You pay for the chance to bid on hotel room
SITE Offandaway.com
DESCRIPTION Bid on a hotel room
TARGET AUDIENCE Thrill seekers with time for recreational travel
BOTTOM LINE Not recommended if you actually need a hotel room
Offandaway.com is a new auction website for travelers who want to gamble on winning a luxe hotel experience for about the price of a standard room.
It's addictive: You fork over money for the opportunity to bid on suites at luxe properties in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Napa Valley, Miami, Las Vegas and more. Whoever wins the auction must book the room within 24 hours. Losers can use the money they have spent on the bids to book a hotel room from a long list of properties, but they have only seven days to do so. Bids from multiple auctions cannot be combined. Winners clearly get a deal, but winning isn't easy. Recent auctions included two nights in a junior suite at the Kitano in Manhattan for $71 and two nights in the Author's Suite at the Alexis Hotel in Seattle for $127.
But, as with everything: Buyer, beware: The auction isn't over until the fat bidder sings. When the auction timer drops to zero - or even close to zero - 30 seconds more is added every time someone bids. With bids costing $1, your money (and time) could get sucked up quickly. wouldn't recommend this site if you actually needed a hotel room, but this has the potential to be a fun way to purchase recreational travel, despite some frustration.
