Priceline Hotel: Omaha Planning Help Please

[Angelnot]

We are driving to Omaha for a weekend trip to see a show at the Orpheum Theater, 409 South 16th St., on March 1. Hotels close to the Orpheum charge for parking. I'm trying to decide if staying away from downtown would be a good decision since we will have a car. I've never been to Omaha so I do not have a feel for the area at all.

I'm not finding much difference between Priceline bids for the areas other than parking. Are there other areas that would be close and not too difficult of a commute? There appear to be lots of hotels within 8 miles of the theater, many with ratings higher than the 2.5* found in downtown. Because this trip is with the kids our only real requirement we have is safety and if possible an indoor pool. Breakfast would be nice but safe and a place we won't get lost on the way to the theater is what's important. Normally I would not consider less than a 3* hotel but on Priceline 2.5* is what you get in Downtown Omaha.

Are there areas I should not bid? I read somewhere that Council Bluffs should be avoided. What are good options to bidding 2.5 stars downtown and having to pay for parking? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Right now I'm not worried about the price but $50 a night seems reasonable for a Priceline win. I can go higher but lower is better. Web rates booked direct are running $50 up to $139 at the Embassy Suites.

[thereuare]

Because this trip is with the kids...

Are you bidding for only one room? If so, are you comfortable with the fact that priceline only guarantees double occupancy? Given the occupancy, as well as your preference for a hotel with a pool and/or breakfast, have you checked HOTWIRE?

[Angelnot]

I've always been lucky with every Priceline bid thus far to have the hotel honor my bed choices. I know my luck will run out one day. Once I figure out the area to bid on in Omaha I'm hoping to get two rooms be it from Hotwire or Priceline. Even on Hotwire I can't get a room for 2 adults and 3 kids. Nothing comes up on the search.

Based on the past winning bids posted for Priceline in Omaha it looks like I'll be able to get two rooms on Priceline for little more than the price of one on Hotwire. Unfortunately the prices I'm getting on Hotwire are not that far off from the direct web rates I've found. $10 is not enough of a savings to me, I'd rather book that direct to avoid the mystery shopper aspect. For some reason Priceline is just more fun to me if that makes any sense. For this trip since I'll be satisfied with any nice hotel, I'd prefer bigger savings. Pool and breakfast would be cherries but are not essential.

[Colfax]

I know you said you want a 2.5* or higher, Angelnot, but I'll mention the 2* La Quinta in Northwest Omaha.

They have a Weekend Special for your dates----a room with two queen beds for $49, which includes free breakfast and parking. Pool is outdoors though. Depending on the age of your kids one room there could be enough for everyone.

For the same $49 you might get a 2.5* or 3* on Priceline. But no guarantee of two beds with that.

[Angelnot]

Thanks! I'll check that out. One of the events we will be attending is at the country club very close to the LaQuinta Northwest. The price is right and it will be great for a cancellable back up reservation even with mixed reviews. The reason I generally book 2 rooms is not so much for the beds but for the extra bathroom. Trying to get three preteen girls up, dressed and out in the mornings is difficult with only one bathroom. These little weekend trips for the kids are supposed to be fun. It kind of kills the spirit of things when one of the adults (me, hanging head in shame) gets stressed out then goes bonkers because we can't get where we need to be on time.

To date my Priceline bids on Downtown have been:

on Monday 2/11 $40 rejected

I did not rebid because there does not seem to be any rebid zones with no risk to being upgraded to a 3.

2/12 $40 rejected

2/13 $45 rejected

2/14 $50 rejected

I will add the central area next week as a rebid zone. I noticed the Crowne Plaza (an older property with mixed reviews, no breakfast but an indoor pool) was won for $33-$40 a night. I've been reading and I think I'd really like to be near the old Market during our stay. I'll keep trying Priceline and watching Hotwire. I've decided I will not spend more than $55 a night on a bid for Downtown as we may end up at the LaQuinta Inn in Iowa near the OMA airport. It is in the Downtown zone. If I'm going to stay at a LaQuinta it might as well be on the cheap in Northwest Omaha.

[Angelnot]

I made a cancellable reservation at the LaQuinta Northwest for two rooms at $44.10 a night (AAA Auto Club Rate). That comes to $102 a night with tax or $204 for two nights. I don't think I will get a better rate on Priceline or Hotwire but I'm still hoping for a downtown hotel for about the same money. If my Priceline bid is not accepted I think this LaQuinta will be OK. It gets plain but decent reviews.

[Colfax]

$44.10 is an excellent price for two beds with breakfast. I doubt you'll do better bidding for a 2.5* Downtown, considering Priceline fee and parking charges. Downtown is nearer to your show though, if proximity trumps price.

If you only bid 2.5* Downtown I don't think you'll win La Quinta Airport. La Quintas are almost always 2* on Priceline. (A few are 2.5* but really it's just a few.)

