Online Travel Booking and Bidding Agencies - Best Priceline/Hotwire Resorts Worldwide

What are the best luxury resorts that are routinely available via Priceline or Hotwire? The caliber of property I am looking for is Las Ventanas, Banyan Tree, etc. -- not the Westin Maui or Marriott Palm Springs.

I don't really have a specific answer, but have you looked at biddingfortravel or betterbidding under the list of hotels for particular cities to see what others have gotten for areas you might be interested in?.

I tend to end up in alot of 3 & 4 star hotels and nothing I have purchased off of Priceline or Hotwire really qualifies as super luxury or extra special, just good deals.

What are the best luxury resorts that are routinely available via Priceline or Hotwire? The caliber of property I am looking for is Las Ventanas, Banyan Tree, etc. -- not the Westin Maui or Marriott Palm Springs.

Well, that would be my dream come true...a true luxury resort on Priceline. Unfortunately, a true 5* :p as you're describing is not available on Priceline. For example, Priceline considers the Venetian in Las Vegas a 5*. Hardly in the same league as Las Ventanas, Banyan Tree, One and Only Pamillia, etc.

JW Marriott in Phuket is often available at great rates on PL

I'd guess that properties at the level specified by the OP would dispose of unbooked rooms via channels other than Priceline (LuxuryLink, maybe, or directly through upscale travel agencies/travel consortiums).

JW Marriott in Phuket is often available at great rates on PL
I agree 100 percent. Took the family there TWICE last year on Priceline. Paid $110 per night during Christmas when the rate was $600. You must bid for a minimum of 7 nights during holiday periods.

You should check out bft's Singapore board. They routinely have some nice 5* properties (like the Conrad) available there for reasonable rates.

Highly recommend the Hyatt Tamaya Resort in Albuquerque, especially if you have kids.

I've stayed at the Hyatt Tamaya Resort. It's not a five star, but a very nice four.
I've styaed at some nice PL properties. One of the best is the Westin La Cantera Resort (gave me a nice upgrade because I was a Starwood gold).
However,I agree that real five stars are not Priceline properties. I think if they were, that would be a reason to lose a star. :D

I've stayed at the Hyatt Tamaya Resort. It's not a five star, but a very nice four.
I've styaed at some nice PL properties. One of the best is the Westin La Cantera Resort (gave me a nice upgrade because I was a Starwood gold).
However,I agree that real five stars are not Priceline properties. I think if they were, that would be a reason to lose a star. :D

I have stayed at the Westin Palace via PL and I would certainly classify it as a true 5*.

Which Palace?

I once had an interesting conversation with a GM of a 5 diamond, 4 star (mobile) property. I asked what would it take for him to move to the "five star world" and he gave me a run down of many seemingly small things that aren't that small to the hotelier. For instance, no housekeeping carts, 24 hour room service, etc.

Which Palace?


http://www.westinpalacemadrid.com/eng/

You should check out bft's Singapore board. They routinely have some nice 5* properties (like the Conrad) available there for reasonable rates.

Hi, would you recommend that web-site address? I want to go to Singapore in June for 2 or 3 nights and so far have looked only on Orbitz. Thank you very much.

Ted

Hi, would you recommend that web-site address? I want to go to Singapore in June for 2 or 3 nights and so far have looked only on Orbitz. Thank you very much.

Ted


I think you want the address, correct?
http://p197.ezboard.com/bpricelineasiadiscussions

also of note:

www.betterbidding.com and www.biddingfortravel.com

ps - welcome to Flyertalk!

we got 2 rooms in Feb upgraded to beach front for 99.00 per night. Maybe not the best resort in the world but was like paradise for us. The guy next door paid $550 per night. needless to say he was not happy with my rate. This was our second stay. We will probably keep going as long as rates are sooooo gooood. We did book 7 months out. I imagine that helped. But we love the place. Our beach was just that all ours. The way the resort is set up no locals can reach the beach and we saw maybe 20 people all day. Took our own rum and relaxed - loved it

The guy next door paid $550 per night. needless to say he was not happy with my rate.

