One of the risks of booking hotel rooms on ‘blind bidding’ sites like Priceline is that you do not know what hotel you are going to get. As a result, it pays to make sure you select the Priceline bidding zone you want to stay.
In Osoyoos, BC, Priceline Canada divides the general vicinity into two main bidding zones: (1) Osoyoos and (2) Osoyoos Similkameen. What is interesting about these two zones is that they overlap forming a Venn diagram. This is quite rare. In fact, I have never seen this before. Does this mean a hotel can be situated in both zones? Technically, the answer is yes.
Most travelers probably want to bid only in the Osoyoos zone, and not the Osoyoos Similkameen zone. The reason is that you could end up with a hotel quite far south of town if bidding the latter zone. While there may be some great properties in this area, it is generally considered too far out of town and therefore less desirable. This is a serious concern for travelers who do not have access to a vehicle to head into town.
On the other hand, the Osoyoos (proper) zone is highly sought after. This is where the Watermark hotel and resort is located, as well as many beachfront accommodations along the highway on the east side of the main bridge. Recommended hotels in this area include the Coast Hotel, Holiday Inn and Desert Surfside Inn. All of these hotels are fairly good quality, and more importantly, they are located immediately on the sandy beach facing north toward the active part of the lake.
Note that the north half of Osoyoos Lake is quite active, both in the water (boats) and on the beach. The beach, in fact, is quite crowded during the day with a fun, family-friendly vibe. Travelers looking for a more subdued and relaxing vacation may choose to bid on Priceline in the Osoyoos Similkameen zone. However, there is no guarantee that you will receive a quiet hotel. Therefore, as mentioned, it probably makes sense to book in the Osoyoos zone and avoid the other zone (seem map below).
Overall, I like Priceline. It allows me to get a cheap hotel (especially when rebidding on Priceline). However, in Osoyoos, I would strongly recommend only bidding in the Osoyoos zone and avoid the Osoyoos Similkameen zone as travellers may end up with a hotel too remote to enjoy the many attractions Osoyoos has to offer.
Spotted Lake about 10 minutes outside of Osoyoos is worth checking out.
This is the Coast Hotel Osoyoos, taken from the beach
This is the Holiday Inn in Osoyoos. This is a great location but the beach is not as good as the Coast Hotel, just down the road.
No trip to Osoyoos would be complete without a trip to a vineyard.