Priceline Hotel: Resort Puerto Vallarta Westin

[nsvv]

I made a bid for a resort in puerto vallarta for $70/night. It was immediately accepted. Got Westin.

Should have bid less.. :)

[yellowdog]

Welcome to BetterBidding and congratulations on your success!

Thank you for sharing your result with the board!

Can you please add a reply to this thread with the date(s) of your stay so we can add this information to the topic title and enable your win to appear in the Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins.

Enjoy your stay.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE and PRICELINE links to start future purchases.

Yellowdog.

[nsvv]

Check-In: Friday, July 30, 2010-03:00 PM

Check-Out: Sunday, August 1, 2010-12:00 PM

Room Cost (avg. per room, per night):$70.00 (USD)

Number of Rooms:2

Number of Nights:2

Travel Insurance:$20.00 (USD)

Room Subtotal:$300.00 (USD)

Taxes and Fees:$60.92 (USD)

Total Room Cost:$360.92 (USD)

[yellowdog]

Thanx for the follow-up!

Yellowdog.

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

[nsvv]

Here is some valuable info for people who want to go the same route.

I called Westin and asked about the rooms. It turns out that they are non-renovated with partial ocean view. For $20/room/night more I was able to upgrade them to renovated rooms with full ocean view. A really great deal, $179/night was the cheapest rate for these rooms that I was able to find elsewhere.

On a related note, a big warning about a scam that Fiesta Americana has going. They DO NOT honor their 25% best price guarantee discount. When I submitted a claim they rejected it because the cancelation policy of the other offer was different (in fact it was better!). I submitted the claim again with an offer from a website that just passes along any cancelation fee that the hotel charges to me. Never heard back from them. Now they want to charge me one night's stay as a cancellation fee, so in worst case I owe them around $300.

How is this not stealing? In order to make a claim for the 25% best price discount you have make a reservation first. If they don't get back to you right away then you are stuck with the regular rate or a cancelation fee. :)

[AaronJB]

Thank you for the follow-up; glad to hear that you were able to upgrade at the Westin, but sorry to hear about the problems with the Fiesta.

[nsvv]

Just got back from there, so here is the inside scoop.

The hotel is so-so, 4 stars is def pushing it. The building is old, the outside and lobby arent impressive at all. The rooms are good on the inside but most smell moldy/humid. This is the case with all hotels in the marina because of the humid climate (new hotels might be ok). Just ask for another room until you get a decent one. Staff is friendly but the maids are overworked, once they didnt get to cleaning my room until 7pm and they dont do a good job.

At night the A/C was turned off for a few hours and adding a bottle of water to the room bill is their standard procedure. Complaining about these got them to refund me the upsell part.

Even the original $70 room was renovated, only difference was the floor (5 vs 9). On the 5th floor (2nd floor really, they just "renumber") the palms are blocking the view to the ocean, otherwise the rooms are identical.

2 blocks away was a harbor with many restaurants of cheap food, def recommend over the overpriced hotel food. There was an oxxo in front of the hotel, which is like a 7eleven. A bit farther away was a Starbucks.

[thereuare]

Thanks for the follow-up and sharing your experience at this property.