I searched on Priceline for some decent hotels around $75 per night. I found Days Inn and bought the reservation for 2 nights and paid $161 total. So we reached there and foudn that it was a motel. The receptionist said yes we are a motel. I called Priceline and talked for almost an hour explaining I would need to move to a different hotel as we have never stayed in a motel before. And now with my wife and in-laws it was impossible to stay in a motel. Priceline didn't change my reservation and when I asked if they can issue me Priceline credit they said No, the motel would not help us as well. I asked the receptionist if she would let us take a look at the rooms and she said no....in the end we didn't check-in at all and stayed at a nearby suites.
What are my options here? I am considering the following 1) Approach Priceline's customer relations 2) File a BBB complaint for bait & Switch 3) Legal advice and sue Priceline as they need to publish a motel in the name of the reservation clearly. I believe Priceline has individual contracts with every hotel and in this case I could clearly see they worked together in not giving our money back or issuing a future-credit
So... you couldn't stay at a motel because you had never stayed at one before? What exactly is the problem here? For $80 a night including taxes, did you expect a Ritz Carlton?
I was perfectly fine but as soon as my wife saw it's a motel she screamed...and made me feel low in front of her mom dad.... having said this....Priceline should clearly write motel in fornt of the "Days Inn" name on their website....
davegolden said: So... you couldn't stay at a motel because you had never stayed at one before? What exactly is the problem here? For $80 a night including taxes, did you expect a Ritz Carlton?
Not trying to be a troll, but trying to understand what the problem is. Were the rooms not big enough, not fancy enough?
not expected a Ritz Carlton but atleast hoped for Clarion Inn Suites or Holiday Inn.... as I said, when we asked them to show us the rooms they didn't allow us unless we check-in....it was pretty rude of Days Inn staff...
GADOM
Member
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 11:11a
I don't think you will get very far with this. I believe Priceline lists Days Inn as one of the vendors that you might get when you bid. Motel is actually shorthand for Motor Hotel -meaning it takes people with cars and provides parking so actually it was a Hotel.
I didn't do any bidding, I picked it up from the search list based on the location...
StartByServingOthers
Senior Member
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 11:27a
I'm totally confused why you expect a refund or sympathy here. You knowingly paid for a room at a motel/hotel you're not-familiar with. If something like this was going to be an issue, you should have looked at reviews / done more thorough research.
However, I've never had anyone refuse to show a room prior to checking in. I would complain to Days Inn about this particular hotel location. Whether it be leaving an ID while looking at the room, etc they should have let you look at the room. (From Op's description, I wonder if OP / in-laws offended or upset the front desk staff?)
BTW. In the past I've stayed at many Days Inn locations. (I used to have a very good discount on their rooms, so don't stay there anymore). Typically, I would consider them to be just under Holiday Inn. Like most hotels, the location / quality of staff is everything, so reviews are very important. I remember staying at one Days Inn location in Cincinnati that I wasn't too happy with.
By pure definition most Days Inns are probably closer to a "Hotel" than a "motel" . The majority of Days Inns that I've stayed had interior hallways (Especially when not staying in the Southeast) Most have some amenities, such as breakfast, indoor swimming pool and/or hot tub, small fitness room.
-I prefer getting Hilton or Holiday Inn when possible, but as long as the hotel is clean, that's what's most important. I wouldn't dare book a Days Inn for my In-laws, but every situation is unique. In my case I know they are accustomed to a higher standard of living. I would let them book their own room. Either of my parents would be happy with a room at Days Inn.
Hope you make lots of money and continue to make lots of money. If not don't expect her to be sticking around....
Edit 1: Thanks for the red Op. I see you gave red to the majority of responses. I'm sure most people can relate to the desire to lash out when they're told something they'd rather not hear.
Edit 2: I considered Mamzer's post to be a little crude. After thinking about it though, it is a valid point. Op states he was fine with the hotel until everyone else complained. It's clear Op wants to blame Priceline / Days Inn for having a princess wife and picky in-laws.
wiseguy1100
Senior Member - 2K
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 11:48a
fatwallet21 said: I didn't do any bidding, I picked it up from the search list based on the location...
