Something here does not sound right and I'm guessing the bidder did not do their research on biddingfortravel to check the zone or hotel possibilities beforehand. Also, why is the name of the winning hotel not mentioned? I would like to know the name of the lodging in question.

Hi Kallie, Yes, you're right -- those of you who are uneducated ARE doomed to be screwed. You will feel screwed if you don't educate yourself with what Priceline itself ways about its policies -- even without going to resources like biddingfortravel. PL guarantees you a room for two people -- no choice of bed type(s), smoking or not, views, floors, wings, etc. etc. That is what you bid on, and that's what you got.

I LOL when you commented on a hotel that got 3 stars from PL but 2.8 from TripAdvisor. Are you aware that each site has its own rating system? PL doesn't even HAVE a 2.8 star rating!

I think you made the right decision, stated in the OP, that you'll never use PL again. You have done a great public service by clarifying that PL will not guarantee whether your room will be smoking or non. Anyone who MUST have a certain type of room (nonsmoking, 2 beds, etc.) should not use PL.

I, on the other hand, have used it for years and have always been satisfied (occasionally delighted) with my accommodations.

Kallie has mentioned that it's a Holiday Inn, though not which one

To those of you who have been kind and informative, I thank you.
To those of you who have been judgmental, I bow three times to your greater wisdom.
Thanks, everybody!

Kallie, sorry to hear about your bad experience.

Like many others here, I take exception to your use of "con program" when dealing with Priceline, which is totally reputable. I use it all the time and have yet to have a problem. In fact, I don't remember ever reading a "con" or "scam" post on Fodors.com which was actually a con or a scam! It's often people who either screwed up on their own or just one of those travel-related things that happen, like being placed in a non-smoking room when you wanted smoking, etc etc etc.

Again, sorry, but this really isn't Priceline's fault.

Just thought I would post my recent, very good experience with Priceline.

Last weekend a friend and I stayed at the Marriot Coronado in San Diego. I started the bidding at $75, 4* Coronado. I kept increasing my bid, by adding zones without 4* hotels and got the room for $95/night. I was hoping for the Del, but the Marriot was terrific. I called a day ahead to request a non-smoking room with 2 beds overlooking the bay. I got the non-smoking and the 2 beds, but not the view. No problem.

We also stayed at the Crowne Plaza in Redondo Beach. This is listed as a 3* hotel and is quite nice - very comfortable, helpful employees, right across the street from the marina. I got this hotel for $90/night. Requested a non-smoking room with 2 beds and we got it. Our room was overlooking the pool and the marina, which was really great.

Wanted to post an update:
I wrote Priceline again and they fixed the problem! They apparently contacted the hotel and I was changed to a non-smoking room.
So, I stand corrected. And I do withdraw the "con" comment.
But, nevertheless, I do think it is a real wake-up call to myself and to others that you really need to know the rules and read the fine-print, especially if you have special needs.
Thanks everyone again for your help.

I too have had nothing but good experiences using Priceline, and cannot understand why you would blame Priceline for a hotel not guaranteeing you a nonsmoking room, or in fact why you are upset in advance of your stay, because I was under the impression that bed type/smoking or nonsmoking/floor location were REQUESTS, not guarantees, even on nonprepaid reservations.

Though initially hesitant to use a service that takes away a measure of control, the lure of REALLY CHEAP ROOMS emboldened me to try Priceline for the first time when I needed a hotel for 3 nights in downtown Miami for a function I was going to. Stayed at the Hyatt Regency on the executive level, for under $100 total for the 3-night stay! Other experiences have included stays at the JW Marriott in Mexico City that were so nice that we joke that we will go there instead of to a nursing home when we need to be taken care of, and it will be MUCH cheaper at $79 a night!

I've become a big advocate of Priceline, as long as you realize that you are only bidding for a room in a general location that will sleep 2 people and have features according to the rating level, and that the payment is nonrefundable. All my friends have been equally delighted with the rooms they have received and the prices they have paid. I think the hotels should be happy to have me, especially since I tend to splurge on meals and services given that the room is so rock-bottom cheap!

Kallie, thank you for posting, it's great to know that a problem can be corrected after contacting Priceline.

I have only had wonderful experiences with Priceline - and I book almost once a week. But, I do know their guidelines. I've never been stuck in an unsatisfactory room, but I do realize that if the hotel is full, I'll probably get the least desirable room.

Most of the time, the hotel is almost empty and all of my requests have been accomodated and the rooms have been great!

Glad it worked out for you Kallie:)

Just another comment on Priceline. We had been bidding for a 3* hotel in the Rochester, MN area. Consistently we would get the Kahler Hotel, and older hotel but nonetheless meeting the 3* standards. After our last stay, I checked my old bids and found that Priceline had downgraded that hotel and our bid for a 3* was now considered a 2*.

I called Priceline, even though I had NO complaint about the hotel, and they refunded 100% of the money for the last stay and provided us with links for the previous stays for discounts when we bid.

