Priceline question

Hello,

I just booked a cruise for my family of 6 for March, 2014. Hotel costs are high this time of year so I am thinking I should book our hotel through Priceline. (we have used priceline in the past and did get an awful room in a great hotel once. I do know with booking on priceline we are apt to get one of the less desirable rooms...but with needing 2 rooms for 4 nights this is a chance I am willing to take..I will book a four star hotel..maybe this might help!!!) My question is what area do I check to get a hotel near the port and close to the water taxis? I am not familiar with Fort Lauderdale and there are too many choices!!! Has anyone booked with priceline lately and if so what price did you pay for this time of year? Thanks in advance!!!

Hello,

I just booked a cruise for my family of 6 for March, 2014. Hotel costs are high this time of year so I am thinking I should book our hotel through Priceline. (we have used priceline in the past and did get an awful room in a great hotel once. I do know with booking on priceline we are apt to get one of the less desirable rooms...but with needing 2 rooms for 4 nights this is a chance I am willing to take..I will book a four star hotel..maybe this might help!!!) My question is what area do I check to get a hotel near the port and close to the water taxis? I am not familiar with Fort Lauderdale and there are too many choices!!! Has anyone booked with priceline lately and if so what price did you pay for this time of year? Thanks in advance!!!

I would suggest you book two rooms, each for three people traditionally. You will not get two rooms with two double/queen beds over spring break on priceline. It will not happen.

Instead of bidding on Priceline...try joining (free membership) LMT (Last Minute Travel Club) that way you know what/where your getting...We saved $$ doing this for our pre-cruise...this website is highly recommended on this board by many.

You'll need three rooms for six people.

 

I would suggest you book two rooms, each for three people traditionally. You will not get two rooms with two double/queen beds over spring break on priceline. It will not happen.

Thanks...I never thought of that!!! My teenagers would have been very upset!!!

Don't use PL for your family unless you go after 3 rooms. As menitioned, PL only gurarantees a room for TWO. Meaning you could get a room with a queen bed. Period.

If LMTclub isn't free to join at this time, look at Lastminutetravel.com. Call the service center and they will help identify the hotels and offer a little lower cost. You could look at hotwire too. But you will have to figure out the hotel using its amenities and star level compared to betterbidding.com hotel lists.

Another site to look at for comparison shopping of some booking sites is hotelclick.com.

Also look at valuetrips.com for the Hyatt Place North. Popular with cruisers. Lower cost there.

Look for downtown, las Olas or beach hotels when using the bidding sites. But know those areas are pretty big. And you could end up pretty north on the beach. But all are good for the port.

You can get some great deals on http://www.lastminutetravel.com. Do a mock booking. First pick a hotel, add in a rental car and then continue with your booking and the name of the hotel comes up without having to put in your credit card number.

Ms. Molly,

We booked through Priceline for a 4 Star hotel and got the Hyatt Regency Pier sixty-Six for $160.00 in March of 2014. Other hotels in the The 3 star category were getting 169.00/night and 4 star were getting 300.00. I agree, this is an expensive time to stay in Ft. Lauderdale!

I did read some hotel reviews for this hotel and I'm now afraid I'm going to be booked in their 2-story buildings which didn't get a great rating. One of the most common comments was "needs to be updated". Wonder if this is where the Priceline bidders go?:confused:

Nancy

I did read some hotel reviews for this hotel and I'm now afraid I'm going to be booked in their 2-story buildings which didn't get a great rating. One of the most common comments was "needs to be updated". Wonder if this is where the Priceline bidders go?:confused:

 

Nancy

I'm wondering if its worth making a run at this via Priceline for my pre-cruise (January 4)?

I've got a reservation at the Springhill Suites--where I've stayed before--for $170...But that includes free breakfast, free Internet, free shuttles from the airport and to the ship.

I've tried Priceline, bidding up to $90 thus far with 4 stars, Downtown Fort Lauderdale (according to one of those bidding sites, the Renaissance or the Hilton)... But, those wouldn't include the transportation or breakfast...

