Priceline Bids/results

[dennise]

Momrek06 - We had a smilar problem we had booked 4 nights but only stayed 1. We had taken a lot of pictures, when I contacted PL with a description of this property they refunded the 3 nights we did not stay. After contacting the hotel a number of times they also refunded us for the night we stayed. This hotel was in Florida and was not a 3.5 or even close, maybe 50 years ago and before hurricane damage. It was a real fire trap, but I could see that it was once quite nice. The front exterior was really quite nice, but it stopped after the lobby.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I know one time I had a horrible experience with a hotel in Orlando. It was the (how many remember this hotel) the Holiday Inn Nikki Bird!! A matter of months after I had complained, this hotel had shut down. Priceline did not want to hear it. They would not help me at all. The Holiday Inn Corporate office on the other had was a different story. I told them what had happened, after speaking to the hotel manager and got a complete refund from them! It was for my entire stay. I sent the picture of the dirt & mold in my room, the broken items, holes where the electrical sockets were. Parts of this place were redone after Charley hit but the bldg where I was placed wasn't. This bldg never should have even been open in my opinion. Priceline could care less about my stay. They said it was rated as a (I think 2 and a half star) and that was what I got! I was lucky that Holiday Inn's corporate office and the hotel manager seemed to side with me after they saw Priceline didn't help me. It was nice of them to give me my money back especially since I went thru Priceline!!!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I know one time I had a horrible experience with a hotel in Orlando. It was the (how many remember this hotel) the Holiday Inn Nikki Bird!! A matter of months after I had complained, this hotel had shut down. Priceline did not want to hear it. They would not help me at all. The Holiday Inn Corporate office on the other had was a different story. I told them what had happened, after speaking to the hotel manager and got a complete refund from them! It was for my entire stay. I sent the picture of the dirt & mold in my room, the broken items, holes where the electrical sockets were. Parts of this place were redone after Charley hit but the bldg where I was placed wasn't. This bldg never should have even been open in my opinion. Priceline could care less about my stay. They said it was rated as a (I think 2 and a half star) and that was what I got! I was lucky that Holiday Inn's corporate office and the hotel manager seemed to side with me after they saw Priceline didn't help me. It was nice of them to give me my money back especially since I went thru Priceline!!!

That's awful! It's great that HI was willing to refund your money but sometimes it's not just about the money. It's about a ruined vacation and even though you try to make the best of it, makes you want to re-do it nicer.

When using Hotwire, I try not dip below 3.5-4* just to be extra careful. A deal isn't a deal if it's a bad hotel.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

That's awful! It's great that HI was willing to refund your money but sometimes it's not just about the money. It's about a ruined vacation and even though you try to make the best of it, makes you want to re-do it nicer.

When using Hotwire, I try not dip below 3.5-4* just to be extra careful. A deal isn't a deal if it's a bad hotel.

I go to Orlando often so it isn't usually a "vacation" for me & I will do a 2.5 for a short weekend. If I am going for a vacation (for a week or longer) I usually don't go below a 3-3.5. I have also found that Hotwire does or at least use to come in at different ratings than Priceline. A 3* for Priceline would be a 4* for Hotwire. They have started to change that now though.

 

[deann]

This may a bit OT but here it goes. I bid on a 2.5* hotel in Ontario, CA to stay at when I get back from WDW as I get in real late. I got the Country Inn and Suites. Anyhow, I leave for WDW tomorrow and was getting ready printing out directions etc. I couldn't find the hotel listed on the Country Inn and Suites website. They had a different location listed. So I called the number listed. It turns out it was turned into a Motel 6 two weeks ago.

So, I called Priceline. They were not willing to do anything about it. I told them that I don't see how Motel 6 can be 2.5*. Also, I could of booked it direct for only $2.76 more. The rep wanted me to prove to her that it was not a 2.5*. I even asked them if they were going to continue using this Motel 6 as a 2.5*. She said yes. She called the Motel 6 and came back and told me that they told her it was still a 2.5*.

