How to Get Cheap Hotels: the official Priceline appreciation thread - Page 7

Kä²°ä®¥n · 05-25-2009, 01:29 PM

On biddingfortravel the rooms are usually booked for 1-2 nights only. If I want to book for 10 days will it be usually cheaper? Order harder?

DeadMoneyWalking · 06-25-2009, 12:41 PM

BUMP

Does anyone have a strategy for bidding on Wynn/Venetian while avoiding trump international?

Kä²°ä®¥n · 06-17-2010, 01:16 PM

Priceline.com gives just one are (the whole country) for Costa Rica. Any ideas which hotels are included? biddingfortravel.com has no answer FWIW

T50_Omaha8 · 06-17-2010, 02:18 PM

haha that's crazy. No way I would place a bid under those circumstances.

Either way, I would assume only well-established beach resorts or internationally-owned business hotels in San Jose would ever find their way onto priceline. Still, a hell of a risk.

Kä²°ä®¥n · 07-24-2010, 03:32 AM

Started bidding for two nights in Sydney for a five star hotel at $80 (US dollars). Got rejected four times (over four days) until at $120 got accepted by Marriot Sydney. List prices start at $225.

Kä²°ä®¥n · 07-24-2010, 09:12 AM

On the same dates Kayak offers $221 and Orbitz $201 / night.

T50_Omaha8 · 07-24-2010, 10:07 AM

Last week I ran into a situation where priceline didn't work. I was trying to get an airport hotel in boston, and 4* is the only rating that has hotels that are actually close to the airport; 3* hotels are all up in Revere or some BS. I started bidding at $70 for a 4* and went all the way up to $150, using a ton of rebids. List prices were $300 for the freaking Embassy Suites, more for the Hilton. $150 for a Holiday Inn Express 5 miles from the airport.

So we just drove to our final destination that night and paid the rack rate at a Hampton Inn.

When there is a huge demand for hotels for some reason, Priceline just doesn't work that well.

DeadMoneyWalking · 07-24-2010, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T50_Omaha8

Last week I ran into a situation where priceline didn't work. I was trying to get an airport hotel in boston, and 4* is the only rating that has hotels that are actually close to the airport; 3* hotels are all up in Revere or some BS. I started bidding at $70 for a 4* and went all the way up to $150, using a ton of rebids. List prices were $300 for the freaking Embassy Suites, more for the Hilton. $150 for a Holiday Inn Express 5 miles from the airport.

So we just drove to our final destination that night and paid the rack rate at a Hampton Inn.

When there is a huge demand for hotels for some reason, Priceline just doesn't work that well.

One of the commuter rail lines goes right to Revere and then a free bus takes you to the Airport. But yeah, pline doesn't beat supply and demand.

T50_Omaha8 · 07-24-2010, 06:05 PM

We had a meeting out in Central Mass the next morning, so we needed good access to the Turnpike. Don't know how big a deal this actually was so I didn't want to argue with my coworkers about it since I've only been to Boston a few times. The whole situation was pretty much a PITA--airfares were sky high as well.

Although I did get even with the airlines on my trip back to Atlanta. Typically in hub cities you get the screw job--it was $385 one way from Boston to Atlanta last minute. But a flight to Tampa with a layover in ATL and the first segment on the exact same plane? $153.

It's against the fare rules, but the airlines can bugger off. I hate their bull**** games.

DeadMoneyWalking · 07-24-2010, 06:32 PM

Wow. How do you search for other flights that happen to go through your city?

BestCherryGoose · 07-24-2010, 07:14 PM

My favorite website to use for hotels is hotwire.com
I've been using it for years and have gotten sick deals on 4 star hotels at 100 a night in Miami, Amsterdam, Brussels, wherever I travel really...

T50_Omaha8 · 07-25-2010, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeadMoneyWalking

Wow. How do you search for other flights that happen to go through your city?

Read flyer forums and educate yourself about how things work and the risks associated with them for your particular city.

One way fares are your friend.

This is a decent discussion on the issue to use as an intro:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...city-risk.html

Pride of Cucamonga · 07-26-2010, 04:54 PM

Not a priceline tip persay, but:

On those few occassions when priceline, hotwire, etc., don't work, and you just arrive at a hotel & pay the rack-rate, as T50_Omaha8 described above, ask if they have a "government rate".

Typically (though not always) if a hotel offers a government rate it is the lowest rate available (not including special promotions), and I'd say that less than 10% of the time does the front desk person ever bother to ask me for I.D..

Which is a good thing, seeing as I don't work for the government . . .

Kä²°ä®¥n · 07-27-2010, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pride of Cucamonga

Not a priceline tip persay, but:

On those few occassions when priceline, hotwire, etc., don't work, and you just arrive at a hotel & pay the rack-rate, as T50_Omaha8 described above, ask if they have a "government rate".

Typically (though not always) if a hotel offers a government rate it is the lowest rate available (not including special promotions), and I'd say that less than 10% of the time does the front desk person ever bother to ask me for I.D..

Which is a good thing, seeing as I don't work for the government . . .

I guess this is for the US.

T50_Omaha8 · 12-03-2010, 11:35 AM

A couple bids for a quick trip I'm taking:

2.5* Hotel in West Midtown, NYC: Belvedere Hotel
Website list price: $155
Priceline Accepted Bid: $105

4* Hotel in Downtown Philadelphia: Hyatt Regency Penn's Landing
Website List Price: $149
Priceline Accepted Bid: $75

Don't know wtf the hotel in NYC is, but getting a decent place there can be outrageously expensive. Priceline doesn't do great in situations where hotel rooms are in tight supply, and most of the 2-3* joints were pushing $200 for the time I'll be there. Oh well.