Apple Vacation My Trip to Punta Cana Dreams Resort

Alright,we stayed at Dreams in Punta Cana and got about nine nights for two for 2,400 including flight and then I added 250 for the two of us on an upgrade in room package and use of .  There was one major annoyance.  One of the fans for the A/C had a scratching noise.  I don't know why I didn't call to just have it fixed but I didn't.  That is my fault.  The other small annoyance was they dropped the ball when we first got there.  We had to remind them we had upgraded our package which included express check in and had booked the honeymoon package which included dinner on the beach and spa treatment.

The room was huge but the decor was a little out dated, but expected.  The room included a balcony with an outdoor hot tub, which was cool but not real functional.  The upgraded room came with a butler and refrigerator they restocked daily.  I didn't feel comfortable using the butler so we didn't even use that service, but he was there if we needed him.

Now for tip number 1 always go with the upgrade.  The biggest thing is the upgraded bar and club room. This room allowed you beers other than the standard Presidente offered on the rest of the resort and premium alcohols like Absolut, Johnny Walker, etc...  The rest of the staff in this area speaks perfect English as well.  The bartender also knew how to cure Montezuma's revenge.  It is some liquor from Italy and it has the most horrible taste but it works almost immediately.  It takes about a bottle and half of coke to wash it down.  The club room also was always stocked with some pretty nice snacks.  They rotated them frequently throughout the day.  The biggest thing is that this was the only place on the resort outside your room with A/C.  There is also a private beach area for club members but that is no big deal just more boring.

There were quite a few restaurants many which came with the upgrade.  The main dining place was buffet style.   There was also a seafood restaurant at night.  The other restaurants included a seaside cafe, high end Italian, gourmet Mexican and Sushi place.  Just a warning the Mexican place was awesome but not what you would expect as an American.  Then again everything is like that to an extent.

The resort also has an on site night club and casino but they are small.  Everything on the resort dies down at about 1 AM but you probably won't make it to that point most nights.  I am not sure I was ever up past the time the club and casino closed so I am not sure whether how late they stayed open.  They also have nightly shows which were very impressive.  I was surprised at the entertainment level of these shows.  It was unfortunate that during the circus night we saw one of the guys on stilts take a dive.  He was okay thankfully.  Now truthfully I planned on blowing these shows off but my wife went to one without me and couldn't stop talking about how cool it was. That is how I got sucked in.  Warning they do have shows that involve games with the guests but even those were fun.  There is always the drunk lady that tries to molest one of the locals in front of the entire resort in one of the shows, it's great.

Now for tip number 2.  If you want to hang out with people from where you came meet them on the plane and bus ride to the resort.  That reminds me our bus broke down on the way there, I thought we were going to get robbed but everything turned out okay.  We never saw the people we flew in with after getting to the resort.  It would have been nice to get a little more information about them.

The one tip I wish I could give you is related to tipping.  I know it wasn't necessary but a lot of people still tipped, and I did as well.  For the spa treatment and dinner on the beach I didn't know how much to tip.  I tipped twenty for the dinner on the beach.  Please, let me know how I did.  By the way eating near the ocean is scarier than romantic.  I was constantly thinking what is going to rise up out of there and try to eat me, and my wife agreed so don't act all mature and sophisticated in your comments.

Traveling Abroad Priceline vs Travelocity

I have some really great information to convey about this topic.  I would not have thought that there would be a major difference between travel sites, but  I definitely found out otherwise.  When I travel I am certainly want to get  good deal after all this id what this site is about, but at the same time I am willing to spend extra for a nicer experience.  I a not looking to stay in a five star hotel but I definitely want to book a four star hotel.  Now on to my experience booking trips to Hong Kong.

The first time I went to Hong Kong I booked with Travelocity at a five star hotel.  The second time I went to Hong Kong I booked a four star hotel.  The hotel I booked with Travelocity was located on Hong Kong island and when I booked with Priceline I booked a room in the New Territories close to Kowloon.  The rooms were very close in price and the trips were two years apart.  Enough background information.

