Priceline Hotel: Victoria Hotel Ratings

[epicureangirl]

I'm from Vancouver, but frequently go to Victoria for weekend trips mostly and was looking at the Priceline hotels people have been getting.

I was surprised to see some of the hotel ratings on PL being LOWER than they would be ranked normally.

4* Fairmont Empress

3* Coast Harbourside Marina

3* Laurel Point Inn

3* Red Lion

I'm not sure about the Coast Harbourside or the Red Lion, but I have stayed at the Empress and Laurel Point and need to comment:

I can tell you that the Fairmont Empress is at least a 4.5 or 5* hotel. It is a grand old historic Fairmont hotel and is luxurious and beautiful in an old-world way.

The Laurel Point Inn can hardly be compared to a Red Lion! It should at least be ranked as a full 4* hotel and is my choice to stay when going to Victoria. And I'm pretty fussy. It is not an old-world Victorian/English style hotel, but is a modern boutique hotel right on the water. If you got this property on Priceline or Hotwire for anwhere near $100 US, you would be getting a terrific value. Also, I believe the parking was complimentary, which is a nice touch too.

The rooms are very spacious, I had a private deck overlooking the water and a HUGE marble bathroom with soaker tub, separate shower and a tv on the very long marble counter with double sink. Terry bathrobes of course and a wonderful location. Asian art in glass display cases in the very wide gallery like hallways were impressive. I paid for just a room, but thought this was more like a suite.

Happy travels.

[Scorp]

The Laurel Point Inn can hardly be compared to a Red Lion!

I totally agree with you! I also think Laurel Point could be rated higher as it is such a nice property. You might have been lucky getting that larger room, though, as I think the two wings have different room types.

I increasingly think it was a really dumb idea for Priceline to include that Red Lion at the 3* level. I had hoped that the property was improved enough after their recent renovations to deserve this classification, but the feedback I have got from some friends who know it suggests it should be 2 or 2.5* and that it's bar and liquor store attract some 'problem' people. Maybe they should drop it altogether. But there is absolutely no way that it rates the same as the Laurel Point or even the Coast Harbourside.

The Red Lion is actually in Saanich, not Victoria, but I notice that Priceline now includes the Saanich label on their Victoria map, so I don't think people can argue their case on this basis. The quality rating should be brought up to Priceline though...

[epicureangirl]

Thanks for posting, Scorp.

I wonder if Priceline would decrease the 3* ratings on the Red Lion for instance or if they'd just move the Laurel Point up a level and increase the price? It makes me wonder how they come up with their ratings to begin with!

It's just too bad that the hotels are rated like this. I'd really like to bid at the 3* level if I knew I'd get the Laurel Point, but I'm not willing to take the risk on being stuck at the equivalent of a 2.5*.

Thanks for your comments, I'd be pretty upset if I ended up in Saanich -- I like to walk everywhere and leave my car in the hotel parking if I go to Victoria.

Cheers.

[travellinglees]

Hope you can help . . . when was your stay at the Fairmont Empress and what was your final accepted bid? Thanks!!

[thereuare]

Using the SEARCH function near the top right corner of the board:

Search for the word FAIRMONT

Select CANADA (sub-category) from the drop down menu below it

Select ANY DATE from the drop down menu on the bottom right

Shows THESE RESULTS which will show you any topic that has the word 'Fairmont' in it

This will contain the info that you're looking for without having to scroll thru all of the old(er) posts in the category.

[chasman]

I concur with epicurean girl 100%. Having the Red Lion rated as a 3* ruins it for all. The new Marriott is up, but it's probably rated a 3* too! Who can we email at PL with our issue that the Red Lion should not be a 3*?

[WillTravel]

I think the new Marriott will be a 4* in Victoria. I don't see why not.

The Marriott Pinnacle in Vancouver is a 4*.

I would like it if Priceline redrew the zones to focus on the Inner Harbor area.

[chasman]

Have you emailed them about your suggestion? I don't see a 'Contact Us" link on the PL home page. Suggestions to get them to change their Victoria ratings and maps?

[honu]

According to that other bidding forum (TOBB), the Red Lion has been downgraded to a 2* as of June 04. Please don't flame if it comes up in a 3* bid, though...

[thereuare]

I don't know if this hotel has been downgraded or not, but there is a post here at the better bidding board :) from August '04 (after the June '04 mentioned above) which shows the RED LION as a 3* property.

There is a Red Lion in Seattle (South) that is a 2 star, but i don't know if there is confusion or if indeed the Downtown hotel has been downgraded.

[WillTravel]

However, someone got the Red Lion later for 2*:

http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?act...&t=4753&hl=lion

[thereuare]

My bad... i was looking at Seattle :) Not sure why i always equate the Red Lion with Seattle.

And our hotel lists have the Victoria Red Lion correctly listed as a 2*.