Originally Posted by
SFO 1K
Let me start off by saying I'm not a newbie to Priceline but I am new to the Express Deals option.
I'm on a MR through HNL and tried Name Your Own Price and was not successful, so I found an Express Deal for a 3-Star in Waikiki that looked good and booked it.
My computer is a Mac and I used the Safari browser. Here's the page I had presented to me when I decided to book:
I booked based on "Possible Brands: Hyatt, Courtyard by Marriott, Four Points, Holiday Inn, Indigo". I was completely fine getting any of these.
What I got was the OHANA WAIKIKI WEST. This hotel has terrible reviews and is not affiliated with the brand names shown in the listing.
I complained to Priceline Customer Service who argued with me that the listing clearly states that other independent 3rd party brands could also be chosen. My page says no such thing. When I appealed to them to compare what was on our screens they said they were using a "normal computer and a normal browser". Well, I checked on a PC and here's the listing:
As you can see - the disclaimer about "really nice independent brands" is clearly shown in the PC version of the website and not the Mac version.
I took this matter up with Priceline Executive Offices. I very politely said I wasn't asking for a refund but wanted to be booked into a brand as per the listing I was shown and booked into. I offered to be relocated to another zone. I just wanted what I was shown during booking. They refused. I filed a chargeback with my Visa card and they had to decline on the basis of PL's "no refunds" policy.
I am so annoyed that I can't get PL to acknowledge the issue, fix the website and find me a suitable arrangement. Does anyone have real world words of wisdom for me in this situation?
I agree that the brand is not guaranteed. About 2 weeks ago I went on Hotwire and got a 4 star hotel for $120 and it was the Sheraton Petaluma not a bad hotel and in the area promised.
In Barcelona I also got a Hotwire Hotel 4 Stars at $89+$55 in taxes and fees and got a beautiful Boutique Hotel(Amister Art)in the L'Example Passig District in Barcelona. Hotels were going for more. Its part of a small Spanish Hotel Chain and the hotel looks nicer than a Hilton or Westin and it got 4 star reviews on Trip Adviser so I'm happy
I have used Priceline NYOP Hotels and get the general idea of the brands but I know that I am not guaranteed a brand. Once in San Francisco I put in a Bid on Priceline for a 4 Star hotel at $130 and got the Palace Hotel going for $200 a night. This was back in 1999.
This past August my Father and I booked on Hotwire and got the Vdara Las Vegas for $99. I emailed the Hotel and worked with them to get a corner suite. Hotwire gave us $130 the difference in the upgraded price due to a mixup on their website. As the Hotwire room listed it as being a suite but in reality the standard room is more like a studio with the room and living room together.
In the end I negotiated with the Vdara to waive the $30 fee and they even gave us $70 in credits to eat at their Dinner Buffet as the other online websites were offering a free buffet but for some reason they forgot to add it to the reservation. At checkin there was a delay in getting our room and one agent promised a high floor corner room. The second agent assigned us a lower floor corner room. When I noticed the discrepancy I went to a third agent and politely told her we were promised a high floor fountain view room. When all was said and done they upgraded us to a 1 bedroom Penthouse which included a SUV back to the airport gratis. All because of polite negotiations.
But I agree The Ohana Hotel Chain is not the world's best hotel chain. But its ok and they are all over Hawaii but I would prefer Aston over Ohana anyday. Like Hilton over Best Western. My Grandfather rented a Condo at a property managed by Aston in Maui and it was beautifully decorated and the pool area was very nice. Once a week they had a complimentary Mai Tai Party and delicious Coffee put out everyday.
So if you feel the urge to write please do but be warned you were warned about the possibility of ending up with an independent chain. I'm sorry but there is nothing that can be done. If you did not want to take the chance then you should have looked elsewhere.
See if you can call the Ohana to at least get a quiet room away from any noise etc.
I always e-mail the property soon after booking and get the results I wanted. BTW I know this is for Hotwire so you may have better luck booking with Hotwire or increase your price point and star ratings on Priceline.
BTW what people don't realize is that some of the time you are not getting a True AAA 4 star hotel. Priceline and Hotwire rate it using websites like TripAdvisor and their own rating system. So technically you paid for a 4 star hotel but really the Ohanaa West is a 3 star by AAA Standards.
The same goes for European Hotels a 3 star hotel could be a 2 star here in America. Very different rating systems. But this past April in Rome I found a 4 star NH hotel in Rome for $88 on Hotwire and it was a really nice find nicer than some of your 4 star hotels. Please take this into consideration that various countries have different ratings as do various websites.
If your online and it says AAA 4 Star Hotel and are willing to pay more to be booked into it then please do. But otherwise I have noticed that a 4 star on Hotwire Sheraton can really be 3 stars by AAA standards but the rooms were nice and the hotel was excellent for our purposes.