Priceline vs Hotels.com: Comparing the Best Hotel Booking Sites

If you’re planning a trip and looking for a website to book your hotel, you may be considering Priceline and Hotels.com. Both of these websites are popular choices for travelers looking to book their accommodations online. In this article, we will compare Priceline and Hotels.com to help you decide which website is the best for your needs.

If you’re weighing your options when it comes to digital travel agents, why not see how Hotels.com stacks up against other competitors? Check out our similar guides: Expedia vs. Hotels.com and Booking.com vs. Hotels.com.

Priceline and Hotels.com are both online travel agencies that allow you to book hotels, flights, and rental cars. Priceline is known for its Name Your Own Price feature, which allows you to bid on hotel rooms and get a lower rate than the advertised price. 

On the other hand, Hotels.com is known for its rewards program, which allows you to earn a free night’s stay after booking 10 nights through the website. Both websites offer a wide selection of hotels and competitive prices, but there are some differences between the two that are worth considering.

Booking Choices

Priceline and Hotels.com are celebrated online travel agencies, offering an extensive range of booking services for hotels, flights, and rental cars.

Priceline Booking Options

• Hotels:It presents a vast array of hotels. The search can be refined by city, airport, or landmark. Priceline offers both standard hotel bookings and a “Deals” section for discounted options. While they’ve discontinued their “Name Your Own Price” feature for hotels, they still offer “Express Deals” for those who are flexible about the specific hotel details until after booking.
• Flights: While it no longer has the unique “Name Your Own Price” feature, it offers a simple flight search and booking service. Other flight-specific services aren’t highlighted in this context.
• Rental Cars: Along with rental car booking, Priceline promises to match any lower price found on the same rental car with their “Price Match Guarantee”.

Hotels.com Booking Options

• Hotels: Like Priceline, they offer a wide range of hotel options searchable by city or hotel name. With traditional bookings and a “Deals” section, customers can find cost-effective options. They’re famous for their “Hotels.com Rewards” program where a free night’s stay is earned after booking 10 nights through their site.
• Flights: Despite no mention of specific flight booking services, they offer a rewards program allowing points to be earned on flight bookings, redeemable for future booking discounts.
• Rental Cars: Similar pricing to Priceline but slightly fewer options.

Priceline and Hotels.com offer various booking services with a focus on hotels. Both have rental car options, while Priceline also offers a “Price Match Guarantee”. The unique “Name Your Own Price” feature previously provided by Priceline is no longer available. Hotels.com is recognized for its rewarding program, offering a free night’s stay after ten bookings.

Unique Aspects

Priceline and Hotels.com are marked by their unique features, catering to different traveler needs.

Priceline

• Name Your Own Price: This was a unique feature that allowed users to bid on hotel rooms and flights, potentially obtaining lower rates. It is, however, no longer available.
• Express Deals: As an alternative to the previous feature, “Express Deals” offers discounted hotel rates without revealing the exact hotel name until after booking.
• Priceline VIP: Their loyalty program provides members with exclusive discounts, deals, and perks. With its three-tier membership—VIP Silver, VIP Gold, and VIP Platinum—each tier brings unique benefits. They also offer the Priceline VIP Rewards™ Visa® Card for redeeming points on purchases for hotel stays and more.

Hotels.com

• Hotels.com Rewards: Known for its simple yet rewarding loyalty program, it allows users to earn a free night’s stay after booking ten nights through the website.
• Secret Prices: Exclusive discounts on hotel bookings can be accessed with this feature available only to Hotels.com account holders.
• VIP Program: The rewards program includes Silver and Gold membership levels offering added benefits and exclusive deals.
• Mobile App Deals: Additional savings and discounts can be accessed by booking through the mobile app.

Priceline and Hotels.com cater to travelers’ varying needs with their unique features. Priceline’s now-defunct “Name Your Own Price” feature was known for providing significant discounts, now replaced by “Express Deals”. 

On the other hand, Hotels.com is known for its easily understood rewards program and additional benefits such as “Secret Prices” and mobile app-specific deals. Thus, the choice between these platforms depends on individual travel habits and preferences.

