Hilton Rooms (and others) & Priceline

[texaslonghornfan]

I've read on another BB that some people who've gotten rooms at Hiltons thru PL are given the least desirable rooms in the hotel, whether that be because of location or whatever.

Has anyone had a problem with this?

If this isnt on the right forum feel free to move it. I wasnt sure what category this would fall under.

Thanks!

[thereuare]

There are always stories of problems with room assignment... whether on Priceline or not. It's just much easier to blame it on your low Priceline rate if that's how you booked your room. Others have often said "that room existed when they built the hotel, and that was before Priceline exsited, so if it's 'the Priceline' room who did they give it to before Priceline?"

With that said, there are hotels and/or front desk clerks that tend to discriminate against Priceline/Hotwire users. Often these can be rectified with a POLITE and RATIONAL discussion with the hotel manager if you don't like the room you're assigned. Your chances of getting a 'good' room also improve if you check-in in the early afternoon (when more rooms are available) than if you check-in very late at nite (when most rooms have already been assigned).

The above are my thoughts, although i will add i think problems are more 'property specific' and generalizations can't be made across and entire chain. My last stay was at a Hyatt and there was no problem what-so-ever with room assignment.

Something to think about... those that are always assigned the "priceline room"... maybe they check-in with a little bit of an attitude and therefore the net result is often the same for them. Some users complain "the room was all the way at the end of the all, far away from the elevators" while others complain "my room was right near the elevators"... makes you wonder just how many rooms in the hotel they would have been happy with!

The front desk clerks do have a lot of power and latitude regarding the quality and location of your room... it is best to be nice to them (although it's a good policy to be nice to everyone :) )

[KatiesMom]

I stayed at the NY Hilton on February 1, 2003. I remember the date because it was the day of the Columbia space shuttle disaster (we even watched it on the tv set in the elevator) . My sister and I both got reservations for rooms through Priceline for $90 a night plus tax. After confirmation of our winning bids I called the hotel and asked if we could reserve non-smoking rooms (one with 2 doubles and one with 1 king bed) near each other and was told we would have to make this request at check in.

At check-in (huge line--waited about a half hour) was told by a staff member that there were no non-smoking rooms available and that they cleaned their rooms very well so they didn't smell like smoke. I told her in the nicest possible way that this was unacceptable and was a medical issue for us (The medical issue was that my husband would kill me if we ended up in a smoking room... but I digress). She scoured her computer and at last said she did have 2 non-smoking rooms with the bed configurations we requested. I don't recall the floor. The rooms were fine spacewise. I have stayed in much smaller rooms in NYC (The Holiday Inn in Times Square for example). Everything was fine, our view was of the building next door. Was it posh? No. But it was clean, quiet and I felt comfortable there. And the location was absolutely perfect for a Broadway bound weekend. Near Times Square but not in it.

I think it's important to make it known when checking in what is and isn't acceptable to you. For us the deal breaker was the "non-smoking"....if we had to deal with separate floors for the 2 rooms so be it...

So our experience was positive with Hilton via Priceline.

Edited to add: I posted the same time as Theruare and totally agree about attitude. We treated the staff member as we would like to be treated, politely and with respect.

[bturner13]

But what would have done if the hotel only had smoking rooms available? Priceline makes it very clear,

"Can I request a smoking or non-smoking room?

If you require a non-smoking room or a smoking room, you may contact your hotel directly after your purchase is accepted. All special requests, including room-types, are based on availability and honored at the discretion of the hotel.

Please keep in mind that priceline cannot guarantee a non smoking room." :)

[KatiesMom]

When I called the Hilton after my bid was accepted I was told to make the request at check in. Fair enough. I figured by checking-in early that I had a good chance of getting my request honored at a hotel with over 1,000 rooms.

[GCM]

Just wondering what most peoples experiences are with Priceline/Hotwire rooms. Do most hotels give their worst rooms to PL/HW customers?

I've used Priceline twice.

The Monterey Hilton gave me a room that was on the bottom floor, next to the street, next to the doorway and ice machine.

Hawaii Prince hotel on the other hand seemed to have given me a 'normal' room, nothing bad to say about it at all.

My one hotwire experience, the Atlantis in Reno gave me a 5th floor tower room with a great view of the large green air conditioning unit outside my window. The room itself was in good condition otherwise.

[azepine00]

In general for room assignment purposes I think your arrival time is more important than the booking channel.

