If you do not use Priceline for hotels when you travel, why not? I teach a class in Adult Education on discount travel and are interested in learning more about the thoughts of people who DO NOT USE Priceline.

What are your complaints, concerns and problems with Priceline for hotels? If you used it in the past and had a bad experience, tell us about it.

Thanks!

Sorry, I've only had good experiences.

No complaints here.

No 5 star properties,and what they call a 4 star is sometimes suspect.

I use Priceline.com whenever I have the opportunity for hotels, but I can think of obvious reasons not to use it:

1. Your plans could change.
2. You want to pick a very specific hotel for some reason.
3. Priceline isn't the best deal in that region. In smaller cities and towns, you may be able to get a Priceline bid accepted but without saving much money.
4. Priceline hotels in some zones vary in quality. In Portland, the Four Points Sheraton downtown comes up as a 3-star - great location but so-so hotel.
5. Priceline zone is too big and you risk getting a hotel in an area you don't want. In Portland, Priceline defines "downtown" to include the Rose Quarter and Lloyd Center area east of the river, even though to locals that is not considered "downtown.".
6. Saving money just isn't that big of a deal to some people.

Andrew

I use Priceline all the time, and have been very pleased - especially with the enormous savings. I cannot imagine, for example, paying the Expedia rate (which is often the same or even higher than the same hotel's website) or any other prepay rate when you can usually book a room in the same or similar hotels for 40% or more less.

It is essential, however, to do your homework and keep your wits about you during the bidding process.

Reasons I do not use Priceline for vacation travel:
1.) family of 4 - no guarantee of 2 beds
2.) they seem to only offer hotels in large cities - not usually our vacation destinations

Like the previous poster, I usually am traveling with my family of four - Priceline will not guarantee a room to have two beds. Although less of a consideration, they will also not guarantee a non-smoking room.

To be fair, some hotels will not guarantee a non-smoking room even if you book directly with them. If you check in late and they are near sold-out, you may be out of luck getting your smoking preference. Some hotels (some Marriotts) will gurantee a room type in advance, but they have done so for me with Priceline reservations, too.

I almost always call the hotel I've booked as soon as I make my Priceline reservation (or a few hourst after) and set my smoking/bed preferences. I've never not gotten my preferences when I checked in.

Andrew

We are a family of four and Priceline worked very well for us by booking two rooms. Two rooms were still less than half the price of one room at full price! And once your kids are teens, having a second bathroom is a "necessary luxury!" Right after we had the PL reservation, and again a few days before our arrival, I requested that the 2 rooms be non-smoking and adjoining, preferably configured with a king bed and two doubles. Worked extremely well each time!
The one time we wanted one room only for one night near the airport, I accepted the fact that my $35 might go to waste if we couldn't all stay in the room. Once I found out which hotel we "won," I called to see if minors were allowed to stay in the room with parents, and since they were, I asked for a 2 bedded room. For $35 we got two queen beds, and two sinks (one in the bathroom and one in the dressing area)! What a deal!
Our first trip to Calif was our first experience with PL, and I would never hestitate to use it again for a touring vacation with lots of stops - you're hardly in the room anyway!
I would not use PL for a one-stop resort-style vacation, where the accommodations are the main draw of the visit. After all, you are bidding and paying for something sight-unseen, and have no way of guaranteeing special requests, such as an indoor pool, spa, or property with evening entertainment.

I use Priceline anytime I can, yes you have to be somewhat flexible. My biggest complaint is the irritation I get when the area I want to visit isn't available through Priceline at all. Now that ticks me off. Nothing worse than paying $80 a night for a 2* hotel!

I don't book with Priceline because when I check into my hotel I don't want any unpleasant surprises. I disagree with those who say a hotel doesn't make much different because you don't spend much time there. I like to book a pleasant, centrally located room to which I can retreat in the afternoon.

