Why so few 1-star bids?

[WillTravel]

I get the impression here, and on the other board, that there are really very few 1-star bids. Or at least people do not post them. (I have posted one. The place was just as nice as some higher-star hotels I have been to, but it had exterior walkways.)

Any ideas why this is? Most 1-stars are perfectly functional and you are as likely to have a reasonably experience there as anywhere (and I think they may be more likely to have free parking, but no guarantees, of course).

Maybe it's just that 1-stars are not as likely to participate with Priceline.

Maybe I should ask a more general question: Why do you bid the star level that you do?

[thereuare]

Personally, if Priceline/Hotwire didn't exist, i'd probably still be staying at brands like Hilton, Shertaon, Hyatt, AmeriSuites (dependent upon city and cost... some areas are ridiculously expensive and i would refuse to pay so much just on priciple). Therefore, i typically bid on the higher rated hotels and view Priceline as an opportunity to get a similar hotel for much less.

I know other people that would never stay at the above mentioned brands at regular rates, but use Priceline as an opportunity to increase their hotel class (and therefore wouldn't bid on lower level hotels since they're trying to increase the class they typically stay at). For example, i have a relative that typically stayed at Days Inn type properties. Since i've introduced her to Priceline, they stay at MUCH nicer hotels, and usually at a price equal to or less than they used to pay.

I think the biggest factor is that people typically feel "safer" bidding the higher stars since the actual hotel is unknown. There's a certain level of expectation at the 3* and higher rated properties, and people want that comfort level since they're not selecting a specific hotel.

[ql2112]

Like Thereuare I also usually stay in 3+* properties, regardless of using PL or not and also when staying on my own dime.

I agree that many 1* and 2* properties are pretty decent, however many of them are not that good or just plain bad. Unless I know the property I will not consider staying there, which rules out using PL.

IMO the savings you can get by using PL for 1* and 2* hotels are not that big, since those properties usually are not that expensive in the first place (ex Pl). The limited savings and the uncertain quality in combination with the PL limitations (non cancelable, etc.) don't make it interesting for me to bid on 1* or 2* hotels.

[zbenye]

If I knew that a 1-star bid would land me in a Motel 6 or Days Inn or Travelodge, I would bid that level. I don't see much difference between Motel 6 and a 2-star Comfort Suites. But the area where I most often stay does not offer 1-star hotels. There are Motel 6 and Days Inn there though. There's also a Travelodge, but it's rated 2-stars.

There is a 1-star offer in the San Francisco Union Square East zone, but I expect that a 1-star there would probably be a crawling space with a shared bathroom down the hall. I'm not going to explore that option.

In some zones, like San Francisco airport, I do my best to AVOID getting upgraded from 2-stars to higher. 2-star hotels there have free parking and local calls, 3-star hotels charge an arm and a leg for these. It's tough to avoid the upgrade, though. It almost looks like the 3-stars intentionally price just below the rates of the 2-stars, so they grab your bid and then squeeze the parking fee out of you to achieve their intended revenue (does this make sense?).

Regarding the comment that 1-stars are not as likely to participate with Priceline, I think maybe they're just not aware of the option. Many 1-star motels in my area are really hurting (one or two cars in the lot). That Motel 6 in South San Francisco has just posted a big sign with its reduced rate of $39 - down from $59. $39 is still $7 more than the Comfort Suites on PL, so if they should choose to participate with PL, at around $25, they'd take away a lot of the business from Comfort Suites.

[WillTravel]

I think Priceline states that all of its rooms have to have a separate bath, even the one stars. Now I'm very curious to know what the 1-star offering in USE in San Francisco is. Probably something in Chinatown? Maybe I'll have to bid for it when I visit next, just out of curiosity. (Edit: The other bulletin board lists the Alisa Hotel (www.alisahotel.com) as a successful 1-star bid in San Francisco USE. The hotel web site indicates it is a "boutique hotel" and says "the Alisa Hotel is at the crossroads of Union Square, the Financial District, and the Chinatown Gate.")

In general, this is my approach:

Business travel paid by someone else - as high a star level as possible. I do enjoy these hotels, but I don't enjoy them four times as much as a lower-star hotel.

Family travel with one or more kids (self-paid) - package deals (like Alaska Airlines to Disneyland), Priceline if I am reasonably confident the bedding arrangements will be ok, even hostels if I'm ok with the establishment.

On my own (self-paid) - Hostels

Admittedly, after several recent trips using a package deal or Priceline, I do feel a bit spoiled and feel a little less inclined towards hostels.

Still, I will be travelling in Europe with my older child this summer (if all goes well), and we will be visiting several expensive cities. We can't really use Priceline, because he definitely requires a separate bed. Hostels will be fine for most of the visit, and it will provide him some independence also. If we have an early morning flight, then we might have one night in a hotel. I'm also considering B&Bs, but I'd have to be convinced they were worth the extra money over hostels.

[zbenye]

WillTravel, I've always used PL for Europe hotels. I bid $50 for 2 stars and let PL find me whatever they want. Every 2- and 3-star I ever got from them there had 2 beds. Only in Brussells, where $50 got me upgraded to the 4-star Radisson SAS did I have one large bed, but I'm sure they had 2-bed rooms as well for the asking.

So I think you can confidently use PL in Europe with your son.

[WillTravel]

In that case, I'll definitely consider it. $50/night is in the range of what 2 hostel beds cost in the cities we are visiting (London and Scandinavian cities).

[zbenye]

In London, try getting the Comfort Inn in the Vauxhall zone. It's a great hotel and the spacious rooms have two beds. Look for the review in the reviews section in a bit.