Priceline Hotel: Buffalo Airport Hotel

[dodo77]

Hi.. I'm totally new to Priceline/Hotwire. 2 of us will be arriving JFK Airport from Singapore at 3pm. I'm thinking of flying straight to Buffalo so we can visit Niagara Falls. Worried that flights may be delayed, I'm thinking of taking the 8 pm flight to Buffalo, which means arriving late at Buffalo. So instead of finding my way to Niagara Falls late at night, it may be easier to stay near the Buffalo airport. I see there is only 1 area in Priceline - BUF. How do I know if the hotel has free shuttle from the airport. What is the recommended bid price so I can get a good clean hotel nearest the airport?

Thanks for all advice.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

There is no way to ensure a specific amenity (like a hotel shuttle) when using PRICELINE. If you want to ensure a Shuttle you're better of using HOTWIRE and choosing a hotel with the Shuttle icon. HOTWIRE typically costs a little more than PRICELINE, but it will ensure it has the amenity you're seeking. However, depending what time you think you're plane will arrive, you may also want to take an educated guess as to the hotel being offered since some hotels may not run their shuttles 24 hours a day.

Let us know your thoughts on how you'd like to proceed, as well as the dates of your stay, desired star level and maximum budget, we'll then advise accordingly.

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

[dodo77]

Thanks so much for your response. We arrive at 3pm in JFK Airport. The safest flight from JFK to BUF I am guessing would be around 8 pm to buffer any flight delay. I think it take 1-2 hours to fly from JFK to BUF. Maybe I am better off staying at hotel at JFK Airport area and fly to BUF the next morning instead of waiting 5 hours at the airport. Budget of $100 is it doable? We do not mind the size of room or star, as long as it is clean and has shuttle. For the budget, is it easier to get a hotel at JFK Airport or BUF airport? We will just stay for a night and then bid for hotel in Niagara Fall.

[thereuare]

Let us know... the dates of your stay...

???

[dodo77]

sorry forgot that one.. 20 Sep 2011. Thanks.

[thereuare]

Buffalo will likely be the easier/cheaper option.

HOTWIRE has what appears to be the 3* Millennium Hotel for $65/nite (i believe fully shuttle service) or the 3.5* Salvatore's for $83/nite (shuttle from 6am-midnite)

Let us know your thoughts and how you'd like to proceed and we'll advise accordingly.

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

[79W43N]

You can try bidding for the Buffalo Marriott hotel through PRICELINE as there is a free airport shuttle (though you should call first to see if it's 24 hr) and you can sometimes get it for $60-70 on weekdays. It is the only 3.5 star PRICELINE hotel in the Buffalo area.

There's also the Indigo Hotel which is 3.5 star on HOTWIRE (under Amherst area hotel) and also offers free shuttle (call to check the hours) and looks like it can be had for $123 on the night you mentioned. Might be a little pricey but is clean.

I always start my purchases with the BetterBidding HOTWIRE and PRICELINE links.

[Romelle]

While there is no guarantee, most airport hotels have free shuttles. Even if you received a Buffalo hotel without free service, I suspect the cab/paid shuttle/bus wouldn't eat up the savings over a New York hotel.

Also, if you haven't booked your air yet, a ticket all the way to Buffalo might be less than two tickets (one to NYC and one on to Buffalo).

Romelle

[dodo77]

HELP!

Thanks so much for the responses.

I tried to book my airtickets from JFK to BUF on PRICELINE and they won't let me.. it says I must enter a US Address. Priceline is not available for Singapore? I checked the Priceline Singapore but it does not offer US Internal flights. Help! I am seeing only 3 tickets left!

I tried to call the Hotline for ASIA Pacific given on the Priceline website but it says invalid number !

Thanks everyone for the really helpful suggestions. Thanks Romelle, unfortunately my international flight does not go direct to Buffalo. I was desperate to get the tickets so I had to book directly on JetBlue website to secure the flights. Guess I cannot proceed with the bidding for hotels until I sort out how Priceline can support a Singapore Address. I'll send email to them for advice. Thanks again.

[Romelle]

Did you try Orbitz for your air tickets? There is a link on this site under the Support/Travel tab above.

Also www.kayak.com and matrix.itasoftware.com. You can't book tickets directly from either, but there is often good info on them. Kayak will link you to booking sites.

Romelle

Usually better to nail down air first, IMO. It tends to be the trickier part of the equation.

[dodo77]

Thanks everyone. I managed to purchase my airtickets on Priceline :)

However my dates for hotel at Buffalo Airport has changed to 24 Sep 11 for 1 night. The price seems very high for that day. I bidded unsuccessfully below $80 for 3* for BUF in PRICELINE. May I know when I do a list view of the hotels under the various * category, there were 5 3* hotels and 3 2.5* hotels, are these the same ones that will be in the PRICE BID? Or will there with additional that I don't see in the List View?

Thanks

[Romelle]

Good work on your air tickets.

The very first post in this Priceline-NewYork area lists those hotels people have reported here to betterbidding. On that one I see three 3* hotels and 2 2.5* hotels. I think maybe you are looking at the retail side of Priceline?

The retail list of hotels isn't necessarily the same as the bidding list. There can be hotels on either list that don't appear on the other.

As to the bidding list, there can always be other hotels not yet reported. Several times I've gotten new hotels not on that list. In fact, I always hope I'll get a new one, just to help add to the list.

US 2.5*s are usually quite nice. If the higher 3* weekend rates are getting over your budget, don't be afraid of bidding at the 2.5* level. They will be simpler than the 3*s, but totally adequate for a one night stay.

Romelle

[jrjcollins]

We got the Millennium Airport on a Priceline bid for $65 a night, one night, Sept. 20th. We bid back in July. I believe it's a 3 star, I could be wrong, and doesn't have really great reviews. But it's cheap. I'm going to see if I can figure out where my previous posts are here. Sorry for the confusion.

[Romelle]

The Millennium Airport is in the hotel list, so somebody posted it to this site. It is a 3*, or at least was a 3* when it was posted. There is also a review for it.

If you click on your name, it gives you access to both your posts (things where you jumped in to a topic) and your topics (things you started).

Romelle

[dodo77]

Thanks .. I'm so envious .. jrjcollins you've really got a great win.. I bidded up to $80 but no luck. Don't know rates for Sept 24 seems extra high :)

[pip321]

I don't know if I'm too late to chime in here, but just as extra information if you're still trying to book for the 24th, it's going to be tough. There's a Buffalo Bills home game that Sunday and it's New England that's in town, so the stands will be packed for that game. I've checked out the 3.5* Marriott in Amherst and it's completely sold out as are the 3* Millennium and the 3* Holiday Inn near the airport. I'd normally suggest staying in Niagara Falls an extra night and just head to the Airport, but with there being a Sunday afternoon football game (my sister and brother-in-law are going), the traffic crossing the border might be pretty bad as lots of southern Ontario people cross the border to catch the NFL game. In addition, Saturday nights in Niagara Falls are typically significantly more expensive (around double) than any other night at the same hotel because of the casino junkies. Unfortunately, it looks like you might have to settle for a lower quality hotel if you're looking for rates under $100 per night.

On the positive side, there is a 2* hotel on HOTWIRE for $72 with complimentary breakfast and high-speed internet in the Amherst area available for that night, so the whole city isn't quite sold out yet. The amenities don't match any of the previously-won hotels other than the 1* Super 8 (which was previously a 2* and may be bumped up to a 2* again) or it could be a new hotel. Amherst is about 15 minutes away from the airport.