BEAV

If Priceline has a contract with a 3-star hotel within a particular zone, yet has no availability on a given date within the 3-star category, the box you would normally select indicating you wish to bid for a 3 star hotel is simply "greyed" out, as opposed to the insinuation that the 3 star option is removed from the list of categories to select. This happens frequently in the Oakland, CA zone where there is only one known 3 star hotel (Marriott). Often times, you'll find the 3 star option greyed out, yet lower categories are available to select. What else could this mean other than Priceline doesn't have access to a 3 star hotel within the zone for the date you're bidding.

I checked several dates and ran across a customer comment that mentioned the balconies. You are absolutely correct about Hotwire using a variety of different comments. If you're lucky enough to see one that mentions balconies on the date you're researching, you'll be just one step ahead of the game.

Just an update to my previous post regarding the Omni & Park Hyatt in San Francisco now being the same star level and having equal amenity icon displays...... Unfortunately, for the sake of identification, both are Customer Favorite hotels! However, if you read customer comments and see remarks about rooms with balconies, you'll know it's the Park Hyatt. The Omni has no balconies whatsoever. Below is an example....

Took some patience after nearly two weeks of bidding. Wasn't successfull until just one day before the stay. Large convention going on between both the Sheraton & Hyatt, keeping things filled up. Sheraton was previously sold out earlier in the week, then opened up some inventory to both Priceline & Hotwire ($106 on Hotwire!)

Hotwire's vacation package identifies the Radisson Hotel & Suites Fallsview as 3.5 stars with the following amenity icons: Shuttle Restaurant Pool Fitness Center Hi-Speed Internet Access Business Center Are these the same amenities you're seeing in the opaque hotel-only category? If so, you've probably got a match......

FOFT, I'm not sure if we've answered your question, or made you more confused! At any rate, good luck with your bidding adventures!

That's been my understanding, anyway. I believe it serves two purposes: 1. Maximizes the hotel's revenue vs giving too much to Priceline. 2. Assures even brand distribution with multiple properties having multiple Priceline rates for any given date. Believe me, I'm no expert, but I would think the participating brands would collectively want it this way to ensure equal distribution. I would be willing to bet the night my friend got the SF Hilton for $100, that there were others assigned there as well who placed lower bids. I don't believe Hilton made a bundle on his so-called "overbid" but rather they had multiple Priceline rates on the same date.

Remember the days when Priceline separated the hotel tax from their service fee on your award confirmation? When people posted this valuable information, we could determine, to the penny, Priceline's purchase rate from the hotel and bid that amount on our own bids. Using that tried-and-true method, where does the 7% theory from the article come into play?

Good point, thereuare. But I wonder if Priceline's contracts prohibit a specific property from having rates just $1 apart. Wouldn't that create an unfair monolopy in favor of that hotel brand? And I tend to believe hotels have multiple rates for a given date so as to evenly distribute hotel brand assignment given the vast dollar range people bid. An acqaintance of mine had the following results. He does not frequent these boards, and had no idea what to bid. He wanted to stay two nights in San Francisco, however made two separate bids in an effort to "hotel hop" and possibly be assigned two different hotels. Bid #1 of $110 for the first night landed him the Pan Pacific. Bid #2 of $100 for the second night landed him the Hilton. FOFT could say his theory is correct in the above example, assuming we agree the Pan Pacific is better than Hilton. But I claim it follows my theory of Priceline assigning whichever hotel has the closest qualifying rate to the amount bid! And the question remains, did the Hilton have a lower rate than $100 available that particular night? My guess is they did, but $100 was just one of their many qualifying rates. We may never know the answer, but keep those theories coming!

