info on priceline, expedia, etc.

[mikewdw]

thinking about offsite hotel for night after travel day. looking for something clean but really, really, cheap. how to use priceline, expedia, or whatever those other sites are. never used them before and have no idea how, or if they are even worth it. any help appreciated.
thanks

 

[fla4fun]

You can often get a good rate on rooms from these sites. The main thing to keep in mind though is that if you have any kind of problem, you have to deal with them, and not the hotel - such as if the rate is incorrect, the arrival or departure date is wrong, you need a refund for some reason, etc., as it's basically a third party handling your reservation (kind of like a bare bones travel agent). I wouldn't hesitate to use them for a fill in situation like you are describing.

 

[mikewdw]

how can you tell what kind of hotel you are getting. i am not that picky, but i want something clean and in a safe location. how can i be sure of those things.

 

[checkwriter]

Expedia is a general-purpose travel website. You will know the hotel and type of room you are booking. Sometimes Expedia will negotiate a good price with a hotel, or offer a discount if you combine the hotel reservation with a flight and/or car. Travelocity, Orbitz, and Hotels.com are similar websites.

Tripadvisor.com is a little different and is worth looking at. It is more of a community-type site that collects travelers' reviews of individual hotels. When you go to check a hotel price on Tripadvisor it will "outsource" the search to one or more websites such as Expedia, and deliver you prices from each site. I like to use Tripadvisor to see what other travelers think about various hotels I'm considering.

Priceline is even more different. It's an auction-type of site that delivers rooms at rates that you select based on hotel class. You can pick the general geographic area (city center; north of the river; etc.) of your hotel and the hotel class, but beyond that you don't know which hotel you're staying at until your offer is accepted by the hotel. You also pay up front with Priceline. I've used Priceline very successfully for rental cars ($15/day in one case) but not for hotels, because I like to know exactly where I'm staying before I make the reservation.

 

[Kaler131]

I absolutely LOVE Priceline! I have never had a problem with them. We have always been EXTREMELY happy with the hotels we have booked through them! I do my own research beforehand so I know which side of town I want to put my request in for, and I always go for the highest star ratings possible. I have gotten Westin and Omni Shoreham in D.C. for FANTASTIC prices! We also got a Wyndham in Orlando for $40.00 a night!

 

[EllieMaie]

I am another lover of Priceline .. we stayed at the Gaylord Palms for 5 nights at $60 / night. There is a posting site, biddingfortravel.net, that has a lot of information on using Pricline. It also has posted what hotels/dates/prices people have gotten accepted through Priceline.