mommacl

has anyone had a bad experience with priceline? I'm thinking about doing $150.00 midtown west 4* , any input?

GoTravel

When are your dates?

Have you done any research?

For Labor Day through New Years, you will not find a motel in New Jersey for $150.

Unless your date is a random mid week off season January through Mid February dates, $150 will not get you a four star.

easytraveler

Have you checked biddingfortravel.com?

I'm seeing

3*MTW Novotel $125

4* MTE Hyatt $130.

It all depends on which dates.

No, I've not had any bad Priceline experiences with new York. One or two bad experiences in other places.

mommacl

Thanks for the link easytraveler!
I checked out the link, very interesting.

from what I read on there, it's better to wait tilyour close to your trvel date, for a good price, is that correct?
lookins at 4/15-4/19.

mommacl

sorry looking... at 4/15-4/19

emcash

My husband just used them and had trouble getting midtown west but we only went up to 125. he did get the Intercontinental for 125. It is considered 4 star by priceline, but he didn't think it was really 4 star. He was generally happy at that price.

mommacl

My husband & I stayed in the Intercontinental in Montreal, it was 4*. One of the nicest I've stayed in. I would love to get that your deal.

easytraveler

mommacl:

I'd suggest that you not do any biddig on Priceline until you have thoroughly familiarized yourself with biddingfortravel.com.

You should also click on the "Hotel List" link on BFT and check out their reviews of the various hotels.

also look at tripadvisor.com for hotel reviews.

There is NO particularly good time for bidding. Now is as good a time to bid for New York as later. It all depends on how each hotel feels about their inventory and no one can predict that.

I'd suggest that, after you have read BFT, that you do a dry run and bid $5 on a hotel on Priceline. You wouldn't get a hotel for that price, but it'll walk you through the process without risking any money.

Remember that IF you do win a hotel room, you've paid for it at that bid price. It's set in concrete. you cannot revise the dates or cancel.

when you know specifically what you want, come back here and ask more questions. There are more bidding strategies that you can ask about.

Good luck! and read BFT (biddingfortravel)!

emcash

mommacl- I know, he was so happy b/c he'd stayed at other intercontinentals and liked them. This one didn't do it for him.

mclaurie

People who have bad experiences on Priceline are those that don't understand the process and the rules. I agree you need to know the ins and outs before you start bidding.

>If you don't understand a free re-bid, you're not ready to start bidding.

>Do you know which hotels you're likely to get???

>Do you realize there's a new area called Times Square that's now separate from midtown west?

>Do you know what to do if they make you a counter offer?

>Do you realize they only guarantee a room with one bed for 2 people so Priceline is not an option for those who need a room for 3 or more or need 2 beds?

Hotwire is sometimes a predictor of Priceline availability. Try looking on Hotwire for your dates. Betterbidding.com is another helpful website that includes a list of Hotwire hotels here
http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?showtopic=88&

gail

The main thing to know about Priceline is that once you bid and it is accepte4d, you own that hotel room. No buyer's regrets, no changing plans, no changing dates - it is yours and is immediately charged to your credit card.

emcash

I think the point I was trying to make is that what is 4 star to priceline, may not be 4 star to you, depending on your experiences. But for the price, you can't beat it!

JJ5

I've always done a Priceline for NYC and never regretted it.

In 20 plus times of using Priceline for major American cities, I have yet to have a bad room or any other aspect go sour.

But I have had to eat the cost once because of weather/illness and the fact I could not cancel (Chicago).

In a ratio, what I lost that time ($69) is a cipher to all the thousands I have saved on excellent hotel stays over the years.

I research the areas to pick extensively, and I look at all the recent "wins" on the two bidding sites. That's all I do- plus post my win.

The only problem I have had in the last two years is with stays more than 3 days- those I have not won and went to other discount sites. Others say they have not had that experience. I have in at least 4 cities now.

NYC is so high in cost that you are going in the right direction. Do not forget parking or extra taxes will be mightily added on to any bidding win.

MFNYC

Also before you bid on anything, check prices for the usual hotels awarded on Kayak.com for your dates. If the bidding price starts approaching the best available price, I wouldn't bother with priceline. I also check all AAA discounts and similar in advance of bidding.

We've had great luck with priceline, but there are times when we don't use it because it's not worth the risk. Situations where a specific location is very important to us, or there's a risk of getting a room that can not accommodate all of us (we're a family of 4), particilarly in cities like Boston and NYC, we would not use priceline.

mommacl

Thanks to everyone who replied to my question. I have been reding biddingfortravel for the last few days, I think I have a good idea of how priceline works.Also I think my $150 should get me a 4-3* room, if what others have won bids at is a good example. However it's very complicated. I quess once you've done it you feel more comfortable with the bidding process..... Well I'm off to do the dry run easytraveler suggested.

Andrew

JJ5: But I have had to eat the cost once because of weather/illness and the fact I could not cancel (Chicago).

Really? Was your flight canceled? When that happened to me a year ago (flight canceled due to weather, couldn't use my airport hotel), all I did was call Priceline; they verified that the flight had indeed been canceled and gave me a full refund, even for a "Name Your Own Price" booking.

mommacl

Did my dry run (of couse I didn't get anything), but I did see how it works. Offered TS at $5.00 4*. My bid wasn't excepted , it asked my to bid in a different zone. So I vid MTW 3* $5. Didn't get that! LOL!

mclaurie

Do you understand free re-bids? The only way you can up your bid is to bid on another zone or another star level. There are certain zones in NYC that have no hotels with 4*'s. So upper east and upper west sides would be 2 free re-bid zones for a 4* bid.

Don't make the mistake of going down in stars on the same bid (ie start at 4* and continue to up the price while decreasing the stars to 3) You will wind up overpaying for a 3* hotel. Make 4* star and 3* bids separately.

Do you have a particular hotel in mind you'd like to get?

mommacl

Thanks for the insight. No I don't have an idea on a hotel. Still looking. Plus I've not booked airfare. Will do that next week. Found air for $198 RT nonstop from Dallas to LGA last week, but the person I am traveling with hadn't committed fully to the trip. Now air is too high. Any suggestions on hotels?

mclaurie

I have no idea who you're traveling with, when you're coming, what you plan to do etc. Do you realize Priceline only guarantees 1 bed? Will that be ok for you?

I was just asking about hotel b/c in midtown west, which is what you mentioned, the likely 4* wins are the NY Hilton which is very good and the Sheraton which, imo, is not. If you bid Times Square, people are winning the Millenium Broadway which I think is better than the Sheraton, so I'd be more likely to bid Times Square than MTW at this point. In MTE, people are winning either the Hyatt (eh, ok) or the Barclay Intercontinental.

Depending on when you're thinking of coming, there may be some good prices on travelzoo.com (although they won't likely be as cheap as Priceline).