My experience with Hotel Engine's interview process was disappointing and frustrating. I interviewed for a Sr PM role focused on Core/CX. The process started with an initial phone screen with one of their recruiters, followed by a conversation with one of their two newly appointed VP Products (hiring manager) for a 1:1. Unfortunately, the entire interview process left much to be desired in my opinion. Hotel Engine’s team appeared inexperienced, casting early doubts on their ability to evaluate candidates effectively. Additionally, the communication throughout the process lacked transparency. Initially, the Hiring Manager indicated that the next (not final) round following our successful 1:1 would involve a take-home case study that candidates could spend 'at least 6 hours on' only to change it with minimal warning to a live 4-hour session, scheduled over one afternoon. This change led to 2 hours and 45 minutes to work on a case study prompt, followed by an up-to a 1 hour long presentation to a panel over Zoom. During the interview, it seemed that the panel members (so, all of the interviewers) were all relatively new to Hotel Engine (hired within the past month or two) and clearly lacked cohesion as a group -- they appeared to be disorganized and it reflected an unprofessional atmosphere overall. They also seemed kind of miserable and unhappy -- super low energy. Furthermore, I was tasked with a case study that required an in-depth analysis of Hotel Engine's competitor, Booking.com, and suggestions for UI/UX enhancements catering to corporate bookings. This assignment essentially amounted to providing valuable, actionable insights and solutions for Hotel Engine's business. It felt as though the company was extracting substantial value and essentially free work from candidates without providing any compensation or even acknowledgment for their contributions. This practice raised concerns to me about the company's respect for candidates' time and expertise. By this point I was incredibly frustrated and did not do a good job on that round. I received unprofessional feedback from the recruiter following that presentation round. I was informed that I was not moving on and that the Hiring Manager felt I couldn't present to senior executives and I was performing at below a Senior PM level -- comments that were baffling and left me questioning the legitimacy of the assessment. This feedback was not only vague but also felt unjust and just plain rude given the circumstances of the interview. I think the recruiter felt she was being kind by calling me --even with this impolite and ambiguous feedback -- as opposed to sending an email, but once again, it was a waste of my time. In hindsight, my experience with Hotel Engine was a regrettable waste of time and energy. However, it served as a valuable lesson in the importance of respectful and transparent communication during interview processes and when to tell companies you're simply not willing to do their case studies and your resume should speak for itself! I am so thankful to have dodged a bullet. To fellow Product Management hopefuls, I strongly advise exercising caution when considering Hotel Engine as a potential employer.

Initial phone call with recruiter, which is then followed up by an interview with the hiring manager, then a team interview with a case study presentation. Did not move beyond the initial screen.