Here's a laymens version of the way I've been led to believe it works.... Hotel A has the following Priceline rates: $55 $62 $71 $85 $100 Hotel B has the following Priceline rates: $60 $65 $74 $89 $105 Bid #1: If you bid $55-59, you will be assigned Hotel A. Bid #2: If you bid $60 you will be assigned Hotel B. You will not be assigned Hotel A at $55 with Priceline making an extra $5 on the transaction. Bid #3: If you bid $73, Priceline will assign you and pay Hotel A $71. Priceline's profit will be the $2 you "overbid" ($73 vs $71) plus their service fee. It is my understanding that Priceline's contract with it's vendors is to assign whichever hotel has the Priceline rate closest to the amount you bid. This prevents Priceline from making an extra $45, for example, if you bid $100 and Priceline buys the room from Hotel A for $55. This protects the hotels by ensuring that if you bid high, they get the higher revenue, not Priceline. Priceline makes their money off the service charge and any amount you bid over the closest qualifying rate up to the next higher qualifying rate. FOFT, if this theory is correct (which I tend to believe it is) I would caution you against bidding higher to get a specific, or better quality hotel. Unless you are either willing to accept the consequences -or- you have knowledge of the better hotel's Priceline rates and can somehow "target" such rates. Let us know how it goes if you decide to gamble with a higher bid!

While just researching Hotwire's vacation package, I noticed the Omni has been downgraded from 5 stars to 4.5. This is very disappointing as the 4.5* Park Hyatt is in the same zone and has identical amenity icons. Although both are very superior hotels, you can no longer "target" either one.

Thanks for the clarification & confirmation. It really helps in the identification game!

I agree with Thereuare's opinion of Priceline vs Hotwire. I use Priceline the majority of the time compared to Hotwire, but I'm finding that I'm often willing to pay the extra to "target" a specific hotel on Hotwire, especially if it's one I really want to stay at. Now that the SFO Airport Hyatt is "on a run" of $28 on Priceline, this is a good time for adventureous travelers to utilize Hotwire's "double the difference" program if you happen to be looking for two rooms for the same night. Example: First, purchase one room from Hotwire for $48. Then bid for the second room on Priceline for $28. Until one of the other chains lowers their Priceline rate, I'd bet my bottom dollar you'll get the Hyatt, subject to their availability. If successfull, apply for Hotwire's "double the difference" guarantee against your Priceline purchase. That will bring the cost of your Hotwire room down from $48 to $8. Sick? Yes.....but all part of the "fun" !!

Can you confirm the 4 star rating? I just looked up the same dates of your stay and Hotwire is listing a 3 star with identical amenities (Boutique & Restaurant) you posted. Thanks!

I thought I'd pass on my experiences and opinions with 3 different hotel chains, all of which advertise a "best rate guarantee" program. 1. Hotwire. I'm currently "two for two" with regards to successfull claims against their "double the difference" program. Both claims were for the same hotel. Details can be found here.... Hotwire Double the Difference 2. Hilton. Their offer is to match the lower rate you find elsewhere, then send you a $50 American Express gift card upon check-out. In late January, I was looking to book the Embassy Suites South San Francisco (SFO airport area). Hilton.com quoted the following rates: $125.10 Two Queen beds $125.10 King bed Expedia quoted the following: $119 Two Queen beds - ballroom proximity $129 King bed I figured I had a successful claim with the room w/2 queen beds. I purchased the room from Hilton (internet rate--immediate purchase required) then filed the claim. They denied the claim saying the queen room I purchased was a different category than the "ballroom proximity" offered by Expedia. Okay...so they want to get picky! I responded back (via email) asking why the "ballroom" room didn't appear at Hilton.com, when it did on Expedia. I never did get a response. I didn't pursue any further as I suspected I'd never get anywhere. The ballroom rooms did appear on Hilton's website when I randomly checked for another date, eliminating my suspicion that Hilton gives Expedia that type of room to sell exclusively. I've had other customer service "issues" with Hilton over the years, so it came as no surprise when they didn't respond to my question. Bottom line.....I don't trust Hilton and try to avoid them if at all possible with my Priceline & Hotwire business. 3. Kimpton Group Their best rate guarantee program isn't as lucrative as the others (no cash perks, etc) but they do match any lower rate you find, plus upgrade you upon check-in (subject to availability) and give you late check-out (2:00pm). I've been looking to book the Topaz in DC in April for 3 nights. Hotwire sells this property, however is not displaying for the dates I'm staying. Kimpton's website is selling rooms for $259 per night. I did a Yahoo search on the Topaz to see how many different companies book rooms there. I searched through many a website, all quoting the same price as Kimpson directly. Then I stumbled across RoomsForLess and was surprised to see they sell the Topaz for $130 per night, taxes included. On-line booking was not available, so I called their toll-free number. The agent asked for my dates and confirmed they had availability at the $130 rate. I thanked her and then called Kimpton to book directly. I told the Agent I wanted to make a reservation under their best price guarantee program. She booked me at regular rates, then transfered me to a separate department for handling. I gave the new Agent the website for RoomsForLess. She put me on hold, then returned to say that although the rate was valid, it was not available for my dates and I didn't have a claim. I told her I had received verbal confirmation of availability from RoomsForLess and suggested she call them. She agreed and said she would call me back "within 15-30 minutes." One hour later she called back and confirmed the rate of $130 to me for all 3 nights. I'm not sure what all went on during that hour, but I knew they didn't want to give me that rate! The late check-out was especially appealing (aside from the upgrade!) as we have a 9:00pm flight home. After three experiences, it's obvious these hotel chains want to wiggle out of the guarantee whenever possible. I'm sure they expect when you do find lower rates, it's only a matter of $10-20 on Expedia or similar. Certainly not half the price I found at RoomsForLess. Make sure you print web pages offering lower rates, get names and phone numbers of who you speak with, etc. You'll need it for ammunition when you fight the big boys! My allegiance certainly goes to Hotwire, as their program is by far the most lucrative. In addition, you don't get locked into the "queen" vs "queen/ballroom" controversy with Hotwire! Just find ANY room type priced lower than your Hotwire purchase and you're probably home free.

