Recently purchased discount room at a supposedly 4 star hotel. Rate was almost $100 a day less than is published through the the hotel's direct site.

Is there a difference in level of comfort or service if you come in on a discounted reservation?

I ask this cause I have witnessed two couples receive completely opposite service in a hotel before, for no apparant reason...

Try reading this:

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/hotel...hotsheet_x.htm

Some people who use Priceline or Hotwire do report that they get "lower quality" rooms than others who pay full price. Well, I think it is common sense that people who pay more should get a better room, don't you? This is true even if you are booking with an AAA discount.

Every hotel has some "basic rooms" that are near the ice machine or elevator - they've had these rooms since before Internet booking came along. The trick is to check in early enough to avoid getting stuck in these rooms. Unfortunately, sometimes if you check in late and the hotel is full, you may have no other choice.

What is NOT acceptable is a sub-standard room, no matter what you paid. If the room isn't clean or is unacceptably noisy, don't put up with it. Ask for a different room or get an adjustment/refund. If you use Priceline/Hotwire that's harder to do - so complain to Priceline/Hotwire directly.

And with Priceline/Hotwire, I recommend you call the hotel long before you check-in to set your smoking and bed type(s) preference. If you want a non-smoking room, don't count on it being booked that way by the booking service, regardless of what they tell you. I've almost always called ahead and never had any problems with my hotel rooms at 3-star and 4-star hotels booked via Priceline and Hotwire.

Andrew

My theory is that when it becomes a choice between the full rate paying guest and the discount/priceline/hotwire guest for a room with a nice view and a room with a view of the back alley, the mngt., if smart, will give the full rate guest the nice view room. I don't see anything wrong with that. There are also hotel loyalty programs that will reward the frequent guest with upgrades and food/drinks, etc...etc...

As a low rate paying guest I would never expect to trump the above mentioned possibilities.

That said, I will say that I never received less service staying on these discount rates. Once checked in, I received the same service as everybody else in the place. As a matter of fact, naybe better, depending on how I or the other guests treated the employees. I may have had the room in the back, at the end of the hallway, by the elevator, but I still had room service when and needed, and still could use the facilities just the same.

So the room may not be the same quality, but everything else should be the same. I still expect the room to be just as clean, basically equiped as all the other rooms, but maybe not be in a desirable location, or as big, or be a suite, or whatever, but good enough to satisfy my need for a safe, comfortable night.

I've been using Priceline and Hotwire for several years for a variety of cities.

We have always been pleased with our assigned room. Though many swear that there are "Priceline" rooms at the New York Hilton, we had a perfectly nice room on each of three stays.

The only reference to Priceline or Hotwire when checking in has been a polite explanation that a credit card is required for possible incidentals even though the room is prepaid.

Quite often we have been offered the opportunity to upgrade to a suite or room with a view at very reasonable (and well worth it) rates.

It would not be in the best interest of any hotel to assign lesser rooms to web discount customers. More probably, you DO get the best standard room available at the time you check in.

We usually arrive late at night. Many times from desk clerks have searched diligently on the computer for a room with a better view or whatever without our even asking.

For sure, though, much depends upon the individual hotel and its staff. We were initially assigned a room by the pool (chlorine fumes in the hallway) at a Sheraton over Christmas, even though the hotel was nearly empty.
But, we ran into a manager while having dinner, before we had unpacked a thing. When we mentioned this to him, he took our keys, and returned a few minutes later with new ones telling us that our belongings had already been moved for us. (For all we know, the room came up on the computer rotation and the clerk had no idea it was by the pool.)

As far as service, such as housekeeping - being a nosey person, I have sometimes looked at lists attached to cleaning carts at various hotels in which we have stayed. On these lists I have seen indications of who is checking out that day, wants late or early room cleaning, etc. - but I have never seen anything that indicates person paid a cheapo rate.

I would suspect that most people responsible for providing you service during a hotel stay are so far removed from knowing what you paid, that it would likely be irrelevant. Of course, that excludes desk check-in person.

Like djk, I've used Priceline several times, have never felt treated like a second-class guest, and indeed have received special attention even though checking in very late. I do make a habit of calling the hotel a couple of days after making the reservation, specifying room criteria (nonsmoking, beds, etc.) so perhaps this does help.

I worked in a hotel for several years and we preassigned Priceline/Hotwire reservations to lower floors, smaller rooms, etc. IF we were sold out. Otherwise, it was assignment at check-in just as with most other reservations.

As the above poster stated, it depends upon occupancy. If the hotel is full, the higher paying guests get the best rooms.

With lower occupancy, a lot has to do with how you treat the person at the front desk checking you in. Be nice to them as they have a lot of power.

For normal occupancy, meaning the hotel is somewhere around 70% full, the earlier you check in around check in time, the better chance you have of getting a better room.

No hotel should give you a substandard room. There is no excuse.

Remember, priceline room or not, no hotel manager wants an unsatisfied guest to leave the hotel. That guest will tell many people what a horrible stay they encountered.

One rule of thumb, don't expect the Presidential Suite for a priceline rate.

Also, most hotels have discontinued frequent stay perks with Priceline and Hotwire. The individual hotel may honor your frequent stay card but across the board, they have been discontinued.