NeoPatrick

I've only actually booked via Priceline once. It was for a single night in New York City when we were using a friend's apartment and it occurred to me that since our flight out was early in the morning, we wouldn't have time to do laundry, make the beds, etc. So about a week before, I started looking for a hotel. In all honesty MOST midtown hotels were already completely full -- something going on -- but I tried Priceline. I followed all the rules and after several bids got the Times Square Hilton. It was about $150, while I could have booked direct for about $185 or $190, but that was fine. Despite people insisting here that I'm lying, they weren't overly pleasant to me. We got a special "handicapped" room with a shower that literally had no water except a light drip, and several other things about the room we really didn't like. When I spoke to the desk, they said it was "because we were only there for one night and BECAUSE we booked at a big discount on Priceline" so that's all they could do. In fairness, I'm sure they were totally full also. That's also when I learned that I couldn't get my Hilton Honors points either since I booked through Priceline (which would have been worth paying a few more dollars for).

But otherwise, I've tried a few times -- once in Seattle and once in Chicago, that I specifically recall. I had prebooked discounted rooms (senior rate, I believe) with hotels in either place, and couldn't get Priceline bids for anything much less than that. Again, in fairness, a lot of people were posting on Bidding for Travel about failed bids in Seattle, so it just seemed to not be a good deal there at that particular time. In fact people were posting "successful" bids at rates higher than I was paying at the same hotel (again, a super senior rate, though). I won't do a Priceline room unless it's pretty substantial savings. When I can get a highly discounted room direct at a hotel I know I'd like, I don't take a chance for the privilege of saving maybe $15 or $20 dollars, and not knowing what specific hotel I might be in -- yes, I'm pretty picky that way. I'll risk it for "big" savings, but not for meager ones. So when the bids are turned down that close to what I can get on my own, or I'd have to include an area I really don't want, I move on.

tom42

Not sure why I feel compelled to add to this already overly-lenghty post but....

Mark - you seem to be stuck on the fact that Priceline "claims to get you a "bargain of 40% or more off the daily rate..."

I would agree with you that if in fact Priceline guarantees or indicates that you will always get 40% off the daily rate (although the term "daily rate" is pretty vague and does not necessarily mean the lowest available rate from that hotel for your particular dates)and in fact you don't, then there could be a problem.

However, Priceline does NOT say that. What it does say is "save UP TO 50%" on hotels. Some people might save 0%, some 10%, some 30% and some 50%. There is no guarantee on the site as to the size of your savings or if, in fact, you will save anything at all.

So, Priceline does not:

1. Guarantee the percentage of savings you will get

and

2. Does not make any representations, as far as I can tell, that the daily rate quoted on its site reflects the lowest available rate for that particular hotel for the dates you are seeking to travel.

I fail to see a scam.

travelgourmet

So when the bids are turned down that close to what I can get on my own, or I'd have to include an area I really don't want, I move on.

Which is what you should do.

To be honest, I find that the big savings on Priceline are largely for weekend stays in major business centers. It can be less useful for tourist destinations and for midweek stays.

And I find it a waste of time for anything less than a US 3-star or EU 4-star. Below that, you are both taking a big risk in terms of quality, and the savings never seem substantial.

NeoPatrick

"Which is what you should do."

Exactly. Please note, I am NOT complaining about Priceline and I get tired of people telling me I'm being unfair to them whenever I simply give my limited experience. In fact, because most of our travel involves longer stays and mostly in apartments, there is little that Priceline can offer me. My only point is that I have not spent hours and hours, days and days, trying to make it work for me, and I have moved on when it hasn't worked for me. More power to those who take the time and energy to pursue it, and end up being particularly lucky with the results as well. Winning is a combination of knowing what you're doing, heavy research, and also a little bit of luck.

easytraveler

After all this back and forth, I went into biddingfortravel and looked up 4* (remember this is Priceline's own rating, so the rating could be different elsewhere) winning bids in Miami.

Not that many winning 4* bids, folks, not that many winning bids.

What does this tell you?

