Priceline Hotel: 3.5* DC (Crystal City) Marriott Crystal City

[jojojjz]

After failing to get the downtown 3* for <$65, I tried the airport region 3.5* for $55 and hit this immediately....Is the price too high??

[jojojjz]

I just won a bid in DC. The tax+fee rate is above 19%.

For the same hotel, if bought through retail page, the rate is only 13%. Quite a gap.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Congratulations on your success and thank you for sharing your win with the board.

The booking fee on 'Name Your Own Price' hotels is more than on the 'retail' side of PRICELINE, and while the booking fee per nite can fluctuate a little based upon the room rate, it doesn't change by that much, and therefore the percentages can look large on a lower priced hotel (such as your $55 win above) vs. a more expensive priced hotel (say $150 in a large city). I'll also point out that your winning bid is nearly half price of the current retail rate for your dates, so i'd focus on the BIG savings per nite for the room rather than the much smaller difference in booking fee. ;)

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

Enjoy your stay.