rkkwan

Neo - Let me add that the comment about calling to find if WillTravel's hotel will undercut the $51 rate is a joke. You never said they'd give a lower rate than a lower PL rate. If you or others mis-understand my intention of putting some humor in this thread, I apologize.

NeoPatrick

I hardly know where to start!

"But what I have problem is that overall your tone in these two threads are that PL and HW hardly ever give people the lowest price."

Huh? I gave ONE example of using Priceline and said that in that case it didn't work for me. NOWHERE did I ever suggest that great deals can't be gotten with Priceline. And again, I only mentioned that before bidding it is wise to check actual hotel websites rather than assuming the prices on the major multi sites are indeed the lowest. That's all. I certainly never meant to imply that the hotel rates would always be lower than anything you can get on Priceline. Of course they aren't.

And I'm sorry that you feel my two true examples here were overly negative for a thread that specifically asked for negatives! Please reread my posts. Even on the New York Hilton one, I gave the total benefit of doubt by explaining it was because I was there one night and even carefully said that I was NOT SURE if that was the norm. That's overly negative?

On the other one about Seattle I wasn't the least bit negative! Did you even read the post? I merely explained that I was unable to get lower than $20 below my prebooked rate and others admitted that Seattle often does not have good deals. And I ended the post with how it can depend upon the city and the time frame. Are you honestly suggesting that was a negative post? Or that anything I said wasn't 100% true?

What did you want me to do? Lie about my experiences? I thought the point of this thread was to ask for opinions, not just "please post your Priceline raves here". And even if it did, I defy you to show how my posts say anything like you claim they say -- including your nasty suggestion that I could probably get a hotel to match that great Priceline bid? How nasty does a person have to be to make up something like that? Now out of the blue you come back to suggest that comment was a joke. Huh? After raking me over the coals and insisting how negative I was and suggesting I said things I didnt' say -- how could that have been a "joke". You know as well as I do, the "joke" part was meant as an "OK, big shot prove what you said" even though it wasn't what I said.


You say "I always tell people to check all prices directly on the hotels and rental car companies' website first. ALWAYS!" Well, that's ALL I have been doing as well. Why is it OK for you to tell people that, but you seem to think it isn't OK for me to tell people that?

You end your silly rampage with "so I'll continue to balance your negative posts with mine. If you don't like them, tough!" Can you cite a single example where I have ever even suggested that anyone's story of a successful use of Priceline wasn't great? Why on earth would I NOT like it? Where have I ever RUN DOWN Priceline posts? Although it seems certain that you go off the deep end by anyone even mentioning an experience that wasn't 100% perfect.

rkkwan

Hey, Neo. What's your problem? We disagreed a little on the HW car rental thread, and I made one joke about the $51 Seattle bid by Will, and you are going on and on with this?

I just reread all my posts in this thread before that joke, and I don't think I made a single comment on your responses.

I'm sorry, but I have no idea what ticked you off this bad! Chill, dude!

NeoPatrick

Ok, but meanwhile will you call your uncle who owns Priceline and see if he can get me a $75 room this weekend at the Ritz in Naples?

And sorry I'm so wordy, but this "going on and on" was simply ALL in reply to your post of 4:55. Is it wrong to explain the charges you were making in that post?

And meanwhile, now you've got me really confused. I went back to that car rental thread and I didn't see where we disagreed at all -- in fact I thought we were on the same page.

dwooddon

Replying to the questions about my earlier post. First, the person with my same initials and my confirmation number had already checked in so it wasn't a matter of giving me the room and handling the other person if he showed up.

Second, any desk clerk you find on duty at an airport traveler's hotel at 2:00 am on Sunday morning will usually have a seniority date of last Tuesday and will have zero authority to resolve issues like this. At least in my case, she did not.

If an when I get this resolved, I'll update you all.

NeoPatrick

Oh, wow. That really does change things. I thought all along the assumption was that it was really your reservation and they just messed up the name. Sorry.

So when they said you had changed your name -- do they mean you had supposedly changed it to THAT name of the people who did show up?

tinabina

Regardless of others experiences...take into consideration what type of traveler you are?
I am a fly by the seat of my pants, the next adventure is around the corner, can you believe people pay full price for this? type of traveler. I see the best in people, the best in weird moments and I love getting lost. I hate organized tours, "must see" locations and plans that keep me from enjoying the moment!! I am a tried and true Priceline person and have used them for ALL hotels from Palm Springs, St. Louis to London!! I say go for it! Have good attitude. In the last 8 years I have NEVER had a hotel room that was substandard and often was upgraded!!Especially, if you tip the bellman who takes you to your room and your not thrilled. Be polite, be generous and smile...it goes a long ways especially in 5* and resort hotels where the person working at the front desk is making $12 per hour and the normal client is a spoiled rude rich customer. It is human nature to relate, so relate!! Call them by name, ask them where they are from and ask them a question that makes them feel valuable....Is there a local spot that most "toursits" miss because they never ask the well versed local, as yourself? Never pay full price...why do you think celebrities and wealthy people get free shoes, handbags and comps!! Be polite and be INFORMED!! You will enjoy it loads more than the "sucker" next door who paid 350 instead of 125! That's a few meals and some lovely shopping.
Enjoy!