Figuring $15-25 for taxis and $20 to $30 for breakfast, I'm really looking at about $115 to $135 as sort of the break even point, but I'd be taking a gamble on where they'd send me plus having to pay ahead of time, etc.

So, if I'm going to use Priceline, I figure I'd better do a little better than just break even...so, I'm thinking about going in one more time at $100 and if I don't get it, just giving up and sticking with the Springhill...

What do y'all think?

I'm wondering if its worth making a run at this via Priceline for my pre-cruise (January 4)?

 

So, if I'm going to use Priceline, I figure I'd better do a little better than just break even...so, I'm thinking about going in one more time at $100 and if I don't get it, just giving up and sticking with the Springhill...

 

What do y'all think?

Personally I think it'd be a miracle if you get a 4 star in January for $100 or less. But the rate of $170 for Springhill is rather steep. Why don't you try Lastminutetravel CLUB? For the night of Jan 4th they're offering the Hilton Marina for $167,15 and Il Lugano for $160.68. right now.

I used PL but didn't do the bidding part this trip. I used the express deals. I wanted the Hyatt Pier 66 and could tell the opaque deal was this property by the description. I know I could have done better by bidding but with the Express deals I was able to choose Tower, Pool or Garden view. I'm going mid February, so peak times. I think a garden view was $168 and I paid $214 I think for a tower room.

With the Express Deals, you can choose a room with specific bedding at least at Pier 66. You can book it for 2 double beds or at least it was available a few weeks ago when I paid.

I'm wondering if its worth making a run at this via Priceline for my pre-cruise (January 4)?

 

I've got a reservation at the Springhill Suites--where I've stayed before--for $170...But that includes free breakfast, free Internet, free shuttles from the airport and to the ship.

 

 

What do y'all think?

Since you are staying just one night, I suppose you aren't thinking about location and walking along a beach or marina.

I personally think that is pretty high for that hotel for what usually is not a heavy cruise weekend.

Did you look at valuetrips.com for the Hyatt Place north? That has some of the things you want and are closer to the port.

Your hotel chain is nice and does have amenities. So you are accurate if looking at those and what you might have to spend for transp, meal etc. somewhere else.

I guess I just would rather stay at a hotel that says "Fort Lauderdale"..not just "another hotel on a busy highway" that I could find anywhere in the U.S.

If your res is cancellable, you have the option to shop around for a long time before your stay, knowing you have a nice backup:)

I see that Hyatt deal on PL...or so I assume--Downtown Fort Lauderdale, 3.5 stars, $168...of course, no shuttle or breakfast...

The last time we stayed at the Springhill, we had a rental car and plans to spend the day with family (this time, we haven't told anyone yet that we're coming in)...the time before that, we had a wedding to go to that was walking distance from the Springhill...

This time, as plans presently stand, we are arriving at FLL VERY early...on the redeye from LAX...and have all day and night, but planned to just relax, kick back and kill time while recovering from the redeye flight.

With the Springhill, at least I know what's around there (not much, but there are a couple of places to eat)...and getting to the hotel and hotel to ship is simple enough...

I assume that the choices I likely get with Priceline are a little nicer, but without an amenity or two (shuttle, breakfast, Internet)...so, if I take that Hyatt deal, I basically increase my cost by the cost of a taxi and breakfast...Is it that much nicer or that much better located (for what we plan on doing) than the Springhill? How about the Hilton or Renaissance-that appear to be the 4 star options with Priceline?

I see that Hyatt deal on PL...or so I assume--Downtown Fort Lauderdale, 3.5 stars, $168...of course, no shuttle or breakfast...

 

The last time we stayed at the Springhill, we had a rental car and plans to spend the day with family (this time, we haven't told anyone yet that we're coming in)...the time before that, we had a wedding to go to that was walking distance from the Springhill...