Discounts And Deals

Saving Big with Priceline’s Special Deals

• Priceline Pricebreaker Deals: Pricebreaker Deals by Priceline offer savvy travelers an exciting way to bag a bargain on hotel bookings. You’ll be presented with three potential hotels in your desired location, all at discounted prices. The twist? The actual hotel is only revealed post-booking. Perfect for flexible travelers keen on grabbing a good deal.
• Express Deals: Similarly, Priceline’s Express Deals offer substantial discounts on hotels, flights, and rental cars, keeping the exact name under wraps until after you’ve booked. The potential savings of up to 60% off standard rates make this an enticing option for budget-conscious explorers who love a surprise.
• Priceline VIP: Priceline rewards its loyal customers with its VIP program. VIP Silver, VIP Gold, and VIP Platinum members enjoy varying degrees of benefits, including exclusive deals, bonus points, and complimentary services such as Wi-Fi and breakfast.

Unbeatable Offers from Hotels.com

• Email-Only Coupons: Hotels.com dispatches special discounts via exclusive email-only coupons. Subscribers can receive up to 50% off hotel bookings, getting access to deals not offered to all site visitors.
• Secret Prices: Similar to Priceline, Hotels.com features Secret Prices, exclusive to Hotels.com Rewards members. These secret discounts allow committed customers to obtain deeper savings on their stays.
• Last Minute Deals: The spontaneous or late-planning traveler can benefit from Hotels.com’s Last Minute Deals, offering reduced rates for hotels with availability within the upcoming two weeks.
• Hotels.com Rewards Visa Credit Card: Hotels.com offers a Rewards Visa Credit Card, allowing users to accumulate points on all purchases, redeemable for future hotel bookings.

Both Priceline and Hotels.com cater to various traveler types with their special deals. Priceline’s Pricebreaker and Express Deals are for those who love surprises, while the VIP program rewards frequent users. 

Hotels.com entices with email-only coupons and Secret Prices, and their Last Minute Deals and Rewards Visa Credit Card offer other ways to save. It’s all about what suits your style and needs for savings and surprises.

Price Guarantee on Priceline:

• Priceline’s Best Price Guarantee: Priceline offers a Best Price Guarantee to ensure that their customers are getting the best deal possible. If customers find a lower price for the same itinerary on another website within 24 hours of booking, Priceline will refund the difference.
• Express Deal Price Guarantee: Priceline also provides a price guarantee for its Express Deals. If a customer books an Express Deal and then finds a lower price for the same itinerary on another website, Priceline will refund the difference.

Price Guarantee on Hotels.com:

• Hotels.com’s Price Guarantee: Hotels.com also offers a Price Guarantee to its customers. If customers find a lower rate for the same accommodation and dates on another website, Hotels.com will refund the difference. This must be done before the midnight prior to the check-in date.
• Price Guarantee Plus: Hotels.com also provides a Price Guarantee Plus for members and customers who have booked a refundable rate. With this, customers can still claim the difference if the price on Hotels.com drops after their booking.

Both Priceline and Hotels.com take steps to assure their customers that they’re getting the best deals possible. 

They both offer price guarantees where they will refund the difference if customers find a lower rate for the same itinerary or accommodation on another website. This shows a commitment to competitive pricing and ensuring customer satisfaction.

Booking Process

Navigating the Booking Process on Priceline

• Easy-to-use Platform: Priceline’s web and mobile platforms make the process of searching, comparing, and booking accommodations, flights, or rental cars a breeze. Filters for price range, location, star rating, and amenities allow users to tailor their search to their needs.
• Express Deals: For even more savings, Priceline’s “Deals” and “Express Deals” sections offer deep discounts on travel services. However, with Express Deals, the exact hotel is only revealed after booking.
• Bundle Pricing: Priceline lets you save more with their bundle pricing, allowing you to book hotel, flight, and rental car all together.

