Priceline Hotel: 4* Paris (St. Germain - Latin Quarter - Montparnasse) Paris Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel And Conference Center

[Cristiano]

Hi All,

I'm a newbie to the board but not to bidding on PriceLine as its my preferred method for years. I've been struggling for weeks to secure anything in the Paris Latin Quarter. Its my first trip so I didn't want my hotel to be part of the challenge. This was a very frustrating process as my budget initially was $125/night for a 4* which is tough in Paris. I heard so much trash about Paris being a real hole for hotels and the star system not applying I wanted to stick with a top hotel if possible.

I recently resorted to hotel.com to secure a 3 * at $143 as I was sweating bullets that I would strike out totally. Today I rebid with PriceLine and won at $150 for 2 nights at the Marriott Rive Gauche 12/2-12/4. Both days are weekend nights which are premium right now for some reason although its off season.

That's the good news. The bad news. Marriott is really far walking distance (30-45 min) to nearly all typical attractions as is on the far edge of the Latin Quarter. This really misrepresents the location on PriceLine but I was aware of the possible risk from this board. No availability on most of the recommended budget hotels (3*) and numerous rebids on priceline for weeks cost me a ton of time and patience. Eventually you have to punt so I did. Not much on this board really helped me as recent wins weren't easily identified or relevant.

My deal was 25$ off lowest price and gets me in a reliable option, so I could have done much worse but the location is going to cost me 1.5 hours of walking both days as I'm not a fan of the metro on short trips. Time to get out my backpack and be a real tourist and burn off breakfast each day with some hoofing it. Next time I would recommend several things to other folks seeking a deal on 4* in Paris.

1. Bid with plenty of time ahead if your budget is tight like mine as limited availability was a real nuisance.

2. Seek out lowest price on properties you want and avoid PriceLine unless you want to walk a ton or eat a cab or deal with the metro each day.

3. Basically, priceline isn't the best option for seeking an international deal in peak times as the hotels don't need them to fill and don't have relationships with the properties you really want to stay in.

[Romelle]

What about buses? I agree Metros are a lot easier to figure out from afar, but you might just ask the hotel about buses when you get there. There is a pretty well developed bus system in Paris. Sometimes the easiest way to figure out which one will work is to just get outside and watch - like that first day when you are walking toward city center. If you keep seeing the same # or #s coming at you, maybe you can ride back home in the evening....

Romelle

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Congratulations on your success!

While not perfect, hopefully this will work out well for your needs and better than your back-up plan. As well, at least you're with a major hotel chain and the reviews are good.

Thank you for sharing your win with the board.

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

Enjoy your stay.

[Cristiano]

Hi Romelle,

Great suggestion. Bus is a nice option on my return from the city center each day. Also, I have to come in from the airport through the subway when I arrive, so I'll have that as an option as well if I feel comfortable.

Exploring nightlife will not be as easy and with less light I'll likely walk out then cab it back. Thanks again for the tip!