San Juan - Priceline Boutique Bookings

[scooby4048]

Has anyone tried booking a boutique hotel room via priceline?

If so, how do you know what boutique hotel you are going to get?

(p.s. I know that you can tell by researching TripAdvisor, but I'm fairly new to that approach. Can a veteran assist a rookie, PLEASE :D ?)

I cruise May 14th, Destiny. Looking for precruise, one night room. Leaning towards the Milano.

[Emerald31]

As of now there is only one known hotel that is classified under the boutique catagory and that is the Water Club in the San Juan area. However with Priceline they may add or subtract hotels as they see fit. I half heartedly bid boutique initially for my cruise in 2006 but when I saw that boutique seems to have a higher rate I started bidding resort and received a resort hotel at a very decent rate.

[dsl laber]

I don't know about boutique, but we just bid and won for a 3 star and got Caribe Hilton. Our bid was $80. I believe I saw a post that someone else got CH for a $70 bid recently also. :)

[scooby4048]

Thanks Emerald31 and DSL Laber.

I'll go back and try bidding again, just not for the boutique. ;)

[thereuare]

San Juan is notorious for high prices and low service levels (aka- although technically part of the US, they very much operate on "island time") so i would definately recommend sticking with the higher star level properties.

[dsl laber]

San Juan is notorious for high prices and low service levels (aka- although technically part of the US, they very much operate on "island time") so i would definately recommend sticking with the higher star level properties.

 

I agree. I read quite a few good reviews about the caribe hilton. Glad we got that one! :)

[Emerald31]

Also glad we received the Caribe Hilton and while the reviews on trip advisor is either love it or hate it, for $65 pre and post cruise I think it is a good deal for a resort hotel.

[scooby4048]

Thanks everyone for your responses :)

[RTLS]

If you're really not quite sure about the ins and outs of booking "Priceline". I'd like to suggest that you consider checking out one of the websites that gives help for this.There are a couple of "Boards" but I use "www.betterbidding.com". The moderator is great and very friendly and there is loads of advice. I've never booked Priceline overseas but I have booked quite a bit in North America over the last year or so and I always go to that board for advice and tips.

[scooby4048]

Thanks for the tip. I actually checked this out when THEREUARE included the site in an earlier post. :p

[augustrain]

There's also http://www.biddingfortravel.com, which I use for PL. We also got the Caribe Hilton for post-cruise. Can't wait! The property looks beautiful! Still no luck for pre-cruise, so for now I have used my points for a free night! :)

[scooby4048]

Thanks AUGUSTRAIN for the tip. I'll try them out too. :)