Priceline Name Your Own Price with pets?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: DCA
Posts: 292
Priceline Name Your Own Price with pets?
We are traveling with my dog, and although I have enough rewards points at some hotel chains for free rooms, the pet fees are ridiculously high and I want to save the points for real vacations.
Has anyone ever named your own price with a pet option? I chatted with one of their sales agents and they stated that the star rating would have a paw print if the hotels were all pet friendly...but I have never seen that for any city I have tried in the past.
Is my only option booking an Express deal or something like that? I thought with the new commercials that they may have changed things?
Has anyone ever named your own price with a pet option? I chatted with one of their sales agents and they stated that the star rating would have a paw print if the hotels were all pet friendly...but I have never seen that for any city I have tried in the past.
Is my only option booking an Express deal or something like that? I thought with the new commercials that they may have changed things?
#2
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 3,665
When you use NYOP the basis of the bid would not include any information other than star level and location since you are not bidding on a specific property. If Express Deals does have the information you need, that would seem to be the best solution and a reasonable outcome. On the other hand, you could consider inventing a site offering bidding for pet-friendly hotels and claiming a patent and starting something.
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: DCA
Posts: 292
When you use NYOP the basis of the bid would not include any information other than star level and location since you are not bidding on a specific property. If Express Deals does have the information you need, that would seem to be the best solution and a reasonable outcome. On the other hand, you could consider inventing a site offering bidding for pet-friendly hotels and claiming a patent and starting something.
#4
Ambassador, New England
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Maineiac, USA
Programs: Amtrak, WN RR, Choice
Posts: 2,655
I'm curious if the OP were to take a gamble on NYOP and receive a pet-friendly hotel - is it possible that the hotel could still charge their pet fee once the OP arrives at the hotel, kinda like a resort fee?
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: DCA
Posts: 292
Would feel better gambling on this if the winning bid could be rescinded if they weren't pet friendly. It would be nice if they could figure in more preferences.
#7
In Memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Easton, CT, USA
Programs: ua prem exec, Former hilton diamond
Posts: 31,801
Express will show a pet icon if it's pet friendly like this example
Name your own price shows no indication if it's pet friendly or not. If you need a place for your pet, I would not do Name Your Own Price, as you could end up with a place that does not allow pets or doesn't allow your pet if they have weight restrictions for example (no dogs over 50 lbs) or you could end up paying a fortune. Even with Express, you won't know the fee up front.
If however you know with certainty which hotel(s) you will get from NYOP, and know they are all pet friendly that's a different story, but that's not going to happen all that much.
Name your own price shows no indication if it's pet friendly or not. If you need a place for your pet, I would not do Name Your Own Price, as you could end up with a place that does not allow pets or doesn't allow your pet if they have weight restrictions for example (no dogs over 50 lbs) or you could end up paying a fortune. Even with Express, you won't know the fee up front.
If however you know with certainty which hotel(s) you will get from NYOP, and know they are all pet friendly that's a different story, but that's not going to happen all that much.
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: DCA
Posts: 292
Express will show a pet icon if it's pet friendly like this example
Name your own price shows no indication if it's pet friendly or not. If you need a place for your pet, I would not do Name Your Own Price, as you could end up with a place that does not allow pets or doesn't allow your pet if they have weight restrictions for example (no dogs over 50 lbs) or you could end up paying a fortune. Even with Express, you won't know the fee up front.
If however you know with certainty which hotel(s) you will get from NYOP, and know they are all pet friendly that's a different story, but that's not going to happen all that much.
Name your own price shows no indication if it's pet friendly or not. If you need a place for your pet, I would not do Name Your Own Price, as you could end up with a place that does not allow pets or doesn't allow your pet if they have weight restrictions for example (no dogs over 50 lbs) or you could end up paying a fortune. Even with Express, you won't know the fee up front.
If however you know with certainty which hotel(s) you will get from NYOP, and know they are all pet friendly that's a different story, but that's not going to happen all that much.
#10
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 177
B1 and Cordelli, you guys are both Priceline experts, and I've picked up a few awesome tidbits from you here and there over the years. But am I missing something?
When you bid on NYOP, you do get to see amenities in Step 2 where you choose your star level. In fact, beneath step 2 it reads, "The minimum Guaranteed Amenities are shown for select star levels in your chosen area(s)." On mouse hover-over, it say this about Guaranteed Amenities: "You're guaranteed a hotel meeting these qualifications or higher."
The problem comes when you start rebidding and adding additional zones. If you're bidding on 4 stars in Zone A that has "Pets Allowed" and add Zone B which doesn't have "Pets Allowed", you'll see this guaranteed amenity go away.