If you intentionally picked the hotel on your own, the assumption is that you would have done proper research before purchasing. If you did not, I am not sure why you would expect a refund when you checked in.
Mamzer
Senior Member
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 11:48a
fatwallet21 said: I was perfectly fine but as soon as my wife saw it's a motel she screamed...and made me feel low in front of her mom dad. Suggest you grow a pair.
bharatiya
Senior Member - 1K
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 12:28p
fatwallet21 said: I was perfectly fine but as soon as my wife saw it's a motel she screamed...and made me feel low in front of her mom dad.... having said this....Priceline should clearly write motel in fornt of the "Days Inn" name on their website.... Where did she see it was a motel?
billrubin
OH NOOOOOOOOOOO!!
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 1:22p
Are you from another country where motels are viewed as evil and don't have things like beds and running water? I am not sure why you would care. You should have been able to see how many stars it had before you bought it and the customer reviews. You should have bid 3+ stars if you wanted something fancier.
It sounds like you just left without even looking at the rooms. I'm guessing you were sure that Priceline would offer a refund if you did not check in because you felt that they ripped you off?
alright, green for ALL just switched it!! .... yes, I was ignorant and yes, I am from another country, where people say US motels are not good places to stay........yes, I didn't do enough research.... but come on, if its a motel, why wouldn't Priceline say it on their website that its a motel?
billrubin said: Are you from another country where motels are viewed as evil and don't have things like beds and running water? I am not sure why you would care. You should have been able to see how many stars it had before you bought it and the customer reviews. You should have bid 3+ stars if you wanted something fancier.
It sounds like you just left without even looking at the rooms. I'm guessing you were sure that Priceline would offer a refund if you did not check in because you felt that they ripped you off?
yes, from another country where motels are being viewed as low grade places....I asked several times if they could show us the rooms and they said NO....so we left off and booked at a near by hotel....also, we are being told (since we are from outisde US) that staying in a hotel which has "inn & suites" to its name is better than anywhere else.... make as much fun as you all want to but those 2 hours were my worst since marriage
BrlDsguise
Frivolous Member
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 3:55p
fatwallet21 said: .. make as much fun as you all want to but those 2 hours were my worst since marriage
Let me guess, it was your honeymoon.
toomatoo
Frivolous Member
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 4:00p
fatwallet21 said: billrubin said: Are you from another country where motels are viewed as evil and don't have things like beds and running water? I am not sure why you would care. You should have been able to see how many stars it had before you bought it and the customer reviews. You should have bid 3+ stars if you wanted something fancier.
It sounds like you just left without even looking at the rooms. I'm guessing you were sure that Priceline would offer a refund if you did not check in because you felt that they ripped you off?
yes, from another country where motels are being viewed as low grade places....I asked several times if they could show us the rooms and they said NO....so we left off and booked at a near by hotel....also, we are being told (since we are from outisde US) that staying in a hotel which has "inn & suites" to its name is better than anywhere else.... make as much fun as you all want to but those 2 hours were my worst since marriage
I actually PREFER Motels. The rooms are closer to the cars, are convenient, and less expensive. I don't like using Bellhops, or dealing with Valet Parking.
Whoever is telling you Motels are bad is way off the mark.
Of course they should have shown you what the Rooms look like. But I figure you must have aggravated the Clerks quite a bit by then, and they were glad to see you go.
As you can see by other posts, people think you are crazy. Still, they should not be rude to you. As an American I welcome most Tourists, and am saddened to see the lack of civility towards you.
Bottom Line: Motels in America are not bad - and do more research in the future.
I hope, other than that, your visit was pleasant.
PS: I gave you GREEN, but my tiny spot of kindness had little effect on all the RED. I urge others to give this poor guy some GREEN as well, just to be nice.
pietromoon
Geeky member
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 4:12p
I am outraged. This a clear violation of your rights as a consumer. It's an infringement on your constitutional rights. It's outrageous, egregious, preposterous. And certainly the most public yet of your many humiliations.
