Planning a trip often starts with the same headache: comparing dozens of hotel sites, checking deals, reading reviews, and making sure nothing is hiding in the fine print. For many travellers, Hotellook.ru (or “HotelLook”) promises a simpler way. But how good is it really? Here’s a detailed look, combining what the service is, what people like and dislike, and whether it lives up to its claims in 2025.
What is Hotellook.ru
Hotellook is a hotel price aggregator / comparison search engine. It doesn’t own hotels nor directly take bookings; instead, it pulls in offers from many booking platforms and shows them side by side so travellers can choose what suits them best
A few key facts:
- Founded in 2013 by the creative team behind Aviasales.ru (which is known for flight-ticket search). AroundTravels+1
- It works with many booking systems (Booking.com, Agoda, Hotels.com, Expedia, etc.) to pull hotel offers. trn-news.ru+2partneroff.pro+2
- It claims a huge database: hundreds of thousands to more than 700,000 properties, including hotels, hostels, guest houses, and apartments, across 200+ countries. travelpayouts.com+4trn-news.ru+4travelpayouts.com+4
- The service is free for users; Hotellook earns via affiliate commissions/partnerships with reservation systems. partneroff.pro+2travelpayouts.com+2
What Hotellook Offers: Features & Strengths
From recent reviews and users, here are what Hotellook does well:
- Wide Coverage & Variety
Because it draws from many booking systems, in many places, there are multiple offerings for the same hotel. This often allows users to spot cheaper options they might not see when going directly via a single platform. For less-touristic destinations, people report that they still find decent options. postingtravel.com+1 - Transparency
Hotellook typically shows which booking platform the deal is from. That means you can compare “same hotel, different vendors” side by side. Users seem to appreciate this: you see what policies, cancellation terms, etc., are via the booking partner. partneroff.pro+1 - Good User Interface & Filters
The site provides useful filters (price range, star rating, location, amenities, etc.), map views, and calendar views (highlighted cheaper days vs more expensive ones) that help plan trips flexibly. qualitytop.techinfus.com+2partneroff.pro+2 - No Hidden Fees on the Search Side
According to reviews, Hotellook does not add hidden commissions or fees in its search / comparison results. The cost is in the booking partner’s site. partneroff.pro+2qualitytop.techinfus.com+2 - Affiliate / Partner Tools
For bloggers, travel sites, or agencies, Hotellook has good affiliate tools: white label, API, widgets, etc. For users, this doesn’t matter directly, but means the platform is investing in features and infrastructure. travelpayouts.com+1
What to Be Aware Of / Limitations
No product is perfect. Here are some commonly reported drawbacks or things to watch:
- Mobile Speed / User Experience Variability
Some users note that while the desktop site works swiftly, mobile performance (site loading, transitioning between pages / filters) can lag. postingtravel.com - Filter & Search Restrictions
In a few cases, filters are not flexible enough (for example when searching for large groups, or in adjusting guest count), or changing currency or other search criteria sometimes resets filters, meaning you have to re-apply them. qualitytop.techinfus.com - Pricing Differences & Time Sensitivity
Like any aggregator, the “best price” may expire quickly. Sometimes by the time you click through to the partner site, the deal is gone, or the price has changed. Also, local taxes / extra fees may be outside what Hotellook shows until checkout. This is normal in the industry, but a user should check carefully. (Several reviews mention discovering price differences) postingtravel.com+2trn-news.ru+2 - Review Volume & Accuracy
Although many properties have guest reviews (through the booking platforms), for some smaller or remote properties the feedback is sparse. That makes “ratings” less reliable in some cases. Users sometimes caution to also check external reviews beyond aggregation. (Not always a specific Hotellook-fault, but part of using aggregated services)
Recent Updates & Growth
From what I found:
- The hotel base has grown over time. Early reports (circa 2015) said ~700,000 properties when they integrated additional sources. trn-news.ru+1
- Hotellook has expanded its affiliate / partner program, improving its tools for members (deeplinks, white labels, often with favorable commission / cookie durations) to attract more web sites/blogs/travel influencers. travelpayouts.com+2travelpayouts.com+2
- Localization / multilingual support has improved. They’ve been working on offering multiple language versions (translations) to attract non-Russian speaking users. blog.alconost.com+1
Is Hotellook Right for You?
If you’re a traveller who:
- cares about getting the best price,
- doesn’t want to manually check 5-10 booking sites every time,
- plans trips with some flexibility (dates, locations),
then Hotellook can save you time and often some money. It’s especially useful for comparing deals, spotting discounts, and seeing all options in one place.
However, you should still:
- Check on the booking partner’s site before booking (terms, cancellation, extra fees).
- Quick: good deals can disappear.
- Compare price – consider reviews, location, amenities.
Verdict & Overall Impression
- Overall, Hotellook.ru is a solid tool in the traveller’s toolkit. It does what it promises: aggregates hotel offers, gives transparency, much variety, and is free to use. For many users, the pros outweigh the cons, especially when compared to hopping around from booking site to booking site.
- It may not always catch absolutely every hidden special (e.g. direct hotel deals not listed anywhere), and the experience on mobile can be better, but it offers enough value that I would personally recommend using it when planning trips.
