This article’s recommendations may include affiliate links.
If you are always on the hunt for great hotel discounts, you may have heard of a Priceline service called Express Deals. During your hotel search, they offer mystery hotels for extra savings: up to 60% off. The catch? The exact hotel name is revealed after booking… and is non-refundable.
Luckily, you can learn how to get Priceline Express Deals revealed before booking the hotel. I’ve become a pro at guessing Express Deals and am here to share my secret (I haven’t gotten one wrong yet!)
This post has been updated with even more tips as of December 2019
I first tried Priceline Express Deals for myself during a partnership in August 2018, where I received a credit to book and stay at four different luxury hotels (I saved up to 48% off).
I shared the experience with my travel-obsessed followers on Instagram and they, too, reported big savings and great hotels in New Orleans, London, and the DC Metro Area (to name a few)! Others, however, were a bit hesitant because of the no-refund aspect.
This is what led me to reveal my secret to revealing “hidden” Priceline Express Deals. While not guaranteed, these are 8 ways travel experts like me ensure they score a Priceline Express Deal hotel they’ll love.Follow these suggestions very closely and you may find amazing deals too!
Filter the best neighborhoods for an ideal hotel location
Before you begin narrowing down hotels for your upcoming vacation, be sure to research the locations of sites and attractions you want to see — and the best neighborhoods to stay in. This will help better pinpoint an ideal hotel location, and a smart tactic to get Priceline Express Deals revealed that you’ll love.
Priceline Express Deals allows you to filter the neighborhood of your choice, so check the neighborhoods you want to avoid hotels in shady areas or inconvenient locations. If you aren’t familiar with the names of the areas, refer to Priceline’s neighborhood list in the filter section and use Google to learn more about them.
I enjoy switching to “Map View” on Priceline’s website for this part of my research. It helps me compare the available Express Deal hotels with a secondary Google Maps webpage, where I’ve pinpointed the attractions I want to see.
Eliminate Hotels with bad ratings
When I search for hotels, I am flexible with preferred star ratings but strict with guest ratings. Unless no hotels are available, I only search for accommodations with a guest rating of 8 or higher.
This helps when you are attempting to get Priceline Express Deals revealed. Because, luckily, you can still see star and guest ratings when browsing the mystery Express Deal hotel listings — though you can’t read individual reviews.
So, pay attention to these numbers when deciding on a hotel (and when comparing stats) and you’ll increase your chances of booking a great spot.
- My preference: I first filter 4 and 5-star hotels only, with an 8+ guest rating. If no luck, I then reduce my filter to include 3-star hotels (in hopes of spotting a 3.5-star rating). I begin to look elsewhere if there are no hotels within my preferred ratings.
Filter your dealbreaker amenities
Priceline take away its amenities filter when you switch your hotel search to Express Deal listings, so take advantage of the feature!It is essential to accurately getting Priceline Express Deals revealed.
If free WiFi or a hotel gym is important to you, for instance, be sure to check that as a preference. I recommend being picky at first and selecting your dream amenities to see what is available.
As you browse through deals, slowly uncheck the ones that aren’t dealbreakers. This allows you to overlap mystery hotels with the visible listings to see which one is a match.
- My Preference: A hotel gym is almost always must if I am staying at a chain hotel. I am flexible with boutique hotels, but a pool or other spa facilities is definitely preferred. In fact, I actually have a list of hotel wellness amenities I look for when booking a hotel. These amenities contribute to the perfect vacation getaway.
Download the Priceline app for hidden savings
Did you know the Priceline mobile app has secret deals exclusive to the app?It is an underrated hack to getting additional Priceline Express Deals revealed, so worth checking out!
If you have trouble finding a hotel listing that offers the savings, amenities, and location you want, try searching on their app. I found these mobile deals are great for last-minute bookings and surprise discounts.
Add the clues to guess the Priceline Express Deals revealed
If you are ready to be a sleuth, you can likely guess which hotel you’re going to get if you pay attention to the clues. This requires heavy use of the filters and two browsers open to compare public listings vs. Express Deals.
Like I mentioned, the listings will show you the neighborhood, guest rating, star rating, and amenities, along with the discounted and original prices.