She was not going to budge. I then got off the phone and ended up calling the Motel 6, the same guy tells me that he did not tell the priceline rep that they are still 2.5*, he told her that they were a 2.5* hotel previously. He also tells me that they will not be dealing with any new Priceline reservations, just accepting the old ones that were booked with Country Inn.

So, I call back. I can't talk to the same rep. I have to talk to a new one. I tell them I am not happy about being lied to. I also tell them I called the 800 number for Motel 6 to see if they are rated. That person tells me no, they have not listed ratings.

Well they ended up escalating my complaint and I am supposed to hear from someone tomorrow. I have used Priceline for many years and have never had any issues. I just feel that in this case they should do something. I told them I would be happy with a different hotel that is rated 2.5*. I just don't think that a Motel 6 qualifies as 2.5*. I tried looking online for ratings but couldn't find anyone. Plus if you look at their small print, I might be totally out of luck.


Priceline.com's star rating system is provided for your reference. Like other well-known hotel rating systems, priceline considers a number of factors in evaluating the quality of participating hotels such as: amenities, facilities, reputation, brand, other rating services, customer feedback from guests who have stayed at the hotel, etc., to assign a single star rating. Priceline.com screens participating hotels carefully and updates our information periodically to ensure the validity of our ratings. Our ratings systems may sometimes differ from those of other rating systems that you may be familiar with. We do not warrant or guarantee that our star rating system is equal to or consistent with any other star rating system and reserve the right to change a hotel?s rating at any time with or without notice. When using our Name Your Own Price® service, Priceline.com will book your reservation in a property with at least an equal or higher star level than you requested. Please note that it is possible that the hotel you are booked in could be a Resort or Boutique hotel, which will at least meet the minimum qualifications of the star level you initially requested.

I guess I am lucky that I found out now. I would of arrived in Ontario at 11pm looking for the Country Inn and not have found it. Then I would have had to make calls to figure out what happened. I would of been even more upset then.

Anyhow, it looks like some posters have had luck in getting issues resolved after staying at a hotel. Maybe I will have luck in getting it resolved prior to staying. Thanks for reading, it always feels better to rant a bit and get it off your chest.

 

[momrek06]

This may a bit OT but here it goes. I bid on a 2.5* hotel in Ontario, CA to stay at when I get back from WDW as I get in real late. I got the Country Inn and Suites. Anyhow, I leave for WDW tomorrow and was getting ready printing out directions etc. I couldn't find the hotel listed on the Country Inn and Suites website. They had a different location listed. So I called the number listed. It turns out it was turned into a Motel 6 two weeks ago.

So, I called Priceline. They were not willing to do anything about it. I told them that I don't see how Motel 6 can be 2.5*. Also, I could of booked it direct for only $2.76 more. The rep wanted me to prove to her that it was not a 2.5*. I even asked them if they were going to continue using this Motel 6 as a 2.5*. She said yes. She called the Motel 6 and came back and told me that they told her it was still a 2.5*.

She was not going to budge. I then got off the phone and ended up calling the Motel 6, the same guy tells me that he did not tell the priceline rep that they are still 2.5*, he told her that they were a 2.5* hotel previously. He also tells me that they will not be dealing with any new Priceline reservations, just accepting the old ones that were booked with Country Inn.

So, I call back. I can't talk to the same rep. I have to talk to a new one. I tell them I am not happy about being lied to. I also tell them I called the 800 number for Motel 6 to see if they are rated. That person tells me no, they have not listed ratings.

Well they ended up escalating my complaint and I am supposed to hear from someone tomorrow. I have used Priceline for many years and have never had any issues. I just feel that in this case they should do something. I told them I would be happy with a different hotel that is rated 2.5*. I just don't think that a Motel 6 qualifies as 2.5*. I tried looking online for ratings but couldn't find anyone. Plus if you look at their small print, I might be totally out of luck.


