Priceline Hotel: 2.5* Williamsport Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites Williamsport

[Nords]

Won the 2 1/2 star Holiday Inn Express in Williamsport for $75/night for the night of June 29th, 2012 using Priceline bidding. Interesting that when I was bidding on this one over the last few weeks that periodically Priceline would have "Express Deals" offered, which seem to be their version of Hotwire. They also gave me rebidding options a few times. For example, the last couple days, after bidding $70 on a 3* and getting declined, a window would open offering me a chance to rebid if I raised my bid by $14 (up to $84). I didn't do this but it was interesting anyway.

On a side note, I'm curious who on this board has used the "express deals" option and whether the "guaranteed amenities" are similar to those this forum has identified for hotwire? Is betterbidding.com going to have to develop a whole new "express deals" hotel list and track "express deals" wins? Anyway, this one was won through traditional bidding. More then I wanted to pay really but it's still a good deal. For example, I checked this morning (I won this hotel yesterday) and priceline's express deal for this day for a 2 1/2 star hotel is $82 for what I think is probably the same hotel. The cheapest I've seen on Hotwire for a 3* on this date (which I think is the regular holiday inn that is attached to the holiday inn express was $91) but I've seen on hotwire the holiday inn express and regular holiday inn as both 3* there in their regular booking area where they give the names of the hotels. Priceline on their regular booking has the regular holiday inn as 3* and the express as 2 1/2*.

Cheers!

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

We can track whatever information the board would like, but a question first... do you recall the amenities shown when the express deal was offered? (if you recall, was it Pool, Business, and an 8+ user review rating??) At what point in the process this express deal offered... after a rejected bid OR just before submitting a bid?

Thank you for sharing your bidding win with the board and helping us add this property to the Priceline Hotel List.

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

Enjoy your stay.

[Nords]

What I had done first was log-in to Priceline. Then entered the hotel and check in and out information and number of rooms and then hit the "search now" button (not the name your own price button). Shatner then does his 'negotiating' and the list view comes up. Instead of the other options next to "list view" just being "map view" and "best deal" there is now a 4th option called "express deals".

For this search (I redid my Priceline search using the betterbidding.com link) on the exact Williamsport dates I won yesterday (June 29th), it gives me 2 express deal options. The first is 2 1/2* Williamsport Area hotel, 9.0 rating and amenities of "free breakfast", "indoor or outdoor pool" and "business centre". The price is $80 today. It was more money yesterday. The 2nd hotel is a 1* in the columbia-lewisburg area with no rating and amenities of free breakfast, free internet, indoor or outdoor pool, free parking, pets allowed, and restaurant for $57.

If you bypass the 'negotiating' stage and went right to the name your own price page I'm not sure you would ever see the "express deals". The rebidding options that Priceline also gave me was after I was rejected on a name your own price (it probably only kicks in when your bid gets close to an "express deal" price).

[thereuare]

Thanks for the detailed information.

If the board wants it and this side of their service gains in popularity, we'll set up a way to track this info.