Summary of winning bids on Priceline

[leechip]

You can have two people in the room with no extra charge. You can bid again today if you willing to add another area, or wait 24hrs and bid again.

[Nancyquilts]

I tried a bid and it failed, but I noticed that it only allowed for one name per room. Do they charge a fee for a second person in the room?

Usually they just book it in one name, but dh and I have used Priceline and stayed in the same room. Don't worry. Nancy

[nana nancy]

We got the Seattle Sheraton for $105. per night, 3 nights, 7/26-7/29 pre-cruise. Then we're flying up to Vancouver for cruise. It's less then the airport Best Western and in the middle of everything.

[prit]

Well, I finally got a bid accepted on Priceline for August 2 in Vancouver. $160 at the Delta Vancouver Suites. It looks like the neighborhood may be questionable, but I think the price is good. I didn't know this hotel was a 4 star.

[rickdeni]

I would like the Westin in downtown Seattle but could accept the Sheraton or the Marriott Waterfront. The motel on hotwire is 4* Pikes - is this the Westin??? As you can see I am new to the whole process. It seems that everyone either gets the Sheraton or the Westin - true or false - if you search for a 4*.

[Coconet]

I would like the Westin in downtown Seattle but could accept the Sheraton or the Marriott Waterfront. The motel on hotwire is 4* Pikes - is this the Westin??? As you can see I am new to the whole process. It seems that everyone either gets the Sheraton or the Westin - true or false - if you search for a 4*.

 

Hi,

 

:D I just accepted the offer on Hotwire...4 star in downtown Pikes Place....its the Westin on 5th ave in the middle of everything so I am happy! My family of 4 will be going end of July pre Alaska Cruise...good luck!

[rickdeni]

I got the Sheraton Downtown for $139 on Hotwire. I am still pleased.

[KWinSF]

I think everyone should ALWAYS include the city, hotel name, dates, accepted bid, AND total price. Hotel tax adds as much as ~16%, and both Hotwire and Priceline tack on additional fees. So it's misleading to say that a room cost $100 when in fact it might have been more like $130 all-in.

 

Also, there is much more information on Priceline & Hotwire (including bidding strategy) on sites such as www.biddingfortravel.com & www.betterbidding.com .

[bbombaci]

Here is what I just got on Priceline.

 

Date: July 24, 2008

Number of nights: 1 (post cruise), 2 rooms

Hotel: Renaissance, Downtown Seattle

Rating: 3 star

Area: Downtown Seattle

Site: Priceline

Winning Bid: $90 per room

Taxes & Service Fees: $17.63 per room

 

I am quite happy with this price and with this hotel!

 

Barb

[marsda]

I think everyone should ALWAYS include the city, hotel name, dates, accepted bid, AND total price. Hotel tax adds as much as ~16%, and both Hotwire and Priceline tack on additional fees. So it's misleading to say that a room cost $100 when in fact it might have been more like $130 all-in.

 

Also, there is much more information on Priceline & Hotwire (including bidding strategy) on sites such as www.biddingfortravel.com & www.betterbidding.com .

I also appreciate a posting of extra charges by the hotel that are not listed in Hotel Details when you bid.

I've had reservations that had an extra $30 added in daily for parking. That's enough of an expense to throw my budget off significantly!

[ssabaste]

October 3rd, for one night 2 rooms on Hotwire $85 per room plus tax. :)

[sally4909]

Hi,

Just bid on Priceline for SeaTac-Seattle for 1 night 8/30-8/31.

I bid 3 star at $79 and won the Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference Center. Very happy with my win but since it was my first bid and it was accepted, I wonder if I might have been able to win at a lower price. Regular price is about $135 per night.

 

Priceline win with taxes: $79.00 plus $15.88 taxes= $94.88

[smitty3000]

Yesterday, I won on Priceline the Sheraton Hotel in Anchorage for $115 for 1 night. We are staying August 30th. Hotel said they had shuttle to pick you up from train depot but not to airport. She said cab would be around $20 to get to airport. I had a Motel 6 booked but this is less money. :)

[CA Dave]

Priceline. I just got the Hyatt Regency Downtown 1 night Vancouver 8-15-08 pre cruise.

4* $150 bid, $182 total US dollars

[wolfshadow]

Can anyone tell me if Priceline gives you the options of bidding for park and cruise pkgs for port hotels, example San Pedro??? TIA!

[goodml]

Can anyone tell me if Priceline gives you the options of bidding for park and cruise pkgs for port hotels, example San Pedro??? TIA!

 

No they don't. Sorry.

[wolfshadow]

Another question please? So, if you are trying for a 3 star hotel in San Pedro and have that area selected next to the Port, you are bidding on either the Crowne Plaza or the Doubletree, correct? Since, those are the only two 3 star hotels there? In other words, you can't specifically specify one or the other? And, if they do accept your price at either of those hotels, can you add on the park and cruise option that both do offer?

 

I really want to know what I am getting into first, rather than assume and be sorry for it later. Thanks for the help! :)

[goodml]

I don't believe they will allow you to add on the park and cruise option. I've never seen it commented on here and if it was available you can bet CCers would know about it:D . Priceline name-your-price is sort of like a clearing house. Excess capacity is sold off far cheaper than posted rates. Hotels don't give up much typically, to folks who get the rooms through Priceline. That being said, we've had amazing deals over the years. In 2004, we got the Sheraton Biscayne Bay in Miami for $35!! We've also won the Crowne Plaza San Pedro for $65 twice. Go to http://www.betterbidding.com for priceline and hotwire bidding strategies and tips and tricks. You'll find all you'd ever need to know there. Biddingfortravel.com is another similar site but it's not my preference. Good luck with bidding.:)

[KWinSF]

I agree -- all you are getting with the "opaque" booking process on either Priceline or Hotwire is a standard, double-occupancy room at whatever hotel you are given. Of course, AFTER you've booked through Priceline or Hotwire, you could always call the hotel and see if they will let you "add on" the park & cruise option, but don't be surprised or disappointed if they turn you down cold. :eek: :eek: :eek:

[CoolChile]

I agree -- all you are getting with the "opaque" booking process on either Priceline or Hotwire is a standard, double-occupancy room at whatever hotel you are given.

