Scared to use Priceline...should I be?

[brenderlou]

I post quite a bit here re: cruising questions but have one off topic.

 

We are looking at using Priceline for a quick get-away for next weekend and I know alot of the cruisers have had success with this.

We would bid on a 4 star hotel and was wondering if anyone was dissapointed in the "4 Star" hotel they got or are they pretty reliable.

I read the 4 star hotels on their website and would be happy with any of them....thanks

[temple1]

I've used Priceline with good success. I just booked a one nighter for next weekend for a conference I'm attending.

 

If you go over to the departure ports board there is an entire area dedicated to Priceline.

 

The suggestion I would have - narrowly define your area and go much cheaper than they suggest the average price to be.

[brenderlou]

I presume the site is secured w/ inputting all the credit card info?

Also, what happens if you don't get the bid, do you know instantly? With our bid, it states we only have a small chance......

[andrzej5914]

You should not worry about CC security with Priceline. They have been doing sucessful business for years now and there have not had any CC problems, AFAIK.

 

That said, and this is coming from a person that has used Priceline sucessfully for 1 or 2 night stays, all over the world, that you need to know what you're getting into.

 

1. do some reading on www.biddingfortravel.com and www.betterbidding.com

 

2. If you're looking for a specific hotel than don't do "Name your own price", you may be disappointed.

 

3. If you're just looking for a specific area and have no preference as to which 4* hotel you'll be staying at, then Priceline is great.

 

4. Their ratings are pretty accurate, so if you're bidding on a 4* than you'll will get a 4*. Something like a Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton or Westin, etc....Important to remember, a 4* does not necessarily mean LUXURY. Many times it means that the hotel is a full service hotel, restaurants, bars, etc.... it does not mean that the hotel itself is wonderful.

 

5. Priceline does not guarantee a bed size or number of beds. Their reses are good for 2 people willing to sleep in one bed if necessary (although I always found that once the reses are made, calling the hotel directly got me what I wanted)

 

6. Once your bid is accepted, your CC will be charged, you will get an answer within minutes and it's a done deal, BUT remember this, you can't cancel the res, you can't get your money back, no matter what the reason may be.

 

Hope this helps.

[LovesCruising]

I have had very good luck with priceline. Once for a cruise out of PR and other other out of Boston. Great price and was very pleased with both hotels. No problems. You will know immediately if your bid is accepted or not. Secure site.

[digital_curator]

I don't think I can post a website here, but do a google search for priceline bidding help. The American site will show you what hotels people have been getting (and for how much), reviews, and tips for how to get the hotel you want without paying too much.

 

We use Priceline and Hot Wire a lot (the same site above will help with HW too) and have never been disappointed. Just be careful to pay close attention to the areas you are bidding in.

 

Good luck!

[Pacific Sandy]

Hi - We have used Priceline very successfully. The only problem we have had was in Hawaii where the Royal Lahaina Resort was determined to give us the worst room in the Hotel just because we had booked through Priceline. Plus, even though the Hotel was less than 1/2 full, they made us wait until 4:00 to check into the worst room in the Hotel. We had to make a fuss for a better room.

 

We have stayed at some lovely Marriot and Westin Hotels through Priceline and have been treated very well - nice rooms.

 

Good luck. I think Priceline is great.

[Riley13]

Also agree that Priceline is a great way to get a 4* hotel for an inexpensive rate. As long as you are ok with the choices available in that zone, you should be fine.

 

Just wanted to mention that I was surprised to find out that there are some circumstances upon which Priceline purchases are refundable. A few years ago, we had a car rental purchased through the bidding process. About a month later, the airline we were using went out of business before our trip (air tickets not purchased via Priceline). I sent an email to Priceline, and they refunded the amount of the rental.

[marci22]

I read the 4 star hotels on their website and would be happy with any of them....thanks

 

When you name your own price, there is no guarantee of what hotel you will get. I have seen people win the same hotel over and over, and then suddenly, it stops being available (you can read the forums at betterbidding and bidding for travel to see what people are getting). The best thing to do as someone said is to narrowly define your area and bid low; those are the only two things you can really control.

[bz8bls]

Just won a bid for $90.00 for the W hotel in Fort Lauderdale for a pre-cruise night for this August. It's not a ocean view balcony room, but really don't care for one night.

