klam - If I understand it correctly, the taxes that appear on the final notice you receive of your winning bid (the notificstion email you get from PL) are based on the amount that priceline paid the hotel for your room when they purchased it. Thus, by checking the total sales, hotel and room tax rate for a given location, one can determine what the actual price was that PL paid for a room. If there's plenty of inventory left and they're really interested in moving it, PL will sell for at or what they paid. As their inventory gets lower, PL is less likely to accept lower bids. I do agree that the BFT posted winning bids are only a rough guide - if a given weekend or week is heavily booked in a location, you may not get a room even at a much higher bid than was successful for other days at around that time. I finally also learned how to use the rebidding process for airline tix and although I haven't yet been successful because prices are so competitive flying out of the NYC area where I live, I was able to bid on tix from NYC to Belize and got SIX free rebids without waiting for the designated rebidding time (it's all in understanding how the system works). As it turns out, for that flight there was little to no inventory available. My bids reached the point where I was only $60 below what I could buy a ticket for with direct booking. Direct booking gave me the choice of time of day top fly and also 6,000 flyer miles on my airline of choice. For less than a $60 difference I simply can't justify PL in that case but on future trips, especially if they are on short notice, I will try them again on airline tix. I continue to be amazed at what great hotels I get for very low prices.

Well! I'm glad I posted this question - it sounds like I'm not alone in having some confusion. Sure appreciate all the information here - I will copy and print. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who finds BFT a little confusing, but the "lazy-axx" comment was probably spot-on.

So far, our best Priceline success was the Hilton Towers for $25. (But then, it was very short notice, for a Sunday nite). The downside of that was that we had to have our car....and parking was $22.

No one answered my question above....What is the phone number to call and speak to a LIVE person at priceline.com??
The number that they emailed me was just a big loop of "prompts" and I never did reach a life person to explain my situation. I'm still trying to reach priceline.com. I've sent emails asking them questions and asking for their phone number and they keep sending me some "generic message" that makes it obvious that they're not reading my emails...HELP!

Sarah, their phone number is 1-800-PRICELINE (1-800-774-2354). They would put you on hold and you might have to wait for awhile before you talk to a live person. Goodluck!

Sarah, what is the question you want to ask priceline... i'm certain it's probably answered on their website, or somebody here can help you.

Owen desribed the tax thing perfectly, the taxes are based upon what Priceline paid. Using NJ as an example (which i believe has a 6% tax rate), if the taxes on a 1 nite stay is $3, then you can divide $3 by the 6% tax rate: $3/.06 = $50, thereby indicating that the price priceline paid is $50 (and hopefully they would accept that bid).

Tina,
I believe that phone number is automated only...at least according to a neighbor. She's about 70 and does not own a computer and said she tried to call 1-800-Priceline to book a hotel since she can't do it on a computer and never did get an operator to help her. She said that you needed to already have a reservation in order to use that number because they ask you to enter it...??I'm not sure because I've never used priceline.com so I wasn't able to be of much help, but I told her maybe you can only book their rooms on the internet?? Anyway, this is what was told to me. Janice

Tina, Thanks for the phone number. Unfortunately this is the same number I have been calling. I was billed incorrectly on my credit card. The reservation was for 2 nights as the confirmation reads, but priceline billed my credit card for 4 nights (or it could be for 2 rooms @ 2 nights each) One way or another it is wrong. I've given up trying to work it out with priceline.com so I've filed a dispute with Mastercard and I'll let them work it out. I just got so tired of sending emails that always came back with a "canned" response without addressing the problem whatsoever. I also was so frustrated trying to talk to a live person. There really is NO OPTION such as "push 0 for customer service representative" etc. They really need to add this feature!! I am not the happy camper right now as you can tell. Anyway, as of today I just called Mastercard directly. Thanks for your help...Sarah