When I booked with Travelocity I ended up with an extremely small room with a small bed (barely enough room for my wife and I) and small bathroom.  As for the bathroom it was so bad I literally had to squeeze into the shower (I am 6' 3" and at the time weighed 235 lbs).  The rest of the hotel was very modern but the rest of the hotel was also small.  The lobby, the bar and the hallways even, which were not decorated.  The hotel also lacked amenities like pool, exercise room, restaurants, etc...  Also, be cautious because I upgraded my room package when booking on Travelocity.  

When I booked with Priceline the room was huge it even had a king size bed, which was great.  The bathroom was also large.  There was a bathtub, shower stall and toilet stall each with plenty of room.  The hotel also included a lot of amenities.  There was a spa, outdoor pool, several restaurants and bars, a gift shop and valets.  The lobby was also impressive.  The hotel was also just an escalators ride away from the MTR.

I found out the difference between Priceline and Travelocity was the guarantee.  Priceline is very dedicated to making sure that the star ranking associated with the rooms delivers on a promise of what you will receive.  While things are a lot less certain with Travelocity.  For me it is a big deal that I know what I am getting for my money.  I originally thought that Priceline was more expensive but I found out about some hidden costs with Travelocity.  At the end of the day I don't oppose using Travelocity but be sure to call the hotel and verify what you will be getting when you book lodging overseas.

Compare and Save Using Priceline

Alright, the first thing you must understand is that hotels don't put up rooms way in advance. Bidding is not for planning a trip for two months down the road. The cheapest room rates are obtained shortly before your reservation dates. This means that if you are trying to book for Mardi Gras or another big event you most likely will not have a lot of luck. That being said I have been surprised at what deals I have gotten and when I have gotten them. Who says last minute planning doesn't pay off.

The main method to not getting ripped off is to check a website like Hotwire.com. Don't bid above the price shown on the competitor site. If your bid is not being accepted and you don't think the AREA will be booked out then bid again later. It is that easy. Priceline's inventory of empty hotel rooms does not hit the shelves until the product is almost spoiled.

I once, tried to bid on a room in Las Vegas, which are notorious for going for reduced rates. Well I was trying to plan the trip a few months in advance, and it seemed like no matter what I bid, the bids simply weren't excepted. I even tried bidding above the Hotwire.com price. I ended up forgoing the trip, because I didn't feel like I was getting the deal I wanted. Yeah, I know I am a cheapskate. Later I took a trip to Los Angeles for a huge tradeshow, and my wife booked the rooms two hours away. I called up and after a really long discussion convinced Priceline to refund my money but interacting with the hotel. I thought for sure we wouldn't find anything in the vicinity of the tradeshow, but I was pleasantly surprised when I booked a three and a half star room for just forty five dollars. The amazing thing is that the hotel seemed to be full.

The point is if you absolutely have to plan ahead, bidding might not be the best route. Then again if you want to make some last minute plans don't let your ideas of not being able to get a room discourage an attempt.

Priceline Customer Service: Refund

Alright, many of the comments I have received regarding Priceline's customer service have been negative. The main complaint is that it is a rip off even when the price was low due to being denied a refund. This is mainly due to the fact that the purchases made through Priceline are nonrefundable. This is why they are cheap and the intention is to stop business travelers from taking advantage of the steeply discounted prices offered through the Priceline site. The fee to make your purchase refundable is five dollars on hotel rooms. If you think you might have a scheduling problem spend the money it is well worth the additional cost. That being said I have never purchased the safeguard.

Now if you did happen to forgo the safeguard of five dollars you can still get a refund. Go about this by contacting the customer service department, then having them contact the hotel. The hotel will generally coordinate with the customer service representative from Priceline to provide you a return. This does take some time and patience. You may even have to call the hotel desk yourself but Priceline's commitment is to the hotel. These are their real customers, you are the hotel's customer. Keep this in mind stay calm and things should turn out for the better. Another little trick is to keep in mind the star levels. You'll often find that the hotel your staying in fails to meet the requirements of the star level in some small way. For instance, the hotel room might not have a hairdryer in the room. Boom refund, that being said you have to show up.

