Bidding Priceline for Seattle

[myangel]

I have never bid on priceline before. When bidding for Seattle for our overnight stay before our cruise, do I choose the "Downtown" area? That uis closest to the pier right? Is there really alot of money to be saved? I don;t like knowing which hotel I am bidding for. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

[bruce-r]

I don't like knowing which hotel I am bidding for.

Then perhaps priceline isn't for you.

 

There are web sites that give specific help for bidding and can tell you which hotels have recently accepted bids.

http://www.biddingfun.com/

http://www.biddingfortravel.com/

are a couple of places to start.

[camaj]

We did priceline for our hotel in Seattle. The ship does leave in the downtown area. We chose downtown 4-star and got the Sheraton for $100. On Expedia, travelocity, orbitz, and through AAA I could not find it less than $160. From what others have stated on these boards it seems like the Sheraton is who most people end up with when going through priceline. (that is just an observation I made, I could be completely wrong on that, it just appears that way.) I think priceline is a good way to go but not everyone feels comfortable with it. As stated in the post above, there are other sites to check out too. Good luck.

[GloriaF]

I used priceline for the first time last year. I felt the same as you and was really nervous. But, I bid on a 4* in Long Beach and got the Hyatt Regency for $55. I know it was a bargain, but I never bothered to check prices for the same hotel without priceline, so can't say how much. But I would guess that the rack rate for Hyatt was $150/night. So, I felt I had made a great savings and became a priceline enthusiast. From what I've been reading this year, they aren't quite so generous

[garycarla]

Check the boards mentioned above.

and this one. http://p070.ezboard.com/bpricelineandexpediabidding

 

And search through this forums if you want more feedback from people that have used priceline.

 

EDIT

oops, this link is the same as those, still great though!

[chika]

We used priceline for the first time for our July pre-post cruise stay in Seattle. We got the Hilton Seattle Airport for $50 (pre cruise) and the Renaissance Hotel downtown for $60.

 

The savings were huge especially for the Renaissance.

[DALSAL]

I think Im the ONLY person that had bad luck with price line..I did a 4 star bid on d/t Seattle for my cruise this coming May.We got a 2 star (I think one site says its a 3 star) and from what most boards say,the worst hotel we could have gotten,the Vance.Its supose to be very old and with tiny rooms.I did feel a little better after reading most of the reviews on http://www.tripadvisior.com .Im hoping for the best! But,I still dont know how I ended up with this hotel since I was bidding for a 4 star.I had to pay $85 a night,started my bidding at $50 and had to keep going up.Then,I asked for 2 beds and had to pay an extra $10 a night for that.Next cruise I will probably bite the bullet and do the Renaissance.

[Host Caroline]

Personally don't use Priceline.. never stay in expensive hotels anyway since we are either out by the pool, sightseeing, at the beach etc. and there are always more modest ones in most ports of embarkation. Try looking in Seattle Center area if you want less expenisve w/out bidding.. the hotel we are at told us about $5 for a cab to pier... so no concern that saving 50 a night will be compromised by not being right at the dock!

[myangel]

Thanks for all your advice!:)

[bruce-r]

Even if you do end up going with a Priceline hotel (I've used it and gotten great deals, but it isn't for everyone) you should check this web site first :

 

http://www.seattlesupersaver.com/SCVBBooking/index.aspx

 

You will have a hard time finding cheaper prices else where, I think.

[vijoge]

I think Im the ONLY person that had bad luck with price line..I did a 4 star bid on d/t Seattle for my cruise this coming May.We got a 2 star (I think one site says its a 3 star) and from what most boards say,the worst hotel we could have gotten,the Vance.

 

These are the possible hotels in downtown Seattle when bidding 4*. If you got the Vance you were bidding 3*, not 4.

[vijoge]

Oops! The list didn't print.

4* hotels in downtown Seattle are:

Sheraton Hotel and Towers

Westin

W

Hotel Vintage Park

Hotel Monaco

Elliott Grand Hotel

Alexis Hotel

 

For Priceline bidding purposes the Vance is a 3*. I would think all of the 4*'s would be fine if the price is right. Maybe a Seattle resident will care to comment.

[bruce-r]

Oops! The list didn't print. 4* hotels in downtown Seattle are:

Sheraton Hotel and Towers

Westin

W

Hotel Vintage Park

Hotel Monaco

Elliott Grand Hotel

Alexis Hotel

 

For Priceline bidding purposes the Vance is a 3*. I would think all of the 4*'s would be fine if the price is right. Maybe a Seattle resident will care to comment.

Not a Seattle resident, but I do know that most of those hotels are quite swanky. You wouldn't be disappointed getting them on priceline.

[Gardyloo]

Seattle is a very hard PL city for the time being, especially compared to Vancouver. $100 is a good price for a 4*.

 

It's very important for PL newbies to read the hotel FAQ at http://www.biddingfortravel.com on how to get "free rebids" when your initial bid is too low. Never, never, lower your star rating on a rebid; always start a new bid at the lower level (and of course with a lower amount - look at BFT for recent successful bid by star rating, district, date.)

 

Many of the 3-star hotels located in downtown Seattle are rather inferior. I would only recommend that if you don't get a 4* downtown after using whatever "free" rebids you have, that you start a new bid at 2 1/2 stars at Lake Union, which will get you one of three hotels, any of which are frankly nicer than the 3-stars downtown.

[GloriaF]

We used the seattle super saver site posted above. I planned on using priceline for a 4*, but decided to go with the 3* Best Western Executive Inn across from the Space Needle, mainly because it is where the Quick Shuttle from Vancouver drops off. I paid $79 and while I don't think I got a "deal", I am willing to settle for this for the convenience of just walking into the hotel and checking in -- no taxis to the hotel, moving our bags one more time, etc. And their site does say they offer complimentary shuttles to DT attractions. We only have one afternoon and evening and want to go to Pikes Market. Our flight is the next day, leaving at 12:20 PM, so a relaxed breakfast and taxi to the airport will finish up the trip.

[garycarla]

Do not rule out renting a car and driving from Vancouver to Seattle vs. the Super SHuttle. You would eliminate the shuttle cost, and taxi cost. Assuming you want to get the airport around 10am, and you wait to rent your car at 10am in Vancouver, you only pay for one day on the rental car.

 

Just an option.