 

So I'm thinking that if my friend and I require a room with TWO beds, I'd be ill-advised to try for a hotel on Priceline (would like a 3-4*). I've never tried for accomodation through Priceline, and thought I might enjoy the learrning curve associated with doing so (but I'm not ;) ) for our post-cruise night in San Diego in October. I'm even finding betterbidding.com confusing. :confused: I get that I could call the hotel that I "win" to say we need two beds but, from what I've read here, there are no assurances we'd get it without perhaps incurring an upcharge.

 

Like many of you, I'm a little taken aback by the high cost of rooms in San Diego . . . thus the appeal of trying out Priceline.

 

Help, please. I want to stay friends with my friend.:eek:

[goodml]

You definitely CAN end up with one bed from Priceline. With Hotwire, it's still opaque but you can put 4 people as a specification and that way you end up with 2 beds. Betterbidding also has Hotwire info.

[CoolChile]

With Hotwire, it's still opaque but you can put 4 people as a specification and that way you end up with 2 beds. Betterbidding also has Hotwire info.

 

OK, helpful answer, ML. I have 3 wonderments though.

 

First, people don't seem as keen to use Hotwire ... are the reasons opaque too, or can you clue me in? I notice some comments indicating that Hotwire prices often aren't as good as Priceline's. True?

Second, if I DO bid through Hotwire and specify "4 people," do you think I will likely pay more for the room than if "they" think there are only two?

Third, I note where you said you prefer betterbidding's site. Again, can you tell me why? And it seems I need to register to ask a question, true?

 

Oops, I guess that was 4 wonderments. ;)

 

I'm appreciating the help here, many thanks.

[goodml]

We've used Priceline a lot but got burned one time about 5 yrs ago when travelling with our kids (knowing full well that one bed was a possibility.) We had always been lucky in the past when calling the hotel and asking for two beds but this particular time we had called and requested non-smoking, two beds but when we arrived got one bed, smoking. Oops:D , can't win 'em all. So from then on when definitely needing more than one bed we've used Hotwire and it is often $10 or $15 higher per night than Priceline. If we only need one bed we use betterbidding to figure out which hotels have been coming up in the particular area and at what price and then figure out a bidding strategy.

 

With Hotwire you don't bid. You enter an area and hotels will pop up at a specific price in each star range. It shows icons that tell you the amenities each hotel has and then you can often determine from the icons and by looking at betterbidding.com, which hotel it is before you buy it. You don't know for certain of course, until you do buy it.

 

I like betterbidding.com ... I guess because I've been using it for years and I've found the administration a lot more friendly than the other well known site although, by the writing style, I think the main administrator, thereuare, is not the same person who started the forum years ago. Just a hunch. The other site also does not allow any Hotwire info at all. You do have to register at BB.com to ask a question but it's no big deal. If you're going to do a Priceline bid the most important section to read is General Priceline Tips:

 

http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?showforum=173&

 

Especially read the "pinned" posts - definitely the one about bidding again within 24 hours. That's the most important Priceline strategy. Then go to the specific state/area you're interested in and read read read. It takes some research at first but once you've got it down you save big bucks. Good luck!

[CoolChile]

Thanks so much for your informative post, ML. I guess your winning bid on Priceline five years ago that ended up getting you a smoky room with one bed for the four of you was only a hoot when you looked back on it, huh? :p Sure demonstrates the old "win some, lose some" mantra. I must say that for me, the chance of ending up with a smoky room and/or one double bed (whether I'm with a friend or DH) gives me pause about using Priceline. Do you think I could work around these two things on Hotwire? (I know, I need to check things out on bb.com, but your answers are so clear!)

 

Not to focus just on your anecdote, ML, but it did get me questioning whether, with those two things being so important to me, maybe I'm just not a bidding type of grrrll. ;)

[goodml]

Thanks so much for your informative post, ML. I guess your winning bid on Priceline five years ago that ended up getting you a smoky room with one bed for the four of you was only a hoot when you looked back on it, huh? :p Sure demonstrates the old "win some, lose some" mantra. I must say that for me, the chance of ending up with a smoky room and/or one double bed (whether I'm with a friend or DH) gives me pause about using Priceline. Do you think I could work around these two things on Hotwire? (I know, I need to check things out on bb.com, but your answers are so clear!)

 

Not to focus just on your anecdote, ML, but it did get me questioning whether, with those two things being so important to me, maybe I'm just not a bidding type of grrrll. ;)

 

:) Thanks CoolChile. I definitely wouldn't use Priceline if you need two beds. The smoking thing only happened that one time and it was at a Comfort Inn in Ottawa. That was the only place we've ever been that was really cranky about the Priceline room. I've used Priceline many times in Florida, New York, California, Michigan (probably 4 times a yr because we're right across the border), Toronto, the Falls, Montreal, Vancouver. That Ottawa one was the only time we had a truly yucky experience.

 

Hotwire has worked great for us when traveling with the kids. Never once been denied non-smoking or two beds when I put down four people as one of the conditions. By the way, in answer to one of your earlier questions. I usually pull up Hotwire with 2 people first to see the prices and then do 4 people. I personally have never had a rate difference because of the extra people but I'm not going to say it can't happen.

 

Good luck to you.