Priceline Hotel: 3* Vancouver Holiday Inn Vancouver Centre

[bbtraveler]

So I bid $65, $75, $85, $95 and got Holiday Inn Vancouver Centre on Broadway. I am VERY disappointed with this location. Before I started bidding I looked at the hotels others on this message board were getting and they were all nice hotels I'd be happy with and were located downtown proper on the peninsula. Well as it turns out, PL's central Vancouver zone extends to cover areas that are NOT downtown Vancouver! This particular hotel is across False Creek, and in practical terms is not even walkable to the downtown core. I've booked with PL for hotels downtown Miami and downtown Seattle and was very happy with the results, which were actually limited to the downtown area. Why on god's green earth would PL not do the same with Vancouver, which has a MUCH larger downtown than these other cities??? This is asinine! To have what is the logical downtown zone extend beyond downtown is absolutely unacceptable and they've lost me as a customer because of it. From now on I'm using Hotwire which not only limits their results to downtown but even lets you select a district from within downtown. I've talked to PL and the hotel manager and neither would or could do anything for me. PL is losing it!

FYI, before expanding to 3*, I searched for 4* up to $140 for this same weekend, which failed.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

With either service (Priceline or Hotwire), you need to check the boundaries of how the zone is defined. There are lots of zones that are poorly named or whose boundaries extend beyond what would typically be considered 'downtown'.

Try to enjoy your stay.

[kittykat]

You'll at least be by Granville Island, which is a nice spot. One of my favs in Vancouver.

[edyvr]

I don't think Priceline did anything wrong here. Since the hotel is well within their Vancouver zone, they don't have to offer a refund. While it's disappointing to get a less desirable hotel for your trip, that's one of the risks that we're all willing to take in order to save money with Priceline or Hotwire.

[Scorp]

While this hotel is not right in the downtown core, it is still quite convenient. You will be within walking distance of Stamp's Landing, which is where the AquaBus and other waterferries can be caught. They will take you across the water to Yaletown, Granville Island or several downtown locations. And they are fun to ride. (BTW, Monk McQueen's is a great restaurant, right at Stamp's Landing.)

Also, the hotel has two or three city transit buses (#15, for example) which can be caught within a couple of blocks and will get you to the downtown core within 5 to 10 minutes. They run frequently and into the early morning hours. You might want to get some FareSaver tickets or a Pass.

Even if you had won a hotel downtown, you might find it a long walk to some other parts of downtown. I still think you will enjoy your stay! Please let us know how it goes.

(You might want to try for a higher floor, because I think the views could be quite nice.)

[akhon]

I have to side with PL on this one. I looked at what PL considers the Vancouver zone and it's got a map that clearly indicates the area that is covered. Plus, PL only calls this the Vancouver zone, not the Downtown Vancouver zone, whereas if you were booking for Toronto PL does have a zone called Downtown Toronto. I don't think anyone can honestly say PL has done anything wrong in this case.

[bbtraveler]

Thanks for all the helpful information Scorp! It sounds like it may work out pretty well anyway. I