I think it's cruel and unusual punishment to tell a regular hotel guest how much you paid on priceline. If you MUST mention the fact that you're on a priceline stay, simply refer them to the betterbidding or biddingfortravel websites for their edification.

we got 2 rooms in Feb upgraded to beach front for 99.00 per night. Maybe not the best resort in the world but was like paradise for us. The guy next door paid $550 per night. needless to say he was not happy with my rate. This was our second stay. We will probably keep going as long as rates are sooooo gooood. We did book 7 months out. I imagine that helped. But we love the place. Our beach was just that all ours. The way the resort is set up no locals can reach the beach and we saw maybe 20 people all day. Took our own rum and relaxed - loved it

The Hyatt Puerto Rico will close on May 31, 2006. :(

As others have mentioned, this may not be in the super-top-of-the-line classification the OP has in mind, but I was very happy with my JW Marriott stay in BKK a couple of years ago. $56/night plus taxes and fees. :)

Few years back I stayed at the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort in Kota Kinabalu ,I think I bid $40-$50 a nt it was a nice resort hotel,don't know if its still a priceline hotel

Well, that would be my dream come true...a true luxury resort on Priceline. Unfortunately, a true 5* :p as you're describing is not available on Priceline. For example, Priceline considers the Venetian in Las Vegas a 5*. Hardly in the same league as Las Ventanas, Banyan Tree, One and Only Pamillia, etc.

Not true,
especially the Westin Maui we got on PL,
as well the HR Maui and the Mariott Kaui.

I got a win in Orlando for the JW Marriott. To me this was a *5 hotel.
I have stayed in some wonderful hotels ( And admittedly some dumps) with priceline but nothing beat this. I haven’t seen it come up since my win last summer.
The other win I enjoyed was the Hyatt in Maui. Not quite a *5 but not that far from it.

Not true,
especially the Westin Maui we got on PL,
as well the HR Maui and the Mariott Kaui.

I certainly would not consider any of those 5* resorts. Decent places for PL, but 5*?

I certainly would not consider any of those 5* resorts. Decent places for PL, but 5*?


Those were labeled as resorts anyhow (like the HR Coconut point as well).

Real 5* star hotel I got on PL are:
Westin Melbourne, Swisshotel Berlin, Sheraton on the Park Sydney, (PH San Francisco)

Those were labeled as resorts anyhow (like the HR Coconut point as well).

Real 5* star hotel I got on PL are:
Westin Melbourne, Swisshotel Berlin, Sheraton on the Park Sydney, (PH San Francisco)

I wouldn't call those 5* hotels either. PH San Francisco is probably the closest at 4.5. Checkout the Luxury Hotel Forum in Flyertalk. That group understand what it truly means to be 5*. They would poo poo PL hotels listed thus far. I would agree that the hotels listed by the OP are world class. :p

I wouldn't call those 5* hotels either. PH San Francisco is probably the closest at 4.5. Checkout the Luxury Hotel Forum in Flyertalk. That group understand what it truly means to be 5*. They would poo poo PL hotels listed thus far. I would agree that the hotels listed by the OP are world class. :p

IMHO they are 5 stars, what you look for are the 6 and the one 7 star hotel.

Le Meridien in Chicago was the nicest PL hotel I've gotten. It's changed hands, and I don't know what that property is now. Back in 2002, it was a legitmate five star urban hotel.

we got 2 rooms in Feb upgraded to beach front for 99.00 per night. Maybe not the best resort in the world but was like paradise for us. The guy next door paid $550 per night. needless to say he was not happy with my rate.

I don't understand, why did you do this? You got an excellent rate - isn't it enough? Do you also need to brag and make others feel inferior?...

The last time I used Priceline was in November, looking for a five star hotel in Hong Kong for 5 nights. In the beginning I put down $100 a night as my maximum (Wishful thinking huh?) but of course there were no takers. Then I upped it to $150, even though priceline was telling me that chances are I wouldn’t get any 5 star at that price, and that I should up that to at least $250. But the JW Marriott went through and accepted the price!

My stay at the JW was pretty amazing. It has all the amenities one would expect from a five star hotel, and then some. Great service, amazing views and very helpful staff who always had a smile. The JW usually went for $250 to $350 a night.

I put my hotel review on Trip Advisor with pictures if anyone wants to check it out. Now that’s my priceline success story.