xxx

I'm planning on spending a few days in Seattle on my way back from Canada in mid june and am having a difficult time finding any decent rates for hotel rooms. Someone suggested using Priceline.com, but I wanted to check and see what people's experiences have been before I go and take a chance on it. So has anyone used this service? Have you been pleased with the quality of hotels? Are the hotel locations remote and undesirable?

NYguy

I just got 3 nights at the Marriott Courtyard Lake Union for $50 a night on Pricelines. Have not stayed there yet so can't tell you anymore about the hotel. Anyone have any more info?

joan

Yes, I've used Priceline a number of times. Very pleased. There are, however, some "tricks" to getting the area and quality-level you want. You have to do your homework. For example, if Seattle is split into four zones, and you want a four star hotel, in order to re-bid after a failed bid, you must change your parameters...so, you include an extra zone or combinations of zones which DO NOT have a four-star hotel in them... there is a great website which explains all this and more:
http://pub4.ezboard.com/bpricelineandexpediabidding

Go there, and read carefully before you bid, and you will be much more successful. They even tell you recent successful bids. And no, the hotel locations are not remote or undesirable: we got the Wyndham Bel Age in Hollywood for $59 ($179 value) last year, Wyndham Universal Studios for $39 a couple of weeks ago... and many more.
Good Luck!

Owen O'Neill

I was always skeptical of Priceline.com but used them last fall on a Boston trip and was very pleased. Had no initial success getting a 3 or 4 star hotel in my bid range in downtown Boston. Changed to two zones and ended up with the Kendall Marriott for $105 per night. It was only two stops on the T-line from downtown the usual rate is $200+. Last weekend I went to Ann Arbor MI and bid $40(not incl the Priceline $5). Was awarded the Candlewood Suites - very nice property and comparable to a Marriott TownPlace Suites. The usual nightly rate at Candlewood is Seattle for Labor Day weekend but not sure if I'll use Priceline for that as I have more specific requirements for location on this trip. All told, it's a good service and a great way to save $$.

Duane

Priceline is fine. I have used it several times, however a better site, using the same basic premise (e.g. they tell you the hotel name after you agree to buy, you tell them the area and # of star hotel you want). Try hotwire.com. You tell them where you want to go and what # of star hotel, and then they give you the price as opposed to the other way around. I've got 3 star accomodations in Boston for $54 per night in July through them.

xxx

Thanks for the advice. NYGuy I was just curious as to what quality level you requested and if you asked for Downtown Seattle. Thanks!

Boots

I'm so glad you posted this thread xx! I had tried Priceline several other times and hadn't been able to get any hotels in my price range. Reading Joan's post inspired to me to check that website (pub4 mentioned above where other folks list their successful and unsuccessful bids) and that inspired me to try again. Just got a 4 star hotel in inner Harbour Baltimore (the Renaissance) for $75/night on a weekend!! The best I could get through normal channels was a $179/night AAA rate. Yippee!! I've never been able to actually use Priceline before but feel very comfortable with it due to its publicity. Will let you all know if there's any problem.

Susan

I used Priceline last year. Didn't go anywhere exciting -- just one suburb away from home as we were moving and without a place to sleep for one night. I was very pleased with our experience. I had specified that we had two adults and two kids, but when we were shown to our room it only had one bed. I said "No, this won't do, you can see we have four people here," and they gave us two adjoining, connected rooms without batting an eye or changing the rate.

I was especially satisfied given my suspicion that the error was on my side, that I somehow hadn't followed proper procedure in letting them know we would have kids with us!

dave

It's good to here the positive responses from these folks that used Priceline. I do want to give you my experience which wasn't horrible, but disappointing. I stayed in a hotel in Cleveland to visit Sea World Ohio and requested 3 stars or higher and was given a Radisson hotel for $59. Unfortunately the property was old and not well kept with an ancient air conditioning system and worn look to the rooms. But for $59 during peak travel season I wouldn't have been to disappointed until the day before leaving I found the same hotel on Travelocity and Expedia for only $52 and a 2 star rating(which was more accurate). I didn't mind the price, but my opinion of 3 stars greatly differed from what priceline considered 3 stars. So I would suggest adding an extra star to your expectations when bidding so that if you want a 3 star, request 4 stars etc., and pay attention to the zones or you could end up far away from your desired location. Good luck.

Don

Dave, Sorry to hear about your negative experience in Cleveland. Sometimes this happens with Priceline ratings (I don't know where they get them from), but not always.

On the Web site mentioned above (http://pub4.ezboard.com/bpricelineandexpediabidding), there's a section where people report on their hotel stays--they cite the specific hotels and locations. The reports vary from "about what I expected for the * rating" (most) to "better than I expected" (some) to "should have been rated lower" (a few).

There's another thread (called "Grossly Misrated Hotels") on the Priceline bidding Web site mentioned above. If you visit this Web site, it'd be nice if you could make a post about the Cleveland Radisson there. That way, others would be aware of the possibility of getting that hotel with a 3* bid in whichever Priceline zone that's in in Cleveland and can consider taking their chances with a 3* bid or raising it to a 4* bid. Thanks!

joan

Susan raised a good point. We had the same issue in Los Angeles (4 people in a room). But by using the pub4... website advice, I knew to call the hotel directly ahead of time and request 2 double beds. The hotel does not have to comply, and can charge you more if they want to. But they didn't, even upgraded us upon our mid-afternoon arrival because our room wasn't ready. (Lots of smiles for the desk clerk always help here, I've learned).

TSM

What's a reasonable rate to request for a 4 or 5 star in someplace like downtown Seattle in June?

topper

Topper

joan

TSM: Read Dave's post above....you must do you homework, that is, check the websites of the Seattle hotels you find listed on the pub4 website mentioned above, so you know going in what the current rates are. Only then can you offer a "bargain" rate to Priceline.

KK

I only tried priceline once, and was rather disapointed. The property was rather shabby and I think I could have done at least as well on the rate with minimal haggling. I'm not discounting other's positive experiences, but it's (priceline) not always the best answer.

Cissy

Used priceline once. On short notice decided to fly from Dallas to Boston during this past Xmas. Got non-stop flights on American Airlines, reasonable departure times & cost was $188 (including taxes, etc.)

Clara

I used priceline.com once and had no problems. I requested a four star hotel in Atlantic City. We didn't care where we stayed.

I offered $25 and filled out an aplication for a Discover card, which gave me an extra fifteen dollars on my bid or something.

We ended up staying at the Sheraton (VERY nice, but not near the casinos or boardwalk) for $25. We were pleased.

DAN JAMES

TRY DISCOUNTHOTELS.COM

Boots

Back to comment on our Baltimore Renaissance/Priceline experience. It was wonderful and a wonderful hotel. I didn't even have to show my internet receipt at the front desk -just gave them my name and they gave us a lovely room. $79 for a 4 star hotel? I'm hooked.

Marc

Priceline refused to give me a deal a year ago, but now things are rosy. $300 ($375 inc. taxes fees) this May from TUS to Cozumel when everyone else was $700+. 4star Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver for $58 this weekend (all booking agents wanted $150+). 4 star (really only 3 star) Renaissance hotel in CLE this November. $22/day Budget rental in SEA this weekend. Not bad...