tuscanlifeedit

I was really slammed for this a long time ago (I think the thread was about tipping the desk at a hotel in Las Vegas) but I'll throw it out again:

If it is really important to me to ge a good room when I have a Priceline reservation, I will have my credit card in my hand when I approach the desk, with a folded twenty peeking out from under it.

This is if it is our anniversary or we want something really special. I also try to arrive early enough to get a decent room, and do all the other friendly polite stuff suggested.

It's worked for me.

I grew up around tippers, and think it is ok. My DH did not and although he loves what a tip will get him, isn't comfortable with the process. So I do the pre-tipping.

Please don't slam me if you don't like this idea. I just thought I'd offer it.

easytraveler

To answer the OP's initial question, allow me to present a contrast.

I used to have to travel a lot, at one time up to 80% of the time, for work. This made for a lot of hotel rooms in the US, in Asia, and in Europe. Since my company paid for the hotels, they were usually top end chain hotels like Hyatt, Marriott, Westin, or overseas I could have stayed in hotels like the Bangkok Peninsula had I wanted to (but usually chose not to).

With all those full price, "non-discounted" corporate rates, what was it like? Pretty average, the treatment by staff, while the amenities - exercise room, lobby area, restaurants, meeting rooms, etc. were usually superior.

In contrast, now that I'm retired and having discovered Priceline from Fodorite postings a few years ago, I now bid a great deal on Priceline, both for myself and for my family. I've probably bid Priceline at least 100/200 times since my first time. I usually bid 4* if at all possible. Biddingfortravel is invaluable; people still post their successful bids and still write hotel reviews. What's it like with Priceline? I usually get the same kind of hotel that my company used to pay for: the Hyatts, Marriotts, Hiltons, Sheratons, Intercontinentals, etc. and the same kind of room; only the price is a lot less. The treatment by the staff is either the same or better (can you believe that? Treating a Priceline customer better than a corporate one? ) The amenities are, of course, the same.

In the last month, I've gotten (all Priceline 4* hotels) the Intercontinental in Century City for $93 (weekend rate) or $120 (weekday rate); the Westin Bonaventura in downtown Los Angeles for $65, the Vancouver, BC, downtown Hyatt for $120, and the Portland Oregon downtown Hyatt for $115. These prices represent substantial savings over the list prices or even the discounted prices.

Bad experiences after all this time? Only once and that was not with Priceline, but with the hotel - surly desk clerk and given a really bad room. This was in a town where 2* was the highest rating, so no choice for a higher starred hotel. Since that experience, whenever I have to get a hotel in a smaller town, I will usually book a backup hotel like a Springhill Suites or a Country Inn & Suites which are usually very reasonable and are generally good, clean hotels. One bad experience out of 100 or 200 is a great average. For me, Priceline itself has ALWAYS been decent to deal with.

hdm: If I were you, I'd check out the winning bids on BFT and just give Priceline a try. Bid 4* only. In NYC in the past I've gotten the Intercontinental Barclays for $150 in MTE and the Hilton for about $130 in MTW. Those are two very good areas for Priceline bids.

Depending on how much time you have in NYC, I'd suggest staying in town rather than outside, even the airport hotels would entail a long trip in and out each day. All that travel just subtracts from your vacation time in NYC, so it's a balancing act between time or money.

On the off chance of less than 1% that you may have a bad experience with Priceline, why not try it? It's even more consistent than the French Fries you'd get at McDonald's - LOL!

hdm

Thank you, everyone. Yes, I'd definitely stay in town. Our preferred areas are upper east side to about the low 80s and Lex, upper west side to the low 80s, or midtown.

I took a quick peek at Bidding For Travel and I have to say I find that website quite confusing. I know I'll figure it out when I have a chance to give it more time. Do I have to register to see the bids?

We're also considering getting an apartment but SO prefers a hotel when we're in NY.

I'm happy to hear your stories. I always hear great tales about Priceline -- I was pretty sure it couldn't be that perfect or easy -- but at least the bad stories seem to be minimal or at least not that bad.

Andrew

hdm, BiddingForTravel.com (and its better maintained rival, BetterBidding.com) are informational websites that anyone can view, but to post your own bid results (or post anything) you must register. These are only companion sites that have nothing at all to do with Priceline.

