Alice

OK, I have a need for a little priceline advice that I could not find on biddingfortravel.com I have to be in Santa Barbara for a wedding in September - lodging the night before is taken care of by the brides mom - but I have to find a place for the wedding night. We want to stay in the same hotel (Doubletree Fess Parker - 3* priceline choice). When you call the hotel or try to book online, they are only allowing for 2 night stays. So if I'm trying to get it on priceline - should I not even bother just trying for the one night? Or would priceline offer it for one night only? Anyone have any experience with this?

mcqueeney449

Alice - i don't know about priceline but I had a thought. Maybe the Bride's Mom could add a second night to the reservation she already has for you. The hotel might be more willing to work with her if she has the whole wedding party booked there.

Alice

Thanks for the suggestion but I already tried that - they're VERY strict about their 2 night minimum. And the room we're in the night before the wedding turns into the honeymoon suite the wedding night. So we either have to book 2 more nights, or have 2 connecting rooms the night before the wedding and then split them up the wedding night. I think this is what we'll have to do - and getting them on priceline makes them pretty cheap! I was just wondering aloud before I started bidding!

caribtraveler

alice: are you aware that just because biddingfortravel.com only lists one hotel, that doesn't mean priceline doesn't offer other 3* hotels. wouldn't want you to end up with another hotel! biddingfortravel depends on people like you and i to tell them what hotels priceline offers.
good luck whatever you decide.

janie

Alice, I love Priceline, but if you MUST have a particular hotel, DO NOT use Priceline.

Caribtraveler is right--biddingfortravel only lists results reported by the people who visit that site. What about the rest of the people in the US (and elsewhere)who use Priceline? Probably 90%+ DON'T use biddingfortravel > who knows what hotels they get when they bid that zone...

If you'd be happy with any comparable hotel in the area, go for it. On a practical level,I think It's unlikely that a hotel that requires a mininum would offer one night on Priceline because Priceline is a way to fill up anticipated excess rooms. If the hotel expects enough demand to require 2 night, they probably don't expect those rooms to be totally empty, right? It's certainly not IMPOSSIBLE, just unlikely. And even if POSSIBLE, still not GUARANTEED to get that hotel.

Alice

Thanks everyone - that's pretty much what I figured.

And I know the listed hotel isn't guaranteed - but the chances are good it will be that hotel and I don't actually care all that much if we get another 3* in SB. I mean, if we don't get this through priceline, we'd have to find a different place anyway...

janis

I agree w/ both of the above posters- DO NOT use priceline if you need to stay in a specific hotel. You have absolutely no control over which property you get and the booking it 100% non-refundable.