Donna

I bought concert tickets and tickets to the John Singer Sargent exhibition at the MFA in May and have been shopping hotels ever since for the end of August. We used to rely on the Midtown (with free parking for $129 AAA rate), the Tremont ($149) or the Park Plaza ($169). Rates have gone way up this year, though. Ultimately, I booked the new Seaport for $139. But, I like the Back Bay area better for staying and dining and nightlife. I also booked the Milner for $105 because it's in Back Bay. It's a good value, but not all that nice. Then, I found that a new Wyndham opened on Broad Street and got a rate there of $136. The location is okay - not too far from the waterfront (walking through the Big Dig) and Quincy Marketplace, but a hike to Back Bay. I wasn't satisfied with any of these places, so I decided to try Priceline. I limited the "zone" to Downtown Boston and entered a request for a 4-star hotel with a price of $150. The response took a little longer than an hour (about two), but I was rewarded with a room at the Fairmont Copley Plaza! I know this to be a fabulous hotel (it's where the Clintons stay when they're in town, as opposed to the Ritz or Four Seasons). Just for jokes, I shopped this particular hotel right after I received the confirmation from Priceline, and the results were as follows: www.180096hotel.com $199.95; Hotelbook $259; Expedia $269 (corporate rate); Travelweb $289 (corporate rate). So, I'm thrilled with the results of my first venture with Priceline. Thought I'd let everyone who's wondering about Priceline and hotels in Boston...

Helen

Just curoius, if Priceline.com mathces your price, you are required to purchase, correct?

Donna

Yes, once you bid, if Priceline is able to meet your requirements, you are booked and your credit card is charged. It is essential to read the rules and FAQ's thoroughly so that you understand how it works. It's also useful if you're a bit familiar with the neighborhoods in the place you'll be visiting when selecting your preferred areas. You might also want to limit your bid to one area the first time, as you can only make another request for the same destination on the same date(s) if you choose another area. By the way, we were thrilled with the Copley Plaza! And, the low, low rate. (And, we were warmly welcomed in spite of having booked through Priceline.) Curiously, tips were refused by everyone (valet parking, concierge, bell hop, etc.). We've stayed at the Milner before and it is sort of "Motel 6". The Seaport Hotel is very isolated (but was directly across from the concert venue) with much construction going on all around. There's not much to the "harbor view" and the "city view" is obstructed. The new Wyndham (we walked by it) looks wonderful from the outside. The location is a bit desolate (very quiet at 7PM on a Saturday night). From there, you can walk to Faneuil Hall, the Waterfront, the subway - if you don't mind doing a lot of walking.

merriem

I just recently tried priceline.com and could not believe that my bid was always too low for a hotel room. Just needed one night at the airport in Kansas City, so finally called the Hilton and got a $69 rate, and that included leaving my car there while on vacation. Frankly, a direct contact with the hotel always seems to get a lower rate.

julie

merriem-

i agree with you that sometimes calling a hotel directly will get you the lowest rate, but having worked in the industry i can assure you this is not always the case...keep checking through all available sources!

i have also had outstanding results using priceline.com to book hotels. by the way...priceline only has contracts negotiated with some hotels even within a chain, which may be why your offer (assuming it was the same $ amount) was not accepted through priceline.

Dick

My understanding is that PRiceline.com uses its own rating sytem to rate hotels...not an independent firm like AAA.....so a 4 star hotel is whatever they want it to be.

Patt

I'd considered using priceline -- for Boston specifically -- and would have liked to know which hotels they work with before I put in a bid. I know Boston well enough to know that two hotels in the same chain can be in vastly different neighborhoods, and it didn't seem to me that their subdivisions of the Boston area were specific enough. The generic "downtown" Boston could have put you anywhere from Brookline to Chelsea.

Am I right in thinking you really don't have any control over where you get put -- e.g., if they come up with a room at the edge of the red-light district (even if in a "nice" place), you don't have the option of declining or canceling?

Scott

We had a nice result with our first and only priceline.com try. We were headed to Disney in Orlando with only 10 days notice. Put in a $50 a nite bid (Thursday thru Sunday stay) for a "3 star" hotel near Epcot. Got it at the Hyatt (not really a 3 star but who cares) for that price only 1-2 miles away. The usual rate was $150-160 per night.

I think this was all flukey though because we were able to get great prices on airline tickets there last minute. We found once we were there why we probably got such great rated on travel and room- it was national gay pride weekend there... we still managed to enjoy the trip some.