Recent Priceline/Hotwire experience

[dancin Disney style]

Anyone use either site recently to get a hotel in the Buffalo area. We are going to a hockey game on the 19th and want to stay over but the hotels are a little pricey at the moment and I doubt it will get any better in the next week. The Marriott would be nice if it's still easy to get on Priceline.

 

[Ted in Halifax]

I haven't used priceline or hotwire for 6 months or so, but this might help

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1559447&page=45

 

[formill]

We are in Florida now flew from Buffalo- just used Priceline for Tuesday night - ended up with the 2 1/2 star rated Ramada Hotel and Conference Centre- pretty dumpy place would not want this one again- big old tv-fairly dirty but bed was good- got it for $71 ($57 +fees/tax) --when we come home we have the Salvatores Garden Place which we booked through Hotwire- 3 1/2 stars and we got it for $64 + fees=$82. Last year we had the Day's Inn through Priceline and thought it was a great hotel it was also a 2 1/2 star - we got it for $45 + fee/tax=$59. It is hard to believe the Day's Inn and the Ramada are both 2 1/2 stars for the Day's Inn was so much nicer/cleaner.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Maybe I should just start bidding on the 3.5 star and see what I get. We really could stay anywhere in Buffalo. We just want a nice room so that we don't have to drive home so late. Right now I can get the Sleep Inn near the airport for $73....it's the best price I've found so far. It's a prepaid deal through their own website.

 

[Ted in Halifax]

Take a look at this tool ... http://www.biddingtraveler.com/ Might help you decide what to bid on

 

[dancin Disney style]

Take a look at this tool ... http://www.biddingtraveler.com/ Might help you decide what to bid on

I've never seen that site before......totally love it!!!!! Thanks Ted.

 

[Chickkypoo]

We bid on a 3.5 star back in August and got Salvatore's Garden Place hotel for $85. We loved it! When we got there, we found out we were upgraded to a Jacuzzi suite.

Good luck with bidding!

 

[dancin Disney style]

I bid last night but didn't get it. I tried 3.5 star at $70 for Amherst. I might have another go today on 3 star for downtown and airport. I know that I don't want to get the 3.5 star downtown as that could get me the Hyatt which charges $20 for parking

 

[Ted in Halifax]

From personal experience .... i found that bidding on priceline from say Thursday until say late Sunday gives me less results than bidding Monday through to Wednesday. Here I mean that actual day that you place the bid, Patience!

 

[hockey mom]

I just used hotwire and got a comfort inn for about $67/night. It was ok.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I think I might be done with trying the Priceline route. I bid again yesterday and didn't get it.

I can get the Sleep Inn for $73 on the Choice hotels site with rewards points. I will decide later today if I'm going to book it. It's a nonrefundable rate which is the only reason I haven't booked it....plus I've issue got a litte issue with needing to be back home on Sunday before noon. So I'm taking a little time to see if I can work out the situation at home before I pay for a hotel.

 

[formill]

We bid on a 3.5 star back in August and got Salvatore's Garden Place hotel for $85. We loved it! When we got there, we found out we were upgraded to a Jacuzzi suite.

Good luck with bidding!

Hoping for the upgrade now.........could sure use a jacuzzi! At the airport now.......guess we have to go home sometime! (We are going to Salvatores Garden Place when get back to Buffalo tonight!)

 

[dancin Disney style]

Well, I decided that I was just going to book the Sleep Inn but wouldn't you know it they are now sold out. So back to Priceline......I bid on Amherst 3.5 star and won the Doubletree for $75. I'm very happy as the rack rate is around $160. Of course I didn't expect to win at that price and now wonder if I should have started lower Oh well...I got a nice hotel and have worked out my issues at home on Sunday. I can go away and not worry about needing to be back at any certain time.

Buffalo Sabres here we come !!!!!!

 

[alohamom]

Well, I decided that I was just going to book the Sleep Inn but wouldn't you know it they are now sold out. So back to Priceline......I bid on Amherst 3.5 star and won the Doubletree for $75. I'm very happy as the rack rate is around $160. QUOTE]

Oh thanks so much for posting this! I have not used Priceline for a while and I always consider it for the Marriott but if this is coming up in Amhurst as well it might give me pause for thought before I bid again. Nothing at all wrong with Doubletree but just have not stayed there and was used to getting only the Marriott at 3.5 in Amhurst-thanks again, information is power

 

[dancin Disney style]

Oh thanks so much for posting this! I have not used Priceline for a while and I always consider it for the Marriott but if this is coming up in Amhurst as well it might give me pause for thought before I bid again. Nothing at all wrong with Doubletree but just have not stayed there and was used to getting only the Marriott at 3.5 in Amhurst-thanks again, information is power

The Doubletree was added as the other 3.5 star in Amherst quite some time ago. I think the only difference might be parking. The Doubletree doesn't charge to park at the hotel when you are staying there but I see nothing on their site about long term parking. We don't need it anyway but I will try and remember to ask while I'm there just for future reference.

 

[Pinkgurlshubby]

We just used hotwire a few weeks ago for MCO and Port Canaveral. Probably could have done better with MCO for the price but we did quite well with Cape Canaveral
Yes this has nothing to do with Buffalo but the site was a little different than the last time we used it. Wasn't as easy to narrow down the exact hotel we were looking for.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Just thought I would come back and let everyone know about our stay at the Doubletree. The room was clean and quiet....we were right by the elevator and I thought there might be noise in the hallway. My only compliant was that it did not have a bathtub, it did have a large shower. It was a cold rainy day/night and after attending the hockey game a hot bath would have been really nice. Anyhow, all the staff that we encounter were really nice and super helpful. They even offered us a ride to the game in their van. I would stay there again without hesitation but I didn't think that it was worth the $160/night rack rate. We paid $75 on Priceline and that was a great price for this hotel.

There were a couple of small restaurants just across the street but nothing else that we saw. However, we did not drive around the area. We only got on and off the highway. There are food options inside the hotel so if you didn't want to leave you would be fine.

One slight negative was that the heater and probably the AC as well was a little bit on the loud side. It did wake me up in the morning when it would cycle on and off. I think it was around 6:30-7am but at the time of the morning just about any noise will wake me as I'm normally up around 7:30 anyway.