Priceline Hotel: Priceline not offering 4* Plus (5*) Hotels in Paris

[Mr_Conlin]

In doing research for a trip in Spring 2008, I visited Priceline to look around. I see that 4* is the highest quality hotel offered in the bidding process. I know for a fact that they have offered that quality in the past. I won a 4* Plus (5*) earlier this year staying at the Prince de Galles. I also see that there have been no wins lately for 4* Plus.

Does anyone have any information behind this decision?

:)

Thanks.

-- Larry

[thereuare]

Star ratings change all the time, as well new hotels are added and some are removed... either the hotel(s) in this area were downgraded or are currently not participating with the program.

[Mr_Conlin]

That is interesting.

I should have done more research. I was afraid that Priceline removed all the 5* Luxury off their offerings, but after checking London, Munich and Madrid, I see those options there. This is unfortunate, because I wanted to get started on my Paris trip.

It looks like the entire city has been downgraded. I do hope things change progressively for the consumer. I hope they change not just for the consumer in general, but for me and my bride in particular. I have no trouble paying $200.00+ a night for those luxury market 5* / 4*+ hotels.

-- Larry

[WillTravel]

You might be able to find a 4.5* hotel for Paris on HOTWIRE that will be more upscale than the business-class 4* hotels that typically come up on Priceline.

[Mr_Conlin]

I'll look into HOTWIRE, but I have found my strategy of Pricelining rooms and asking for upgrades (with a little affection $) gets me great results. Even in Paris, the love worked wonders. My bride and I love the luxury at the modest rates. We hope the 4*+ comes back, as we want a repeat performance of this early 2007 trip (I didn't post my successes here, but did go through savingsbarn.com :) :) )

At risk of posting incorrectly, here is an example of the successes I have had in Paris, France. I purchased two rooms for 3 nights (I took my parents to europe) at a 4.5*+ hotel through priceline. I made the overture to the kind young mademoiselle with a 50 Euro note and told her that it was my parents' first trip to Paris, let alone europe, and was hoping she had upgrades available, and that I am hoping those are non-smoking, kings with great bathrooms and inside quiet views (it helps to be explicit - make it easy for her to find the target) . She was very friendly and moved us to high floor rooms, and although they weren't suites, they were King Superior Rooms. In Paris, getting a king bed is luxury enough but the bathrooms were huge.

Pricelined the 6 nights at $220 (170 euros) a night = 1020 euros plus 50 gratuity = under 1100 euros. The rack rate on the room was 770 euros a night, and the cheapest rate online, for a king is 488 euros. 488 for 6 nights = 2930 euro. We saved at best $4700 and and worst $2500.

And that young lady had a big smile...