We should be able to just go to some super discount Website and ask for a hotel room and get the best possible rate but it doesn't work that way. What I have found is that you have to game the system or really play by their rules. I'll explain both methods below.
So you want to game the system. You greedy, selfish person you. Well, you're not alone. Here are some articles you can read about how to win at Priceline's bidding war. I found that Priceline really does offer the best prices if you can figure out what a winning bid is. But the process is complicated because Priceline takes steps to prevent people from doing exactly this.
Both of these guys visit forums where people share their recent winning bids on Priceline. I like the trick with adding a zone that doesn't have a hotel of the rating you are bidding on so you don't have to wait 24 hours. A Priceline employee actually told me to do this but they don't want people to cheat on the bids. You're already bidding less than the price they quoted you on the hotel you want.
The other way to save money on hotel rooms is to join their rewards programs. But you don't get credit for hotel rooms you buy through Priceline and you have to keep your information updated.
If you do not travel a lot you will never get to use the points you earn from the rewards program. I joined several hotel chains' reward programs but only got to use points from two of them. The reason why I joined more than one was that they served different areas. I wasn't having to choose between competing hotels. But I just wasn't traveling enough to sustain the points. I now have a few thousand points with La Quinta and I don't know if I will ever be able to redeem them.
And here is another trick you should be aware of. Some of these chains have two or more styles of hotels. La Quinta has what I call motor lodges (or motels). These are where the doors to the rooms open directly to the parking lots. And then they have regular hotels where the doors open on the inside into hallways.
The "hotel" La Quintas are the La Quinta Inns and Suites. If you want to save money at La Quinta you can usually get a better deal in the motor lodges but sometimes the Inn and Suites have good rates too. If you can get to stay in a newly opened hotel they often provide discounted room rates in the first month. They want to rack up good reviews as fast as possible.
- How to Save Money with Priceline (Part 1 of 3, 2013)
- How to Save Money with Priceline (Part 2 of 3, 2013)
- How to Save Money with Priceline (Part 3 of 3, 2013)
- How I Hacked Priceline
Both of these guys visit forums where people share their recent winning bids on Priceline. I like the trick with adding a zone that doesn't have a hotel of the rating you are bidding on so you don't have to wait 24 hours. A Priceline employee actually told me to do this but they don't want people to cheat on the bids. You're already bidding less than the price they quoted you on the hotel you want.
The other way to save money on hotel rooms is to join their rewards programs. But you don't get credit for hotel rooms you buy through Priceline and you have to keep your information updated.
If you do not travel a lot you will never get to use the points you earn from the rewards program. I joined several hotel chains' reward programs but only got to use points from two of them. The reason why I joined more than one was that they served different areas. I wasn't having to choose between competing hotels. But I just wasn't traveling enough to sustain the points. I now have a few thousand points with La Quinta and I don't know if I will ever be able to redeem them.
And here is another trick you should be aware of. Some of these chains have two or more styles of hotels. La Quinta has what I call motor lodges (or motels). These are where the doors to the rooms open directly to the parking lots. And then they have regular hotels where the doors open on the inside into hallways.
The "hotel" La Quintas are the La Quinta Inns and Suites. If you want to save money at La Quinta you can usually get a better deal in the motor lodges but sometimes the Inn and Suites have good rates too. If you can get to stay in a newly opened hotel they often provide discounted room rates in the first month. They want to rack up good reviews as fast as possible.