I think Priceline, in general, does what it can to satisfy their customers -- within reason.

I have booked a large number of rooms through Priceline and in my experience, they are totally up-front on what you may or may not get. You are getting a bargain price -- if you don't want to go that way, book the old-fashioned way and pay the premium price. As soon as I book with Priceline, I call the hotel to request a non-smoking room. I've never had a problem. BTW, I alway carry Febrez when I travel-- just in case!!!

Hi, Kallie. I'm glad you were able to get your non-smoking room. I just wanted to add my wholehearted endorsement of Priceline. I have used it many, many times over the past couple of years and have never been unhappy with the hotels I've gotten. I prefer a non-smoking room and have never had a problem getting one at any of the hotels I've gotten on Priceline. I've been able to travel more since I discovered Priceline (thanks to the wonderful people here on the Fodors site) because I can get a hotel for a fraction of the price anywhere else.

This rule should also apply to travel agents. DON'T blame your travel agents either when your hotel "requests" are not met by the hotel. The same thing should go for airline SEATS! I can't tell you how many times I have been sitting next to someone on a plane who makes a comment like "my travel agent gave me this crappy middle seat-I think I will call her and complain". Sure, seats ARE assigned, but please realize that almost 25% are left for airport checkin and that means many passengers don't actually have a seat until they check in. Your seat preference is "on request". This is to keep families w/children from being separated and to hold seats for preferred frequent flyer status. I have to say that pinning the blame on those who don't have anything to do with a problem is most often out of ignorance and just not knowing the process. Travel is an industry where misunderstandings are frequent- always read the small print!

I've always had good luck with Priceline, but this last time I was taken by surprise 'cus I bid for a hotel,my bid was accepted, and then when I called the hotel I found out that I had to pay $25 for parking!! This was quite a surprise to me-----did I miss something? I would call that a hidden cost-----but perhaps I'm not reading the fine print????? Any comments from you seasoned priceliners?

Parking fees are never included in room rates, neither is breakfast or laundry. If you're bidding for a hotel in a downtown area of a major city, then you'll have to pay for parking, regardless whether it's Priceline or through the hotel's website.

Of course, you don't know which hotel you may get, so if you don't want to be shocked by parking prices, call up all the hotels that've been reported on biddingfortravel.com and find out what hotels are charging for parking in that area, before you bid.

There is nothing hidden about a city hotel charging for parking--any hotel in a city location willcharge for parking. Priceline has nothing to do with it.

Priceline does have to satisfy the Americans with Disabilities Act. I'm not sure if Kallie's situation falls in that category, although it might. If you are handicapped such that you require a special handicapped room, you can still bid on Priceline. You then phone the hotel and requested a handicapped room. If the hotel does not have that available, your booking can be refunded. Look at the Priceline site for details as this issue is discussed there; don't rely on this possibly inaccurate summary.

In some cases, it seems that hotels dole out handicapped rooms to Priceline customers by default, perhaps to satisfy this requirement automatically.

It's interesting that Kallie says that this particular hotel hates Priceline. No one forces this hotel to participate with Priceline. It's completely the hotel's choice to do this, and they have made a decision that they profit by doing so. According to guidelines I have read on the web that were directed at hotel management, Priceline expects hotels to fill reasonable requests if possible, and smoking and bed types qualify in most cases, I would think. Priceline informs hotels that customers will phone with requests. None of this should be a surprise to the hotel.

Hi, Since you asked, here is my nightmare priceline story. Overall, I have had good luck getting an acceptable room for a GREAT price using priceline, and always do the biddingfor travel.com research before I bid. Often travelling to see a sick relative, I have to travel to baltimore area and usually stayed in the sheraton in towson. i checked biddingfortravel and the only hotel that anyone had ever gotten that was a 3* (the highest rating available in towson) was the sheraton, which i was used to paying about 170.00 per night retail. so i bid 85 and got the "marriott burkshire hotel and conference center". i checked the marriott site and found that i could get a room for the night in question for about 90.00. then i check other resources who all rate the marriott a 2* or worse. oh well, that is the chance you take on priceline. then i get there and find out that much of the hotel has been converted to a college dorm, bc towson state ran out of housing so took over much of the place. the place is a total dump, with college kids running around drunk (a thurs night) and the first room i am given has unmade beds and trash strewn about. the 2nd room had the beds made, but had stale coffee sitting in the coffeemaker and the garbage had not been emptied in the kitchen and it was stinking. the college kid manning the desk was nice but out of his league in such a situation. The whole thing was my fault, bc you know when you bid that you might get a hotel "new" to priceline at any time. but there is just no way that this "hotel" compared to any 3* I had ever been to, no matter what the criteria. it is more like a youth hostel....another warning to priceline neophytes is that i only spend money on priceline that i can burn in a trashcan, bc of the inability to get a refund in case of changes in travel plans. with aging parents, flaky teenagers, and no flu vaccines for healthy people this year, I greatly value, and occasionally take advantage of the luxury of cancelling when necessary. karen