Priceline Express Deals are mystery bookings. You see the general area, star rating, and guest reviews, but you don’t find out the actual hotel name until after you’ve paid. It’s a gamble, but the discounts can be substantial—sometimes 40-60% off the regular rate.
Why Hotels Do This
Hotels hate empty rooms. An unsold room tonight is revenue gone forever. But they also don’t want to publicly slash prices and train customers to wait for deals. Express Deals let them fill rooms quietly without undercutting their advertised rates.
That’s why the hotel name stays hidden. The Marriott downtown can sell you a room for $89 through Express Deals while still showing $179 on their own website. Everyone wins, sort of.
What You Can See Before Booking
You’ll know the neighborhood (like “Midtown Manhattan” or “Near the Convention Center”), the star rating, amenities, and aggregate guest reviews. You can also see what the hotel normally charges, which helps gauge the discount.
What you won’t see: the hotel name, exact address, or specific photos. You’re trusting that a “4-star hotel in Downtown Chicago with 8.5 guest rating” will be acceptable. Usually it is.
How to Game the System
There are websites dedicated to figuring out which hotels hide behind Express Deals. BetterBidding has forums where people post their results—”booked 4-star Midtown NYC for $112, got the Sheraton Times Square.” Cross-reference enough of these reports and you can make educated guesses.
Also useful: narrow your search as much as possible. If there’s only one 4-star hotel in a particular Priceline zone, the mystery isn’t much of a mystery.
When Express Deals Make Sense
Express Deals work best when you’re flexible and the savings are significant. If you need a specific hotel for loyalty points or because it’s walking distance to something, skip it. But if you just need a decent place to sleep in a general area, the discounts are real.
Last-minute bookings often have the best Express Deal pricing. Hotels get more desperate as the date approaches. Midweek stays in business districts are another sweet spot—those hotels empty out when the conference crowds leave.
The Downsides
You can’t cancel or change Express Deal bookings. You pay upfront, and that’s it. If your plans change, you’re stuck.
You also might end up somewhere inconvenient. “Near the Airport” could mean a quick shuttle ride or a $40 taxi depending on which hotel you get. Read the zone descriptions carefully.
My Take
I use Express Deals for solo trips where I don’t care much about the hotel. If I’m sightseeing all day and just need somewhere clean to crash, saving 50% is worth the mystery. For trips where the hotel matters—anniversary weekends, traveling with picky family members—I book normally and know exactly what I’m getting.
