Priceline Hotel: 3.5* Kauai Resort (Princeville) Westin

[TeachMe]

Just won a bid from 5/29/10-6/3/10 in the Princeville area of Kauai at the Westin for 147/night. I was aiming to get this hotel and even though the final price was a bit higher than I would have liked I'm sure it will be worth it. HOTWIRE currently has this hotel going for 169 so getting it for 147 during the memorial weekend time isn't bad at all. It seems like the hotel prices are going up that week in comparison to their slow period in April.

I started at 110 which was rejected and bid the next night to 115. I bid the next 2 nights to 120 and finally 125. At 125 I was asked to add $22 to my bid so I tried adding in $2 increments all the way until I was finally at the $147 that they asked for. Guess they can be pretty stubborn sometimes.

I used the PRICELINE link from the site also and am happy to finally complete the hotel portion of my stay on Kauai.

I have a question regarding bidding on a rental car. I want to pick up a Jeep while I'm there based on my experience driving one in Maui last year which really comes in handy for off terrain adventures. If I bid on an SUV and am awarded something other than a Jeep for a price, is there any way I can exchange it for a Jeep, even if it's for a small fee on top of what I bid, or will my exchange completely cancel out the bid and make me pay the full asking price for a Jeep? I'm trying to figure out whether to just use a discount site one of the betterbidding members posted or if I can get a better bargain bidding on it.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks so much,

Marcus

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Glad to see you received a nice deal at the hotel you were hoping for.

Since there is no "jeep" car class on PRICELINE or HOTWIRE when bidding for a car rental, i think it would be best to book that thru a non-opaque source to ensure you get what you're looking for. If you did go thru 'opauqe' sources and the rental company has jeeps on the lot, and available, they would likely offer the option of an upsell at an additional fee, but you'll basically be held hostage to their offer. While an upgrade fee can often be negotiated, since you really want/need a jeep, they're the ones with all the bargaining power; as well, there is no assurance that a jeep vehicle would be available. If you simply would like a jeep and not really a big deal if you don't get one, then the opaque route might be worth a try, but if it will diminish your trip experience, i'd book the car type you want. (NOTE: some car rental companies prohibit 'off-roading'... be careful and abide by the terms of the contract!!)

Thank you for sharing your win and using the PRICELINE links on the board to begin your bidding.

Enjoy your stay.