surfingmomma

Ok, fellow travelers, which of you has used PRICELINE?

Please tell me the good/bad/ugly.

Thanks
Surfingmomma

DebitNM

Do a search, TONS of posts here about it. Many here use it, also hotwire.

A better place to look and learn:
http://betterbidding.com/

DebitNM

http://www.fodors.com/search/results...arch=priceline

musicfan

I just used it this morning! Got a rental car (standard size) for $18/day, first bid! The fees and taxes about doubled that amount, but it's still a good deal.

cd

I use it a lot. Second DebitNM....read up on http://betterbidding.com

mssav

I use priceline constantly...works great with a little knowledge. I use another site called BiddingForTravel.com to see how others have recently done in bidding where I want to go and use that as a basis to go on. I have got $375/night rooms for as low as $65 but typically I have found that the savings are around 1/2 price. It's all based on how popular the location is at the time you are going. Just remember there are no cancellations. The site I mentioned above has info on what hotels are in each star level zone so you have a pretty good idea of what you will get. I have nothing to say but good things about priceline as they have saved me a ton over the years.

gail

Priceline works well as long a few things exist. First, you either know the destination well and the "zones" are distinct - so you don't end up on the fringe of some nasty area. For example, "Inner Harbor" in Baltimore is a distinct area of the city, making it a good time to use Priceline.

Second, you are 100% positive of your itinerary and dates - or can deal with losing the money since no refunds really means no refunds.

Third, you can deal with possibly finding only 1 double/queen/king bed in the room - while it is possible to request directly from the hotel certain bedding, there is no guarantee.

If all 3 of these exist, then further educate yourself and try it.

cmcfong

I see you have recnetly asked about hotels in Boston. I have used Priceline twice in the last six months for Boston. I did bid only four stars in the Copley Square area. Both of my winning bids were $125. First time I was booked at the Fairmont Copley Square (upgrade to a deluxe king room because I belong to the free to join Fairmont President's club) and the second time I was booked in the W near all the theaters (upgraded because my standard room wasn't ready when I checked in at 0900!). In the words of the Monkees, I'm a Believer.

surfingmomma

Ok --I'll go for it!
Thanks

Kal

We love it and never had a problem...except an "operator error", of course.

We've bought mostly hotels and rental cars but have used it for flights.

MomDDTravel

I have used it mainly for hotels - and usually when I have a pretty good idea of the area and the local hotels. I do not use it when traveling with my family because of the bedding situation.

musicfan

^^^^ What MomDD said--I think this the most important part of Priceline...being familiar (either through personal experience or research) with the area and to accept the fact that a Priceline bid entitles you to accomodations for TWO people...you may be able to get a room to accommodate more, but it is not guaranteed.

Someone here on Fodor's just recommended a new site so I'll add it here as it looks legit and possibly very helpful: www.biddingtraveler.com

starrs

I've used it in the past, but find myself using Hotwire more often. With Hotwire, you can get a room with two beds.

Note - when most of us are talking about Priceline, we are referring to the "Name your own price" option on Priceline. The newer way to buy a room on Priceline isn't that much of a savings (in my experience).

I was in a hurry last week and wanted to see if I could find a room in a "new" area for me. I first checked the Priceline list of hotels and got an idea of what was available in a larger geographical area. The rooms were way too high (all around $100) so I moved to the "Name your own price" option and made two bids ($45 and $50). Neither took. Then, I checked the list of rooms on betterbidding.com, but there wasn't much there (for a non-city location). Looked at the Hotwire website and had an option of a 2.5 star for $50 and a 3* for $60. I choose the $50 room but was immediately given the option for a FREE upgrade to 3* (which was new for me). The info said it would be the equivalent of a Holiday Inn, Doubletree, Hampton Inn. It turned out to be a Holiday Inn. I went back to look at the Priceline page and the HI website and $99 was the cheapest I could get for 3* hotels in the area so I was very pleased with the outcome.

BTW, you can't book a pet-friendly room, although some "winning" hotels are pet-friendly. I had a reservation for my pup at doggy camp but called the hotel just to ask. That hotel's pet fee was $10 - cheaper than doggy camp. So, pup went on a short road trip too. I arrived late and they had saved the first room on the hall for me and were very friendly and happy to see us. It turned out to be a handicap accessible room which has happened fairly often.

JeanH

I use Priceline for airport hotels. I don't use it when I am anywhere longer than one night since I prefer small hotels or B&B's, which are rarely, if ever, on Priceline.

I did just bid on a hotel at the Dallas airport for next week. Got the Grand Hyatt, right in the airport, for US$70.00. Posted rates for that night are about $250.00. Happy am I. And no shuttle to hassle with!!!!

cmcfong

Great deal, Jean. I paid right at $100 at that hotel because they offer really nice senior discounts. The restaurant was very good (do try the gelato!) and I loved the gourmet chocolate shop. enjoy your trip.

Surfingmom, let us know how you do.

Kealalani

I had suggested looking into Priceline as an option. But understand you cannot cancel and there is risk involved. For instance, although we got a great rate for a Saturday night, the hotel was busy so we ended up with two double beds. We could have paid another $25 to upgrade to a King with a better view, but opted not to for one night.

I have never investigated their trip insurance option, but this far out, with that many nights, if you had an emergency that whole week would be a pricey loss.

Or you might want to book a backup hotel that has a 24 -48 cancelation policy and try bidding on Priceline a week or two before your departure.

tomfuller

I have been successful with bids on Priceline on Airline flights and rental cars as well. If you know the area, bidding on a four star in a specific zone, will get you one of only 2 hotels.

fredandgingermad

i used priceline last week when i had booked an airport hotel by mistake in Kansas City when i actually needed one near the Amtrak station :/ Priceline gave me a chance to choose the area i actually needed, the rate i got wasn't as good as some people seem to have got, but it was still over half price and its only a short walk from the Amtrak station rather than a 20 miles drive

MarcJ55

I use it often but only when traveling with parts of 2 or fewer as priceline only guarantees the room will accommodate 1 or 2 people. Most times its okay but not always... I know from experience. http://www.hoteldealsrevealed.com/fo...hp?f=77&t=1320 See this post for a detailed account of my trip with 4 people using a Priceline.

sludick

We also use it all the time. I usually look for 4* wins on Name Your Own Price, but may go lower if I know the area and winning hotels pretty well. You've received some good advice, you do need to do your homework and be willing to take a few lumps occasionally. There were a couple of occasions (my fault, mostly) where I just let the room go altogether - such as getting a really inexpensive place in an area of Tucson that turned out to be pretty bad. But I used Priceline to get a better place for that same night, getting a 4* wonderful property. Lesson learned.

One newer feature on Priceline is being able to set up an email alert if somebody wins a property in an area you are interested in at or below a certain price. Good for getting a feeling for what's going on.