So sorry to hear about your mix up Sarah. I do hope you get it resolved. I've used both priceline.com with success as well as hotwire.com with success. I guess I got lucky with both of these companies.
I recall reading a posting about a year ago about a man(?) that also had a credit card mix up when they asked him to enter the last 4 digits of his credit card for a re-bid(it was something like 2900) and they listed this as his bid $$.... times 2 tickets!! He had a %6,000 charge on his credit card! I recall it was for a flight that was like $500 full fare!! I believe he was able to resolve it sucessfully but it did take a few months. He was pretty panicy when he posted on Fodors....rightfully so! I think priceline will make good and you will prevail. It is unfortunate that they don't have easier access to cutomer survice personel...anyone know why?? (with all their busines don't say THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT)...please. It would make them more "reputable" if they did have an easy access customer service. This is one of my biggest pet peaves....customer no-service! I've only used priceline.com once (no problems) so I can't shed much light on this but I do wish you luck! Just reading this board for the past couple of years, it does seem that this is one of the biggest complaints we hear. It's only when something goes wrong that YOU REALLY WANT TO TALK TO A LIFE PERSON...hello, priceline.com are your hearing us? Lisa

I might be wrong but I believe there are some undercover priceline.com employees posting here...they rave about this company (their do no wrong; and their do no wrong/know all the answers website partner), just a wee bit much. I smell a mouse...Hmmmmmmm. Skeptical

I have also thought perhaps some posting here were far more than Priceline or biddingfortravel innocent "fans" - I still love this board, but since one is unable to check the source of any posting, I hope no one takes any individual post too seriously.

I just used Hotwire today and am very mad!!! I bought a 5 star hotel room in Chicago and really got a 4 Star hotel room! I could not find one 5 star rating at any site on the web. I even called the hotel - Le Meridien and they said themselves that they were 4 stars!!! I also found a cheaper price for this same hotel room 5 minutes after I found out my location on Travelocity!!! They should NEVER be cheaper than a blind selection on Hotwire. I am waiting for a reply to my complaint and will post it here.

Hotwire, like all the other ratings sites, has its own star system. You really only have a valid compalint if the hotel you got doesn't meet Hotwire's own criteria for 5 stars.

I don't know much about Hotwire, but on Biddingfortravel (BFT) you can find lists of hotels that people have gotten or might get on Priceline for various numbers of stars in each location. Le Meridien is the only hotel in Chicago rated 5 stars by Priceline.

Why do you think that Travelocity should "NEVER" be cheaper than Hotwire? The auction sites offer no guarantees. BFT strongly recommends that you research current rates on those hotels before bidding to reduce the very real risk of overbidding.

Deb,

If you look at Owen's post a few above this one, you'll see that Hotwire typically gives hotels a higher rating than Priceline does, which should just show you that different companies use different criteria for their ratings. There are actually very few "true" 5 Star hotels (in the world).

Hotwire describes their 5 Stars (Luxury)as:

Hotwire's star ratings reflect the level of overall service, accommodations and facilities that you can expect to find. Although Hotwire's ratings system is unique, we consider the following:

Luxury hotels offer world-class accommodations and services for the most discriminating traveler. Guest rooms are appointed with distinctive and elegant decor, pampering guests with the highest levels of comfort. These exclusive properties feature renowned restaurants with exquisite menus and may boast luxurious spa services. They are typically situated in desirable locations.

So although i understand the confusion, i don't think you'll have much of an argument as long as the hotel meets the description above (which is very vague).

I work here in Chicago for a well known florist who caters to the downtown hotels here in the city. According to my own city guide they list four hotels as 5 star hotels: Four Seasons, Ritz, Peninsula and Le Meridian. I've been in Le Meridian (No North Michigan Avenue) hundreds of times and think it is lovely. I can not imagine that you will be disappointed. It is a wonderful location and the staff is great. There are many different ways to rate a hotel so if you see Le Meridian rated somewhere as a 4 star, don't be alarmed...relax,it just depend on which rating system was used. The city guide in our shop rates Le Meridian as a 5 star. Not sure what your gripe is with Hotwire..?? Chris

reply part 1)
Several more comments... "thereuare" did properly explain how the lowest possible price (which is what the Priceline cost was) could be determined but keep in mind that in addition to sales tax (which is in fact 6% in NJ but in certain counties is only 4%) there are hotel room and occupancy taxes.

Note to those who suspect that some of the folks posting here may be shills for or employees of hotwire or Priceline... I can speak only for myself but will tell you this - I am a sales engineer living in the NYC metro area who has no affiliation with either company but I love to travel and the less I spend on a trip, the more I get to travel. I've been posting regularly in this forum for the past few years and if you've seen my previous comments on these two services you'll discover the following facts:

1) I've only used hotwire twice - once for a hotel room before I learned proper bidding techniques for Priceline and once for airline tix. I still check them as a reference price anytime I'm about to buy a hotel or airline tix. Haven't used them again because I consistently get better hotel room deals on Priceline and haven't bought airline tix again because I almost always need to choose the time of day I'll be traveling (I also like getting freq flyer miles which you do NOT get with either service).

