Priceline Hotel: 2.5* Monterey Clarion Hotel Monterey

[XT600]

started with 2,5* at Monterey with $40 - got a counter offer but declined - added Pacific Grove with $45 and won this hotel

savings compared to AAA-Rate = 1 USD - and non-cancelable bloody hell, this is frustrating

Again a example where priceline is only generating business with any value add for the customer

[XT600]

New "express deal" option is showing a reference price for "similar" hotels in this star level category!

Choose from a collection of top hotels at incredible prices - no bidding required. You get the deep savings and we'll reveal the name of the hotel right after you book.

Good Marketing folks!! There is nothing really deep in your savings but the fees priceline charges...

The "similar hotel" rate displayed is the median of the lowest rates available on priceline.com’s published price service for hotels in this area and star level for the same travel dates based on the most recent customer searches in the last 21 days.

esp. in 2,5* level there are huge differences in price, age, branding and comfort.

referring to my NYOP win I'm sure the parallel sold "express deal" for $49 would have been same hotel!!

So let me clarify the "deep" savings on pricline NYOP:

my bid: Room Cost $45.00 (USD) Taxes and Fees: $13.29 (USD) Total Charged to Card: $58.29 (USD)

Pricline "normal" rate: $59.00 (USD) Taxes and Fees: $7,92 (USD) Total Charged to Card: $66.92 (USD)

the latter rate is fully flexibel, I'd need to pay $8,63 = 13% more to be 100% flexibel!

My "savings" which should somehow compensate the non-cancelable rate are $8,63 which is 14,8% - not as PL wants to make me belive 23% (based on rate before their taxes & fees)

Even more as I'm member of AAA my rate would be on Choicehotels $53.10 (USD) Taxes and Fees: $6,31 (USD) Total Charged to Card: $59,41 (USD) so $1,12 are my actual "savings"

PL Price guarantee doesn't work as AAA-Rates are not respected and there is still $1,12 saving - WOW Thank you priceline for the bull

[thereuare]

Sorry to see this didn't prove to be much of a savings for you, unfortunately (in this situation) PRICELINE's Best Rate Guarantee only applies to rates available to the general public, not rates available only to members of groups or organizations.

For some people savings 10%-15% a week before their stay is enough to compensate for an non-refundable purchase (perhaps not so for a purchase months ahead of time) but it's also difficult to expect HUGE savings on hotels where retail rates are very low from the start... a difference of $5 per nite is probably not much in dollar terms, it's a 10% difference in terms of savings. The 'sweet spot' with both PRICELINE and HOTWIRE is often with the higher rated/higher priced hotels where any discount from the retail rate makes it easier to make-up the booking fee.

Shortly after reading this post I saw this priceline win for a 2.5* property at $51/nite... retail rate $119, or better then 50% savings (even after PRICELINE's booking fee). As well, they referenced a PRICELINE EXPRESS deal at $59, which if assuming is the same hotel, still represents a very nice savings vs. a conventionally booked room.

While i understand you're disappointed with this deal, i wouldn't write-off PRICELINE (or HOTWIRE) entirely, but instead do a bit more research before you bid and determine what hotel(s) you might possibly receive and their retail rates. From there you can set your maximum bid so that should you receive the least expensive hotel in the zone at the give star rating, you would still be happy with your opaque purchase.

Thank you for sharing your win with the board and helping us add this property to the Priceline Hotel List.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

Enjoy your stay.

[XT600]

agree but priceline makes you believe that the price e.g. at express deals is very low "compared to "similar" hotels - Marketing only as recognized - however it's up to me to find out that this "reference price" isnot at all realistic as there was only 2 hotels above $100 and 10 around $50 in the 2,5* level.

I doubt that there is anything true in the message "similar hotel" rate displayed is the median of the lowest rates available on priceline.com's published price service for hotels in this area and star level for the same travel dates based on the most recent customer searches in the last 21 days."

I wonder how they can prove this???

[thereuare]

The Monterey Bay Inn is 2.5* rated and in this zone and for your nite above is priced at $249/nite which can certainly skew the results.

[XT600]

The Monterey Bay Inn is 2.5* rated and in this zone and for your nite above is priced at $249/nite which can certainly skew the results.

haha, this is correct but this seems to be the trick at PL: they downgrade hotels to make their marketing messages true... in tripadvisor, Expedia, hotels.com this property is 3,5* at priceline's sister website booking.com it's 3*

[XT600]

Greetings from the Clarion Hotel Monterey :(

at checkin I was told that "priceline" booked me a accessible room with queen bed :o that's why she had to give me the room next the Munras Av. (noisy) - I refused and asked for a kingsize bed -> "$20 upgrade fee" - come on this would be 40% of what I paid and at their webpage the difference between queen-size and king size is only 10 bucks <_<

After I told her to call her manager 'cause we wanted a quiet room tonight (after noisy sleepless night in Donatello San Francisco!!) she gave us another queenbed room... ok at least on 1st floor B)

However they try to give priceline NYOP customers the worst rooms (location to street) and the lie to you that "priceline booked this room for you...

at least internet is free AND fast (not as in many upper class hotels in Europe where it's free but slow like modem)

[thereuare]

Sorry if you're not enjoying your stay, but glad to see you were able to get the room type / location resolved and hopefully the rest of the stay will go smoothly and uneventful.

Thanks for the feedback / follow-up.