Priceline Hotel: 3* Vancouver Plaza 500

[mzblue]

I recently "won" a 3* Vancouver Hotel. (Sept 14). I had bid $80 then added a zone with no 3* hotel and bid $85.

I got the Plaza 500 hotel. According to the reviews there is major subway construction going on outside and numerous previos guests are not happy. I am not happy. Itried to complain to Priceline but they will not help me.

[thereuare]

The difference between your situation and the user in the other post you replied to is that they showed up at the hotel and has specific concerns which i assume the hotel was not albe to resolve. Priceline isn't likely to refund your reservation because you read some bad reviews of the hotel you received (although it doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't try).

I would try to contact them again, and include a link to the tripadvisor reviews of this property, indicating that this is not what you expect, or bargained for, when selecting a 3* property. I'd continue to puruse it "up the chain of command".

If all else fails, i'd go to the hotel with an open mind, and any problems you have with the hotel or room condition try to resolve with the staff/management of the hotel (be reasonable in your requests/expectations). If you can't resolve any problems directly with the hotel contact priceline while at the hotel and get them involved. Obvioulsy this is a poor situation since if only then do they agree to cancel your reservation you're stuck scrambling for a last minute hotel room (so see if you can find something to book which is refundable up until the day of your stay and would give you a chance to see the Plaza 500 and still have time to cancel if you are happy there or can't get priceline to budge).

[cober6711]

I've found Priceline to be absolutely useless when it comes to helping to resolve complaints, whereas Hotwire is the exact opposite. I had a serious problem with the Crowne Plaza Toronto Don Valley (booked on Priceline) with regards to a discriminatory check-in clerk trying to refuse me and my partner (now my ex) our room with every excuse he could come up with (ie I had to be 21 to check in [i was 19 at the time, and not once have I ever been turned away despite what PL and HW say about age; thank god my ex was 23!] and other dumb excuses), and absolutely NOTHING was done about it, PL didn't seem to care one bit.

However...

Back in June, I needed a hotel in Winnipeg, and I got York the Hotel off Hotwire, and it was just TERRIBLE, and the staff (even the so-called managers) were either too dumb or supposedly not in a position to be able to do anything. I called Hotwire at 2 in the morning and got a very sympathetic rep, who actually agreed with me that they were useless, as she tried to help me resolve the problem, and the next morning I ended up getting moved to a wonderful Holiday Inn (Holiday Inn Winnipeg South), where I encountered few problems and some of the best service, plus Hotwire paid the difference between York the Hotel and this Holiday Inn, and I was also given an additional credit towards that stay, how wonderful!

Thank god Priceline never seems to want to give me York the Hotel; it always seems to put me in the Holiday Inn and Suites Winnipeg Downtown, which is decent.

I also had a problem with the Hilton Toronto Airport; this was also handled in a very good manner, and the hotel actually got downgraded as a result of the problems!

Just thought I'd share this little bit of information!