2) Before I finally studied the bidding procedures described at BFT, I used Priceline only a few times. I got okay deals but not as good as I've gotten since then. I've been fortunate enough to be traveling at times that quite possibly weren't peak tourism times for the area I was visiting or in areas that have quite possibly had lower than normal occupancy rates. A co-worker who heard my raves about the great deals tried to get a room for Mother's day weekend in suburban Long Island and had no success, even with a relatively high bid. It doesn't always work - very much dependent on where you're going. I have gotten incredible deals in Seattle, Austin, San Francisco, Syracuse, Ann Arbor and Chicago. These are not isolated incidents, as other winning bids posted in BFT will prove.

reply part 2)
3) Some folks appear to save significant money on airline tix with Priceline but I never have and I've never bought airline tix through them. Would a Priceline employee make this statement? On two recent occasions when Priceline was adding a $25 "bonus" to all tix bids, I tried to get tix for a Newark to Belize trip. Despite using intelligent bidding procedures and getting multiple "free rebids", I ended up with a total bid that exceeded the hotwire price of $405 and was far too close to the actual price available for direct booking on American Air of $448. I got to choose the time of day and got 4,800 flier miles plus a 1,000 mile bonus for booking online. I'll try again in the future but for a trip of that length the savings would have to be well over $100 for me to contemplate using Priceline or hotwire with the disadvantages inherent in buying airline tix that way.

4) Do I really save money? Well... yes. I would never spring for a Hilton, Hyatt et al when on personal travel (some to think of it my employer never pays for those places!). The fact is that I would choose a moderate to budget price property provided it was clean and safe. I've stayed in many hotels fitting that description and some were okay but some were less than comfortable and a bit depressing (but I was able to afford the travel!). Now I travel and usually spend $35 to $60 per night on Priceline, usually but not always less than I might have spent if choosing a property myself I stay in much nicer properties. IN many cases, such as my upcoming Seattle trip, the savings are significant. I'm paying $40 per night for the new Elliot Grand Hyatt in downtown Seattle. The best I could have done at any other property I would find acceptable is $75-90 per night (I know because I did extensive research before choosing to bid on Priceline).

If any of you are interested in a plain English, easy-to-understand synopsis of the bidding procedures that are outlined at BFT, I have just finished a short Powerpoint document that I created for a few co-workers who want to bid (I'm not really a geek, I just get tired of explaining it to people). Anyone here who wants a copy, just email me direct and I'll send it as an attachment (unless someone can tell me where the heck to post it so that people could just download).

Thanks for posting a reply to me. Note - I just moved out of Chicago May 1st, after living in the Gold Coast for 3 years and am returning for a visit. When I bid on a 5 star hotel,I was expecting the Ritz, Four Seasons, or Park Hyatt. I have never been in Le Meridien, but I have read mixed reviews and I wanted a certain 5-star. I guess I should have expected lower ratings on a bid-site. Also, my point on Travelocity was that I would know what I am getting - public pricing whereas the whole thing with Hotwire is that the deals are not listed and "lowest" or else everyone would have them (or so I thought). I was just disappointed that I didn't get a low price after all from them when I shopped around after the fact. I had also NEVER heard they were 5 star before. I agree with you that they have their own rating system that Le Meridien is considered 5 star by them...and Chris' florist - I hope it is as nice as you say!

P.S. the other major reason I considered them a 4 and not 5 was again because I called the hotel directly and they told me they were just a 4 * hotel...I would think if they were 5 * they would shout it from the rooftops.

Owen and thereuare:
thanx a mint for posting clarification on how to work out what PL paid...the example, made it crystal clear for this dork!

Deb: As someone else mentioned, there are only a few true 5*'s in the world. Being reputable, LM touted their 4* rating. I find with any star rating there is star-minus, star, and star-plus. From Chris' post, sounds like LM may be 4*+ Anyway, looks like you can relax and just enjoy. Your incident shows how the payoff of research is saving $$ (not that you need to be told that now)

Deb - Unless I overlooked it, I don't think you said what price you paid for your LeM reservation....? Mind sharing?