Priceline Hotel: 3* Cancun - Cozumel (Riviera Maya - Playa Del Carmen) Ocean Breeze Riviera Maya

[koala]

I made a bid that was accepted by Priceline for Playa Del Carmen, 3 star for $71/day. They gave me the Ocean Breeze. However the Ocean Breeze is not in Playa Del Carmen. It is 12 miles north, according to Priceline's own description and verified by the hotel referencing the hotel reference number given to me by Priceline. It is way off the Priceline map for PDC.

I contacted Priceline and they seemed to agree with me and turned it over to "Customer relations". They are ignoring me. They did mention cancelling the the reservation, but they had no way to give me back the Priceline voucher I used to pay for it. That is $140 of the $142 bid. Getting it back would not help since it had an expiration date that passed since bidding.

I also sent an E-Mail to them stating that I followed all their rules (Made a bid for a Playa Del Carmen hotel). They accepted that bid. Their next step should be to for Priceline to give me a hotel in PDC. They are not doing that. So far they are also ignoring the E-Mail. At least the hotel was not in Fargo!

The bid was for 2 days March 9-11,2013.

[thereuare]

Was it the Ocean Breeze Riviera Maya you won? If so, clicking this previous link and then clicking the map on that page, this hotel is indeed located within PRICELINE's 'Riviera Maya-Playa del Carmen' zone (at least accordingly to that map, although i know that many mapping programs still don't do very well at mapping locations in some parts of the world, this area being one of them)

Is the above the correct hotel you received? If it's in the location indicated are you satisfied with the win? How long ago did you make your purchase?

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

Let us know how this ultimately gets resolved.

[koala]

Priceline's confirmation says it is 12 miles north of PDC. The reservation person at the hotel also said that the reservation was made 12 miles north of PDC. I saw some maps showing Ocean Breezes in PDC, but as far as I can tell, there is no Ocean Breezes in PDC, and if there is, I don't know where it is and the reservation was not for there.

[thereuare]

Is the hotel in the Riviera Maya... as the hotel above is named Ocean Breeze Riviera Maya and PRICELINE's Playa del Carmen zone encompasses both the Playa del Carmen area as well as the Riviera Maya area.

[koala]

Riviera Maya is divided into 3 zones, RM-Playa Del Carmen, RM-North - Puerto Morelos, and RM South - Akumal-Tulum. The hotel is in the north zone. The Playa Del Carmen zone is about 9 miles from one end to the other total.

[koala]

By the way, $71 was the lowest I could bid. I bid $1 and the voucher automatically added $70 to the bid. The amount Priceline would accept is most likely lower. I was rejected at $71 for a 3.5 Star. The bid was Dec 30.

[koala]

Priceline came through. They admitted the Ocean Breeze is not in Playa Del Carmen and are returning my money (taxes plus $2). They had a difficult time with the voucher I got from Priceline Cruises which was complicated by expiring a day and a half after I bid. I didn't want an expired voucher back. They gave me a new voucher, which is good for this entire year. Now if you search for hotels in PDC (not name your own price), you do not see the Ocean Breeze as you did before. It is shown in Maroma, which should be Riviera Maya North zone. I am not sure why they did not just give me another 3 star in PDC, but this is even better. I have not had a problem before this and would add that the service I've received from Priceline Cruises has been exceptional.

I noticed that they also listed the Aventura Cove Palace as in Puerto Morelos. I stayed their once. The Aventura Cove Palace is in ….....Aventura on the other side of PDC. I will let them know.

[thereuare]

Glad to hear you got it settled and are pleased with their resolution.

Thanks for the follow-up!

[koala]

I wrote back to Customer Support to thank them for their time. They wrote back and now informed me that the reservation to Ocean Breezes was not cancelled and that I can still use it. We may, even though it is not where we want to be. It can pay to be nice to customer support.

[AaronJB]

Thank you for keeping us updated on what you decide.

[koala]

We did stay at the Ocean Breeze for two nights. It is a small resort on a very large resort property. It has a lobby, pool, restaurant and snack bar and that is about it. However, you can take a cart over to the Mayan Palace/Grand Mayan area and use their facilities. The carts are actually Mayan Palace carts that extend their trip a little to serve the Ocean Breeze. We asked about an upgrade to all-inclusive. It was $99 pp/pd. The rooms are new and very nice. It is separated by enough jungle to appear completely isolated. It is laid-back and quiet, but you can go over to a very large active resort area with lots of people and amenities. We were given a more expensive room with a refrigerator on the top floor. It may be a good alternative to the Mayan Palace/Grand Mayan and paying high prices for food. The All-inclusive is the Ocean Breeze restaurant , which was pretty good, and a poolside restaurant by the Mayan palace. The confirmation we got a week before no longer showed it in Playa Del Carmen, but in Riviera Maya North, which is correct.

[thereuare]

Thanks for the follow-up and glad to hear you enjoyed your stay.