Priceline Hotel: 3* Houston (Airport Hobby HOU) Marriott

[borisbear]

After being unable to find anything 4* downtown (i.e. the Hyatt or the Hilton Americas) for less than $100, I decided to try the Hobby zone for a 3*, hoping I'd get either the Marriott on the gulf freeway or the Hilton on Airport (Personally I prefer the Marriott a little bit because of the indoor pool).

Bid $50 for 3*.Rejected. Added "East Houston" and rebid $60. Rejected with "suggested bump" counter-offer of $74. Re-bid with $68 and was accepted, at the Marriott.

Your Offer Price: $68.00

Number of Rooms: 1

Number of Nights: 3

Subtotal: $204.00

Taxes & Service Fees:

$43.94

Total Charges: $247.94

I like this hotel. It's one of the better managed franchise Marriotts out there. I actually don't mind staying down towards Hobby (if I can't get into the Hilton downtown), and they have a nice indoor pool/hottub.

I've gotten better rates here in the past not through Priceline, but this seems to be about as good as I'm going to get this week. Must be something going on in Bayou City.

[thereuare]

Enjoy your stay.

[borisbear]

Got to see the "actual to hotel" price using the TV folio trick.

Here's what PL paid the hotel:

Room 59.80

Taxes 10.17

Total 69.97

3 nights ==> 209.91

Here's what I paid PL:

Room 68.00

Taxes 14.65

Total 82.65

3 nights ==>247.94

I paid priceline 247.94, so it looks like PL pocketed about $38 for the three nights, or about $12.67 per night. From this there was about $4.50 per night commission/fee embedded in the taxes, and about $8/night profit off of the room rate.

Did I overpay? I certainly didn't overpay on the room rate by $8, since I was rejected at $60 and accepted at $68, so maybe the "go" price was $61 or $63. I guess they have commissions and service fees built into the room rate as well as the taxes.

My "cheap bone" is getting more calibrated to this stuff every day...