Btw, Priceline probably downgraded the Downtown Hilton and Doubletree from 3* to 2.5* at Hilton's request. They haven't become worse hotels. Hilton doesn't like Priceline rating its brands 3* when Hiltons brands (including Doubletree) are the ONLY participating 3*'s in a zone. Because noone would ever pay full price for a Hilton if they knew with 100% certainty that Hilton was the only possible outcome of their Priceline bid. As 2.5*'s Hilton and Doubletree are bunched with Marriott Courtyard. So they're opaque again, not a "sure thing", and that's the way Hilton wants it.

Do you think you'll bid to your $55 limit for a 2.5* Downtown? It looks like you've only bid to $50 so far.

From your bidding history it seems you think you can only make one Downtown bid per day. When bidding for a 2.5* Downtown you have two free rebid zones---Bellevue and Southwest Omaha. Those zones only go to 2* so you can add them to your 2.5* bids without any risk of winning a hotel in Bellevue or Southwest.

$45/2.5* Downtown.

If rejected bid

$50/2.5* Downtown + Bellevue.

If rejected bid

$55/2.5* Downtown + Bellevue + Southwest.

That way you can bid for 2.5* Downtown three times in a row, all the same day.

[Angelnot]

Thanks for the information and clarifying how to use the rebid zones. We will most likely end up at the LaQuinta Northwest as bids Downtown for a 2.5** average $58 plus parking. I did check out the LaQuinta Southwest because it was a tad closer to downtown, but its reviews were lower and much more mixed than the LaQuinta Northwest.

I don't want to bid my maximum until I get closer to the actual date of the trip. We are driving and cancelling the trip is a real possibility if the weather is bad. Although I've already paid for event tickets I'll be able to save a few dollars if I have not already paid for nonrefundable rooms.

Thanks again. I'm off to Priceline to try $45 to $50 Downtown using all the rebid zones.

[Colfax]

If you'd cancel the Omaha trip for bad weather it makes sense to wait awhile before Pricelining more. March 1 is still two weeks away, and you've got a solid cancellable backup at a good price. I don't see urgency for locking in now to something noncancellable and nonrefundable that you might not use. 3 or 4 days before your trip, when you'll know the weather, won't be too late to win something on Priceline, if you still want that.

Anyhow I hope it all works out good and please let us know where you ultimately end up.

[Angelnot]

We are back from Omaha. After half heartedly bidding throughout the week we ended up staying at the LaQuinta NW. I bid Downtown Omaha up to $50 with no luck. Because of rates found on Hotwire I was fairly certain if I'd gone over $50 we could have stayed at a downtown hotel. I have to admit because of the great rate I got at the LaQuinta NW, I was not sure if I really wanted to win a downtown hotel on Priceline. Any bid over $40 after taxes and fees would have made Pricline more expensive than LaQuinta. I watched Hotwire and what looked like the Magnolia (formerly Sheraton) and the Doubletree Exec. Suites both came up at $48 and $59. There was even a 2 star hotel with a $39 rate. I was not really tempted. I preferred the sure thing, knowing we would get adjoining rooms and if they were not available we could back out of the second room without being charged.

The NW location turned out great for us and with good directions from Goggle maps it was easy to find. You can see the LaQuinta NW from 680 but getting there is not intuitive. Without good directions you will never find it. I heard the desk clerk on the phone helping the lost a couple of times. That being said it is only a couple minutes from the Maple Street exit off 680. We were 7 minutes away from one event and 20 minutes through town from the Orpheum Theater. Granted there was little traffic on Saturday but still it was easy to get around the city from the La Quinta NW. I topped off the gas tank with $8.25 in gas before leaving Omaha. All the driving around we did on Friday and Saturday while in Omaha came to less than one day's parking fee at a downtown hotel.

The LaQuinta served breakfast, without which we never would have gotten anywhere on time. We made it to the theater just 15 minutes before curtain but we got there. The rooms were quiet, clean, basic and well maintained. This is a solid 2 star hotel. One room had a refrigerator. Both had two double beds but one room was larger giving the kids a play area. The low flow shower heads made bathing a slow process and water pressure a dream in the mist. The only issue we had was the sink in one bathroom was slow to drain. While not the Ritz Carlton or even a Hyatt it really was not a bad place to stay, just not real special. This was my first visit to a LaQuinta and I would consider using again when traveling with the kids. This was a good choice for us. Thank you Colfax for suggesting it.

[thereuare]

This was my first visit to a LaQuinta and I would consider using again when traveling with the kids. This was a good choice for us. Thank you Colfax for suggesting it.

Please note, as per our support page, we're an affiliate of the La Quinta and most other major hotel chains.

Glad you enjoyed your stay and thanks for 'closing' this thread with your follow-up.

[Colfax]

This was my first visit to a LaQuinta and I would consider using again when traveling with the kids. This was a good choice for us. Thank you Colfax for suggesting it.

Thanks for the followup, angelnot, and you're welcome. I'm glad the La Quinta worked out for you.