Upon its release, "Hot" was generally met with mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Robert Copsey from Digital Spy, awarded it four out of five stars, and praised its simplicity and efficacy. He further wrote: "expect [it] to coax you onto the dancefloor next time you're out on the town and up for a strut." Lester, writing for The Guardian, compared the recording to the work of "Ibiza-era" British rock band New Order and French disc jockey David Guetta. Fans of the recording include British singer Ellie Goulding, who praised it in a Twitter post in November 2016. At the 2009 Romanian Music Awards, Inna won three nods for herself and an award in the Best Dance category for "Hot". The song was also nominated in the Best International Song category at the 2009 Eska Music Awards.
