dEsquiliano

I'm planning on booking a room with priceline for an upcoming trip to Mexico City. I already booked a hotel through expedia, although I wouldn't mind changing it for a better room for the same price, even if it's not in the area where I first intended to stay.

I'm traveling with a friend, and we need a room with 2 beds, bot booking through priceline I only choose the number of rooms, and not the number of people traveling. Based on your experience, what are my chances of getting stuck in a room with only one bed and without the possibility of changing it for a room in the same category but with two beds at the time of check in?

lo2e

I'm not sure you can quantify the chances of being able to get the bedding you want vs. not. It depends on a variety of factors, not the least of which is availability of rooms that fit your needs. They could even tell you in advance that you'll get the bedding you want, only to arrive and they'll be "sold out" of those rooms, and you're stuck.

That said, it might actually still work out cheaper or approximately the same price-wise as what you're currently booked at to bid for two rooms instead of one.

Colfax

There's another possibility too, which is that the hotel assigns Priceline guests to one-bed rooms and offers you a two-bed room for an additional upgrade fee, if available. Even within the same room category, one-bed and two-bed rooms might not have the same rate.

Have you checked Hotwire? If you enter 3 adults/0 children (even though there are only two of you) you'll be guaranteed two beds. Hotwire usually costs more than Priceline, but the premium can be worth it for the assurance of knowing you'll have the bedding you need, with no additional upgrade fee at checkin.

(Hotwire rules say the second bed could be a cot or hideaway but in practice that happens very rarely. Almost 100% of the time two beds means two beds.)

Sheryl

"They could even tell you in advance that you'll get the bedding you want, only to arrive and they'll be "sold out" of those rooms, and you're stuck."

This is no different regardless of how you book. You could also arrive on a conventional reservation that is guaranteed with a credit card only to find out the hotel has no available rooms. It's rare but it does happen.

B1

Just to be clear, they are different types of purchases: Hotwire has a set price and with Priceline bidding you make an offer. Usually, the lowest offer Priceline will accept for a particular hotel is less than Hotwire's set rate, typically about 20% different. But you also might wind up offering Priceline more than Hotwire would charge. To get the lower rate from Priceline one has to do some research and learn tactics or be lucky. Priceline does its best to get you to pay more.

Sheryl

I could never understand why people don't research conventional rates when using Priceline. What would they do if Priceline and Hotwire didn't exist? Go to a travel agent and pay a fee?

lewisc

Of course it's different. Some hotels actually let you reserve a room with two beds. It's a specific room category. Hotels overbook. It's always possible a room you reserved won't be available. However you have the right to ask for compensation or even go to a different hotel.

PL guests have to accept whatever bedding (which meets PL minimum requirements for 2 guests) without any recourse. Even if the hotel previously told you you'd get a room with 2 beds.



TAs are paid a commission by the hotel. Many TAs don't bill the client additional fees for hotel or cruise reservations.

Some cities/zones have a lot of rebidding possibilities. I can understand some bidders taking a "short cut" and not checking the rates first or just using Hotwire to get an idea as to what is a reasonable bid for opaque rooms.

Sheryl

Just like I said, there are no guarantees regardless of how you book. And it's very rare these days to find a travel agent that doesn't charge a fee to their clients for any type of booking.

MaximumSisu

Actually, no. You may think you are "reserving" a room with two beds, however you are merely stating a preference for such with most hotel chains. If you show up wanting two doubles, and all they have is a king, they might be nice and let you cancel your reservation, but then again they may not. If they have a room, they may hold you to the reservation or charge the cancellation fee, and many credit cards will not honor your dispute.

With Priceline you are correct --- you get what they got.

lewisc

There are hotels which have a different rate for a room with 2 Q beds vs a room with 1 K bed. In that case a customer is expressing more then just a preference.

Other cases there a a rate for the room and the guest has the opportunity of stating a preference.

A hotel is withing their rights giving a PL customer a room with 1 double bed without even enough room for a roll away. A guest who reserved a room for 3 or 4 guests can't be given such a room.

Sheryl

Then you aren't comparing apples to apples as you can't book a room through Priceline NYOP for 3 or 4 people.

lewisc

We're talking about how to get a hotel room with 2 beds.

A helpful poster in this thread suggested using Hotwire. Indicate 3 adults, even though only 2 adults will be staying in the room.

A customer who books direct might find two beds is different rate. A customer reserving such a room is doing more then expressing a preference.

A customer could also reserve a room for 2 adults and 2 children, even though the kids will be not taking the trip.

You said:

This is no different regardless of how you book.

I don't agree with your statement for the reasons given. The point is PL NYOP doesn't offer guests a way to book 2 beds. A request can be made to the hotel, subject to availability.

It may be different in your part of the country but many TAs don't charge a fee on cruise bookings, tour bookings or all inclusive resort bookings. I'll agree fees are frequently charged for airline tickets. I'm not sure about using a TA to book one night at a Holiday Inn. I'd never use a TA for such a booking. I wouldn't be shocked if at least some TAs charged a service fee for such a small booking.

greenteados

I have had success with lastminutetravel.com. You can reserve for 2 beds. Although they don't give the name until after you purchase, you can usually tell by the pictures they provide. I have gotten good prices on the website when I really needed 2 beds in a hotel that was sold out conventionally.