 

This time, as plans presently stand, we are arriving at FLL VERY early...on the redeye from LAX...and have all day and night, but planned to just relax, kick back and kill time while recovering from the redeye flight.

 

With the Springhill, at least I know what's around there (not much, but there are a couple of places to eat)...and getting to the hotel and hotel to ship is simple enough...

 

I assume that the choices I likely get with Priceline are a little nicer, but without an amenity or two (shuttle, breakfast, Internet)...so, if I take that Hyatt deal, I basically increase my cost by the cost of a taxi and breakfast...Is it that much nicer or that much better located (for what we plan on doing) than the Springhill? How about the Hilton or Renaissance-that appear to be the 4 star options with Priceline?

I sense your apprehension is stepping outside the familiar. Do it. The Springhill is a great hotel in a decent location with fantastic amenities. You'll be much happier you got outside your comfort zone and booked a hotel on 17th Street.

You'll be able to walk to a zillion restaurants and can get a cheap breakfast and a cab from there to the port is less than $15.

The night before you'll be within walking distance of some really good, really fun restaurants many of which are waterfront. If you want you can actually walk to the bridge and watch the ships come in.

Do it.

I'm wondering if its worth making a run at this via Priceline for my pre-cruise (January 4)?

 

I've got a reservation at the Springhill Suites--where I've stayed before--for $170...But that includes free breakfast, free Internet, free shuttles from the airport and to the ship.

 

I've tried Priceline, bidding up to $90 thus far with 4 stars, Downtown Fort Lauderdale (according to one of those bidding sites, the Renaissance or the Hilton)... But, those wouldn't include the transportation or breakfast...

 

Figuring $15-25 for taxis and $20 to $30 for breakfast, I'm really looking at about $115 to $135 as sort of the break even point, but I'd be taking a gamble on where they'd send me plus having to pay ahead of time, etc.

 

So, if I'm going to use Priceline, I figure I'd better do a little better than just break even...so, I'm thinking about going in one more time at $100 and if I don't get it, just giving up and sticking with the Springhill...

 

What do y'all think?

Last Minute Travel's member site has Springhill in Dania Beach at $114.31 (per room, before taxes) on January 4th. I believe I read they are running a free membership with the code 4JULYFREE. It is showing up as 'on request' but the last two years I've booked Springhill thru LMT, it's always said 'on request' and we've gotten it. They will notify you in 24-48 hours if the hotel will open up more availability. No credit card charge until then. You can always book through LMT, then cancel your other Springhill ressie if you get it at the cheaper rate and you're not out anything.

Now, that being said, we always just have time to get our water, sodas and eat dinner the night before the cruise, so Springhill fits the bill nicely for this. If I had as much time to kill as you do, I might consider a hotel with more amenities, closer to the beach, water taxi, etc.

I booked with priceline last night and received Westin Diplomat at $100.00. I put in the bid for $100 a night priceline accepted. i use this forum(below link) to get an idea of which hotels will be offered through priceline since we don't know which hotel we are getting until they have accepted your bid/offer.

Westin Dipmlot doesnt offer shuttles but I'll be using a shuttle or taxi to port.

If you want shuttles from airport and to port choose region flordia and choose zone airport FLL and most of those hotels listed as cruise and airport offer shuttles.

http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?app=hotel_lists&tid=78

I booked with priceline last night and received Westin Diplomat at $100.00.

 

The Westin Diplomat is in Hollywood, not Fort Lauderdale. You must be looking at a non peak date. That price is fantastic for that property. You will spend more on cab fare of course than if staying nearer the port.

No, it's not Fort Lauderdale but it's very close.

Westin to/from Port Everglades is about 10 miles.

and the water taxi stops at the Westin.

I'm staying over Labor Day weekend and Taxi to and from port Everglades is $25.. Shuttle is probably a little cheaper with multipe people.

The Westin Diplomat is in Hollywood, not Fort Lauderdale. You must be looking at a non peak date. That price is fantastic for that property. You will spend more on cab fare of course than if staying nearer the port.