Priceline Hotel: Assistance Request Grand Canyon 5/21-23

[belgo]

I now have a cancellable reservation at the Holiday Inn for $132 a night. A nonrefundable rate for those dates is $118. The Quality Inn is going for $189 a night! :) I'm not sure what else might come up. There's a place called the Red Feather Lodge which goes for $98 a night. It's difficult to say what a max bid should be, depending on whether or not Priceline might consider the Red Feather Lodge a possibility for 2*. Is $75 a reasonable max bid at this time? There seems to be plenty of time to do bids... Thanks! :)

[thereuare]

This is the same Holiday Inn that this board is an affiliate of as per our SUPPORT PAGE?

[belgo]

Yes.

[thereuare]

We haven't seen any wins in this area yet but i would probably start significantly lower... not even sure if i would risk an opaque 2* purchase in a rural area such as this.

[belgo]

Well, $65 didn't work. I'll try $75 later. Did I hear a rumor somewhere that one can now bid every 24 hours on Priceline?

[thereuare]

Yes, the lock-out period has been changed from 72 hours to 24 hours! :)

[belgo]

$75 didn't do it either. I won't go beyond $80. We may just have to stick with our original reservation...

[belgo]

$80 didn't work either. I may try later if there's still availability, but that's my limit...

[LoneStar]

I wrote this a few years ago, but the advice is still good: don't stay outside the park at Grand Canyon unless you absolutely have no choice. It is a much better experience, and a better value, to stay in one of the in-park lodges.

http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?showtopic=1210&

Looking on line (remember, you have to call to get complete availability), Yavapai seems available for your nights below $100.

Another trick which I don't think I mentioned before is grab what you can and then keep calling back -- especially about a week before you arrive and then every day until check in. Your odds of ultimately snagging a room at the Bright Angel would be very high.

Enjoy.

[belgo]

Well, I now have cancellable reservations at the Yavapai Lodge for $113 per night. The cost for the Holiday Inn Express, if I prepay, is $116 per night. However, the HIE has free high-speed internet (which would come in handy), an indoor pool, a hot tub, and breakfast included (plus I get Priority Club points). It appears that the HIE is only 5 miles from the rim facilities, and the Yavapai is a 1/4 mile walk from the rim (i.e. the rooms don't have rim views). Do you still feel that a stay at the Yavapai would make for a better experience? I'm really having a tough time making a decision... :)

[LoneStar]

Yes, unless it is significantly more expensive, it is better to stay in the Park. That's pretty much true at any National Park. It's like the difference between commuting and being right there. You're not going to the Grand Canyon to use the internet or swim, right? You're going to enjoy the Canyon. So you might as well stay there.

Yavapi is certainly not my favorite Grand Canyon Lodge, but it's not bad either. For instance, it's a pretty short walk to the new visitor center (and beyond to the rim).

I'd also urge you to follow my strategy of trying to get a room at the Bright Angel. The cabins are particularly nice (in a rustic, National Park way), but some of the regular rooms represent extraordinary value with the same great location.

If you feel like a splurge, consider having lunch at the famous El Tovar, on the rim near the Bright Angel. Good value for lunch (and if you happen to be travelling with kids, they have an inexpensive kids menu).