 

Good luck

[Mydnite]

If nervous of priceline there is always hotwire, with the sites already given, you can usually work out which hotels are on offer,it reduces the level of risk a little, as long as you do your homework.

[yogimax]

Using betterbidding.com takes much of the worry out of the process. Of course, it also implies that a person is willing to spend the time to do the research.

[nanfromatlanta]

I post quite a bit here re: cruising questions but have one off topic.

 

We are looking at using Priceline for a quick get-away for next weekend and I know alot of the cruisers have had success with this.

We would bid on a 4 star hotel and was wondering if anyone was dissapointed in the "4 Star" hotel they got or are they pretty reliable.

I read the 4 star hotels on their website and would be happy with any of them....thanks

 

 

 

I've been using Priceline, Hotwire and Last Minute Travel for years with great success. Check out this link:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=412923

[cruiserbryce]

you do sacrafice a lot of selection and control when using priceline. We never use it b/c the savings just dont always end up being enough to sacrafice getting to choose the hotel

[MrsPete]

I've used Priceline a great number of times and have been very satisifed with both the rooms and my savings. My thoughts, presented in a rather random fashion:

 

Before you bid, always investigate your options. Sometimes the deals aren't really all that good. For example, last summer we flew into Las Vegas and needed a one-night room -- we weren't picky at all. I ended up "winning" the old Plaza hotel downtown for $35, which was great . . . except that I realized later than I could've booked the room for something like $40. Turns out I was very pleased with the room, but I gave up control for $5. If I'd realized just what I was doing, I would've booked directly.

 

Do keep in mind that Priceline promises only space for two adults. We've never had any problem with that. When we've traveled with our kids, we've always called as soon as we "won" to specify that we'd like a double-double room . . . and we've never had any problem. But sometimes you aren't in a position to accept that "maybe". For example, knowing that most New York hotel rooms are small and have only bedding for two, I wouldn't use Priceline there if I needed to put my whole family in one room.

 

Little details about buying through Priceline:

 

If you book through the hotel, you pay next summer when you check in. If you book through Priceline, you pay today.

If you book through the hotel, you get Marriott points (or Hilton, or whatever). If you book through Priceline, you're officially a Priceline customer and you don't build up rewards points.

You do tend to get less desirable rooms with Priceline; often we've been placed near the elevators, something that we don't mind a bit. Once we had a very obscured view.

You may have to pay parking separately, even if you book with Priceline (we got caught on that one in New Orleans).

If you're a Priceline customer, you still get breakfast and any other amenities that direct-booking customers get.

Always start bidding early and "lowball" your offer. You can then try again the next day, raising your price $5.

 

Finally, for each trip you have to decide whether Priceline is a good choice THIS TIME. If you just need a room for your night-before-the-cruise, you may not care much where you stay, but if you're spending a week at the beach, you may want more control over your choices. Example of Priceline being too much risk: We'll be a group of six for our July cruise (2 adults, 4 teens). I found a decent hotel right by the interstate where I can get a suite with two doubles and a sleeper sofa for $90. I'd need TWO Priceline rooms to sleep us all, and I"m not likely to do this well.

 

In closing, I've had GREAT EXPERIENCES with Priceline. I've almost always been able to pay less than half the asking price of the room, which is worth a little risk. I've had the best luck getting good deals in big cities, where competition is tight. I've had the worst luck with small towns out west.

 

Examples of hotels I've "won" on Priceline:

 

New Orleans JW Marriott for $60/night

Residence Inn on Vermont Avenue, Washington DC for $50/night

Country Inns & Suites in Bountiful, Utah for $75/night

[KAWS]

I read the 4 star hotels on their website and would be happy with any of them....thanks

 

If you'd be happy with any of the listed hotels then go for it. We've always been happy with what we got through them. And I've never received shabby service or a crappy room because we booked through Priceline either.

[mtchg]

...or exceeded my expectations.

 

However, NEVER book cruise airfare through Priceline (bidding) unless you are sure to fly in one day before the cruise; and fly out the day AFTER the cruise, and even then it is risky.