SalemCat
Senior Member - 1K
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 4:20p
fatwallet21 said: billrubin said: Are you from another country where motels are viewed as evil and don't have things like beds and running water? I am not sure why you would care. You should have been able to see how many stars it had before you bought it and the customer reviews. You should have bid 3+ stars if you wanted something fancier.
It sounds like you just left without even looking at the rooms. I'm guessing you were sure that Priceline would offer a refund if you did not check in because you felt that they ripped you off?
yes, from another country where motels are being viewed as low grade places....I asked several times if they could show us the rooms and they said NO....so we left off and booked at a near by hotel....also, we are being told (since we are from outisde US) that staying in a hotel which has "inn & suites" to its name is better than anywhere else.... make as much fun as you all want to but those 2 hours were my worst since marriage
English may not be your Native Tongue, but you write and spell better than many Americans, who have graduated from our deplorable Public School system.
Where you are from is your own business, but I'm guessing India, where a great many people are taught English. I have read that the percentage of people who understand English in India is HIGHER than that percentage in the United States !
But wherever, it is interesting that some erroneous information is being spread concerning Motels. I had never heard that before.
miserly
Water Pirate
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 5:35p
so you're saying you didn't know what to expect as you were not familiar with Days Inn. but what you got wasn't it...
OverRuled
Senior Member
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 5:57p
Our family stayed at Days Inn, Bremerton, Washington for almost 3 weeks in August. My wife did not scream but she was overjoyed by seeing that the room had a full kitchen with cookware, dishes, etc...
BrlDsguise
Frivolous Member
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 7:16p
Just out of curiosity what Days Inn was it? I looked at the Days Inn Key West on Priceline and it is described as a motel.
shank
Senior Member - 5K
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 7:25p
Scariest part: OP has been on FW for > 4 years, more than 200 posts, more than 20 achievements.
You can lead a horse to water...
lousygolfer
Senior Member - 3K
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 7:30p
This is precious:
You wanted to impress your in-laws, but were only willing to pay $75 a night???? What did you possibly expect?
If you are smart enough to use Priceline, how could you not have understood how to use a travel website like Tripadvisor.com to read some reviews of the hotel/motel/inn before committing to staying there?
What got you so terrified about a "motel?" Did you think that there was no lock on the connecting doors between rooms and pimps, hookers, and drug dealers would start pouring into your room?
I think you need to be an adult, admit to yourself and this forum that you made some silly mistakes and acted like a ninny, and learn from the experience that you ought to research first, and not jump to irrational conclusions or kowtow to baseless biases.
billrubin
OH NOOOOOOOOOOO!!
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 9:08p
fatwallet21 said: yes, from another country where motels are being viewed as low grade places....I asked several times if they could show us the rooms and they said NO....so we left off and booked at a near by hotel....also, we are being told (since we are from outisde US) that staying in a hotel which has "inn & suites" to its name is better than anywhere else.... make as much fun as you all want to but those 2 hours were my worst since marriage There are other sites which describe the difference (or lack thereof), but I liked the site name of this one:
I don't know if you asked the employee if it was a motel, or if your wife or mother-in-law asked them, but if they'd just told you there was no difference, your problems would have been solved. If you asked, then it's your own fault.
rshaslam
Senior Member
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 10:09p
Just one question. Why did you even pay for a room? You could have signed up for the Marriott Reward CC and stayed for free. Just did it for family vacation. Long road trip and paid $0 for hotels. Thank you Marriott.
True FWF way.
BTW thank you for the entertaining discussion on Hotel vs. Motel. To me a motel is a place where your room door opens directly to the outside. A hotel has doors that open to internal hallways. Days Inn has some of both.
mayflower0988
New Member
posted: Oct. 30, 2012 @ 10:36p
You need to make sur what star of the hotel before you book it. Days Inn is one star, apparently it is not a fancy hotel. If you want a decent hotel, buy at least 2.5 star hotel. To be honest, for most locations, $75 for Days Inn is too much. If you try to bid it or get it on express deals, you should get much better hotel. I highly suggest you google some tips about bidding on Priceline, really helps!
shank said: Scariest part: OP has been on FW for > 4 years, more than 200 posts, more than 20 achievements.
