Scared to use Priceline. HELP!

[Kendallkat2]

We need a hotel near Disney for just 1 night. I was waiting for AP discounts which came out but NOTHING is available.

I want to try Priceline but am chicken. I was looking at the website and it says that 3 stars is the best value. What are some of the 3 stars hotels and what should I bid?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Beth

 

[tar heel]

You can go to www.biddingfortravel.com or www.betterbidding.com to get an idea of the hotels that MIGHT come up. You could also go to www.travelzoo.com and book the Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista (near Downtown Disney) for $39.99. We stayed there one night last week, and it was fine.

 

[iloveokw]

Beth, I know what you mean - the problem with Priceline is you don't have control of how many beds you get - a king wouldn't work for the three of us So you should also keep that in mind. Just my two cents worth.

Kathy

 

[cnids00]

We used Priceline for a our recent weekend trip to Chicago, for the first time. I was scared but after choosing the area and how many stars, we went for it. 4 star and location "in the Loop" gave us W Hotel City Center, I started out bidding $150 a night, it wasn't accepted and nothing charged to my CC of course, so I went up to $ 160 and it was accepted. Now I do believe this was a great price as we saved at least 100 dollars total. It was a first try using Priceline and it worked out well for us. We did get a king size bed too

It's a gamble but we loved our hotel for our weekend getaway and I thought it was fun not completly knowing where we would end up

3 star is good rating and if only for one night I think you'd be alright also, you can call the hotel directly a couple of days/ a week after you've booked and ask for a king bed too. It takes a while for Priceline to process and send it off to the hotel you've won your bid on. Oh, I checked out the hotels at hotels.com first to get an idea of prices and bid way under, if it's not accepted go a little bit higher, eventually you will win with your bid..

 

[kilee]

I've used priceline for stays in WDW area and NYC on more than 1 occasion. In WDW I've never had a problem getting 2 beds. Though you're not guaranteed. In NYC, they were very clear we were getting 1 bed. Though that trip wasn't a problem because our son wasn't going us.

Priceline can be a great way to save a considerable amount of money, but it does require some research. Also, you do have to be willing to take whatever you might get in the category and zone you pick.

The websites recommended are really good starting points for research, I'd give them a look over.

 

[jdm]

I've also used Priceling for years and have always requested and received 2 beds. It's not gauranteed although the hotel will usually do what it can to accommodate you. Orlando is a huge family destination. You shouldn't have a problem. Call the hotel directly after you win your location and request it. Another option for some people has been to pay an extra $5 or $10 for a roll-a-way if they don't have a double room.

I can't tell you the big $$$ we have saved and the absolutely beautiful hotels we've stayed in using Priceline in cities like NYC, Boston, San Fran and Orlando (always receiving 2 beds on request). Do not bid without reading through the hotel lists and advice on biddingfortravel. I don't think I would have tried Priceline without the info on that site.

Good Luck!
Jenn

 

[DanaHesson]

I am off tomorrow, so if you can get back to me, I will try to help!

 

[yecats]

Please review the biddingfortravel.com and betterbidding.com sites as they are wonderful. I have used Priceline many times for the WDW area (esp. for the first couple of nights of stay) and have not regretted what I received for what I bid. I have never used Hotwire to bid but many people can tell from the amenities listed which hotel it is that may be accepting (this is listed on betterbidding site). Hotwire is usually a little more expensive but may be worth it if your looking for a specific hotel.