 

Example; 11 years ago (hard to believe it's been around that long); I had booked thru Priceline. They can't guarantee what time you depart or return on the chosen dates, so I made sure and flew in the day before and flew out the day after. THEN Carnival called and told me the cruise I booked was cancelled for a last minute dry dock; but they would put me on a comparable (a better ship and cruise actually) cruise on slightly different dates.

 

So I had to pay ALOT extra to Priceline to re-bid....and I would have done better just booking through the airlines.

 

From then on; just used them for hotels; and in that area...no complaints.

 

Mitch

[silentbob007]

You can get great deals on Priceline (I figure I've saved thousands of dollars over the years), but you can't be too picky about what hotel you want or the room you get (number of beds, etc). Contrary to what another poster has said, I've recently been denied fairly frequently on confirming a room type by calling the hotel ... this may depend on the operator at the time and the hotel you are at (how it shows up in their system ... specific room type or just run-of-the-house on day of arrival). I will also say that I had problems in one hotel (shower in room above leaked into mine, rest of hotel was booked solid so couldn't move) and Priceline was very quick in refunding me when I called them.

[laedw]

We used Priceline for an October 2-day pre-cruise in San Juan and got the Marriott Stellaris at $110/night. I agree with the other CC, if you are not picky about what hotel you want to stay in, Priceline is a good bet. Just make sure you correctly choose the area you want. Last year, we got the Intercontinental using Priceline. We were happy with that choice also.

[temple1]

If you book through the hotel, you pay next summer when you check in. If you book through Priceline, you pay today.

If you book through the hotel, you get Marriott points (or Hilton, or whatever). If you book through Priceline, you're officially a Priceline customer and you don't build up rewards points.

You do tend to get less desirable rooms with Priceline; often we've been placed near the elevators, something that we don't mind a bit. Once we had a very obscured view.

You may have to pay parking separately, even if you book with Priceline (we got caught on that one in New Orleans).

If you're a Priceline customer, you still get breakfast and any other amenities that direct-booking customers get.

Always start bidding early and "lowball" your offer. You can then try again the next day, raising your price $5.

 

Finally, for each trip you have to decide whether Priceline is a good choice THIS TIME. If you just need a room for your night-before-the-cruise, you may not care much where you stay, but if you're spending a week at the beach, you may want more control over your choices. Example of Priceline being too much risk: We'll be a group of six for our July cruise (2 adults, 4 teens). I found a decent hotel right by the interstate where I can get a suite with two doubles and a sleeper sofa for $90. I'd need TWO Priceline rooms to sleep us all, and I"m not likely to do this well.

 

Mrs.Pete made some excellent points - but quite often most of the hotel chains now offer a prepay rate. So to get the best direct hotel rate you may still have to prepay.

 

I have had great luck getting precruise and 1 night for meetings hotels through Priceline. Fortunately, we don't have to worry about the number we can sleep in a room.

 

Just this week I needed a hotel room near the Charleston airport because I delayed making a reservation for a meeting and now there are no vacancies at the meeting hotel. On Priceline I chose 3* and $50 for the airport area. No luck, dropped my level to 2 1/2* and got the Airport Hampton (across the street from my meeting). I checked on line and the going rate at the Hampton with a AAA discount was $119/night.

 

Because we use it for one or two nights I don't worry about the location or the view. So far everyone at the hotels have been very friendly and not made an issue of how we paid.

[toyota73]

Priceline and refunds for hotels on bidding site no insurance. comments.

[KeywestK]

I've had great success using both Priceline and Hotwire over the years for hotels. We typically bid for 4 star properties and have rarely been disappointed. In fact, we've had some fantastic deals. Our best deals to date have been Marriott (near Union Square) in San Francisco for $78 night for 4 nights on Priceline, and just last summer, we scored the Westin Diplomat Resort in Hollywood, FL for 3 nights on Hotwire for $72 a night. Two very sweet deals.....:D

 

Karen

[Host Kewlguy]

Priceline is a wonderful resource for saving money on hotels and rental cars but you really need to do your research on the two previously mentioned websites before bidding. Otherwise you'll most likely overpay or end up in a zone or in a hotel where you don't want to be. Without using the "free rebid" system you are allowed to bid once every 24/hrs.

 

Also important for first timers: You need to use the "Name Your Own Price" option on the Priceline web site to bid. That is where you'll find the savings.