There are some properties that tend to treat PL customers rather poorly but fortunately that's not very common. You are less likely to get upgrades but then again it happens as well. Most properties treat you with respect since your PL stay today may lead to big $ business stay sometime in the future.

Casino properties (such as Atlantis) will give you best rooms is you spend enough $ gambling :) . I stayed at Atlantis 3 times on PL/HW: regular rooms nothing unusual either way (although their $3 energy surcharge is irritating) .

[lizamead]

Well, I don't have a ton of experience, but all of mine has been very positive. I stayed at the Sheraton Society Hill in PHilly last summer via Hotwire, at the Chicago Courtyard by Marriott (River North) in March via priceline, at the Hyatt Regency Penn's Landing in May via Hotwire (x 4 nts) and Priceline (x 2 nights), and at the Country Inn and Suites in Lansing last month via priceline. In every case I couldnt' have been happier with the service I got. At the Sheraton, I asked for a nonsmoking room with a king bed. THey said that they'd be happy to do that, but that I'd have to wait an hour for it to be available, or I could have a two-double-bed room then. I said we'd take the room that was free then, as I thought my daughter would take a nap right away. Once we got upstairs, it was clear that she was not going to nap, so I called the front desk to see if it was too late to wait for the king room. They said fine, we went for a walk, and when we came back (less than an hour later) our new room was ready - a fabulous SPG preferred guest room that had sliding doors opening to a patio with a table on it, right below the pool atrium.

I've always asked by phone in advance if I could request a nonsmoking king room, and each time been told I'd have to do that at checkin, but I've yet to have a problem, and have always been treated absolutely courteously and then some, and also have gotten the nonsmoking king. At the Chicago courtyard and the Hyatt Regency especially, the front desk staff (and the valet staff, in Philly) were completely terrific. They interacted with my three-year-old a ton, in Philly, called me by name within a day or so when they brought my car because we were in and out a lot, and helped with the stroller and all...in Chicago, gave me info on the trolley to Navy Pier I hadn't even known to ask about... In Philly, we didn't check in till around 8 at night, not super late, but not early afternoon either...

I think I've probably been lucky in part, and in part having an adorable small child probably doesn't hurt (:) ) but I also think part of it is probably that I'm polite and reasonable and don't go in with an attitude. I'm not all entitled, or acting like I'm expecting a fight or to be scammed, and my sense from some of the posts I've read of people who feel they get "priceline rooms" is that they do go in with those attitudes... Not all, of course, but I'm sure that's part of it for some people...

[fozman68]

My rooms have been getting better by the years. When I first started using priceline, I always got the worst room. Small, dingy, no view (Wyndam in Baltimore) but have gotten better. in Washington DC, Capitol Hilton, got nice room, right next to elevator. nice but noisy. But since then, and with the help of this sight I realized you are aloud to ask for room preference. Attitude is A#1 when requesting rooms, and don't act like you got a deal thru priceline, act like a customer that just booked a hotel room and good luck!

[AmericaWestCMH]

At check-in (huge line--waited about a half hour) was told by a staff member that there were no non-smoking rooms available and that they cleaned their rooms very well so they didn't smell like smoke. I told her in the nicest possible way that this was unacceptable and was a medical issue for us

Why is that unacceptable? You are not entitled to a non-smoking room. If you absolutely have to have a certain room type, maybe you should seek other means of reservation.

[ufjoe21]

you're questioning a post that's over 2 years old???

[AmericaWestCMH]

Eh, I don't look at the date.

[myb8089]

I think attitude has a lot to do with it. I usually check in without my husband and try to get a male. I smile and am friendly and easygoing, a little chitchat doesn't hurt. I don't mention priceline and have never had it mentioned specifically to me, aside from a side comment some odd times. I have used priceline over 10 times, lost count actually. Definitely don't go in with an attitude, and if there is something you don't like about the room do something about it, nicely. We stayed at the Hyatt Grand Central NYC 3 wks ago, for 1 night. I mentioned to the clerk that it was out anniversary and was there anything he could do for us. He kindly upgraded us to a junior suite. when i called down later from the room to ask for a fridge and was advised of a charge, i said that i was not told this when i asked about it at checkin, the clerk told me rather snottishly that there was esp seeing that i had booked through web. I said well actually the room is pretty dirty/dusty (which it really was) and i was prepared to overlook it if they would provide a fridge at no charge. which after checking with the supervisor they promptly did! if you need to say, say it nicely, firmly and to the point.

