Priceline Hotel: 4* London (Airport Heathrow LHR) Holiday Inn Ariel

[WillTravel]

Your Offer Price: $40.00

Number of Rooms: 1

Number of Nights: 1

Subtotal: $40.00

Taxes & Service Fees:

$13.29

Total Charges: $53.29

Bid through SavingsBarn.

Hotel web site: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/925/en.../lonht?irs=null

Note that this $53 total works out to about 28 pounds!

The best available prepaid, nonrefundable rate at the hotel web site is 48 pounds.

We decided to stay at an airport hotel overnight before our morning flight to Paris.

This might be a 4* hotel since some places rate it such, but Priceline does not provide upgrade messages anymore.

Believe me, it was a shock to get a cheap price on a London hotel, even at the airport. I thought this was the lowest reasonable price to start with, but maybe I could have started lower. This is five months prior to departure, so I had plenty of time.

If I hadn't ultimately succeeded, I would have booked the Ibis London Heathrow, which would have cost 45 pounds for this night, and is considered a two-star.

The one TripAdvisor review complains about the small room, but I totally expect that with any London property.

For info about the shuttle buses to use with various hotels at Heathrow:

http://www.londontoolkit.com/lhr/quality_lhr.htm

[thereuare]

Congratulations getting your lowball bid accepted.

One nite down... quite a few more to go!!

Thank you for the support, it's sincerely appreciated!

[iahphx]

That's a pretty shocking low price, Will. Priceline is definite hit or miss in Europe. I bid with low expectations of getting "hit," but you never know.

There also seem to be some additional risks. I read on another website of a Paris airport hotel zone on Priceline which included a hotel many, many miles from the airport with no shuttle bus or public transportation whatsoever. Taxis refused to go there as well. As happens too often, Priceline's customer service was appalling, refusing to do anything about the problem. I don't think it's too much to ask that an airport hotel should be easily reachable from the airport!

[WillTravel]

iahphx, I had read a while ago on rec.travel.air that the budget Heathrow area hotels might not be in shuttle distance. The thread wasn't about Priceline per se, but just general airport advice.

So that was why I started with 3* - of course there was still a slight risk, but I figured the worst that could happen in this particular case was a cab ride of a few miles - not optimal, but not the end of the world. As it turns out, this particular hotel is is only 0.5 miles away from the airport - unfortunately I don't think I can walk it, given how the area is configured.

thereuare, I have two nights in central London July 23-25 that I am trying to bid for also, in addition to the possible bids in Paris and Berlin. I have had a zillion counteroffers while doing this. Sooner or later, I'll inch up high enough to actually hit something! I'm trying to keep in mind that the low US$ means that the bids might have to be higher than last year, but I also don't want to impetuously overbid this far out. So altogether, I have fourteen hotel nights left to get, one way or another.

Actually, here's a different shuttle link with more info: http://www.londontoolkit.com/lhr/hotel_hoppa_bus.htm

Also, if I understand correctly from that link, the Ariel is right next to the Ibis. The Ariel has breakfast for 10 pounds (15 if you want an English breakfast), and the Ibis has breakfast for 5 pounds (9 pounds if you want English). So I've already decided where to eat breakfast on July 11.

[chemist661]

If you take the "hotel hoppa" shuttle bus, they will charge 3 pounds for each person & they make lots of stops. What I did when I stayed at this hotel right after New Year's was I took one of the buses from the bus terminal from LHR to the hotel. Check with the info desk to determine which bus you need to take. (I recall that you take one of the buses from stations #17,18,19,20). For that short distance, the ride is free. Make sure you get the stop right by the hotel. On the way back, it was quicker for me to catch the bus to LHR. (walk across the street and down the block).

I had only carry on luggage so it was easier, cheaper & quicker for me than the hoppa shuttle bus. If you have lots of luggage, then the Hoppa may be more feasible. (I think it's the Hoppa #6)

[WillTravel]

Great tip - thanks - that will save us some pounds, and that adds up quickly.

[WillTravel]

Previously, Priceline did not indicate this was an upgrade to a 4* hotel.

But today, I checked in my profile, and it does mention that this is an upgrade to a 4* hotel.

So apparently Priceline is indicating upgrades again.