Westin Diplomat on Priceline

I recently won the Westin Diplomat on Priceline for $90 per night.  This is not a bad price considering it was during spring break.  In fact, it was not bad under any circumstances.  My family and I were lucky enough to stay here for 3 nights, and what an amazing hotel.  I can’t wait to go back.

If you are heading to Fort Lauderdale and wondering how you can get the Westin Diplomat on Priceline, here are some strategies for better bidding to maximize your changes.

Priceline Risks

Whenever using Priceline’s Name Your Own Price or Express Deals, customers who are bidding for travel should be aware that there are risks involved.  First, and most obviously, you  do not know for sure what hotel you are going to get.  No matter what, there are always risks involved.  Yes, there are strategies for narrowing it down but nothing is guaranteed.  The only way for sure to find out is to pay your money and take your chances.

Second, Priceline hotel reservations are non-refundable.  If you book, you cannot get a refund. So do not book a hotel unless (a) you are very confident that your travel plans will not need to be changed or cancelled and (b) you are prepared to roll the dice on which hotel you get.

Westin Diplomat on Priceline – Known Information

HotelDealsRevealed.com collects information from travellers who have actually used Priceline.  Customers are willing to post their winning bid, and report how much they paid and reveal the hotel name.  Thanks to Priceline forum members, we know much about the Westin Diplomat on Priceline.

• The Westin Diplomat is a 4 star hotel per Priceline’s hotel rating system.
• The hotel appears in the Hollywood bidding zone.  This makes it a little bit risky.  The Hollywood bidding zone is quite big and not all hotels in this zone are on the beach.
• The Westin Diplomat tends to go for between $100 and $120 per night.  This is the typical range.  We have seen many winning bids for the Westin Diplomat on Priceline in the $80 to $100 range (and even a few below $80 per night) as well as some above the $120 rate.  However, travellers can generally expect to win this hotel for about $100 to $120.

Risk of Getting Other Hotels:  As stated previously, nothing is guaranteed, and when you bid on Priceline, you could get a hotel other than the Westin Diplomat. It is best to check the Priceline Hotel List for Fort Lauderdale to see what other hotels you might get.  Currently, the other known hotel that is 4 stars in this zone is the Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach.  Not a bad hotel either, but I prefer Westin Diplomat.  The hotel lists change all the time, so before bidding, its best to check the Priceline hotel list for Fort Lauderdale, which is kept as current as possible based on reported winning bids.

Rebidding on Priceline:  Chances are you are using Priceline’s Name Your Own Price to save money.  In case you are not aware, Priceline lets you rebid without having to wait 24 hours if you add another bidding zone.  There is a bit of a loophole that allows you to bid low and work your way up.  If you are bidding on a 4 star hotel in the Hollywood zone of Fort Lauderdale, just add zones that do not have a 4-star hotel (or better).  I would suggest you start bidding at $70 per night and maybe work my way up in $5 or $10 increments, depending on how high you are willing to go.  E.g., Bid $70 then $75, $80, $85… etc.  A word of caution:  this Priceline rebidding technique should only be used for those who fully understand how Priceline rebidding works.

Don’t forget:  If you win the Westin Diplomat on Priceline, please post your winning bid to help others bid better when they go to use Priceline.  If you are lucky enough to win the Westin Diplomat on Priceline, I hope you have a similar experience of fond memories and good times.