Back when I first discovered the cash back app Dosh, they offered a travel tab that allowed you to earn rebates on hotel bookings. At the time, I actually ran a couple of experiments to see how their prices compared to some other sites and found them to have some good deals. Alas, somewhere along the way, this feature was discontinued — but it looks like it’s poised for a comeback.
Today, I got an e-mail from Dosh informing me that I had early access to their hotel booking feature. Sure enough, I opened the app to find a Hotel tab nestled between Offers and Wallet. Meanwhile, visiting travel.Dosh.cash reveals that the Hotels feature is set to roll out this July. (UPDATE: the Hotels feature is now available to all Dosh users and the site says the cash back amount is currently 14%.)
To see how this “new” feature worked, I decided to check prices for a hotel I’m already booked for this September. Sure enough, the prices I see on Dosh are in line with what I paid on Expedia, but also offers cash back. For example, six nights at this particular hotel came to a total of $559.49, but offered $12.47 in cash back.
In terms of user interface, Dosh’s Hotel tab has some pros and cons. One of the features I most appreciate is that, when you select a room option, it will not only display your total in rates, taxes, and fees but also lists Resort Fees. While many other travel sites do disclose these sneaky expenses, the placement in Dosh made them very easy to spot before completing your booking.
As for downsides, I feel like their search tool could be better. On other travel sites, I’m usually able to simply type “Disneyland Paris” and see hotels in the vacinity of that landmark. However, attempting this search in Dosh merely yielded the suggestion that I search “Paris, France” or even “Paris, Texas” instead. I tried the former but, since Disneyland Paris is a bit of a hike from the city itself, the hotel I was looking for was not included. That said, once you do manage to reach the area you’re looking for, you can filter results by amenities or enter the name of the hotel.
I should mention that, while I do welcome the return of hotel bookings to Dosh, I’m not so sure it will change the way I book. That’s because Ebates/Rakuten already offers cash back on sites such as Expedia, with hotel booking currently resulting in 3% cash back. That seems about in line with what Dosh is offering — at least on my limited search. Nevertheless, you can bet that the next time I need to book a room, I’ll be sure to check back in on Dosh and see what their Hotels tab has to offer.