Amenities are Casino, Shuttle, Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Business, Golf & Tennis & Spa (note: Click more hotel info to see the spa amenity). This is also listed as a "Customer Favorite". We originally wanted Mar 19-21 (two nights) with a price displayed of $69. This is a hotel that has both a main tower and a motor lodge out in the parking lot. I wanted to make sure I was not purchasing rooms in the lodge, so I decided to call Atlantis and inquire. The reservation agent wasn't sure, but called a Manager who looked up their contract and stated that all Hotwire rooms are sold in the main tower. During the course of the conversation they asked the dates I was looking for (I was curious if they wanted to match the rate). No match, thus the end of conversation. Before immediately purchasing, I decided to make sure I could purchase the train tickets (Amtrak) to Reno before I locked myself into the Hotwire hotel. A quick trip to Amtrak.com and I had my tickets within about 10 minutes. Back to Hotwire to buy the hotel. Now the rate displayed was $124! I'm very suspicious Atlantis felt that $69 for Fri/Sat night was a "mistake" and called Hotwire to adjust the rates. We were flexible with our dates, so I decided to try March 20-22 (Sat/Sun) and Hotwire quoted $52. We quickly bought those dates, then went back to Amtrak.com to switch the train tickets. Whew..... Before consulting Hotwire, I was rejected at $70 on Priceline. Atlantis is the only known 4* hotel in the South Reno zone. I also consulted many Reno reservation services, including Atlantis' own website. In each case, we couldn't book a reservation with a Saturday night check-in using conventional methods. Hotwire had a clear advantage in this situation. We couldn't even book Sat/Sun directly with Atlantis. Kind of a strange ride w/Hotwire between the dramatic rate change and getting around the Saturday check-in. But in the end a great deal.

I've always assumed the 5* in the Union Square East zone must be the Westin St Francis. Again, only an assumption. The price is usually always high, so I doubt anyone here will purchase and positively identify! You're correct, the 4* (Customer Favorite) in the Embarcadero zone is the Hyatt Regency. The 4* (also Customer Favorite) in the Union Square East zone (displaying Restaurant, Fitness & Biz) is the Grand Hyatt.