You can lead a horse to water...
Yes, I am from outside the US but stayed in this country for few years now and somewhat active on FWF... but thing is, I still feel as if I am new to this country as each day has given me new experiences
mayflower0988 said: You need to make sur what star of the hotel before you book it. Days Inn is one star, apparently it is not a fancy hotel. If you want a decent hotel, buy at least 2.5 star hotel. To be honest, for most locations, $75 for Days Inn is too much. If you try to bid it or get it on express deals, you should get much better hotel. I highly suggest you google some tips about bidding on Priceline, really helps!
this Days Inn was 2.5 stars and I didn't bid on it...
BrlDsguise said: Just out of curiosity what Days Inn was it? I looked at the Days Inn Key West on Priceline and it is described as a motel.
There you go....it shows up as a hotel there and I am pretty sure the big board at the entrance would say its a motel...Priceline HAS to clearly classify between hotels and motels. Period!! Give me as many red as you can my friends..
Yo Ma-Ma
Charter Member
posted: Oct. 31, 2012 @ 2:45a
fatwallet21 said: billrubin said: Are you from another country where motels are viewed as evil and don't have things like beds and running water? I am not sure why you would care. You should have been able to see how many stars it had before you bought it and the customer reviews. You should have bid 3+ stars if you wanted something fancier.
It sounds like you just left without even looking at the rooms. I'm guessing you were sure that Priceline would offer a refund if you did not check in because you felt that they ripped you off?
yes, from another country where motels are being viewed as low grade places....I asked several times if they could show us the rooms and they said NO....so we left off and booked at a near by hotel....also, we are being told (since we are from outisde US) that staying in a hotel which has "inn & suites" to its name is better than anywhere else.... make as much fun as you all want to but those 2 hours were my worst since marriage
I don't understand this part, you asked to see the rooms and they wouldn't show you? But you can tell a motel right away w/o seeing the room, each room has a door to the outside...
Yo Ma-Ma
Charter Member
posted: Oct. 31, 2012 @ 2:49a
fatwallet21 said: I was perfectly fine but as soon as my wife saw it's a motel she screamed...and made me feel low in front of her mom dad.... having said this....Priceline should clearly write motel in fornt of the "Days Inn" name on their website.... You have a problem here that exceeds Priceline.com, but I think you already knew that.
BrlDsguise
Frivolous Member
posted: Oct. 31, 2012 @ 4:34a
fatwallet21 said: BrlDsguise said: Just out of curiosity what Days Inn was it? I looked at the Days Inn Key West on Priceline and it is described as a motel.
There you go....it shows up as a hotel there and I am pretty sure the big board at the entrance would say its a motel...Priceline HAS to clearly classify between hotels and motels. Period!! Give me as many red as you can my friends..
If you are getting red it is for not realizing the primary difference between a hotel and a motel is whether you access your room through an exterior door or an interior hallway, doing no research on the place you booked, and not having the spine to stand up to having a wife who screams at you in front of her parents.
What Days Inn was it and what exactly do you think is wrong with a motel?
SalemCat
Senior Member - 1K
posted: Oct. 31, 2012 @ 8:31a
In the Northeast, and I expect in any colder climate, Motels often have Interior Hallways.
Generally I figure any establishment that is one or two stories, is low and wide, with plenty of parking, is a Motel.
Skipping 31 Messages...
pitflyer
Senior Member - 1K
posted: Nov. 28, 2012 @ 4:25p
Here in the USA exterior entrances or not doesn't make something a hotel or a motel. That said, if you were trying to impress the wife, a simple search of Google would indicate almost any Days Inn in the US (interior or exterior hallway) would not be a good choice. (My worst hotel ever was on TripAdvisor's top 10 worst in the country -- the Days Inn by Cleveland Airport.) In a bidding situation you might have had a SMALL ounce of credibility in your complaint, but in a situation where you knew it was the Days Inn, could have researched it before you bought ... sorry, doesn't fly that you are from out of the country. If I go to another country I would do the research for the hotel standards there. For example, Holiday Inns can be pretty dumpy here but most international ones are pretty good!
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