The sites have categories for hotel bids, airline bids, and car bids as well as reviews. So, just browse around for the section on NYC Hotel Bids.

hdm

A few more questions (at least for now; I'm sure there will be more later):

We're very flexible about our trip to NY but May is looking good (June is also still a possibility). Can I book a hotel through Priceline this far in advance? Are there any advantages to booking early or waiting till later? I wouldn't want to leave it too late to make other plans.

In my browsing of the PL hotel reviews, I read that all of the 4 star hotels in Tribeca are PL hotels. I've never stayed in the Tribeca area. Can anyone give me a big of the geographic parameters and tell me a bit about it (safe, convenient, things to do)?

Thanks, guys.

AJPeabody

Regarding bidding early on Priceline, the big pro is that you get your room nailed down. The cons are that you can't get your money back if your plans or situation changes and if business is light, you won't be able to get an even lower price as the hotels dump rooms. Of course, if business is good, you will have a bargain room when no one else gets a discount.

As for locations, PL zones get you some limits. You can't get a room in a zone you don't bid on. Remember, NYC has plenty of mass transit, so it isn't hard to get from here to there. I would avoid getting a room outside of Manhattan, as that will add an hour or two to your day and prevent hitting your hotel for a late afternoon rest.

hdm

Is there a limit on how early you can bid? That is, is it too early to bid now for a room in May or June?

NeoPatrick

I hope this doesn't come off too negative for a post asking for negatives, but since most agree that you need to do your homework and know what the actual quoted rates are for the various hotels you might be bidding on, it seems to me it is much too early to be bidding for May or June. Any posted prices for hotels are not yet firmly set and there is no way to do a really intelligent bid as you have no way of knowing what the hotel's true prices including many specials by then might be.

Also is it really smart to fully prepay a hotel reservation up to 10 months ahead? A LOT can happen in that much time.

Is that a reasonable assessment?

hdm

No, NP, this is exactly the kind of info I'm seeking as a Priceline virgin.

If I were booking a regular hotel room, I wouldn't be doing it now for June but I don't know the PL 'best practices'.

hdm

Sorry, I mean to add, when would you consider the earliest good time. I'm not a 'last minute, take a chance' kind of traveler.

Andrew

The typical practice is to book a room the conventional way, an acceptable "backup" hotel you can cancel later for no penalty if you need to. Then, a few months before arrival, start trying things like Priceline and Hotwire. If you fail, you've got a decent backup hotel. If you succeed, cancel it.

Note that some people see Priceline not as a way to save money but as a way to get a much nicer place for the same money. Instead of a Motel 6 on the outskirts of town, you get a nicer place in a better location for about the same cost. That's usually my philosophy, anyway.

rkkwan

I have never booked any non-refundable travel this far out. Like Neo says, tonnes can happen. Start booking a few months out is not the same as "last minute".

But theoretically, it's not too late to start booking PL right now. Put in some low numbers and see if you get them. At least if you can't go on that trip, you won't be losing TOO much.

Brookside

hdm, you've received a lot of advice here. I don't mean to complicate things by giving you more, but for what it's worth:

I've won priceline bids in several cities (Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta and Tampa). I've always received good rooms and service - not once have I ever been treated as a second class citizen because my room was reserved through priceline.

In fact, my most recent experience was in Chicago, during a busy time (Lollapalooza Weekend). There were four of us travelling, so I bid for 2 rooms - and won the Hilton (on S. Michigan Ave.) for $89 per night (each room). This during a week where most rooms were $250 - $350! I called ahead prior to our stay and requested double bed rooms. I even requested rooms with double baths when we checked in, and the desk clerk was happy to accomodate us (I didn't tip her either - )

Here's what I would do in a situation like yours:

1. Like many have suggested , go ahead and book a cancellable reservation room *now* for your trip. I did a little research - a junior suite at the Affinia Dumont can be reserved for $307.50 per night, while the HI Express 5th Ave can be reserved for $299 per night through quikbook.com. You may find a cheaper rate, but for now, this appears to be the going price range for memorial day weekend.

2. Start bidding on Priceline in February, or whenever you are certain your plans won't change. Don't bid more than what you would truly consider a bargain rate or that's worth the extra risk from prepaying a non-refundable reservation. (Again for what it's worth - $250 would be my threshold in NYC, less if I needed two rooms for my family.)

3. In NYC - don't bid on anything lower than a 4*. I think the reasons have been well-explained in earlier posts to this thread.

4. Keep trying. It took me more than a week of bidding to get the great rate I mentioned above for Chicago.

5. If you do win a bid, call the hotel in advance and request whatever features you would normally request when you travel (double beds, high floor, away from the elevator, etc.)Again - I've been accomodated every time I've done this.

I think Priceline is a marvellous resource if you take the time and care to use it prudently. Best of luck - let us know how it works out!