HELP! To Priceline or not to Priceline?

[crusin'minnie]

We are planning a trip the week of Thanksgiving. We like to stay on property, but I did not act fast enough with the new requirements for AP holders and I just can't bring myself to pay rack rate.

I am considering Priceline. If I select the Resort category in just the WDW vicinity it looks to me like there are only 5-6 hotels that we could end up in with Swan, Dolphin and Gaylord Palms being among them.

My concerns are;
1. Resort and Parking fees- I don't like not knowing how much this would be.
2. Are there any bad hotels in this group?
3. I am not flexible in my dates or area so I am not sure how much to bid. $57 is the number at which I stop getting the message that my bid only has a small chance of being accepted.

Can you guys give me some advice please!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SeattleRedBear]

You might consider reviewing sites like betterbidding.com to determine what hotels are in the priceline WDW area and recent winning bids. According to betterbidding, these hotels have been priceline winning bid hotels in WDW area:

Disney Dolphin (rare)
Disney Swan (rare)
Gaylord Palms Resort
Hilton
Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress
Marriott World Center
Omni at Champions Gate
3* Best Western Lake Buena Vista (previously 2.5*)
3* Doubletree Villas Maingate
3* Grosvenor
3* Hotel Royal Plaza
3* Hyatt
3* Radisson Universal
3* Radisson Worldgate Renaissance World Gate (change of ownership)
3* Sheraton Safari tripadvisor review
3* Wyndham Palace Resort And Spa (previously Resort)
2.5* Clarion Maingate
2.5* Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Disney
2.5* Courtyard by Marriott Little Lake Bryan
2.5* Holiday Inn Nikki Bird REVIEW
2* Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista
2* Best Western Lakeside La Quinta Inn Lakeside (change in ownership)
2* Days Inn Maingate East

Recent winning bids include:
Days Inn Maingate East $25 9/28/05-10/3/05
Gaylord Palms $83 12/22/05-12/24/05
Gaylord Palms $83 10/3/05-10/6/05
Gaylord Palms $73 9/3/05
Hilton Resort $62 8/25/05-8/28/05
Gaylord Palms $83 9/29/05-10/05/05
Hilton $60 8/20/05-8/21/05
Wyndham Palace Resort and Spa $62 8/12/05-8/14/05

As you know, Priceline works best for shorter stays, flexible dates and later availability. I'm not sure you're going to find anything over Thanksgiving, but you can give it a try. Sorry I can't comment on parking fees or hotel quality (as I haven't stayed at any of these). Good luck and hope this helps.

PS. You can also put a general message with your travel dates and needs on the betterbidding site and often people will provide bidding suggestions.

 

[tweetylori]

Another one to try is biddingfortravel.com.
You might also compare with Hotwire.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Actually, biddingfortravel works best for Priceline (they only provide Hotwire information for "comparison" to Priceline) while betterbidding works well for both but a bit better for Hotwire.

 

[Lewisc]

You should assume a $10 resort fee and $8 for parking.

If you don't use PL where will you stay and what will you pay? Hotels like the Gaylord Palms are equal to the Disney deluxe hotels. What would the BWI or GF cost during your time period?

The PL number is meaningless but the cheapest resort in the zone tends to be the Hilton and that can be in the low 60s.

If you post on betterbidding you'll get some friendly help. Just go to the hotel websites and get the rates for the Hilton and Gaylord Palms for your dates and post them.

 

[crusin'minnie]

Thanks you guys for the great websites!! I'll go do my homework now.

LewisC- I'm not sure where we will stay if I do not use Priceline. I would really like to keep it under $100/night. That knocks out the moderates and we are not crazy about the value resorts.

Also I am the disney guru among my relatives and friends and I would like to try Priceline for the experience. Something else on my "to try" list is renting a pool home for a large group, but that is not this trip.

Thanks so much for the info!!!

 

[Lewisc]

Thanks you guys for the great websites!! I'll go do my homework now.

LewisC- I'm not sure where we will stay if I do not use Priceline. I would really like to keep it under $100/night. That knocks out the moderates and we are not crazy about the value resorts.

Also I am the disney guru among my relatives and friends and I would like to try Priceline for the experience. Something else on my "to try" list is renting a pool home for a large group, but that is not this trip.

Thanks so much for the info!!!

