Priceline Hotel: 2* Downtown San Antonio La Quinta Inn $37

[pitflyer]

Wednesday night, 1 room, $37 accepted, $35 was rejected. This property is the La Quinta Inn Convention Center, regular rate is $99 (but there were MUCH better hotels with regular rates of $70-$80). Room wasn't for me -- as I have posted on another bulletin board, I do not think Priceline gives deals that are worth the price paid, anymore.

[thereuare]

Pitflyer,

I've been lurking with interest at your other thread and the comments that have been added to it.

For me, i'm a leisure traveler and don't have frequent stay status at any chain, so the benefits associated with that aspect don't have that much value to me. I understand your thoughts though as i seem to have your hotel thoughts in relation to their airfare product... for me the savings would have to be substantial for me to not choose my flight times and have the potential for an unneeded connection, with the forced possibility of a connection the major drawback (i did use Hotwire once for a NY to ORD flight... paid $120/pp instead of the best available $210, and i got lucky with non-stop flights each way and decent times).

I think the bottom line is that users need to be educated more than ever and need to do their homework and a little bit of research. In large cities i still think that Priceline/Hotwire represent fantastic value and can seldom be beat, with 4* hotels still getting booked for under $100/nite... unheard of thru conventional bookings. When you get to smaller cities with limited (and lower star level offerings) it's not as clear cut. When a room can be booked conventionally at $60/nite, there's not too much margin available for Priceline/Hotwire to undercut the price (and even less when factoring in the end cost to the user which includes Priceline's fee)

The issue getting a little 'cloudier' isn't the result of Priceline/Hotwire getting more expensive, but rather the hotels offering cheaper rooms direct. My guess is that as the economy continues to improve the hotels will begin to increase their direct pricing, and Priceline/Hotwire will become more of a viable option in an increasing number of cities.

Just my thoughts on the topic, but more importantly, your own thoughts and opinions are welcomed and respected here.

[pitflyer]

Hey thanks, aren't you supposed to be yelling at me for going off-topic? Maybe I've been trained too well <grin>

For those of you who are interested, here is the thread on Flyertalk that I started -- there has been no consensus, actually, very differing viewpoints, which is always welcome:

I asked: Any frequent PLers stop using PL recently?

My own view, in summary, is this:

Before I started using Priceline I would be happy to pay $100 a night to stay at a nice Marriott. It was even sweeter to pay $40 a night with Priceline and still get treated well. Now, the Marriott is available at $80 a night through its own discounting, and Priceline is up to $60 a night, and on top of that, you are not treated as well if you go through Priceline.

So for me the price difference is shrinking, and I will agree that's only partially Priceline's problem (less bonus money, less inventory at higher prices) .. the flip side is that hotels are discounting themselves, offering very decent promotions or prepay rates. An example would be I am considering a hotel in LAX, 3*. The Four Points has a prepay rate of $62 and I get my full SPG perks as a Platinum. With Priceline's fees, I'd expect to pay around $42 for the same hotel (if I get lucky) or maybe get a slightly better 3*, or a slightly worse. So for a $20 difference, I get the hotel I want and the perks I deserve. So I'll book the Four Points directly.

It also came down to what's most important to you. Back in the days when I paid $100 a night for the hotel, yes, I felt I was getting a good deal even then. But I also got good service and was able to expect certain things from a Marriott, for example. With Radisson, Holiday Inns, and Best Westerns being considering 3* by Priceline, I don't know what to expect for a 3* with them in many zones. So the extra $20-$40 a night seems worth it to me.

I think Priceline is great for people who price is still the primary and almost only object .. as was the case in the person I made this bid for. But as a frequent traveller, I also value service, quality, upgrades and selection, and the price difference between Priceline and other available rates seems to be smaller and smaller every day.

Just my $.03 (inflation)

PS - If this thread garners any interest, feel free to move it accordingly, thereuare