I recently came across BackBid.com, a unique hotel booking site. In fact, BackBid reverses the whole process, allowing you to receive bids from hotels.

The process is pretty simple. Once you register, you can enter an existing hotel reservation. Hotels have access to the BackBid database and submit bids to try to lure your business. These bids can be for lower rates, more amenities or both.

Bid notifications are emailed directly to you, with full information available by checking with your online BackBid account. Unlike with the other booking sites, you will see exactly which hotel is bidding on you and exactly what they are offering. There is nothing left to mystery.

If you accept any of the bids, your credit card is charged and that room is booked. It is up to you to cancel your previous reservation.

The site can be used even without reservations by simply inputting your desired specifications (except for specific hotel name). The rest of the process is exactly the same.

I have not used BackBid yet, but I have heard great things about it. One feature which appeals to me is the specific room type designation. One of my friends actually got a lower rate at the same hotel he had already reserved.

If it does succeed, it should make Priceline rethink its strategy to refocus its business away from the bidding end (as discussed here a couple weeks ago). Either way, this seems like a “can’t lose” proposition for consumers.

— John Wroblewski, distribution specialist