Wyndham Orlando International Drive
8001 International Drive
Orlando, Fl 32819
$49 + $13.82 in taxes and fees.
$62.82
Not a bad win, normally for that price for that star level. However, when I looked at Trip Advisor reviews they are all over the place. Some are horrendous. Others are very good. Others are so-so. But a LOT were very very bad. From what I could read, parts of the "resort" seem to be renovated, others not. Seems like those that get the renovated rooms are quite pleased. This is when one can only hope Wyndham is not using Priceline to dump their icky rooms. My experience in the past is, fortunately, not that way at all. At this point I'm praying for bug-free, crime-free and clean. I was concerned enough about the reviews to write to Priceline, asking if they felt sure about the 3 1/2 star rating. I'm pleased to report that the first response I got from Priceline came within two hours of my email to them on February 23, the same day as my "win".
"Dear Lori,
Thank you for taking the time to send us an e-mail. We understand that
you are concerned with the star rating of the Wyndham Orlando
International Drive since the hotel's own website rated it as a 3 star
hotel.
We have forwarded your e-mail to our Customer Relations team who will
further research your question(s). We will respond via email within 2
business days.
Thank you for your patience while resolving this issue.
Sincerely,
Pallav K.
Customer Service Specialist"
Then, the next day on February 24th, I received this:
On Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 11:49 AM, 'Customer Service
<OriginatesCR2@service.
> Dear Lori,
>
> Thank you for your patience while we researched your issue with
Wyndham
> Orlando International Drive.We apologize that you are unhappy with
your
> upcoming hotel accommodations. We do evaluate each participating hotel
> on many different criteria, including cleanliness, guest satisfaction,
> décor, etc. We are sorry to hear that this hotel falls short of your
> expectations.
>
> We have researched to find that this hotel does meet our expectations
> for the star rating selected on our website. Our competitors also rate
> this hotel as follows:
> Orbitz.com = 4.0
>
> Expedia.com = 3.5
>
> Travelocity.com = 3.5
>
> Per our Quality Experience Guarantee, your hotel has been star-rated
by
> priceline according to our rigorous rating system. This means that our
> hotel staff has researched your hotel, reviewed customer comments and
> compared star ratings assigned by other rating services. The hotel you
> get will meet priceline's strict quality standards.
>
> We do feel that this hotel is properly rated through our system and we
> are not willing to offer compensation at this time. However, if you do
> find that you experience problems while at this hotel and the front
desk
> is unable to assist, please contact our Customer Service department
for
> further assistance.
>
> Thank you for giving us the opportunity to assist you!
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Sandeep C.
> Customer Relations Specialist
I felt much much better about my "win" after receiving these emails from Priceline. I wrote back, thanked them, told them they hadn't let me down in the past, and that I would use the reservation with an open mind and hope for the best.
So overall, I will conclude that I will consider this a win, until proven otherwise, which I sincerely hope doesn't happen. I'm pleased with the price, although It's not a "steal", as the hotel's own website has deals for the same night as low as $79. Not that I don't love to save $30, I just love it when it's even more of a savings. However, we're likely to just sleep there, since we'll be in Tampa the day before, and leaving for home the following day. It's likely we'll be in Disney all day that day as well, needing the hotel for just crashing.
Positives: It looks like the Wyndham has free parking, and a low "resort fee", which makes me happy. The grounds are supposed to be gorgeous. One reviewer on Trip Advisor said it reminded them of the Polynesian Hotels' grounds. It also sounds like the public areas...lobby, gym, bar, restaurant, etc are all decent.
So, whether this is a true "win", or not...time will soon tell. The joy of Priceline should never be: "You get what you pay for". My experience has almost always been: "You get a LOT more than you pay for." ( Although there was that one downtown Kansas City hotel.) But one out of many, is not bad. Hopefully this won't be two out of many!
Even if it turns out to not be too good, I would like to add that it would be my own fault! I had done enough research to know that this hotel with that star level was a possibility. When bidding, I was aiming for one of the Downtown Disney hotels that people have been getting for around $54-$56 for a 3 1/2 star. My mistake came when adding in the Universal/SeaWorld zone. I knew the Crowne Plaza was in that zone. Having stayed there with Mom & Tom in the past, I would've been very happy to get that one. But, in the heat of the bidding moment, I forgot about the Wyndham possibility. So, should this turn out badly, it will be MY fault, not Priceline's.
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