It's my opinion that the "trick" to getting recognition from Hyatt on Priceline and/or Hotwire stays is to charge an incidental to your room account. You don't accrue Hyatt points for the actual stay, however you do receive points on incidental charges. Hyatt also keeps tabs on your number of visits (again, as long as you charge an incidental). I had enough Hyatt stays last year to reach Platinum status for this year. In my case, all Hyatt stays were via either Hotwire or Priceline. Incidentally, I received a certificate recently, good for either an upgrade to the regency club, hotel amenity, or 1,000 bonus points for dining. Upon check-in the Hyatt employee gave me both the regency club upgrade plus the hotel amenity. I did not "push" the issue of the certificate, but merely laid it on the counter, since I expect nothing more than a room on a Priceline/Hotwire stay. In my experiences, Hyatt seems to discriminate the least against Priceline/Hotwire guests.

Have been bidding unsuccessfully between $89 and $120 for a number of weeks. Finally success at $100.

This was a same-day booking made at 3:00pm for a spontaneous trip to SF (live 30 minutes away). Began bidding at $47, upping to $52 before acceptance at $55. I had been shying away from using Priceline in SF due to the large, combined zone. I don't care for the Hilton, and try to avoid it if at all possible. As a result, Hotwire has gotten some of my SF Priceline business lately. Hotwire's five zones = Priceline's one. Since we never see the Hilton reported for less than $65, I gambled that an accepted bid below that amount would probably net one of the Hyatts. In this case, it worked like a charm. I needed one more night to qualify for Hyatt's Faster Free Night promo, and this did the trick.

I live in Walnut Creek and I've never seen the WC Marriott come up on Hotwire before. If you're trying to get as close to BART as possible, you have two very good options. Embassy Suites WC is available via both Hotwire & Priceline. 4 stars on Hotwire, and 3 on Priceline. Key amenity label on Hotwire is the S for Suite designation. If you book with Priceline, be aware you can also get the Concord Sheraton. Renaissance Club Sport (Marriott owned) in WC is across the street from Embassy Suites. Both hotels are adjacent to BART. The Renaissance is a 4 star on Priceline and is not on Hotwire as far as I know. The Renaissance is an easy target on Priceline as the only other 4 star in the zone is the much higher priced Lafayette Park Hotel. The Renaissance typically goes for around $55 on Priceline. Lafayette Park Hotel usually goes for $80 and up. Good luck!

Hotel was recently upgraded from 3 to 4 stars. $50 initial bid produced counteroffer to add $14. $52 rejected $55 accepted.

Initial bid of $45 was rejected, producing counteroffer to add $13. Bid accepted at $47.

This promo is still working, despite the supposed Dec 3 deadline for hotel purchases. Prior to Dec 3 I made two separate hotel purchases. Both were for one-night stays, by the way. I just now completed my 3rd purchase, again a one night stay. Since there seems to be so many glitches in the system surrounding this promo, I "tested the waters" by trying to use it to purchase a hotel in January, but they've got that part programmed correctly. So for the time being, looks like it's still good for hotel stays through Dec 31. From my experience, the secret to the one-night successes is to type the words hotel and bonus without any spaces between the two. Whenever I would separate the two, their system would reject any one night transaction.

Well, it just gets better and better. A few posts up the thread I reported I wanted to do the "double the difference' thing for my parents after my successfull claim, but Hotwire had adjusted the rates upward after processing my refund. I let a few days pass and checked the rates again on Sunday only to find they were back up to $262 per night for the nights of Dec 24, 25 & 26. Hyatt.com was still quoting $119 per night. So I purchased 3 more nights from Hotwire for my parents and applied once again for "double the difference." Although Hotwire's T&C's state one claim per household, and I don't live with my parents, I decided it was wise to create a new Hotwire account in their name and proceed from there. I didn't want any connection with my own account and previous claim. Hotwire purchase w/taxes & fees: $864.95 "Double the Difference" refund: $858.00 Total "out of pocket" expense for 3 nights: $6.95 Since my original claim last week, Hotwire has somewhat streamlined the "double the difference" claim process. Now you go into your account, select the link to your hotel purchase, where you then click a link "Apply for double the difference on this purchase". Selecting that prompt brings up the claim form which you complete and then submit. Much better than email exchanges back and forth asking for the form, etc. As of this writing, Hotwire hasn't adjusted the rates downward. If anyone wants to go to Palm Desert for Christmas for pennies a night, now's the time to act!