Is It Legit for Low-cost Inns?

Travel is my escape. I guess you could say I am a vacationista. In the past ten years, I have traveled to over 17 countries. To satisfy my wanderlust, I rely on various travel sites, like Going and Skyscanner, to help find great deals in new and exciting places.

I typically toggle between various online travel booking sites when planning trips to find the best deals. Recently, I saw ads for eDreams. To see how their hotel deals and services compare to other popular travel sites, I added eDreams to my rotation of travel planning resources.

Their pitch of easy flight booking, cheap fares, and great hotel deals was intriguing. But the mixed eDreams reviews about nonexistent customer service, slow refunds, and advice to avoid eDreams were concerning. Is eDreams legit for hotel bookings? Let’s find out.

One thing I will say – whenever you’re booking through a new platform (or, really, any time you travel), it’s a good idea to have travel insurance. Take a peek at the well-established and reputable TravelInsurance.com to find a plan that suits you best.

Review Approach and Methodology

To give eDreams a thorough and fair review, I did extensive hotel searches on their website and app. Specifically, I wanted to see if their search functionality differed between the website and the app. I completed searches for domestic and international destinations to test the ease of booking and what brands and categories of hotels were offered. I played around with various filters and sorting to see how easy they were to use and tested their effectiveness in refining the search results.

I read through the volumes of FAQs to gather information about cancellations, fees, refund policies, and other helpful information before booking. I used the chatbot feature to see if it really answered my questions.

I also searched other popular sites for the same destinations and dates to compare pricing, features, customer service, and ease of booking. Finally, I went to the experts, travelers who used eDreams, and read their reviews to get a sense of the broader customer experience.

 What is eDreams?

Founded in 1999, eDreams is a global online travel agency specializing in discounted travel to over 44 countries. It began as a flight search engine but has expanded to offer car rentals, hotel booking, and other travel resources. For instance, travelers can also book vacation rentals, apartments, cabins, and more.

This third-party online site partners with over 700 airlines, 2.1 million hotels, car rentals, and more. That makes e-Dreams one of the largest travel companies in the world. Their ads boast that you can book a complete trip in just a few clicks. Travel is booked directly through their site, and you can manage your entire trip via their website or app.

The company introduced eDreams Prime in 2017, an annual travel subscription program that offers members exclusive flight deals. Per their website, eDreams serves over 17 million customers yearly and has over four million Prime members.

 How eDreams Works

Hotels searches start with routine information like location, dates, and number of travelers. However, you can only refine your search once you reach the results page. The hotel results were as expected and included hotel name, price, star rating, TripAdvisor rating, and more in each listing. The website results give more at-a-glance information with each listing, such as if breakfast is included or free cancellation. The website lists the total cost for your stay, with the nightly rate listed below it, which is helpful to see the final costs. The app lists the per-night rate.

eDreams search results can be overwhelming. My initial results page returned 1500 listings. They have all the filters you would expect on a travel site, like free cancellation, price range, TripAdvisor ratings, star ratings, number of rooms, hotel amenities, location, hotel name, hotel deals, and more.

Their most popular filters are listed in a section at the top of the page. Additionally, hotel results can be sorted by clicking Recommended, Most Popular, Price, and Distance tabs at the top. Applying filters and sorting is self-explanatory with point-and-click selections.

The results themselves were hit or miss. Some listings were helpful and descriptive, while others were vague, ranging from sparse descriptions to strange jumbles of letters that must be some type of code I (and likely others) can’t make sense of.

Most results did not include hotel room photos. I am visual, so I prefer to have a photo of the room type to help me choose. I did like the TripAdvisor ratings displayed in each hotel listing. That was very helpful.

The site does not offer access to travel agents, which might be a turn-off for some. That said, the booking process is very easy, as the site walks you through the whole process step-by-step. However, if customers have questions about add-on services, features, fees, and policies, the FAQs section and generic chatbots are your only information sources.

After plugging in a few questions of varying complexity, the chatbot offered me minimal help and links to general answers in the FAQ sections. It had a difficult time with specific questions but did better with very simple questions.

eDreams offers fully refundable and non-refundable hotel rates. Pay close attention to the rate type before purchasing.

The rate listed is typically the cheapest but most likely non-refundable, which means you will not get a full refund or credit even if it is COVID-related. They do offer fully refundable rates and list the cancel-by date.

eDreams gives the option to pay for the hotel directly through eDreams or reserve and pay at the hotel. The price was the same for both options. 

With “Pay In Full Now” you to pay eDreams in your local currency, which is a good option for international travel, and if you want to pay for the hotel up-front, which I generally prefer.