Always remember you are not Priceline's customer. They do have a customer service line and it connects to the Philippines not India. Have them contact the hotel then contact the hotel yourself if that doesn't work. Be sure to tell Priceline's customer service representative to ask that the room rates be refunded. Also, the Philippino's are always polite and you won't find that they would dare hang up the phone without your acknowledgement. Use patience to your advantage. Yelling at a foreigner will only intimidate them and they will have greater difficulty delivering your request. If you speak to them clearly and calmly you'll save time and achieve your refund.

Priceline Cheap Vacations Review

I have recently traveled abroad. I decided against booking with Priceline to get a cheaper room rate. I traveled to Hong Kong and the total savings when booked at the competitor site for a four star hotel was about 400 dollars. At first you may be saying, "Wow, what a deal". Well that is what I thought because this included the room upgrade of two levels. When I got to Hong Kong I found out otherwise.

The size of the room was 140 square feet and I could barely squeeze into the shower. To give you an idea of the problem I will give a little background. The shower door opened into to the shower space. I had to suck my stomach in and do a little turn as I closed the shower door to get in. To make things worse the drain was slightly clogged. By the time I was standing in a 3 inch puddle of water. Now you might be thinking I am a big fat fatty, which is a little true. I am 6'3" and weigh 235 pounds. I still don't think that showering should be a problem for a man of my physical stature. Now the bedroom was advertised to be large enough for two. I had my wife with me and the bed barely fit the two of us. I complained but it wasn't going to get me anywhere.

I will be booking my next vacation with Priceline. The reason is their room standards. When booking with Priceline you'll know what to expect. The room would have undoubtedly been smaller than normal but a four star hotel would have offered a King size bed or two queens. I go on vacation to feel comfortable not cramped into a room. I did enjoy my trip to Hong Kong but will book with Priceline my next go around. I've got a new saying, "Go with what you know or your trip may blow".

Marriot Courtyard Westport

I won a bid at this hotel for $42. I was hoping to stay at the Doubletree or Sheraton Westport but on this day the Marriot Courtyard came through as the winner. When I saw it was the Marriot Courtyard I was a little bit disappointed. Looking at these hotels from the outside is a bit decieving and disappointing. Once, I got in the hotel I found that it was very nice. They have the rooms and decor of a three star hotel and the benefits of a two star hotel. They had the items like a tea bar and stuff you would typically not find offered for free at the more expensive hotels. Then they had a lavish lobby and really comfortable rooms as you'd find in a three star hotel.

I still haven't answered why the more expensive hotels offer less free services. I really liked the setup. It was more like being at home than the other hotels. I think that is the concept. I was really suprised. I enjoyed my stay even though I didn't go over to Westport for all the fun. The good news is that I recently won a bid at the Sheraton Chalet so you can still stay at a hotel primed for partying. I love getting drunk and walking 100 feet to were I can crash. Please, don't get obnoxiously drunk. Well hope to see you in St. Louis. Bidding in Westport is always cheap especially on weekends and holidays.

New Orleans Airport Bid

Well I took to New Orleans. It was a couple of months ago. This was a business trip and a total of three rooms were booked. The winning bid per room was $65.00. The room was also booked a long ways out, and I still think I could have done better. Fortunately, it was the company's money.

Well the rooms were at the Radisson. I actually was disappointed with the hotel. The three star hotels in St. Louis are much nicer. I don't know if it was the flood or what. The hallways were in need of some TLC but the rooms were okay. The room did come with a microwave and fridge. That was nice.

Overall, it was worth it and I got a deal. The best deal I received was on my car rental. I won a bid for a standard car from Hertz for $17 a day. When I got the car it was a gray Mustang. It was awesome. It even had that navigation system. I was really happy with my car rental. I had to have specific times on my flight and got reamed on the price. You win some you lose some. At the end of the day if you can avoid New Orleans and goto St. Louis.