Priceline questions--experts needed please!

[alexbigday]

Have you used Priceline when you have more than 2 adults? I beleive that the price is for 2 adults--we will be 2 adults and a 6 year old. Has anyone had any problems? MOst hotels seem to allow kids free, but...
Also, since there are 3 of us, double beds are important. Is this standard?
Also, any other help, suggestions, would be appreciated.
I have looked at biddingfortravel for pricing of bids, but would appreciate your personal input. We would love to find a hotel for less than $40
We will be going in late January, should we go ahead an d bid now?Thanks

 

[Lucky4me]

If you're going to a place like Orlando, you'll be fine with the extra person.
Only in cities like NY where space is limited will you run into a problem.
Go here and read everything you can before you bid. Make sure to read the FAQs before asking any questions as the site owner can get snippy. Even so, the site is invaluable to Priceline bidders.
www.biddingfortravel.com

Good luck!

 

[kitten25]

I dont believe you would run into a problem with 3 people especially since the 3rd person is a child. However the bed situation could be a problem. Priceline doesn't guarantee the bed type although in my experience they seem to prefer giving double beds. They will usually ask you at check in which you prefer but sometimes you just get whats left. One thing I have heard others do is call the hotel after booking with priceline and make a bed request. I love priceline and have used them very often. Good luck.

 

[Gymbomom]

I have never had a problem getting double beds....but Priceline does not gurantee beds for more than 2 people, but Hotwire does.
My aunt recently did have a problem getting 2 beds...and they had 2 teenager boys. The hotel was sold out and there was nothing they could do except provide a rollaway.
We have had AWESOME luck with Priceline, in fact stayed 2 weeks ago on Priceline and they upgraded us to a suite since I did not want smoking and they were sold out of non smoking rooms.
Call as soon as you get your ressie, call they day of arrival and speak to front desk...BE FRIENDLY...when you check in..strike up a conversation, big smile...it works for me every time. We got upgraded for our Priceline room...and our Vegas room (non Priceline), Sugar goes along way.

HTH!!!

 

[Gymbomom]

We will be going in late January, should we go ahead an d bid now?Thanks

My advice would be to go ahead and bid up to your max, then stop if ou don't get it, and try again in 7 days. biddingfortravel, is a great read for understanding how to bid. Note: you will not get a WDW hotel for $40, you would have to bid 3* or less. I would rather do 3* close, then 4* far away.

 

[Lewisc]

In Orlando most hotels will have no trouble giving you two double beds BUT Priceline only guarantees double occupancy and a handful of posters got stuck with a handicap accessible room with a king bed.

I'd use PL for a resort or a room by the airport. I don't think I'd use it for a 2 or even a 2.5* property. Book the hotel on your own and you might get something like a suite or free breakfast. Book through PL and you'll pay a PL fee, might have to pay a resort fee and you might wind up with a property you don't like. I don't think you'll save enough money.

 

[DawnM]

We are a family of 4 and have used priceline many, many times. It has only been a problem once, with a small, independantly owned "resort".

If you use biddingfortravel.com and do your homework and try to bid where there are only large chains like Marriott and Doubletrees you will be fine.

Dawn

PS: We have used priceline for Orlando twice. We got Marriott Courtyard at Lake Little Bryan once for 21 days and the Doubletree Suites for 7 days the next time. Both stays were fabulous.

 

[mommaU4]

Be careful with Priceline if you have to have more than one bed as that is all they will garauantee. We had an experience once with DH, myself, DS, and DD where I had a room booked in the San Diego area. We lived about 2 hrs from there at the time and planned to spend the whole day at Sea World then stay overnight rather than drive home so late. The hotel though only had a room with one bed, even though I had called and requested 2 beds they said that was only a request and they didn't have any left. Not even a rollaway. So we ended up driving home after all, arriving home around 1:30 in the a.m. and losing our money we had paid. I'm not knocking Priceline. We have used it many times with just me and DH and stayed at some gorgeous 4 star resorts dirt cheap! Just be careful when you HAVE to have two beds cause there's always a chance you may not get it.

 

[kilee]

Biggest thing is have a back-up game plan. We are same situation family of 3. We figured worse case if they couldn't give us 2 beds and no roll-away then we'd get an airmattress at Walmart and put it in the room for DS. To date we've pricelined twice in Orlando and once in NYC. In orlando we always got 2 beds. Actually we found the hotels to be much nicer there too. In NYC it wasn't the case. They were firm w/ the one bed, such and such. Which was fine because the NYC trip was just dh and me.

 

[Siouxstone]

I have used Priceline for the Disney area for the last 4 trips down in the last three years.
In May 2003, we were at Park Inn & Suites on Irlo Bronson for $21 a night, 6 nights. It was clean, but older. Breakfast was included and decent. Cereal, bagels, fruit, ect. I believe it was a 2 star.
In September 2003, we were at the Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista for $19 a night. I believe this may have been a 2 1/2 star. Rooms were clean, and while breakfast was included, the dining room was very hectic. You could upgrade to a hot breakfast for a fee. We were there 6 nights.
In January 2004, we did a quickie trip and got the La Quinta on Irlo Bronson for $19 a night for two nights. No breakfast, but the rooms were nice and clean.
In June 2004, we were back at the same Comfort Inn for around $35 a night for 5 nights. I remember talking to a woman at the pool who paid over $80 for the same room!
We have never been charged the "resort fee" and have always had 2 beds in Orlando. This, of course, doesn't mean that it couldn't happen.
We are taking my DS for his first visit this January. We are going the 22-28th and I will Priceline my rooms unless my sister has enough free nights to go around from one of her reward cards.
We always figure that we can go more often if we don't splurge on rooms. We never spend much time there and I'd rather get 5 or 6 days out of my budget than 2 or 3.
I hope this helps.

 

[Lewisc]

Biggest thing is have a back-up game plan. We are same situation family of 3. We figured worse case if they couldn't give us 2 beds and no roll-away then we'd get an airmattress at Walmart and put it in the room for DS. To date we've pricelined twice in Orlando and once in NYC. In orlando we always got 2 beds. Actually we found the hotels to be much nicer there too. In NYC it wasn't the case. They were firm w/ the one bed, such and such. Which was fine because the NYC trip was just dh and me.

Some of the hotels in cities like NY have rooms they give PL customers that not only just have one double bed but the room doesn't even have enough floor space to put an air mattress on the floor.

Not really an issue in Orlando.

 

[Lucky4me]

I agree with Lewis. NYC is tough on Priceline customers. Boston is similar as are a few other cities on the East and West coasts.
When people are trying to find a bargain priced hotel for visits to NYC, I tell them to go for a hotel across the river in Jersey. $2-3 and a 10 minute bus ride and you're in Manhattan.

 

[spiceycat]

the couple of times that I used priceline - it was very nice.

got 2 double beds.