Originally Posted by venk
I agree with you if you are staying in hotels that charge less than $100/night. In fact, I would not us PL if that is all the savings I could get. For most hotels, the PL savings are significantly higher than $20/night or you are paying way too much on PL. My typical PL stay is around $60-$70/night while the cheapest web rate for the same stay would have been $160-$240/night. No loyalty program can make up for that kind of difference
A couple of recent examples where the BFT rate was either not available or not far off the internet rate:
(1) $71/nt to stay at Woodland Hills Hilton v. $50 recently reported on BFT (Hilton or Marriott). Add PL fee, subtract value of HH points + double dip (I value the SW .5 credit at $8) and it's a wash. Not to mention less anxiety in knowing that you won't end up in Chatsworth due to some previously unknown PL zone quirk.
(2) $110/nt at San Diego Manch. Hyatt (special rate) v. $80/nt winning bid at SAN Sheraton (lower bids rejected over 1 mo period). Throw in the $20 parking charge, plus value of Hyatt FFNs, and I now regret using PL for that stay. Not to mention better location and nicer rooms at Hyatt.
Originally Posted by venk
The other advantage of PL is that you can stay at a much better hotel for the same amount you are willing to pay. So even if I don't get points, this is the same as a loyalty program that says, book in a 3* hotel and we will upgrade you to a 4 or 5* hotel.
No loyalty program will do this.
IMO this is the BIGGEST ADVANTAGE of priceline, though more so for expensive cities like NYC, LA, and SF, where I can get a nice 4* for the price of an Econolodge or Quality Inn. Not to mention London, Paris, etc. where you really get reamed by the major chains.
Originally Posted by venk
In fact, I do not book any PL hotel less than 4* on PL. More often than not, such hotels give you pretty decent rooms. PL is not that great a deal for hotels less than 4*.
Ahhh, but there are times when I prefer to save $50-100 over the course of the weekend by bidding the 3* Courtyard or Crowne Plaza at $35-40 (often incl. free breakfast and parking) vs. $70-90 for the 4* on priceline. Some 3* are underrated (e.g. many Embassy Suites) simply because they lack some minor amenity, whereas some 4* are overrated particularly if you get stuck with a bad room. In every instance, it is a decision that can only be made after reviewing the priceline rates posted at BFT and the current hotel rates for those dates.
Again, my mostly comments apply to booking during periods of peak demand when the usual low PL rates posted on BFT are unavailable, though I have observed a convergence of the off-peak rates and PL rates at properties outside the expensive markets (e.g. check out the $59 weekend rates at Silicon Valley/San Jose Sheratons) .