Hotwire Hotel: Help identifying 4-star hotels | Boston

[Pico Paco]

I've been searching for hotels using Priceline and Hotwire links at the top of the BetterBidding web pages.

I'm taking my preschool-aged daughter to Boston Oct 25-27. I'm hopeful to get Omni Parker or Seaport hotels (mostly for gluten-free menus -- daughter has celiac), although I think I'm open to most other 4-star hotels.

Three questions:

1) Any tips for nabbing one of these two hotels over others in a blind bid on priceline? I know to review the amenities and guest review stars, but am I missing any other tricks for identifying correctly? I'd prefer about $150/night... I've never used Priceline and haven't actually bid yet. Any and all comments/suggestions are appreciated!

2) What's the reputation for Trip Protection? Any success/failures using it?

3) Right now, there are Express Deals that are similar to Omni Parker and Seaport. Can anyone guess the likelihood of these descriptions being Omni/Seaport?

4-Star Hotel in Boston Common, 8-star guest score, Guest Favorite, $242 (OMNI PARKER?)

• Free internet in room
  
• Indoor Swimming Pool
  
• Pets Allowed
  
• Restaurant
  
• Business Center
  
• Fitness Center
  

4-Star Hotel in Seaport District, 9-star guest score, Guest Favorite, $250 (SEAPORT?)

• Free Internet Available
  
• Indoor Swimming Pool
  
• Pets Allowed
  
• Restaurant
  
• Business Center
  
• Fitness Center
  

[yellowdog]

Welcome to BetterBidding :)

For both hotels, I believe there may have been more amenities than you listed in your post. HOTWIRE has a new interface which is not currently showing the complete set of amenities at the usual point of the search process. Can you please run a new search through bord's BiddingHelper.com on top of the page. Please copy and paste the amenities and price you'll see in the Easy View tab and we'll have a look at this.

1) Any tips for nabbing one of these two hotels over others in a blind bid on priceline?

You can't bid on or avoid a specific hotel when using PRICELINE You have to be able to accept any hotel in the zone at the star rating (or higher) you select.

If you're trying to target a specific property then HOTWIRE can often be a better option if you're successfully able to identify it based upon the star rating and amenities shown before your purchase... the trade-off is that HOTWIRE usually costs a little more than PRICELINE, so you need to decide what is most important to you for a given stay, the lowest possible price OR the ability to take an educated guess as to the property you may receive.

2) What's the reputation for Trip Protection? Any success/failures using it?

The board haven't heard much about it but I know that the rules are very strict. You can't cancel a hotel if you don't like it. You need a doctors note, proof from an undertaker etc. The best thing you can do is to read the rules/fine print.

3) Right now, there are Express Deals that are similar to Omni Parker and Seaport. Can anyone guess the likelihood of these descriptions being Omni/Seaport?

Please list the amenities PRICELINE EXPRESS associates with the hotel you're looking at and we'll take look at this. But we can start with the HOTWIRE hotels and see if we can ID a hotel you like.

Thanx for using boards HOTWIRE and PRICELINE links

Yellowdog.

[Pico Paco]

Thank you so much for the ideas for moving forward, YellowDog.

I used the board's BiddingHelper.com on top of the page to check amenities in the HOTWIRE Easy View. The offers are still more than I'd like to pay at this point, although I am concerned that last minute availability for my weekend (Oct 25-27) may be tricky since it is the last weekend for autumn leaves and also a Book Festival.

Can you please run a new search through bord's BiddingHelper.com on top of the page. Please copy and paste the amenities and price you'll see in the Easy View tab and we'll have a look at this.

HOTWIRE Easy View on BiddingHelper.com shows a 4-star hotel in Boston Common-Theater District, I see one quote for $261/night and what appears to be a handicapped accessible room. I don't see where "Tennis Nearby" is advertised on the Omni Parker web site, so I'd guess this is a different hotel.

• Free Internet
  
• Boutique Hotel **What is a/the boutique hotel?**
  
• Indoor pool(s)
  
• Smoke Free Rooms
  
• Fitness Center
  
• Restaurant(s)
  
• Business Center
  
• High-Speed Internet Access
  
• Tennis Nearby
  
• Accessible path of travel
  
• In-room accessibility
  
• Accessible bathroom
  
• Roll-in shower

Still using HOTWIRE Easy View on BiddingHelper.com, the offer for a 4-star hotel in Waterfront-Convention Ctr is $247 and has similar amenities, but not identical. The Seaport Hotel offers massages in the Fitness Center, but no other Spa services as far as I can tell, so I'd guess this hotel is one of the (two?) others in the convention center district.

• Free Internet
  
• Pet friendly
  
• Indoor pool(s)
  
• Smoke Free Rooms
  
• Fitness Center
  
• Pool(s)
  
• Restaurant(s)
  
• Business Center
  
• High-Speed Internet Access
  
• Spa Services
  
• In-room accessibility
  
• Accessible bathroom
  
• Handicapped parking
  
• Roll-in shower

Please list the amenities PRICELINE EXPRESS associates with the hotel you're looking at and we'll take look at this.

The amenities for PRICELINE EXPRESS on BiddingHelper.com are still pretty much identical to what is listed in the first post, prices hovering at $250.

...the trade-off is that HOTWIRE usually costs a little more than PRICELINE, so you need to decide what is most important to you for a given stay, the lowest possible price OR the ability to take an educated guess as to the property you may receive.

I suppose with prices hovering at $250 before taxes, I prefer the lower price to the educated guess. I suppose. I really don't want to spend over $500 after taxes, preferably closer to $375 after taxes. Is this realistic? Some of the other posts make me think it is.

What's my next move? Simply bid what I'm willing to pay and be happy with whichever 4-star hotel I swipe? (Not the hardest task on the planet, I admit.)