This may sound backwards but you should be hoping you don't keep it under $100. The Hilton will probably go for under $100 but the Gaylord Palms is MUCH BETTER. GP actually gives you bottled water and high speed internet access, the even give you a monitor/keyboard/mouse so you don't need to even bring a computer as part of your resort fee.

Give me a PM if you're ready to bid and want some ideas.

 

[DanaHesson]

using bidding for travel advice. We actually just returned from a quickie to Asheville, NC today. I highly recommend the advice on BFT, and they are pretty good about listing resort fees, etc on the area hotel list.

 

[CarolA]

My advice is to make sure you can deal with ANY of the resorts. My only concern out of that group for Resort is the Omin Champions Gate. The location is a little far, but I hear it is a very nice hotel.

My rule on PL is I generally try to get the Resort for what a Value would cost. Otherwise I just go Value.

The other thing to consider is what is the availalbity at this time. If several of the hotels are not showing rooms on places like Expedia you may be hard pressed to get something.

 

[SB in KY]

Just for the record the Swan and Dolphin have not turned up in over a year now....and I would not even consider that they might show up over a busy holiday time.

The Hilton in DTD has shown up a lot lately in the high $50's, but I would expect Thanksgiving to be some bit higher. Gaylord Palms is a lovely hotel and it usually turns up on bids in the low to mid 80"s....the core of its business is conventions....which would not be there over Thanksgiving, so you might have a better chance at that.

My guess would be it will take a bid of at least $85 for Thanksgiving weekend and maybe some bit higher than that. Good luck.

 

[jlcbshaw]

Just bid and "won" on Priceline for a 2 1/2 star hotel for December 17-23rd at $35.00 per night. The hotel is the Holdiay inn Nikki Bird, which has many, many mixed reviews. Although I can't really afford to "dump" my reservation and try elsewhere, I sure am tempted based on the reviews that I have read.

Of course, as long as the rooms are clean and the beds are not rock solid we'll be fine because we always spend all of our time at the parks.

 

[Lewisc]

Just bid and "won" on Priceline for a 2 1/2 star hotel for December 17-23rd at $35.00 per night. The hotel is the Holdiay inn Nikki Bird, which has many, many mixed reviews. Although I can't really afford to "dump" my reservation and try elsewhere, I sure am tempted based on the reviews that I have read.

Of course, as long as the rooms are clean and the beds are not rock solid we'll be fine because we always spend all of our time at the parks.

For anyone reading this thread....I wouldn't bid below a resort or 4* unless it was an airport hotel for one night. For a 2.5 or 3 property items like a free breakfast, suite accommodations, shuttles or a resort fee can make a slightly more expensive non PL reservation a much better deal. Some 2.5* hotels are newer limited service hotels like Courtyard by Marriott but others are 3* properties that were downrated.

$35 is a good rate, some people would have rather paid a little more and not be stuck with PL cancellation penalties but I'm sure it'll be fine for just a place to sleep.

 

[jdm]

Absolutely never pay attention to the suggested amount that Priceline gives you on the bidding page! It really isn't relevent. I have never bidded without doing complete research through biddingfortravel. It's a great website to help and guide you. The recent winning bids will give you a more realistic idea of what PL will accept. Good luck! I love PL and have had nothing but great nights at nice hotels for very low $$$$ but I couldn't have done it without the info I got on the BFT boards.

Jenn

 

[tootsiemolly]

I did the same thing you did. I have waited booking my hotel at WDW because I kept hoping an AP rate would come out. Well, it has not and now there is very limited availability. So, after making two different Marriott reservations and canceling them I deceided to bid with Priceline this afternoon for TH and F of Thanksgiving week. We just need two nights before we check into Saratoga Springs resort for a week. Well, I wanted to let you know I bid Resort level in the WDW area and I won the Gaylord Palms for $83.00 a night. Now, I just need to call and reserve a non-smoking room with 2 queen beds. So, there is still availability at that hotel over Thanksgiving. Good luck with your reservations.
Angee

 

[dis-happy]

You got a great deal on that Gaylord ressie!

We are also DVC and used PL for a weekend stay before Memorial Day this year. I thought it would be adventuresome to use PL, my dh wanted to book Marriott (he's a frequent stay with them). Wish I had listened to him! Because it was Memorial Day weekend it was harder to get a reservation. We got Nikki Bird for I can't remember how much, but it wasn't much of a bargain off their rack rates. Yes, I read the better bidding site, had to do a couple of re-bids, I believe the hotels were very full that weekend.