When you see the Priceline Express Deals you want, take note of these elements, switch your browser to the public listings, and follow these steps to reveal/guess the right one:
- Filter the public hotel listings to match the star rating, guest rating, neighborhood, and amenities shown on the Express Deal listing
- Notice that public hotel search results will now narrow down to fewer options
- Note the Express Deal listing’s “original price”
- Pinpoint the publicly listed hotels matching the original price range (in my experience this narrows it down to 1-3 hotels)
- Decide whether these remaining hotels would be sufficient if you end up booking it
A bunch of my readers and IG followers have reported that this easy way to figure out Express Deal hotels is what made them feel comfortable making their first booking!
Add a discount with points or Priceline promo codes
I’m all about discounts so take advantage of it whenever I can. In addition to offering up to 60% off hotel retail prices, Priceline still allows for promo codes to be used when booking hotel Express Deals. Plus if you have your free VIP account set up, you might also have additional discount prices there.
If Priceline is running a deal, you’ll see the promo code advertised on the header or footer of the webpage (or in a newsletter). Since that isn’t always a sure thing, I like using the Chrome extension Honey App to search promo codes at checkout before purchasing anything.
You can also check your credit card portal to see if you get cash back, points, or extra rewards for purchasing with Priceline (it’s a great trick I use when finding cheap flights or gaining miles for shopping with other companies).
Use my code WELLNESS10 through October 31, 2018 to get an extra 10% off Express Deal hotel bookings.
- 2019 Note:This promo code is now expired, but you can search the web for others! I like using the Chrome plug-in, “Honey” to run deals at checkout.
Watch for Priceline Express Deal hints and Suggestions
I’ve booked so many hotels over the years, many of which have successfully had Priceline Express Deals revealed, per my guesses.
For instance, after a successful booking of the four aforementioned luxury hotels for my Great Lakes road trip, I took a last-minute trip to Naples, FL. Emphasis on the word “last minute” because hotels were limited and expensive.
I only had a $400 budget, which for three nights looked like I was going to end up staying at a Super 8, with dated hotel guest rooms, or somewhere with less than an 8 guest rating (gasp).
Before totally abandoning my search, I swapped over to Priceline’s Express Deals section and re-did my search, seeking a 3+ star hotel with specific filters:
- Free Wifi, Free Parking, Free Breakfast, and a Swimming Pool
After following the instructions on this blog post, I was sure I figured out the mystery listing. I prepared to book the Express Deal with an additional Priceline promo code in hand (their website advertised a new promo: SOFAFREE20 for $20 off) and a new feature: a reassuring hint from Priceline itself.
This “hint” from Priceline stated the last people who chose this Express Deal hotel scored a well-rated Holiday Inn, ideally located downtown with all the amenities I asked for.
Using my Priceline Express Deals Revealed tactics, I’d actually already guessed this Holiday Inn would be the most likely choice, so this hint made me feel even more confident!
I quickly booked this deal with my promo code and got the Holiday Inn Express Naples in Downtown 5th Avenue — right where I wanted to be! And all for $390 USD, after taxes and my $20 promo code – a 46% savings!
Read the fine print for Priceline Express Deals
Okay, I know you are excited about getting these deals but, but, but… it is really important to remember the fine print.
- When you book a hotel, it isn’t refundable, so follow the aforementioned tips carefully to ensure your needs are met.
- Express Deal guest rooms are guaranteed for 2 people and therefore may only provide one bed. Hotels are not obligated to accommodate more than that, though some guests have reported luck calling a hotel afterward.
- Hotels will not give you rewards points if you book through a third-party site (this goes for all hotels and all 3rd party sites other than credit card portals). If you want to collect rewards, book directly with your preferred hotel.
Additionally, the discounts advertised on Express Deals may sometimes seem off: this is because it is based on the average retail price of comparable hotels.
This means if the hotel revealed had higher prices than their competition, your savings will be even greater than advertised. But on the flip side, if their prices were abnormally lower than their competition, the amount saved could be less than advertised. Regardless, you’ll know exactly what you have to pay before booking.
Have you tried my tips to get Priceline Express Deals Revealed?
Tell me about your experience and any other tricks you’ve discovered while booking hotels with Priceline.Scoring deals and getting Priceline Express Deals revealed is one of my favorite things to do; it feels like solving a real mystery and I do love detective work!
I hope these tips help you find a great Express Deal hotel discount; I still refer to the ost to follow my own tips all the time!
* * *
Hey Pinterest Fam!
Share thisguide to tips for getting hotel Priceline Express Deals Revealedby pinning the image below to your planning board.
