Hotwire will scam you out of your money; no refund for certain deals, but the notice for those policies is not readily apparent, almost certainly by design. Skip Hotwire and use a more reputable company and service.
Tip for consumers: Hotwire hides in small print that certain car rentals are non-refundable, so buyer be careful to examine the fine print. This is almost certainly by design and it is an unfair consumer practice. Take your business elsewhere. The company must have done a cost benefit analysis showing that lots of people will miss this fine print and even though they will be upset to learn that they will lose their money, the company will profit, having actually provided no service at all.
There are so many reputable hotel booking companies, but Booking.com is not one of them. I was extremely unhappy with the way they conduct business and the harshness of the fine print for any cancellations. I know others have been similarly unhappy with them. Do business with companies that care about customers. I can assure you booking.com is not one of them.