Experience Seamless Booking on Hotels.com

• User-Friendly Platform: Like Priceline, Hotels.com offers a straightforward platform to search, compare, and book hotels. User-friendly filters for price, location, rating, and amenities make finding the right place simple.
• Name Your Hotel: Hotels.com lets you search by hotel name, ideal for those who know exactly where they want to stay.
• Deals and Secret Prices: Hotels.com also has a “Deals” section, as well as “Secret Prices” for Rewards members, offering exclusive discounts. However, with Secret Prices, the hotel name is only disclosed post-booking.
• Last Minute Deals: Spontaneous travelers can score significant savings with Hotels.com’s Last Minute Deals section.

Both Priceline and Hotels.com offer user-friendly booking processes with diverse deal options. Choose based on your booking preferences and deal choices. Enjoy the adventure of a great deal and a perfect stay.

Mobile App Experience on Priceline 

• Easy Booking: Priceline’s mobile app makes it easy for travelers to search, compare, and book hotels, flights, and rental cars on the go.
• Exclusive Deals: The app offers exclusive deals that are not available on the Priceline website. Travelers can take advantage of these deals to save more on their bookings. 
• User-Friendly Interface: The app has a user-friendly interface, with features such as filters and sort options, making it easy for users to find what they are looking for. 
• Travel Tools: Priceline’s app also provides travel tools like maps and itinerary management to make travel planning more convenient.

Mobile App Experience on Hotels.com

• Easy Booking: Similar to Priceline, the Hotels.com mobile app provides a straightforward booking process for hotels, making it convenient for travelers to book accommodations on the go. 
• Exclusive Deals: Hotels.com app users have access to exclusive app-only deals, which can provide significant savings on bookings. 
• User-Friendly Interface: The app’s user-friendly interface allows users to easily navigate and find their desired hotels using filters and sort options. 
• Stamp Collecting: The Hotels.com app allows users to collect reward nights (or “stamps”) directly through the app, making it easy to track and redeem rewards.

Both the Priceline and Hotels.com mobile apps provide users with a convenient and straightforward booking process, exclusive deals, and user-friendly interfaces. These apps offer additional benefits like travel tools on Priceline and stamp collecting for rewards on Hotels.com. 

The choice between these apps may depend on a user’s personal preference and the specific features they find most useful for their travel needs.

Website Experience on Priceline:

• User-Friendly Interface: Priceline’s website is designed to be user-friendly, with clear navigation and a search function that makes it easy for customers to find what they’re looking for.
• Filters and Sort Options: Priceline offers various filters and sort options, allowing users to narrow down their search results and find the most relevant options.
• Detailed Information: Each listing on Priceline includes detailed information about the accommodation, including amenities, guest reviews, and location.

Website Experience on Hotels.com:

• User-Friendly Interface: Hotels.com’s website also offers a user-friendly interface, with easy navigation and an efficient search function.
• Filters and Sort Options: Hotels.com provides a range of filters and sort options, allowing users to fine-tune their search results to their needs and preferences.
• Comprehensive Information: Each listing on Hotels.com provides comprehensive information about the accommodation, including amenities, guest reviews, location, and often includes photos of the actual rooms and facilities.

Both Priceline and Hotels.com have websites designed with the customer in mind. Their interfaces are user-friendly, making it easy for users to find and book the accommodations that suit their needs. With a range of filters and sort options, users can customize their search results.

Detailed information about each listing helps users make informed decisions about their bookings. The overall website experience on both Priceline and Hotels.com is tailored to help customers find the best accommodations for their travel needs.Website Experience on Priceline:

• User-Friendly Interface: Priceline’s website is designed to be user-friendly, with clear navigation and a search function that makes it easy for customers to find what they’re looking for.
• Filters and Sort Options: Priceline offers various filters and sort options, allowing users to narrow down their search results and find the most relevant options.
• Detailed Information: Each listing on Priceline includes detailed information about the accommodation, including amenities, guest reviews, and location.

