janewb

I need some advice from those familiar with Priceline hotels in Paris. Based on advice from people on this board, I've decided on the 6th arr. for my 1st visit to Paris. From what I can tell (from biddingfortravel.com), there are no PL hotels in that district. Right? Am I correct that the Marriott Rive Gauche is in the 14th? That hotel seems to have the most winning bids recently in that PL zone.

Can someone help me 'map' the PL zones to Paris districts?

I was also hoping to get a hotel near the Jardin du Luxembourg. I don't see any Priceline hotels near there. Is that correct or am I missing something.

Thanks!!

Jane

WillTravel

No one has ever reported winning a 4* hotel by the Jardin de Luxembourg on Priceline, so it's very unlikely to happen to you. Most likely you would get the Marriott, or less likely the Le Meridien Montparnasse, if you stick to the St. Germain - Latin Quarter - Montparnasse zone. Another 4* hotel is theoretically possible, but unlikely.

WillTravel

On occasion, people who have done 3* bids in that zone have won the Holiday Inn St. Germain, which is sort of the area you want. But if you do a 3* bid in this zone, you could just as easily end up on the edge of the 14th, rather than somewhere in the 6th.

StCirq

I think Priceline is just useless for Paris. I've wasted a fair bit of time trying to use it for Paris hotels and always decided just to go back to my favorite places.

It's great for some other cities, but it really sucks for Paris IMO.

janewb

Thanks for the input. I am also trying to weigh the benefit of perhaps saving several hundred dollars, with what I would lose by staying in a less-central area...

WillTravel

What is your price range, what type of hotel do you want, and what are your dates?

I think Priceline is the right choice if you really want a good 4* hotel room, for the cheapest possible price.

But certainly you can find something cheaper and more central if you are willing to accept a less than 4* room.

lincasanova

you will probably come to the same conclusion many have..

"priceline for paris sucks".. as already stated by st cirq if you are set in a specific area.

the winning bids are fairly representative of what you will get and where.. but occasionally they throw in a new place that is even further away (ej:what has happened at CDG 4*), which just makes the risk too huge for me.

MrsMeber

Our first trip to Paris was a last minute stopover on the way to Dubai. I had search and searched for exactly where we wanted to stay and I found a great place through
www.booking.com and we loved the place! We didn't have to prepay, either... so you got to see the area and then decide if you didn't want to stay there, too. Have a great time!

alyssamma

Jane, you can pretty much guarentee getting the Novotel for $115/night. Novotels have very large rooms (esp for Europe), kids under 12 stay free, etc.

We stayed at the Novotel Les Halles. This is right next to a major metro stop so pretty much any part of the city is close. Also, there is a direct metro from CDG to the Les Halles stop so you are all set there.

We walked everywhere from our hotel, including to the Eiffel Tower, Jardin du Lux, etc.

To get to the Jardin it is about a 30min walk - something we didn't mind. However, you can easily take a metro to get closer.

Kevin

djkbooks

I've had better luck with Hotwire for Paris, but terrific luck with Priceline for London. For me, the savings far outweighs choosing a specific hotel in a particular neighborhood.

See also www.betterbidding.com for hotels likely to be available through Priceline bidding (also Hotwire).

The Marriott Rive Gauche is in the 14, but only a 20 minute walk from Jardin du Luxembourg.

Results of others are only a guide, however, and everything turns on your dates.

The map of Paris, showing the Priceline areas on the "name your own price" page gives a good overview of the neighborhoods. You have to keep in mind, though, that you could "win" a hotel anywhere within those borders.

Take a look at reviews on TripAdvisor for Marriott Rive Gauche, not just for the reviews of the hotel but also comments regarding the location, etc. Still, no guarantee you'd be successful in getting that particular hotel for your dates.

ValereS

seevideos reviews from travelers for hotel in paris on http://www.myvideoplanet.com

Pinchme_iam_dreaming

In 2005 we used PL for Paris. I picked St. Germain - Latin Quarter - Montparnasse zone for $125 per night. We got the Holiday inn express place d'italie. The hotel was ok but it wasn't even close to st. Germanin or st. michel. It was still a good deal and the hotel comp us breakfast each morning because the t.v didn't work. Don't expect much from priceline. I wrote them an email when we got back to tell them the location was out of the zone I picked and they just kida of said oh well.

alyssamma

Again, I want to reiterate that PL when coupled with biddingfortravel or betterbidding is an incredibly powerful tool.

We were able to make a bid in such a way that the Novotel Les Halles was the only hotel we would get. The location of this hotel is fantastic. Our winning bid was $115/night.

PL is a great tool, but it takes a lot of work to make it right.

WillTravel

If you bid on the Opera Quarter East zone only, then the Novotel Les Halles hotel is definitely the most likely, and I think so far the only, Priceline 4* hotel to appear. But I think $115 is a pretty lucky score nowadays, and that is not terribly likely.

Another 4* hotel in this zone could also occur, particularly as the 4+ hotels have all been downgraded to 4*. Most likely, this would be fine, but there's always the possibility of winning a "new" hotel that hasn't been reported yet.

The zone is drawn in a pretty convenient way, I agree, so you cannot get a non-central location if you choose that zone only.

Pinchme_iam_dreaming

"We were able to make a bid in such a way that the Novotel Les Halles was the only hotel we would get"

I would like to know what you did or how you bid? We are going to Paris again in sept and for that hotel the best rate I come up with is $334.00 per night. We stayed at the Bellevue d'or last Sept just around the corner from the novotel for 68 Euro per night. Tell us how you did it.

alyssamma

The first thing we did is go to biddingfortravel.com. We looked at the Paris hotel list and saw that the Novotel was the only 4* hotel in the Opera Quarter East. We then looked at other winning bids for that hotel. We saw that $115 was the lowest. We made our bid and it was accepted.

WillTravel is absolutely correct that PL could add another 4* hotel in that area, but biddingfortravel keeps things pretty current.

A quick search of biddingfortravel sees winning bids for the Novotel of $140 for 3/7 (note, this poster specifically stated they did not try for a very low bid), $125 for 10/18/07, $122 8/26/07, $122 7/26/07, $135 7/11/07, etc.

Again, the Novotel is an amazing hotel. Children under 12 stay for free and rooms are huge.

Les Halles is a perfect area because of the metro location.

Feel free to email me with any specific Q you have about Paris or budget traveling.

Kevin

jbass

Kevin-do you know if the metro station you mention near Les Halles has an elevator?

alyssamma

Yes, it does have one.

alyssamma

Ooops, hit post too soon.

The metro station is a major one so there are several entrances. Right in front of the hotel there is an elevator into the station. Behind the hotel there is a "mall" with escalators.

If you are asking because of wheelchair access, then I am unsure - at some point in the metro stations you need to take an escalator.

If you are asking because of luggage, or it is hard to climb stairs, then you'll be ok (other than you often need to climb stairs when exiting the metro at various stops).

WillTravel

The BiddngforTravel hotel lists have not been properly updated for a year or so. BetterBidding updates them regularly, but a new hotel can come along. The main concern would be if you bid for this zone, expecting a hotel that will accommodate three people in a room, and it doesn't. The odds are low, of course.