“Pay At The Hotel” reserves your room, and you pay at the hotel in their local currency. While no money changes hands at the time, the site does require a credit card to guarantee the reservation. A word of caution, you will get charged the hotel’s cancellation fee if you do not cancel by the specified date.

Make sure to read the specific cancellation policy for your hotel. They vary by hotel and can range from being charged for one night’s stay to the total price of your reservation.

Cancellations and refunds for hotel-only bookings are most frequently handled through the hotel but can be initiated through the eDreams Manage Booking portal. Checkout is guided by prompts that take you from start to finish. You will be emailed documents that include your booking reference and confirmation number.  

eDreams does offer hotel-flight package searches directly from the home page. You select your hotel first, then your flight.

I did not see the option to add travel insurance to my hotel-flight ticket. I was advised to contact customer service to see if the reservation qualified for insurance.

eDreams recommends using the app to manage your bookings, as they offer more robust features like Check Flight Status, a digital wallet, and access to all your booking reference information. Make sure to file your confirmation safely if you need to cancel, change, or request a refund.

How to Get the Most Out of eDreams Features

Being a self-service online site, eDreams does offer many bells and whistles that can make booking travel a breeze. The site is best for travelers looking for a one-stop-shop where they can compare and book all through the same site.

• Use the filters to weed out hotels that don’t meet your criteria: eDreams partners with thousands of vendors. Don’t waste time scanning hotel listings that miss the mark. Let the filters help you zero in on your perfect property.
• Use the app: When on the go, access all your travel documents via the app. Everything from your boarding pass to your booking request can be found in the Manage Booking tab.
• Prime membership could save you money: The annual subscription service offers deeper airline discounts and a dedicated customer service email and phone number.
• Prime Hottest Deals are limited-time flash sales: The deals bundle flight tickets and hotels, with the option to add a car rental at deeply discounted prices.
• Read the fine print: The site does include much information about cancellation, refund policies, fees, timelines, and more in its listings. Make a point to read that information before purchasing to ensure you understand the policies.

Pros and Cons

In most cases, eDreams is a helpful travel planning tool for anyone looking to save money on travel. However, some improvements could make the customer experience better.

Pros

• eDreams does not charge credit card or booking fees.
• They offer some of the best deals on travel packages, flight tickets, hotels, and you can even pre-book airport transfers
• Prime members automatically get deeper discounts than the original price.
• The site offers robust filtering and sorting options.

Cons

• 100% on-your-own travel booking. Few resources to help with questions or assistance
• It takes a lot of work to reach an eDreams’ customer service representative. No toll-free phone number to call.
• Access to a customer service representative requires you to upgrade your booking to Standard or Premium for a fee.
• Customer support upgrades are only offered on bookings with air tickets.
• A lot of reviews suggest poor website and app reliability

Our Ratings of eDreams

Ease-of-Use Rating: 4

Overall, the eDreams website and app are easy to use and navigate. Prompts take you through the booking process step-by-step, so reserving a hotel room or purchasing booking flights is simple. eDreams partners with over 2 million hotels, so their search results can be lengthy.

Filters help refine your search and find the perfect property. They do not offer any travel-agent type assistance with booking. The online platform is 100% self-serve, so if you have questions, the information bubbles and their FAQ section are your only resources.

While online and the app are both easy to use, I prefer using the eDreams app because it’s incredibly straightforward. The app gives you convenient access to all your travel information, including flight tickets, car rental, hotels, and refund status, all in the palm of your hand.

Customer Service Rating: 1

While there are some really good things to say about eDreams, their customer service is just…well, I gave it 1 out of 5. Here’s the gen:

The biggest flaw with eDreams is that they do not have a reliable or accessible customer service department. There really is no easy way to contact the company. The phone number is difficult to find, and wait times are extensive. Instead, the company steers you to a generic chatbot and FAQs section. I am not a fan of this chatbot.

While Prime members get a dedicated customer service email and phone number, many reviews said speaking with a live representative was nearly impossible. And while customer service upgrades can be added to flights, one review said the upgrade was worthless and didn’t help with a flight cancellation, new ticket, or a refund, even though it was a refundable flight.

So yeah, it’s hard to get ahold of them when something goes wrong, and if you do get through to someone, you might not get much help anyway.

Reliability: 3

With millions of yearly customers, it’s pretty clear that most people who use eDreams get what they’ve paid for and are happy with it. That said, there is no small number of people reporting serious issues with using the site and the app.

