I read somewhere (I thought it was here, but I can't find the post) about the advantage of getting the Hyatt's goldcard when you get resevations at a Hyatt through Priceline. Anybody here with any information or suggestions?

Go to BiddingForTravel.com to the very last topic called "Frequent Guest Programs".

Andrew

Sometimes the hotel will upgrade your room if you have a Gold Card, sometimes not. Since they're free, why not get one? The same goes for the comparable programs with Marriott and Hilton, to name a couple.

Take care when registering for these programs to notice when you're opening yourself up to mountains of junk email or plain old junk snail mail. Yes! Send me notices about everything!

When I stayed at the Hyatt New York on a priceline bid, the hotel would not take my gold passport card even though I am a very frequent guest with them.

Andrew, you are being unfair to Hotel. The betterbidding website is new, has a lot of good information on it, and it is also Not For Profit. Conversely, biddingfortravel.com is for profit and is always mentioned here. Both websites serve a purpose, which is to educate and provide valuable information for Priceline and Hotwire.

And, the moderator at betterbidding is friendlier than the moderators at bidding for travel. Betterbidding has provided better instruction for bidding through Priceline.

I'm thrilled that biddingfortravel has some competition, and welcome as many sites as possible that can aid in bidding. Thanks Hotel. I find biddingfortravel very cumbersome to use, and I think this prevents many people from posting their results (like me). I'm going over to check out betterbidding now.

Hi don512,I won the Hyatt Regency Chicago on Priceline and went to the Hyatt site and signed up for their Gold Passport Card.I've read where some of the Hyatt's do accept it at check-in even if you did use Priceline or Hotwire.That way you have a chance of getting an upgrade and other benefits.
Certainly doesn't hurt to try...

Nina, I totally agree that biddingfortravel.com is cumbersome to use. Also, the host Sheryl can be quite acerbic at times.

I don't care where it came from but I really like the BB site. I had trouble using BFT. What ever site is more user friendly is the one I will use...

Actually, I have a friend who has a travel site and each priceline reservation made through his site, he gets a couple dollars commission.

Theoretically, they shouldn't pick your Gold Passport up as Priceline rate isn't entitled to upgrades, however, I've never seen a time when, if better rooms were going begging, reasonable requests from anyone would not be accommodated if possible, and graciously, no matter what the means of payment. That's only good business sense. It cannot be an expectation, of course, and therin lies the problem. It *has* become that for some, unfortunately, to the detriment of everyone who follows behind that person. Please keep in mind that if you've got a nicely filling hotel, with two views, bay and city, odds are those bay view rooms simply will not be available to the Priceline customer. Should seem obviuosly fair, but unfortunately, that isn't the case.

Andrew I can't believe the stance you, of all people, are taking! You definitely have promoted your "price from taxes" website and you admit you get some money from your sites. You fell just short of giving the exact URL, but you told one person precisely where to go to find that link to your website in a post on 1/27 about "Rennaissance hotels on Priceline". How is that any different from what hotel has done? You might as well have spelled the link right out and saved that person a step. "Hotel" could tell everyone to do a Google search under "BetterBidding" or whatever would link to his site--it'd be no different than you have done. Hey, maybe Hotel will post a link to your website too, expanding your business. Would that make it ok? Competition benefits us all, and absolutely does wonders when attitude adjustments are in order. gt; Live and let live.

I doubt there would be any advantage to getting a Hyatt card for a Priceline stay. Except perhaps for the separate check-in line, if there is one. So many people have Hilton cards, though, that the other line is usually shorter.

My husband travels a lot on business and has a Platinum Hyatt card. They can tell immediately from the card number how many "points" you have (or that you have none).

We've gotten very nice rooms, even with premium views, at Hyatts through Priceline and Hotwire. Often, we forget we have the card. Once, with the card, we were upgraded to the Regency level. Later, we wished we hadn't been. The "lounge" had short, early, hours and was never open when we occasioned by, and using the room key in the elevator was an annoyance (especially since you had to try it over and over again to get it to work most times).

Almost forgot to respond to don! Don, my husband is a platinum passport member and when we showed the clerk his card when checking in for a Priceline room he upgraded us to the Club floor. I thought that was a very nice gesture, but then again, Hyatt gets lots of business (non Priceline) from him.