Also note, "Pets Allowed" is not the same as "Pets Stay Free". On HotelDealsRevaled.com, we've had reports of people paying up to $30 per night for their pet. Also, you should be aware that some hotels have a size / weight restriction for dogs.
Not sure if the attached screenshot will work....
When you bid on NYOP, you do get to see amenities in Step 2 where you choose your star level. In fact, beneath step 2 it reads, "The minimum Guaranteed Amenities are shown for select star levels in your chosen area(s)." On mouse hover-over, it say this about Guaranteed Amenities: "You're guaranteed a hotel meeting these qualifications or higher."
The problem comes when you start rebidding and adding additional zones. If you're bidding on 4 stars in Zone A that has "Pets Allowed" and add Zone B which doesn't have "Pets Allowed", you'll see this guaranteed amenity go away.
Also note, "Pets Allowed" is not the same as "Pets Stay Free". On HotelDealsRevaled.com, we've had reports of people paying up to $30 per night for their pet. Also, you should be aware that some hotels have a size / weight restriction for dogs.
Not sure if the attached screenshot will work....
#11
In Memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Easton, CT, USA
Programs: ua prem exec, Former hilton diamond
Posts: 31,801
While that is true, it may only show an icon for pets if all the hotels in that zone at that star level take pets.
I stay in one area on a regular basis, bidding on a 3 1/2 star hotel. There are two hotels they use, one allows pets and one does not. They do not show the pet icon in that case because not every hotel you may get accepts pets.
And again, just because they accept pets doesn't mean it won't cost you more than you paid for the room or they will accept your pet.
I think it's just too risky to bid blindly on a hotel unless you are certain which one you will get and what their policy for pets is.
I stay in one area on a regular basis, bidding on a 3 1/2 star hotel. There are two hotels they use, one allows pets and one does not. They do not show the pet icon in that case because not every hotel you may get accepts pets.
And again, just because they accept pets doesn't mean it won't cost you more than you paid for the room or they will accept your pet.
I think it's just too risky to bid blindly on a hotel unless you are certain which one you will get and what their policy for pets is.
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: DCA
Posts: 292
While that is true, it may only show an icon for pets if all the hotels in that zone at that star level take pets.
I stay in one area on a regular basis, bidding on a 3 1/2 star hotel. There are two hotels they use, one allows pets and one does not. They do not show the pet icon in that case because not every hotel you may get accepts pets.
And again, just because they accept pets doesn't mean it won't cost you more than you paid for the room or they will accept your pet.
I think it's just too risky to bid blindly on a hotel unless you are certain which one you will get and what their policy for pets is.
I stay in one area on a regular basis, bidding on a 3 1/2 star hotel. There are two hotels they use, one allows pets and one does not. They do not show the pet icon in that case because not every hotel you may get accepts pets.
And again, just because they accept pets doesn't mean it won't cost you more than you paid for the room or they will accept your pet.
I think it's just too risky to bid blindly on a hotel unless you are certain which one you will get and what their policy for pets is.
#13
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 177
While that is true, it may only show an icon for pets if all the hotels in that zone at that star level take pets.
I stay in one area on a regular basis, bidding on a 3 1/2 star hotel. There are two hotels they use, one allows pets and one does not. They do not show the pet icon in that case because not every hotel you may get accepts pets.
And again, just because they accept pets doesn't mean it won't cost you more than you paid for the room or they will accept your pet.
I think it's just too risky to bid blindly on a hotel unless you are certain which one you will get and what their policy for pets is.
I stay in one area on a regular basis, bidding on a 3 1/2 star hotel. There are two hotels they use, one allows pets and one does not. They do not show the pet icon in that case because not every hotel you may get accepts pets.
And again, just because they accept pets doesn't mean it won't cost you more than you paid for the room or they will accept your pet.
I think it's just too risky to bid blindly on a hotel unless you are certain which one you will get and what their policy for pets is.
That's precisely the reason I'm a strong advocate for using Hotwire when you need a room to accommodate more than 2. I no longer use Priceline when travelling with my family of 5. We've taken a chance quite a few times. Been burned once, but that was enough for my wife to veto any further usage of PL for family trips.
#14
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 177
Agreed. So, we didn't risk it. I wish pet fees were only as much as $30, because that is pretty rare. The average tends to be in the $50 to $100 a day range and many charge per dog. So, in this case, I just booked with a hotel chain I knew allowed a pet for free. There are few, but there are some out there that aren't bottom of the barrel.
#15
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 242
For posterity.. I once accidentally booked a NYOP without thinking it might end up a no-pet hotel.. which it of course was. I realized it the same day, called Priceline, who was kind enough to let me cancel the reservation if the hotel was willing to, which they kindly were. I don't think it's a gamble I would purposely take, but if you find yourself in the same position, it can be fixed.