In researching this review, I found a number of eDreams reviews from customers who had bought tickets, purchased car insurance or reserved hotels only for eDreams to lose all trace of their transactions and refuse refunds. Consequently, there are a lot of reviews out there that claim eDreams is nothing more than a scam. Again, this also reflects poorly on eDreams’ woeful customer service record.

Features Rating: 4

eDreams does offer plenty of bells and whistles to help you find the perfect property. Overall, the site and the app are pretty user-friendly, and most information is easy to find without much navigation, except a customer service number or email, which is not listed on their home page.

The search functionality and criteria are intuitive and mirror other platforms, like Kayak, Dollar Flight Club, and Momondo. You can search for flights, hotels, packages, car rentals, and hot deals from the home page. I highly recommend downloading the app for on-the-go access to your travel documents.

Value for the Money: 3

On the surface, eDreams appears to be a good value for the money. Cheap flights, significant hotel savings, car rentals, and vacation packages are enticing. However, the lack of customer service, tricky refund policies, and numerous add-on features mean the final price might be higher than the original price in the listing.

One review I found reported that paying for additional features did not result in a better experience, which makes you wonder, what’s the point? While the fares are cheap, reviews show you get what you pay for.

eDreams vs Other Sites

Right now, post-pandemic, the online travel industry is booming. Most travel booking sites offer similar features, like robust filters, upgrade options, car insurance, and price alerts. With the many online travel sites out there, how does eDreams compare?

 eDreams vs Going

Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) is a travel deal site offering enticing discounts that we make frequent use of. Sign-up is required, even for casual browsers, and they really push their memberships. The best discounts and services, including customer support, are only offered via paid membership plans.

See Related: Going.com Review: Is it Worth the Hype?

eDreams vs Dollar Flight Club

Dollar Flight Club is a flight-only travel site that favors spontaneous travelers. Like eDreams Prime Hottest Deals, they have flash sales with bargain-basement prices on flights alone.

Like eDreams, they too, offer a membership plan that offers lower prices. Nearly everyone recommends Dollar Flight Club for flights (including us), but if you are looking for hotels and other travel services, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

See Related: Dollar Flight Club vs Going (Scott’s Cheap Flights): What’s Better?

eDreams vs Kayak

Kayak scours the internet for travel deals from some of the most popular travel sites. Because they collect information from other sites, you will be sent to the specific deal site to complete your purchase. Like eDreams, they have travel deals on flights, hotels, cars, packages, and other forms of transportation. Frankly, they’re ace, and you can read more about them in our review.

 eDreams vs Momondo

Momondo lets you quickly see deals from multiple sites in each listing, saving you time surfing other sites. You pick the rate you want and will be redirected to the travel site with that deal to complete the purchase. This site is ideal for deal hunters, and it’s pretty easy to use too.

 eDreams vs Skyscanner

Like eDreams, Skyscanner can help you book a complete trip quickly and is another of our faves. Sign-up is required to view any of the deals, and they offer flight alerts. Their filters made finding my hotel of choice easy, and their prices were lower than most other sites.

See Related: Best Skyscanner Alternatives for Travel Booking

 My Verdict: Is eDreams Legit?

Like most reviews out there, my eDreams review is mixed.

The majority of users seem to like eDreams – you don’t get 17 million users including paying members if you offer a bad service. But when eDreams gets it wrong, it seems like they get it really wrong. And the main problem surrounds the customer service situation, which is borderline unforgivable.

While the company offers great deals for some incredible destinations, the customer service complaints and the many negative reviews where “scam” is frequently seen make me hesitant to purchase hotel or travel on their platform. And because there really is no reliable way to contact eDreams, I worry that I will lose money like many others have.

While I love a good deal, eDreams needs more verified 5 stars ratings before they earn my business. As it stands, eDreams is a useful resource for comparing deals from other sites, and I quite like their app, but I will hold off on purchasing through the company for now.

 FAQs

Related Resources

eDreams

Varies

Pros

• eDreams does not charge credit card or booking fees.
• They offer some of the best deals on travel packages, flight tickets, hotels, and you can even pre-book airport transfers
• Prime members automatically get deeper discounts than the original price.
• The site offers robust filtering and sorting options.

Cons

• 100% on-your-own travel booking. Few resources to help with questions or assistance
• It is hard to reach a eDreams’ customer service representative. No toll-free phone number to call.
• Access to a customer service representative requires you to upgrade your booking to Standard or Premium for a fee.
• Customer support upgrades are only offered on bookings with air tickets.
• A lot of reviews suggest poor website and app reliability