Priceline.com's star rating system is provided for your reference. Like other well-known hotel rating systems, priceline considers a number of factors in evaluating the quality of participating hotels such as: amenities, facilities, reputation, brand, other rating services, customer feedback from guests who have stayed at the hotel, etc., to assign a single star rating. Priceline.com screens participating hotels carefully and updates our information periodically to ensure the validity of our ratings. Our ratings systems may sometimes differ from those of other rating systems that you may be familiar with. We do not warrant or guarantee that our star rating system is equal to or consistent with any other star rating system and reserve the right to change a hotel?s rating at any time with or without notice. When using our Name Your Own Price® service, Priceline.com will book your reservation in a property with at least an equal or higher star level than you requested. Please note that it is possible that the hotel you are booked in could be a Resort or Boutique hotel, which will at least meet the minimum qualifications of the star level you initially requested.

I guess I am lucky that I found out now. I would of arrived in Ontario at 11pm looking for the Country Inn and not have found it. Then I would have had to make calls to figure out what happened. I would of been even more upset then.

Anyhow, it looks like some posters have had luck in getting issues resolved after staying at a hotel. Maybe I will have luck in getting it resolved prior to staying. Thanks for reading, it always feels better to rant a bit and get it off your chest.

I feel your pain, deann. Yes indeed.

I will say with my story on the previous page, like you found out...priceline will not budge about the rating. I did get refunded for one full night's stay through priceline BUT they have informed me there is NO way they are changing the rating on the hotel I stayed at. Even priceline's own website where customers post their reviews....the hotel I stayed at had horrible reviews. I told them all that....between Trip Advisor and Priceline reviews the hotel was rated way too high.

I hope you hear back from them and if you do not, call and call and call them.

And absolutely, it was a very good thing you checked all this out before your trip.

 

[taliategan]

This seems like a situation Priceline should correct - since you would no longer be staying at the hotel you had won through your Priceline bid.

 

[taliategan]

I would also try to make a post of your situation on betterbidding.com as the moderators on that forum are familiar with Priceline rules, policies and practices. I would think your situation would probably have occured before since so many hotels are sold from one hotel chain to another.

 

[kevindorsey]

I

would also try to make a post of your situation on betterbidding.com as the moderators on that forum are familiar with Priceline rules, policies and practices. I would think your situation would probably have occured before since so many hotels are sold from one hotel chain to another.

That forum seems kind of dead lately.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I feel your pain, deann. Yes indeed.

I will say with my story on the previous page, like you found out...priceline will not budge about the rating. I did get refunded for one full night's stay through priceline BUT they have informed me there is NO way they are changing the rating on the hotel I stayed at. Even priceline's own website where customers post their reviews....the hotel I stayed at had horrible reviews. I told them all that....between Trip Advisor and Priceline reviews the hotel was rated way too high.

I hope you hear back from them and if you do not, call and call and call them.

And absolutely, it was a very good thing you checked all this out before your trip.

In fairness, though - how could a property's star rating possibly drop in two weeks simply because it's now owned by a different company? It doesn't matter that Motel 6 doesn't list ratings - a property can't rate themselves. When it was Country Inn it was determined to be 2.5 stars. Two, even three, weeks later, how could it possibly NOT still be 2.5 stars or 2.5 star equivalent simply because the name changed?

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Got Embassy Suites, Lake Buena Vista for $48 plus fees. Tickled. 3 1/2 stars.

I love Priceline. When skybus went down we had a trip planned, hotels, car, etc. Priceline refunded all of it for us.

Hotwire put 4 of us in a room with a double and a pull out at a Holiday Inn that they considered to be a 3*. Not. They also had the above mentioned Embassy listed for the same night for $85. Plus fees.

 

[momrek06]

In fairness, though - how could a property's star rating possibly drop in two weeks simply because it's now owned by a different company? It doesn't matter that Motel 6 doesn't list ratings - a property can't rate themselves. When it was Country Inn it was determined to be 2.5 stars. Two, even three, weeks later, how could it possibly NOT still be 2.5 stars or 2.5 star equivalent simply because the name changed?