One other point it pays to do your homework. By this I mean call up the hotel a few nights before, find out how full it is, which of the rooms were recently renovated (they are usually better) and what is available. this way when you come to the front desk and they try and put you in a "priceline" room you know what to ask for. we stay recently at inn at nichol's village in clarks summit pa. I had called up and found out that the applewood and presidential rooms were the most recently renovated. they gave us a chestnut room, non-smoking. when i got there it reeked of smoke, i called and nicely told them this, they said come back to the front desk and assigned us a different room, all the time i was asking for an applewood room (i didn't hope for the presidential!) finally i got the applewood when i said could i have it for th 1st night and if need be i would move for the 2nd, which never happened. applewood rooms are much much nic.er

hope this helps a little

good luck all priceline bidders

[stucolleenfan]

My husband and I recently had a bad experience with a hotwire hotel in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

We had bid up to $75.00 for a Priceline 2 1/2* and had been rejected so decided to take the *3 on Hotwire which was offered for $95.00 U.S.

It was a Day's Inn and although we were surprised to be getting only a Day's Inn - after reading a few positive reviews we felt we would be O.K....WRONG. The desk clerk was unfriendly and when we requested a non-smoking room said they were all booked up and only had smoking rooms. Well, we know we aren't guarenteed a non-smoking room and went with it. The room we were given, however, was a horror. I've never stayed in anything as bad and we would have left and driven home if we had had to sleep there.

First, we were on the second floor of an old wing. The halls were dim and musty. When we went to the room we couldn't find the light (it was pitch dark) and when we did find it and turned it on, that's all there was - one dim amber light over the desk. No bed lamps, not night tables. The room smelled smoky and musty, and looked as if it had been built in the seventies and never been refurbished! The two double beds had rock hard mattresses which sagged in the middle. The room was small and the bathroom was tiny and old fashioned. Fortunately, I had read a review by another customer who said they too had been placed in a very bad room in the "old wing" and asked and been moved to a much better room in the new part. I called down to the front desk and a different desk clerk said he would try to find something else after I told him the room did not come close to the good reviews I had read. Within 15 minutes we were moved to a room that was sooo much better - it had 5 lamps! 2 queen size beds which were very comfortable - the room was twice as large with a very large modern bathroom bright and fresh smelling. This room was non-smoking! The elevators were slow and dirty and the comlimentary breakfast was the most meagre with the longest lines that I have ever encountered. We happily stayed here but it was definitely not a 3* hotel and for that I sent a complaint to Hotwire. They replied with a generic form letter saying they would look into it.

This was my first time trying Hotwire and I'm very leary of using them again. On the other hand, we had a good experience with a Holiday Inn Select we got in Cleveland for $50 through Priceline.

[thereuare]

Please add the details of your Hotwire results at a NEW TOPIC so that the information can benefit others. In your post please include the star rating, region, zone, hotel, price, dates of your stay, and the amenities shown before your purchase. You can still view all of this information by going to HOTWIRE and clicking the MY ACCOUNT link near the top right of their home page.

Thank you.

[PinkRhombus]

We have had no problems with any of the hotels that we acquired via Priceline or HOTWIRE.

So many of the other hotels we get are the higher star/resort level hotels though. I take whatever I would be willing to spend for something...we can get the govt rate...and see what we can win for a bid of that same amount

[jquero]

I work at a hotel that is a PL/HW hotel in the Palm Springs area as a Front Desk agent. I wouldn't say that most hotels have rooms specifically assigned for PL/HW guests but at times when the hotel is close to being book, the least desirable rooms are usually reserved for the higher paying guests, but it also all depends on the front desk agents. Some of my colleagues will charge an upgrade in order to get a view room even in the dead of summer with a 6% occupancy rate, while I will upgrade for free, even at the PL/HW rate, in the end it all depends on the agent that checks you in, what time you check in(arriving as early as possible is good because even if a room isn't available, agents have the ability to block a room for a guest) as well as how booked the hotel is those particular dates....good luck

oh yeah, and being nice to the agent is definitely a plus, sometimes all it takes is a 'how is your day going?' in order to get an upgrade, honestly.

[runNgun]

"the least desirable rooms are usually reserved for the higher paying guests"

I hope you meant the opposite.

[jquero]

That is correct.....my mistake

I don't think a guest paying Rack rate would love to be facing a wall.....