Priceline Hotel: 3* Portland (Convention Center-Lloyd Center) Doubletree

[tilepusher]

I bid for this on behalf of friends who will be attending the same event at the Holiday Inn Convention Center that I will. My bidding went as follows:

3* Convention Center: $30

+ NW Portland: $32

3* CC + Jantzen Beach-North Harbor: $33

+ NW Portland: $34

3* CC + South Waterfront District: $35

+ NW Portland: $36

3* CC + Downtown $37 -- accepted

Total was $91.23 after taxes and fees. The rate on the hotel's website was $99/night.

I'm not sure if I made the best use of my options. I may have been able to get the Vancouver Hilton for a good price: the hotel was available on HOTWIRE for $64/night, and the Red Lion on the Quay, when I checked, has no rooms available for that weekend. However, I didn't want to take the small risk of getting something else (I tried to get the Hilton the same weekend last year, and wound up at the Red Lion for $46). The Doubletree is a lot closer, anyway, and for that convenience it might be worth having to pay an extra $15/night for an upgrade.

As usual, I used the PRICELINE link to start my bids.

[thereuare]

... and those other hotels don't serve warm cookies at check-in :)

Congratulations on your win!

$37 seems like a great price for a Doubletree branded hotel. Glad to hear it's close to where your friends need to be and will work well for their needs.

Thanks for sharing the win with the board and using our PRICELINE link to start the bidding.

[dealmeister]

hey tilepusher...just kinda curious, how did you like DTree Lloyd Ctr? reason why I ask, is I got that place twice in the past & I was very unhappy with them b/c:

1. they descriminate against PL'ers (we get smallest noisiest rooms close to elevator 1 bed only)

2. they treat PL'ers like 2nd class citizens

3. they charge $15 parking/nite (just park on the adjacent streets free from 6pm-8am)

[tilepusher]

I bid for this on behalf of friends who will be attending the same event at the Holiday Inn Convention Center that I will.

I didn't stay at the Doubletree on this occasion (I stayed at the Hilton and Residence Inn RiverPlace -- both were great), but I did stay there on Labor Day last year and had no problems. The standard room I got was small but decently furnished, and was just fine for one night. The facilities were pretty good, and the staff was friendly and helpful. I didn't have a car, so parking wasn't an issue. At Priceline rates, the hotel is a good deal, though there are bigger bargains available in the Portland area through Priceline.

As for my friends, they liked this hotel very much. They're a family of four, and I figured that they would have to spend $15/night to upgrade their room. When they have there, they were told that the hotel was fully booked (a little fishy, since the rate on the hotel website was only $99 for this weekend), but they were able to get a room on one of the bottom two floors of the old tower (I think this is the wing adjacent to the pool, though their room didn't have a pool view). The room had two beds, and they didn't have to pay extra for it! Not surprisingly, they were very happy with the rate they have.

Overall, I think we Priceline bidders have very little to complain about. Yes, extra fees for parking, Internet access, etc. can be annoying, and we often don't get the best rooms, but think about what the same amount of money will get you booking through any other means.