Priceline??

[jaysbabe]

Has anyone used Priceline.com to Bid on room rates? If so, how successful were you and how much did you save? What was the average going rate for the Disney area?

 

[TrustedTraveler]

We use Priceline bidding all the time for both rooms and car rentals. I haven't tried it yet in the Disney area but probably will for the last night of our January vacation. As far as price, I usually get results just below what I could get from Hotwire. If you can be a bit flexible, I believe you will not be disappointed. We've always been happy with our results.

 

[pbmouseman]

I haven't used Priceline to bid for rooms in Orlando, but I've gotten great deals on very nice hotels in Chicago (Hyatt right off Michigan Avenue for $60). I suggest you go to a website called bidding for travel (if you Google "bidding for travel" it should be the first site that pops up...I don't want to get in trouble with the moderators by posting a link). They give you some hints on using Priceline and you'll also see what kinds of deals people have gotten in various cities (some of the deal I've seen are Regal Sun for $29 and Hyatt Grand Cypress for $75). Good luck.

 

[daannzzz]

It depends on what you are looking for. I have gotten the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress twice. Once for $95 and once for $125. I have gotten Gaylord Palms twice for $95 and $99. But I tend to want to get a deal like that on the Resort level hotels.
If you are looking mainly to do a less expensive trip I have gotten The Raddisson Worldgate twice. Once on Hotwire for $45 and once on Priceline for $39.
I know some people have gotten things for $19 in the past but those are for super basic motels.

 

[robinb]

I use Priceline all the time! I stayed a month in Oak Brook, IL when my mom was in the hospital and never paid more that $32 per night for a hotel room.

Check out www.betterbidding.com for hints on how to bid on Priceline and the best way to get the lowest price. They also have a calendar which shows the winning bids for your specific dates. The amount you spend on a hotel all depends on availability and the "star" level of the hotel you choose. A 5* or 4* will cost you more than a 3* for instance and Spring Break will cost you more than the middle of May.

ETA: They also have Hotwire listings with help on using the amenities list to narrow down which hotel is being offered. You will ALWAYS pay more for the same hotel on Hotwire than on Priceline.

 

[taliategan]

I got the Westin Imagine, a 4*, in the SeaWorld/Universal zone for $ 61.00, for an upcoming trip in January. Priceline has a few more uncertainities than Hotwire, but in most cases you can get better prices than Hotwire. Priceline only guarantees double occupancy; so if you have more than 2 in your party, there is no guarantee you can get a room with more than one bed. The hotel has no obligation to accomodate you if you want a room with two beds. This is a little less of a risk in the Disney area, since most hotels are set up for families. There is no way to tell if there are any resort fees, parking fees, internet fees or shuttles to the parks until after you make the purchase. On Hotwire, sometimes you can idenify the hotel through sites such as betterbidding.com and can check with the hotel to see if they have the amenities or no-extra fees before you make the purchase. You can also check betterbidding.com to check hotel lists for Priceline - that can give you an idea of likely hotels you would win at a certain star level in a certain area you may be interested in bidding.

 

[robinb]

Priceline only guarantees double occupancy; so if you have more than 2 in your party, there is no guarantee you can get a room with more than one bed. The hotel has no obligation to accomodate you if you want a room with two beds. This is a little less of a risk in the Disney area, since most hotels are set up for families.

This is a good point. We are thinking of bidding in DT Chicago for Thanksgiving (if my DD is over her flu in the next 2 days) and Better Bidding is showing what I think is the Palmer House for $88. I would spend less on Priceline, but the Palmer House is very likely to stick us in one of their tiny rooms with mere inches around the queen bed. It's happened before. That's OK when my DH and I are traveling alone, but not with my DD. If I pay a bit more on HW for the Palmer House and include 2 kids in the request I will get a room with 2 double beds.