Not much available for 4* in Miami.

Here's what came up for imaginary dates of April 28-April 30:

Hilton Miami Airport
Prior Priceline winning bid: $82
Priceline NON-BID, discount price: $209
Expedia: $216
Sidestep: $159

Hyatt Regency Miami
Prior Priceline winning bid: $74
Priceline NON-BID, discount price: $199
Expedia: $189
Sidestep: $148

Intercontinental West Miami
Prior Priceline winning bid: $115
Priceline NON-BID, discount price: $144
Expedia: $144
Sidestep: $128

Hyatt Regency Coral Gables
Prior Priceline winning bid: $60, $75, $137
Priceline NON-BID, discount price: $279
Expedia: $279
Sidestep: $279

Sidestep is like a clearinghouse of hundreds of rates, so I didn't have to go through "five" or more websites to check individual pricing, just that one website: sidestep. Sidestep will also list the lowest price available.

On sidestep, at the right side you can also instantly compare sidestep rates with Orbitz, Expedia, Priceline (non-bid, just discounted rates), hotelsdotcom, Hotwire, and BookIt rates.

First off, I don't believe Mark did ANY research before placing his bid. If he had, then he would have seen that the highest bid price for a 4* in Miami is $137. That would have been the MAXIMUM of his bid, provided he wanted that zone. Every other winning bid is under $100.

So, if he had done any research at all, his bid would have been $60 to a $82 to try and get a 4* hotel for under $100.

Secondly, why go to only five other hotel discount sites for comparison? If he knew how to do research, he would have used something like Sidestep and gotten more than just five sites.

Conclusion: Mark didn't know how to use Priceline. He didn't do any research. He didn't come to Fodors for any advice.

As a "know-it-all" he got his fingers burnt and now he's blaming Priceline for his own inabilities.

This is a good thread, because it warns others not to just start using Priceline willy-nilly like Mark did. Do your research. Do your research. And you'll end up with wonderful savings.

You don't take the first step, fall off the cliff, and then blame the cliff.

paula1470

janis-Yes I threw the "R" word in again because I knew that was something mark wasn't familiar with!!

Patrick-After reading your post, I am glad we got such a good deal in Seattle for my DD. $75 as opposed to $228.

easytraveler-Good info but I am sure that mark never looked at any of that. It's the "R" word again.

dmlove

FWIW, I have read every post in this thread (because I find it so darned amusing!) and I am in complete agreement with all but Mark's [apparent] relatives (LOL). However, from a legal standpoint, there are a couple of things being bandied about that are simply incorrect.

since all of that is based purely on opinion and tastes, there is no way to argue it!

This is simply not true, legally-speaking. Obviously, if they claim 4* and many would say it's not 4* it's only 3*, you wouldn't be able to make a case. But suppose they said it was 4* and it was a flea-bag. You definitely could make a case and win.

The point is, "non-refundable" does not translate to "fraud is permissible". Using the store example above, let's say a store was holding a going out of business sale. They're selling sweaters at a deep discount, on a non-refundable basis. The sign above the sweater table says "100% pure cashmere", but in fact the sweaters are made of nylon. Non-refundable? No, because they lied about the product.

Also, it is illegal, at least in California, to raise the price of a product and then claim a bigger discount (I'm not saying that's what Priceline does, just responding to an earlier poster's comment).

jbass

The sign above the sweater table says "100% pure cashmere", but in fact the sweaters are made of nylon. Non-refundable?

Wouldn't you read the label before buying? -- as in doing your research...

NeoPatrick

Once again, I fail to see the connection. mark didn't bid on a hotel and get a motel. He didn't bid on a hotel in South Beach and get one in Hialeah. He got what he was bidding on. And stars for hotel ratings are based on what amenities they have, not how "nice" or "clean" they are.

