Priceline Bidders! Which hotel did you get?

[zanzibar138]

I'm trying to get my head around the Priceline bidding thing. I've done some research and gotten an idea of what sort of places I might get depending on the location and star rating that I pick. I was just wondering what hotels other people have gotten? Are they always the cheaper/worst reviewed hotels for the star rating? Has anyone gotten a better star rating than they bidded for? Just stuff like that really. Specifically interested in 3 star hotels, but happy to hear about any experiences in the Disneyland area

 

[HollyL]

If I don't use my Marriott points, or stay at a Marriott, I do the Priceline thing often whenever I am going somewhere. One time a few years ago in December, I got the Grand Hyatt for $55 a night, and this last time, I got the Red Lion in mid May for $60 a night. Initially, I wasn't stoked about the Red Lion, but it was actually quite nice. Very comfy beds, and fresh, clean fluffy bedding, and I like that they had Keurigs in the room. It was just my 6 year old son and I, so I wasn't too particular this go-around. If the whole family was coming, I would have rather had a place with free breakfast and a little more space.

That being said, I will probably still keep using Priceline because I've never felt let down.

That's the thing about Priceline, you can get killer deals, but if you don't like the hotel you're given, you're stuck.

Not sure what the rhyme of reason is, on how hotels are assigned, but it probably has something to do with how many empty rooms the hotels have on the dates you are bidding for.

 

[maberlyne]

I've used it about 5 times in the last year. Have you seen the website better bidding? (one word, obviously) It gives you tips on how to use other zones to immediately rebid, while really only keeping your bid zone in Disneyland. From my experience, though, you really need to bid on a 3.5* or higher for that to work well. There's also forums that list some hotels that are generally offered and an area post on what they've got recently (with dates).

We've gotten (most recently, this week) Sheraton Garden Grove Anaheim South, Embassy Suites Anaheim South, Anaheim Marriott (that time we were actually "upgraded" to 4* lol), and Crowne Plaza. We've paid $70ish a night to low $90s, I believe. For Memorial Day weekend (today), we just booked a couple days ago for the whole weekend and got $92/night.

One thing to remember is that they only guarantee occupancy of two. I just called to request a two bed room for my trip this weekend and they told me it was a slim chance, lol. Fortunately the kids are young right now and truly could happily sleep on the floor if necessary (ew), so we're just going to bring our aerobed. But something to consider if you're traveling with adults (or you know, people who actually require a real bed lol).

Hope that helps! If you have any other questions I'll try to check back.

 

[zanzibar138]

Thanks for your advice, everything helps when you're a newb I'm glad to hear you've had good experiences so far. I'll try to find those forums you speak of.

I have most of our accommodation booked for this trip, I've just got 2 nights right at the beginning where I will be on my own before DH arrives, and can't decide which hotel to book! So I thought it might be easier to let someone else decide for me and hopefully get a bargain at the same time Obviously the occupancy thing isn't an issue on this occasion. And I figure if I get a bit of a dud I can live with it for 2 nights.

How far in advance did you generally book? I'm looking at 26th - 28th August, and am really struggling to hold off because I'm a bit of a control freak and like to have everything locked in! But I have heard that the longer you wait the better deal you are likely to get.

 

[tarheelalum]

Like maberlyne mentioned, betterbidding is fantastic. I've been using the great info from that forum for years and I've saved a ton of money. Especially when I go back to New York. The forum covers hotwire and priceline.