Website Experience on Hotels.com:

• User-Friendly Interface: Hotels.com’s website also offers a user-friendly interface, with easy navigation and an efficient search function.
• Filters and Sort Options: Hotels.com provides a range of filters and sort options, allowing users to fine-tune their search results to their needs and preferences.
• Comprehensive Information: Each listing on Hotels.com provides comprehensive information about the accommodation, including amenities, guest reviews, location, and often includes photos of the actual rooms and facilities.

Both Priceline and Hotels.com have websites designed with the customer in mind. Their interfaces are user-friendly, making it easy for users to find and book the accommodations that suit their needs. With a range of filters and sort options, users can customize their search results.

Detailed information about each listing helps users make informed decisions about their bookings. The overall website experience on both Priceline and Hotels.com is tailored to help customers find the best accommodations for their travel needs.

Membership and Loyalty Programs

Membership and Loyalty Program on Priceline

• Priceline VIP: Priceline offers a loyalty program called Priceline VIP, designed to reward frequent travelers. By becoming a Priceline VIP member, users can access exclusive discounts and perks. The VIP program has three membership tiers, namely VIP Silver, VIP Gold, and VIP Platinum, each with its own set of benefits. 
• Point Earning: Priceline VIP members earn points for every booking they make on Priceline. The points can be redeemed for future hotel bookings, making it an attractive program for frequent travelers. 
• Exclusive Discounts: Depending on the membership tier, VIP members may have access to exclusive discounts not available to non-members. 
• Perks: VIP members can also enjoy additional perks, such as free Wi-Fi, breakfast, and room upgrades, depending on the hotel and membership level.

Membership and Loyalty Program on Hotels.com:

• Hotels.com Rewards: The Hotels.com Rewards program is designed to reward frequent bookers. By becoming a member of the Hotels.com Rewards program, users can earn reward nights and gain access to Secret Prices. 
• Reward Nights: For every ten nights booked, Hotels.com Rewards members receive one reward night that they can redeem on future bookings. The value of the reward night is the average price of the ten nights collected. 
• Secret Prices: As a member of the Hotels.com Rewards program, users have access to Secret Prices, which offer discounts not available to non-members. 
• No Blackout Dates: Hotels.com Rewards program has no blackout dates, which means members can redeem their reward nights at any time, subject to hotel availability.

Both Priceline and Hotels.com offer their own membership and loyalty programs, Priceline VIP and Hotels.com Rewards, respectively. Both are designed to reward frequent travelers with points or reward nights for their bookings, and both offer exclusive discounts and perks to their members. 

Travelers can choose between these platforms based on their preferences for loyalty program benefits, considering factors such as how often they travel, the type of benefits they prefer, and their destination preferences.

Conclusion

In summary, both Priceline and Hotels.com have their strengths and weaknesses. Priceline is ideal for those who want to save money on their hotel bookings and are willing to sacrifice some control over their hotel selection. With Priceline’s Name Your Own Price option, you can save up to 60% off the regular price of a hotel room, but you won’t know the name of the hotel until after you’ve made your reservation. Hotels.com, on the other hand, is better suited for those who want more control over their hotel selection and don’t mind paying a little extra for it.

When it comes to loyalty programs, Hotels.com’s rewards program is more straightforward and easier to understand than Priceline’s. With Hotels.com, you earn a free night’s stay for every 10 nights you book through the site, regardless of the price of the hotel. Priceline’s rewards program, Priceline VIP, is more complicated and requires you to spend a certain amount of money to earn perks like free hotel upgrades and early check-in.

In terms of user experience, both sites are easy to navigate and offer a variety of filters to help you find the perfect hotel. However, Priceline’s website can be a bit overwhelming at first, with so many options and deals to choose from. Hotels.com’s website is more streamlined and user-friendly, making it easier to find what you’re looking for.

Ultimately, the choice between Priceline and Hotels.com comes down to your personal preferences and priorities. If you’re looking to save money and don’t mind sacrificing some control over your hotel selection, Priceline is the way to go. If you want more control over your hotel selection and prefer a simpler rewards program, Hotels.com is the better choice.

Frequently Asked Questions