Priceline Hotel Bidding: Help for Better Bidding

Priceline hotel bidding is an effective way to save money when travelling.  However, Priceline is not for everyone because of the way it works.  With Priceline, you name your own price and then find out what hotel you received.  This is a novel concept but easy to understand once you have tried it a few times.  Here are some articles intended to provide help for better bidding on Priceline.

Priceline for Beginners:  This article describes the basics of how to use Priceline for hotel bidding.  It covers the basics.  How to bid using Priceline’s Name Your Own Price, and some of the caveats to be aware of before bidding such as non-refundable reservations.  For beginners, this article is a must read.

Rebidding on Priceline:  Normally when you bid for a hotel, there is a 24-hour rebidding policy unless you change your travel dates or bidding zone.  But there are instances when you do not want to change your search parameters and still rebid.  There is a well-known loophole that allows travellers to rebid on Priceline before waiting 24 hours.

Priceline Complaints:  The Priceline discussion forum quite often hears about complaints from travellers.  Most of these complaints could have been prevented if the traveller knew and better understood exactly how Priceline works, as well as Priceline policies.  For example, did you know that these reservations are non-refundable and cannot be changed?  Did you know that you cannot book a hotel room for more than 2 people using Name Your Own Price?

How to cancel a Priceline reservation:  It is well known that Priceline reservations made from bidding cannot be changed or cancelled.  However, sometimes life throws you a curveball and you need to do just that.  How do you change or cancel your reseveration?  This article offers some tips on how to navigate your way through the system.

Travelocity vs. Priceline:  Travelocity offers an opaque hotel booking engine called ‘Top Secret’, which works more like Hotwire.  Honestly, I’m not a fan of Travelocity Top Secret hotels and its generally not that highly recommended by travellers.  However if you’re looking for an alternative to Priceline hotel bidding, it might be worth checking out.

Hotwire vs Priceline:  Most travellers know and understand how Hotwire works.  In this article, a comparison is made between Hotwire and Priceline.  While there are many differences, the bottom line is this.  Use Hotwire to help determine the maximum bidding amount for Priceline hotel bidding.  Then bid on Priceline to the max for a similar hotel on Hotwire.  Priceline should be avoided in cases where you need guaranteed hotel amenities or room for 3 or more travellers.

Priceline for 3 or more guests:  Normally when you book a hotel on Priceline, you are only guaranteed that your room will accommodate a maximum of 2 guests per room.  While most hotels will accommodate 3 or more guests per room, this is not always the case when Priceline hotel bidding.

Getting a W hotel on Priceline:  Travellers who love hotels love W hotels.  Thanks to the Priceline forum, travellers have reported what hotels they have gotten.  While not 100% guaranteed, there’s a good chance that when you bid you will get the same hotel as others.   And if you’re looking for a W Hotel, this article discusses some of the more common cities that W hotels show up on Priceline.

Priceline Express Deals for Hotels:  In 2012, Priceline launched a new online travel booking system called “Express Deals”.  Although there are some nuances, this is essentially the same as Priceline.  We compare and contrast Express Deals vs Priceline hotel bidding and Hotwire

Price Hotel Bidding in Select Cities:  Here is a collection of articles written about booking hotels on Priceline.  Most of these articles are intended to help travellers figure out what hotel they could get, where to bid, and areas to avoid.

  • Priceline in Lake Tahoe:  Not sure where to stay in Tahoe, this article provides information about hotels in the various bidding zones of Tahoe, from South Tahoe to Incline Village.
  • Fort Lauderdale Hotels on Priceline:  One of the most popular travel destinations for cruisers, Fort Lauderdale hotels offer deep discounts.
  • How to get the Westin Diplomat on Priceline:  One of the most popular hotels in South Florida, this article provides a review of the Westin Diplomat and tips on how to get this hotel for as low as $90 per night.
  • Amsterdam Priceline Hotels:  Hotel Deals Revealed founder Randy Greencorn spent 3 days in Amsterdam exploring hotels available on Priceline.
  • Better Bidding in Las Vegas:  Who doesn’t love staying at 5-star hotels in Las Vegas for $100 per night.  Find out what hotel you might get on Priceline and learn how much to bid.
  • Priceline Toronto:  From downtown North and South to the Airport, figure out what hotels are available on Priceline in Toronto.
  • Additional Priceline hotel bidding articles in Europe, San Francisco Union Square, Waikiki and Seattle.

If you need additional help for better bidding, the Priceline discussion forum is a good place to ask questions.  The forum is comprised of several thousand Priceline enthusiasts who will happily help answer questions you may have.