I used to use Priceline more than I do now. While I love the savings, I don't like the lack of control and lack of flexibility. I am also often lookiing for a specific hotel experience or want to focus on a certain area of town and you can't do that with Priceline (you can have slighly more control with Hotwire).

jimshep, I think you can have unpleasant surprises even if you don't use Priceline. Sure, I suppose if you arrive at your hotel and you hate it, you can always check out and go elsewhere. Still, if you read BiddingForTravel.com, you see stories of people doing that even with Priceline reservations if the hotel is horrible.

If you do your research on the hotel list on BFT, you can narrow down the likely possibilities of which hotel you'll get. If I specifically do NOT want one of those hotels, I just won't bid on that zone/level with Priceline. Then again, for some people saving money on a hotel is not that important.

Andrew

I don't use Priceline for hotels and I'll give you my reasons why. One is quite obvious, Priceline doesn't cover lodging inside the National Parks. Other reasons are:

When we visit New York City there is only "one" hotel my family is interested in because we have family in the area. The hotel we stay at is thisclose to our relatives house. IMO, Priceline is not worth it to use for MY family in NYC.

I really, REALLY prefer to pick the hotels we stay at. I know from personal experience that where I stay DOES make a difference to me. My first trip to Oahu is proof enough of that for me. I don't remember how much I paid in 1982 for my hotel, but I sure as heck remember hating the place.

I don't want to not only prepay for a hotel AND not have a cancellation policy. I realize Priceline is sort of like airline tickets in this respects, but usually I'm pretty firm on dates when I purchase airline tickets. For htoel rooms I much prefer a period of time to cancel reservations. Even the National Parks (which do require prepayment) have a period of time where you can cancel your reservations.

I know people have used Priceline with their families and requested two double beds directly with the hotel, but I'm taking Priceline at their word for booking rooms for TWO people.

I'm a control freak.

This isn't to say I wouldn't use Priceline, I've read enough to understand how the system works. But the only way I really see myself using it is in the case of a dire straits where I "have" to be someplace but the price is very prohibited.

I like to pick the exact hotel we're staying in, so Priceline wouldn't work for us.

I use Priceline, Hotwire, Govt Rate, AAA whatever offers the best rate for what I am looking for. I must say that when I use Priceline and Hotwire I have either studied options on biddingfortravel.com or betterbidding.com. I would hesitate to use either without having some type of idea of what I might get. I usually do care where I stay. I would not bid on a two or three star hotel in a major city because I do not care to stay in iffy properities. I know that in my local area there are very good four star hotels listed downtown and one very iffy hotel listed as a four star I think is a two star. I would be horrified if I got this property so in this instance I would not use Priceline. I have had some wonderful results with Priceline and Hotwire. I have a vacation coming up where I used both and spent less money than I spent on little hotels in little hotels where neither was available. I have also gambled and gotten the "other hotel" on Priceline but for the price it was far more acceptable than paying full price. It is amazing to me how much you can pay for a full price hotel room when not getting one of these discounts. I have been very unhappy at hotels paying full price but find it more palatable if I paid less. If I have to have certain requirements I will pay full price.

We have used Priceline for hotels A LOT and have always had great results. Only two times would not use it: 1) for New York City because we needed a guarantee of 2 beds 2) for upcoming trip to New Orleans because we definitely want a pool.
I always book 4 star or best available type of category.

Anytime I need two beds I call directly to the hotel and request them. I've never had a problem and no one ever seemed put out that I was a Priceline customer.

I don't use Priceline because I want to pick my hotel. Also, to be perfectly honest, price is not high on my list for consideration.

As a family with 2 teenagers we sometimes use Priceline and get 2 rooms - but only when we are doing a short 1-2 night stay in a city with very distinct areas (like Baltimore Inner Harbor) - some cities areas like "downtown" include areas we do not consider desirable.

On longer-stay trips we never use it because we like to get a suite with kitchen facilities and/or want to stay right on beach. Usually within categories/locations/"stars" checking on site like biddingfortravel there are a few hotels that would work and a few that would not - we don't want to gamble on vacation.

You did not ask, and at risk of igniting another bitter battle here, I do not use links to Priceline on biddingfortravel becasue of poor customer service at that site - so I lurk and bid separately.