My situation had nothing to do with a name change at all. Priceline stated that it was a 3.5 hotel. NO WAY AT ALL. I have use Priceline for YEARS always, always having very good luck. This is the first time ever that Priceline stated a hotel was 3.5 and it was more of a 2 star facility. Just really upsetting to me and my family.

I mean come on, dark, dreary, smelly, tired, musty rooms, holes in the towels, the bathroom door fell off into my arms as I went to close it, and not to mention NO carpeting in the room, very very cold linoleum, paper thin walls, with a check out of noon, housekeeping literally banging our door down at 9AM to ask when we were leaving (I could go on)...

I was so disappointed, so disappointed. I will say after I won the bid, I went to Trip Advisor and my heart sank as the reviews were HORRIFIC. Then I went to Priceline's reviews of this hotel and they were just as horrible. I decided we would have to just "deal with those horrible reviews and find out for ourselves"..........welllllllllllllllll, let me tell you, we sure did find out.

Hence my diligence in talking to Priceline over and over again about this hotel. I was there 2 nights, they did refund one full night. I was happy with that. But I have completely changed my thinking about Priceline. I guess it just takes one bad experience to do that.....



I agree with betterbiding, that site is dead.

 

[tikibirds]

Lake Buena Vista - Resort April 10-13

Got the Hyatt Grand Cypress for $63/night on the first try. I've stayed there before and really enjoyed the property, so can't wait!

 

[cobia214]

has anyone recently got any of the downtown disney resorts on priceline?

 

[MOM POPPINS]

I have tried several times for Downtown Disney area for the weekend of Feb. 27 and 28 with no luck. This was for a 3 1/2 star and a 3 star.

 

[Mich Mouse]

My situation had nothing to do with a name change at all. Priceline stated that it was a 3.5 hotel. NO WAY AT ALL. I have use Priceline for YEARS always, always having very good luck. This is the first time ever that Priceline stated a hotel was 3.5 and it was more of a 2 star facility. Just really upsetting to me and my family.

I mean come on, dark, dreary, smelly, tired, musty rooms, holes in the towels, the bathroom door fell off into my arms as I went to close it, and not to mention NO carpeting in the room, very very cold linoleum, paper thin walls, with a check out of noon, housekeeping literally banging our door down at 9AM to ask when we were leaving (I could go on)...

I was so disappointed, so disappointed. I will say after I won the bid, I went to Trip Advisor and my heart sank as the reviews were HORRIFIC. Then I went to Priceline's reviews of this hotel and they were just as horrible. I decided we would have to just "deal with those horrible reviews and find out for ourselves"..........welllllllllllllllll, let me tell you, we sure did find out.

Hence my diligence in talking to Priceline over and over again about this hotel. I was there 2 nights, they did refund one full night. I was happy with that. But I have completely changed my thinking about Priceline. I guess it just takes one bad experience to do that.....



I agree with betterbiding, that site is dead.

I had a similar experience in a NY hotel. After numerous complaints the best they offered me was another free night in the same hotel. No thanks!
However, the PL star rating was eventually changed as there were other complaints. PL has consistently provided my familly with four star hotels at 2 star prices..... except for this one time.

 

[novdisneydreams]

Can I ask Hotwire questions in this thread?

I've never done hotwire before but I really need an extreme budget trip. When they say adults (we have 2) and kids 2-17 (we have 2) I worry because we also have a one year old ( 3 kids total) ... will that be a problem? We certainly don't need an extra bed or room for him - he'll sleep in his pac'nplay or with us.

Also - How reliable are their tripadvisor ratings? I found an extremely cheap - under$30 - 2.5 star hotel (well, lets face it, it will be a motel, but thats fine) for June. It is Disney Maingate Celebration area. Amenities are smoke free, fitness, pool, restaurant, business, laundry, hi-speed. It has 3.5 little tripadvisor circles. Any idea what this could be?

It says that 80% of people recommend it which is great - we aren't too picky - I do know that you get what you pay for so I am not seeking luxury here, but I certainly don't want anything disgusting or dangerous - I'm thinking 80% would give me good odds of a decent budget motel. I'm just looking for clean and safe with (hopefully) a working pool. We want to go down and use our GAD tickets and maybe do KSC

Thanks in advance for any help!!!!!!!

