HotelChatter

According to Chris Elliott, a recent traveler who had booked a stay with St Regis San Francisco posted his reservation on BackBid. Within hours, seven competing hotels contacted him offering better deals. And this is BackBid's basic MO—everyone, from the traveler to the originally-booked hotel to the competing hotels, are dealing in the open. No prices are hidden, no names are un-published. And in the end, it's the traveler who has the final word.

"Hotels may then submit bids to encourage travelers to “abandon” their current reservation — that’s the company’s word, not mine — and book with their property instead. The new reservation is nonrefundable and can’t be changed, and your card is charged immediately."

Unsurprisingly, people are way into this novel concept. It's simple enough to appeal to inexperienced travelers, yet efficient enough to get hotels on board. Though BackBid won't divulge all of its participating hotels, an exec told Elliott "the site is growing exponentially."

Would you allow your reservation to be fought over like a piece of meat? Is it worth compromising your original reservation just to save a few extra dollars? We wanna know what you think!

[Photo: HotelChatter]