Priceline Hotel: Bidding for a same-day reservation

[jetlismaster]

What are, if any, the advantages/disadvantages of bidding for a same-day reservation? I'm planning on going to vegas this Fri but don't want to get a hotel on Sat until Sat morning. Reason being is if everything goes well, I'll want to stay in vegas Sat night. If not, my buddies and I were planning to get a hotel in San Diego for Sat night.

Another question, if we bid for a same-day, can we get rooms for an even CHEAPER rate? My logic is, all these rooms that are left over need to be filled. So priceline or the hotel can lower the rate all together.. Any ideas?

[thereuare]

The risk is that you don't have as much (read: any) time to 'try again' if you fail, you don't have the comfort level to lowball too much, and if you run out of re-bid zones then you have no choice but to add less desirable zones.

Lastly, in your particular case, some Las Vegas hotels don't accept Saturday check-ins.

While many users have the same thought that they may get a better deal waiting until the day of arrival, it's not necessarily the case and i don't find waiting until the last minute offers any benefit (in fact, is often a negative due to the disadvantages i've mentioned above). While you have the attitude that the room will otherwise go unsold and therefore the hotels should be happy to get anything for it... the hotel may be thinking "s/he is in Vegas and doesn't have a place to sleep for tonite, and is not likely to walk from hotel to hotel checking rates, nor take their gambling/entertainment time scouring the internet for the least expensive rate... we'll charge whatever we think s/he's willing to pay".

The ideal situation is that you book Friday via PRICELINE and then are given the option to extend your stay, which you can try to do on Saturday morning if you know your plans by then. (NOTE: just because the extend your stay option is presented, it doesn't guarantee that a room is available for you at that price... you could try to extend your stay and be told that no rooms are available to extend your stay or be countered that a room is available but only at a price of $xx more than your original bid).

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.