I think your sweater example would be much more like mark's situation if the sign said "Compare to $199" or even "Manufacturer's suggested price $199". If you then bought one for $150 without finding out first that the store normally sells them at a discount price of $125, then it wasn't really a scam. You just didn't check it out properly. If the hotel mark "won" has a sign on the back of a room door that lists the price of $250 a night, then they haven't been dishonest, even if NORMALLY everyone, including the hotel itself discounts their rooms significantly and no one ever actually pays that price. Now if they said the hotel was in South Beach and instead it was in Hialeah, then your cashmere sweater example would be more similar.

Callaloo

"Obviously, if they claim 4* and many would say it's not 4* it's only 3*, you wouldn't be able to make a case. But suppose they said it was 4* and it was a flea-bag. You definitely could make a case and win."

Actually, my understanding is that the star-rating system is not qualitative. The ratings are based on the existence of certain amenities, which are objectively determinable, and not on whether a particular property is "nice." A 4* hotel, for example, must have room service, while a 2* doesn't. So, you could indeed have a nominally 4* hotel that is a flea bag as long as it has room service and the other amenities required for that category. Since these criteria are objective -- and it's easy to figure out whether a hotel meets the requirements -- there is a further premium on the "R" word.

Anonymous

The room service example is a good choice. In New York City, for instance, many hotels fail to achieve 4* ratings on Priceline because of this very factor. But with a dozen restaurants and takeout places on the same block, who needs room service? Sometimes, the local takeout places will deliver to your room, a much better variety and value than the usual hotel room service. I've gotten some very nice 3* places in NYC because of the PL rating system.

NeoPatrick

My point exactly, Callaloo. I'd really enjoy watching the court proceedings with someone trying to get money back because a hotel billed itself as a four star, had all the amenities that classify a four star, but yet didn't "satisfy the personal taste" of the person suing. I wouldn't hold my breath on that one! Especially if the person suing never even stayed in the hotel but refused it based on his "personal understanding" of it.

dmlove

Wouldn't you read the label before buying? -- as in doing your research...

In my example, I'm assuming the label also says 100% pure cashmere. And before you ask, no, I don't think you have to do a scientific analysis!

dmlove

You just didn't check it out properly. If the hotel mark "won" has a sign on the back of a room door that lists the price of $250 a night, then they haven't been dishonest, even if NORMALLY everyone, including the hotel itself discounts their rooms significantly and no one ever actually pays that price.

Actually, for the sale of "goods", this is exactly what is illegal in California. I don't mean illegal as in you might or might win a court case, I mean illegal as in there is a statute prohibiting this practice. If the price is "normally" discounted, then you can't claim the amount of the "discount" off the higher, never-actually-used price. You can't raise the price for one day (to $200 in your example) and then claim $150 is a 25% discount.

jbass

Mark99-Are you out there?

I'm throwing out a challenge to Mark--tell us the NAME of the hotel before this post hits 200 responses?
Can you? Will you? [-o<

jbass

p.s. I'll re-fold the entire table of cashmere, I mean nylon sweaters.
C'mon -- only 40 responses to go and counting...... [-o<

NeoPatrick

jbass, we all know that mark will not post the name of the hotel. First of all, it's clear than much of the information he's reported here is totally bogus (including what he claims it said on the Priceline websire), and if he were to name a hotel, it would be too easy for someone to either find a place where it was advertised for the amount they listed or else someone would easily disprove that everyone discounts it that much, or someone would point out that that hotel does in fact meet all the criteria for being a four star hotel as rated by Priceline, or someone will post other winning bids there he should have looked up on Bidding for Travel, or else someone would rave about the hotel he refused to stay at, or . . .well, any of a dozen other things.

janisj

dmlove: You are mixing apples and oranges. A CA store cannot raise the prices to inflate a sale discount. But a hotel definitely CAN post a rack rate in the room - even if it is seldom if ever rented at that price.

The rack rate is simply what the hotel could charge, not that it does or ever will.

NeoPatrick

Or actually those posted rack rates may be charged -- like once a year during the annual "art fair" or special convention or whatever.

GoTravel

I think the bottom line is that Mark didn't do his homework and is blaming priceline for his mistakes.

Those of us who have taken the time to learn the ropes know priceline is a good deal.