Lesson learned: a known entity means a lot to us. Nikki Bird was okay for the three days we were there, but it is a bit dreary. Since then, we've gone to using Hotelkingdom and staying at CPGR for those pre-DVC stays.

 

[DawnM]

There are lots and lots of Nikki Bird won bids lately. I will just assume that if I bid on a 2.5 star at this time I will get Nikki Bird. That is one reason I haven't bid yet.

We have done PL for 2 Orlando stays. The first one was a couple of years ago and we got the Courtyard Marriott at Lake Little Bryan. It was wonderful. The second time we got Doubletree for a week. It was the one in Kissimmee and was a 2 story, 2 bed, 2 bath place with a full kitchen. It was awesome too (although no high speed internet.) They have now changed hands and I don't think they participate anymore.

You just have to be prepared to take ANY of the hotels listed in that area and look at what people have rencently won as that is a good indicator of what hotels are currently participating and what you are likely to get.

I do all my research at BiddingforTravel.com

 

[gypsydoodlebug]

I've stayed at the Gaylord Palms 4x -- 3 of them using Priceline. Bids were $83/$82 and $105 respectively. I bid high on the last one with the hopes that I would get it because I LOVE this resort.

 

[vhoffman]

Nikki Bird is a dump! Cut your losses and get another reservation, this time know the hotel. We got burned on PL about a year ago. I thought I was going to beat the system using PL. I bid on a 4 star in Honolulu and got it for $89 nt. However, when I looked at their website I almost cried. Such a dump! Yes, I don't spend much of my time in the hotel, either, but when I am in the hotel I want to feel comfortable. It was for four nights, and when would we be in Hawaii again? We just absorbed the loss and booked a room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. I got a AAA rate of $159 garden view, then was upgraded to an ocean view Rainbow Tower. We had a great time! We happened to pass by the PL hotel and it was even worse than their website. In a rough neighborhood, too. The taxi driver said it wasn't a safe area day or night. We had to decide--blow off ~$400, or stay in a depressing dump. Well, we're just glad with the choice we made. And I've NEVER used PL again. Yes, you hear stories about people getting very nice hotels for bargain prices, but pl also is the dumping ground for sub standard hotels that can't fill their rooms any other way. You have no way of knowing what you're getting until its too late. Good Luck!

 

[DawnM]

I have only had one really bad experience with priceline. I ended up getting my money back from priceline.

I will say that one lesson I have learned.......research what hotels you will get if you bid in that area! Stick to areas where you will ONLY get namebrand hotels, no fly-by-night private hotels who don't fully understand priceline.

I have gotten a lot of Marriotts and Doubletrees and haven't had a bad time yet in those hotels.

The problem with Orlando bidding is that there are just SO VERY MANY hotels participating in PL that you really can't bid and know you will get a quality hotel. (IMHO)

This trip though we have discovered SkyAuction.com and are staying in a 1 bedroom condo for the same price, or less, than we could have gotten a PL hotel for ($35 per night). We will have 2 TVs (so kids can watch something else) and a kitchen.

Dawn

 

[DawnM]

Yes, this is what I keep reading.....Nikki Bird is not a great place to stay. I am very glad we are not doing this as I can't imagine staying a whole week in a dump.

Dawn

Nikki Bird is a dump! Cut your losses and get another reservation, this time know the hotel. We got burned on PL about a year ago. I thought I was going to beat the system using PL. I bid on a 4 star in Honolulu and got it for $89 nt. However, when I looked at their website I almost cried. Such a dump! Yes, I don't spend much of my time in the hotel, either, but when I am in the hotel I want to feel comfortable. It was for four nights, and when would we be in Hawaii again? We just absorbed the loss and booked a room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. I got a AAA rate of $159 garden view, then was upgraded to an ocean view Rainbow Tower. We had a great time! We happened to pass by the PL hotel and it was even worse than their website. In a rough neighborhood, too. The taxi driver said it wasn't a safe area day or night. We had to decide--blow off ~$400, or stay in a depressing dump. Well, we're just glad with the choice we made. And I've NEVER used PL again. Yes, you hear stories about people getting very nice hotels for bargain prices, but pl also is the dumping ground for sub standard hotels that can't fill their rooms any other way. You have no way of knowing what you're getting until its too late. Good Luck!