Priceline Hotel: 3.5* Portland (Lake Oswego-Tigard) Crowne Plaza

[Rebel]

charges for everything (title was cut off)

First bid Clackamas $36 denied

Added Lake Oswego-Tigard, $40 bid denied

Waited 24 hours, Clackamas $44 bid denied

Added Lake Oswego - $44 bid accepted

I was "upgraded" to 3.5* at the Crowne Plaza Portland Lake Oswego.

Not pleased with my first PRICELINE deal. I was hoping for the Courtyard By Marriott Portland Southeast. I would rather have payed more to be closer to Oregon City. Now I'll have to get going earlier and battle the I-205 traffic in the morning. TripAdvisor ratings place the Crowne at 6th out of 7 hotels in Lake Oswego.

There are no recent reviews of this hotel in this forum (last one was '05!), but the reviews on TripAdvisor are mixed. They charge for parking and $9.95 for Internet! I must have Internet, and no way am I going to pay $10 for it!

The Crowne Plaze has a very strange pool - 2/3 indoors, 1/3 out with a wall dividing it above the pool. Not sure how warm it's going to be.

I'm already not looking forward to staying there. How can I get out of this reservation? From the reviews I read, this should NOT be a 3.5 star hotel!

How can PRICELINE stick people with all these extra fees that are not disclosed beforehand? :) I could have bid another $15 or so and maybe got the area I wanted, and had free Internet and parking!

I can't believer in 2010 hotels still charge for Internet! I don't think I've ever paid extra for it.

Some recent reviews: "The hotel itself is dated, smelly and very loud - it reminded me of a retirement home. The walls are paper thin." "The rooms and hallways had a slightly funky smell." "overall the place was in need of a face lift, especially in the public areas, which looked worn (old carpet, slightly dirty drop ceilings, etc.)."

[dahammer]

sorry this didn't go the way you wanted, but if you wanted to stay in Clakamas at the 3* level, you should not have added this as a rebid zone since Lake Oswego has 3.5* rated hotels. You may want to call the Crowne Plaza about the internet charges, I believe all CP's have free wifi for guests, but I could be wrong; you may have to be a member of the Priority Club, and you can sign up for free. Most upscale hotels like Sheraton, Marriott, Hyatt will charge for internet, the lower rated properties such as Courtyard by Marriott, Holiday Inns, and Hyatt Place offer free internet. As for sticking customers with fees, this is disclosed before you made your bid.

All in all, you probably saved more than 50% from rack rates. You may want to complain to PRICELINE's customer service about the poor Tripadvisor ratings.

Good luck and let us know how this stay went.

PS, I used a pool like this in Montreal in the winter, it was actually pretty nice, you might just like it.

[Rebel]

I don't appreciate my first post being edited and the pics removed with no explanation! There was nothing wrong with the pics and I'm posting them again.

Every other zone had at least 3* in them, so I couldn't choose a zone with lower levels.

As for sticking customers with fees, this is disclosed before you made your bid.

Exactly where was this disclosure? Might be on the Priceline site somewhere, but I didn't see it as part of the reservation process. If it's hidden on some Terms and Conditions page, that's like a store displaying it's refund policy in a back room; That doesn't work - it must be prominently displayed where customers can see it.

It says right on the hotel's website: Public Space Data Services: Wireless Data Connection Initial Fee: $9.95.

[dahammer]

It says right on the hotel's website: Public Space Data Services: Wireless Data Connection Initial Fee: $9.95.

I read this as well, but a public space is not the same as a guest room, and I have stayed in several CP's without being charged a fee for in room internet service.

BTW, Its a board policy to not permit photos, the forum for these is Real Hotel Photos.

Every other zone had at least 3* in them, so I couldn't choose a zone with lower levels.

If you would have paid more to be closer to Oregon City, why did you choose the Lake Oswego zone?

Exactly where was this disclosure?

its in the terms and conditions under charges for taxes and fees, paragraph C2a, you put your initials a box indicating you read these before you submitted your bid.

There is an inherent risk to using PRICELINE, occasionally you may get a property that is a bit off but where else could you stay for $44 in this area?

[Rebel]

I read this as well, but a public space is not the same as a guest room, and I have stayed in several CP's without being charged a fee for in room internet service.

Guess you were lucky! I learned about the fee from the reviews BEFORE I saw it on the hotel's website. Then I checked the website before posting my thread.

Reviews: They have wireless Internet but they charge $10 for the use of it; They have wireless Internet but they charge $10 for the use of it; I realised that there was no wireless internet and it cost $9!!; Disliked — Paying for Internet Service in my room

etc. etc. etc.

There is an inherent risk to using PRICELINE, occasionally you may get a property that is a bit off but where else could you stay for $44 in this area?

It's NOT $44 after $10 for Internet and an additional fee for parking! More like $55-$60. I could have got that rate from the Hotel Coupons guide, even if it was a Comfort inn or someplace. I don't consider $10-$15 to be a "bit off."

I wouldn't have bid on any other area if it weren't for the "helpful" bidding strategies I read here. I'd rather increase my bid daily, and if I wasn't successful, use a motel coupon as I usually do. Still get a room for $45-$55 with FREE Internet!

BTW, seems like a misguided policy to not allow photos in the forum where the related thread is. If someone is writing about mold or bugs or some other positive or negative aspect of a property, a photo can help get the message across. I'm a member of several forums, but this is the only one I'm (now) aware of that doesn't allow photos in the topic. What's up with that? :)

[thereuare]

Rebel,

Posting images within a thread can effect the format of the thread, which is why as a general rule we don't allow them.

However, and more importantly, as you don't appear to have stayed at this hotel yet, i'm assuming you didn't take those pictures and therefore you don't own the copyright or have the right to post them.

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

[Rebel]

i'm assuming you didn't take those pictures and therefore you don't own the copyright or have the right to post them.

I do believe this falls under Fair Use law:

"Fair use is a doctrine in United States copyright law that allows limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the rights holders, such as for commentary, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching or scholarship." (Wikipedia)

However, I see your TOU makes it impossible to upload images from the public domain without express permission, even if they do comply with Fair Use.

[Colfax]

I wouldn't have bid on any other area if it weren't for the "helpful" bidding strategies I read here.

Rebel,

Sorry you're unhappy with your first Priceline purchase, but you never posted a request for assistance. Nobody on this board suggested that you add Lake Oswego zone.

If you'd asked for assistance before bidding you'd have been specifically advised NOT to bid the way you did, as it's common knowledge that 3* bids are frequently upgraded to 3.5* and most 3.5* hotels charge for internet.

(Note to moderators: Crowne Plaza is a 3.5* and subject line says 3*.)