Bidding tip on airport hotels

[betsybug]

This bidding tip applies to people using their local airport and who will be parking their car there while they are away. You need to consider the total cost of hotel + parking in deciding whether to bid on PL/HW vs. using a hotel/parking package from the hotel.

Airport hotel bidding is more complicated because many airport hotels, for a slightly higher rate, will give you a week or more of free parking. So while the hotel rate may be higher than a PL/HW hotel rate, with the free parking for enough days, you may save money in the long run to take the hotel/parking package. There are higher hotel taxes on the higher hotel rate, but those may be more than offset by the free parking.

To calculate whether the PL or Hotwire rates are good for you you need to know the total parking charge for the number of days you need at the airport lot. Add that parking fee to the PL or Hotwire accepted bid rate that you think you can win. Add the hotel tax to the estimated hotel bid. Add the estimated PL/HW fee. That's your total hotel/parking charge you need for comparison.

Then check the hotel web sites for the airport area hotel and scroll down all the rates for your date until you see the hotel/parking package. Make sure to click on whatever link shows you all the terms of that package - including the # of free parking days and the daily cost of extra parking days. Add the hotel tax. Use that as your comparison price on booking through the hotel.

For a link discussing this for my recent bid on a Detroit airport hotel see Detroit airport hotel

[nilkaya]

Some hotels do not charge for parking although you have the room with Priceline. When we were going on a one-week vacation and flying from Washington Dulles, we stayed at Hyatt Dulles which we got using Priceline. We stayed one night before and one night after our flights, and the hotel allowed us to park for free. I don't know whether they would allow us to park for free if we didn't stay afterwards or we parked for more than a week. I guess it is important to check in with the hotels before bidding.