 

[MOM POPPINS]

I find this site extremely helpful with helping to identify hotwire hotels. If you cannot figure out which hotel it is than ask they are more than willing to help.

www.betterbidding.com

Here is the direct link for Hotwire/Florida

http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?showtopic=67&

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Can I ask Hotwire questions in this thread?

I've never done hotwire before but I really need an extreme budget trip. When they say adults (we have 2) and kids 2-17 (we have 2) I worry because we also have a one year old ( 3 kids total) ... will that be a problem? We certainly don't need an extra bed or room for him - he'll sleep in his pac'nplay or with us.

Also - How reliable are their tripadvisor ratings? I found an extremely cheap - under$30 - 2.5 star hotel (well, lets face it, it will be a motel, but thats fine) for June. It is Disney Maingate Celebration area. Amenities are smoke free, fitness, pool, restaurant, business, laundry, hi-speed. It has 3.5 little tripadvisor circles. Any idea what this could be?

It says that 80% of people recommend it which is great - we aren't too picky - I do know that you get what you pay for so I am not seeking luxury here, but I certainly don't want anything disgusting or dangerous - I'm thinking 80% would give me good odds of a decent budget motel. I'm just looking for clean and safe with (hopefully) a working pool. We want to go down and use our GAD tickets and maybe do KSC

Thanks in advance for any help!!!!!!!

2.5* is not necessarily a motel. It could also be a Holiday Inn Express or Fairfield Inn by Marriott. Both are not luxurious but decent, clean and include free light breakfast. (bagels, cereal, yogurt, etc.)

I agree w/ pp about using www.betterbidding.com. Their FL hotel list offers a complete list of 'known' Hotwire IDs. It helps to look here before posting a question asking for them to ID a hotel. This will ID probably 90% of search results for Orlando area.
http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?showtopic=67&


I've used their advice at least 10x and they've always been correct for me.

 

[taliategan]

Can I ask Hotwire questions in this thread?

I've never done hotwire before but I really need an extreme budget trip. When they say adults (we have 2) and kids 2-17 (we have 2) I worry because we also have a one year old ( 3 kids total) ... will that be a problem? We certainly don't need an extra bed or room for him - he'll sleep in his pac'nplay or with us.

Also - How reliable are their tripadvisor ratings? I found an extremely cheap - under$30 - 2.5 star hotel (well, lets face it, it will be a motel, but thats fine) for June. It is Disney Maingate Celebration area. Amenities are smoke free, fitness, pool, restaurant, business, laundry, hi-speed. It has 3.5 little tripadvisor circles. Any idea what this could be?

It says that 80% of people recommend it which is great - we aren't too picky - I do know that you get what you pay for so I am not seeking luxury here, but I certainly don't want anything disgusting or dangerous - I'm thinking 80% would give me good odds of a decent budget motel. I'm just looking for clean and safe with (hopefully) a working pool. We want to go down and use our GAD tickets and maybe do KSC

Thanks in advance for any help!!!!!!!

Its probably the Best Western Lakeside - but I would register on betterbidding.com & make a post on that site to make sure. I don't think having a 1 year old would cause a problem of having more than 4 in a room - but you could call Hotwire customer service to make sure it is not a problem. Since people have different standards with hotels, its hard to say. I usually feel comfortable bidding anything 3* or above on either Hotwire or Priceline. I usually check the hotel lists on Priceline and Hotwire on betterbidding.com for the area I am interested & make sure that I am comfortable with all the hotels listed in that area for the star level I want. If not, I will look at the next star level up or possibly a different zone. Even with this check, there is not absolute certainity you will get a hotel from that list - a hotel may have just started to use the service or a star rating of hotel could have recently changed up or down. Now if I was pretty certain I could identify the hotel on Hotwire, I would purchase a 2-1/2* or 2* on Hotwire.