry. Who doesn't love travel? I like working for a company whose product I can speak proudly about.
-Culture of open communication and feedback. Nobody would think twice about an entry-level new hire sharing ideas with a VP or the President. Likewise, the leadership team makes every effort to solicit input at all levels of the organization
-Great benefits and perks, including hefty vacation time, travel benefits, and a brand-new office in SF with good snacks and drinks, with tons of employee eventsCons
To get the full value out of your experience at Hotwire, you need to truly believe in what you're doing and be passionate about it. Employees who are showing up just to 'do a job' will not be satisfied with the lack of rigid structure and direction.
There's been tons of change in the last few years in terms of organizational structure, leadership, and priorities. For a lot of people, this is uncomfortable. For others, it spells opportunity.
While we do behave like a startup in many senses, we are a big established company. There is room for innovation, but we're not trying to re-invent the wheel. We know who we are and who our customer is, and our focus at this point is largely on execution. Employees looking to shoot for the moon with ideas that take us in a totally new direction might be better suited for an actual startup that is in its infancy.
Like every organization, we have challenges. They will not disappear overnight. I think our LT has done a good job of prioritizing what needs to be addressed first, but there's no doubt that certain areas of our business are a work in progress. To thrive, you need to take the long-term approach and realize that what matters most is moving toward an ideal state over time--not fixing every problem all at once.Advice to Management
Keep focusing on what makes Hotwire special, and work hard to bring in people who share this vision. Our people will be the key to our success.
Hotwire 2017-11-18 10:48 PST
View Allnum of num
Hotwire Interviews
Experience
Experience
56%
21%
23%
Getting an Interview
Getting an Interview
57%
24%
12%
5
2
Difficulty
3.1
Average- No OfferNegative ExperienceAverage InterviewHotwire 2018-06-07 16:09 PDT
Application
I applied through a staffing agency. The process took a week. I interviewed at Hotwire (Fort Lauderdale, FL) in April 2018.
Interview
Getting to a company interview through a technical recruiter is definitely not favorable. There was a technical phone screening and then a physical group panel for a broader technical probe.
Recruiters know when their potential hiring candidates have high value but they will try to save money to their customers paying a way lower salary...Interview Questions
- How would you protect a host on the same network/equipment/switch. Prevent communication, etc. 1 Answer
Hotwire Awards & Accolades
- Silver for General Website(Travel Category), W3 Awards, 2011
- Leading Provider of Outstanding Ground Transportation Deals, Travelzoo Awards, 2011
- Best Mobile Web Site, Eye for Travel Awards, 2012
- Magellan Award(Online Travel Services – Trip Planning), Travel Weekly, 2012
- Best Travel Mobile Website, Web Marketing Association, 2012
Work at Hotwire? Share Your Experiences