[thereuare]

Rates are date specific and you therefore can't use rates that others have won, for dates different then your own, to determine what it will take to win a hotel for your own set of dates. With current rates of the 4* hotels above in the $250-area a total cost of $375 all-in does not seem likely.

For a 'downtown' hotel i suspect that you're likely looking at the $225 area for a 4* hotel... and for a 3.5* somewhere in the $175-$195 area (bid prices)

Let us know how you'd like to proceed and we'll take it from there.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[Pico Paco]

I've decided to move forward with a search for a 4-star hotel at the lowest possible price, thus a bid on PRICELINE is my next move. When you provide estimate of $225/night (after taxes), does that apply to the best case scenario in a blind bid? I see a detailed strategy for another member for a different date. I'll follow the same strategy. Because of the different dates, can someone please advise/suggest a starting amount? The general strategy is clear: at end of unsuccessful bidding, close/reopen PRICELINE window and begin with next zone using $10 increments. Correct me if I'm wrong or missing a key point.

What else?

Many thanks to YellowDog and thereuare for assisting me through this process, and as always, I will begin all searches and purchases using BetterBidding's links to PRICELINE and HOTWIRE.

[thereuare]

The rates i quoted above are bid prices so the are pre-tax/fees and are the upper limit i think it will take to win a hotel. So for example, i think a 4* hotel will likely take $200-$225... a 3.5* somewhere between $175-$200. This is assuming you're fine with the 'downtown' zones of Boston Common, Copley Square, and Quincy Market. We always start low and gradually increase so that should something be available at a lower price, we have a chance at winning it for less.

Let us know which star rating you'd like to try for, which zone(s) are acceptable (are the three above acceptable? any others you'd like to include?), and your maximum bid.. we will then suggest a strategy for you to follow.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[Pico Paco]

I would like to try for a 4* rating in any downtown district except for the zone where the Hilton Downtown/Faneuil Hall is located (sometimes that's Quincy Market/Financial District zone, sometimes that's the Harbor Front-Aquarium zone. I can't identify with certainty which zone it is right now... can you?) That hotel has bad reviews for food, and the food service is the reason I prefer a 4* hotel.

I would like to spend $450 (or less) after taxes. Calculating for 20% taxes, I think that gives me $180 for a maximum bid. Please advise if I've miscalculated.

I continue to use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin all searches and travel purchases.

[thereuare]

To me it appears that the Hilton is located in the Quincy Market-Financial District zone, but for now we won't be bidding the Quincy Market or the Harbor Front zone... just the Boston Common and Copley Square zones. However, i will add that i think $180 may be tough for a 4* hotel for these dates.

When bidding 4* in Boston you have SIX re-bid zones. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.

Select 4* Boston Common...

Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $130, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $135, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $145, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $155, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE...

Select 4* Copley Square...

Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $130, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $135, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $145, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $155, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE...

Select 4* Boston Common and Copley Square...

Bid $160, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $165, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $170, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $173, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $175, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $178, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $180

Any questions feel free to ask.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[Pico Paco]

This is great! Thank you so much! I'm about to get started, of course using the BetterBidding link to PRICELINE.

I am also comfortable bidding the Seaport District with this first set of bids. I can add that as a third set of bids, bidding $120-155 as you suggest with Copley Square and Boston Common zones. Then for the final round, simply bid on all three zones with the $160-180? Or should I split that into three sets (Common and Copley, then Common and Seaport, finally all three?)

I hear you loud and clear that I may not get what I want here, and we may have to increase my budgeting hopes. Thanks for the forewarning. I'd be interested in any short explanation of why this weekend is so high (I do know about fall leaves and the Book Festival... is that all it takes to drive up the rates in Boston for one weekend? Perhaps a ball game as well?)

[Pico Paco]

No luck. After running all suggested bids through PRICELINE, plus additional bids, my final bids were:

193 for Common, Seaport, Beacon, Copley

195 plus re-bid zone

201 plus re-bid zone

205 plus re-bid zone

At this point, the after tax (and insurance) is about $500.

Based on Hotwire hot Rate deals, I think I can spend $225+tax and attempt an educated guess of which hotel I'm getting. At this price, I prefer to be more choosey about the hotel.

I will take my inquiries over the Hotwire board for now.

I am very grateful to YellowDog and thereuare for their help thus far.

[yellowdog]

We're happy to help you!

I will take my inquiries over the Hotwire board for now.

Please keep all posts in the same thread since posts are for the same stay.

Thanx for using board's HOTWIRE and PRICELINE links

Yellowdog.

[Pico Paco]

I'm looking for a hotel in Boston Oct 25-27. Over on the PRICELINE forum, a betterbidding administrator has already predicted the low rate will be around $225 (and my unsuccessful bidding has confirmed that). I'm switching from PRICELINE bidding to HOTWIRE for now, since at this rate I'd like to have a more educated guess in which property I might be getting.

I have a question about the Boston Waterfront 4* hotels (Westin Waterfront and Seaport Hotel). All reviews of Westin Waterfront mention the daily charge for internet access, so I would assume that a hot Rate deal on HOTWIRE that lists a 4* hotel with free internet ($250)... is in fact the Seaport. However, I see on Betterbidding hotel lists that "free internet" has been listed in the past for the Westin Waterfront. Have things changed at the Westin? Their web site says free interenet "in the lobby" and also mentions it in conference rooms - not free in all rooms, as defined by HOTWIRE.

Can anyone advise on this, please?

Free Internet

Pet friendly

Indoor pool(s)

Smoke Free Rooms

Fitness Center

Pool(s)

Restaurant(s)

Business Center

High-Speed Internet Access

[thereuare]

If you go one page 'deeper' into HOTWIRE and click the BOOK NOW button for this offer... on the right side of the page (in the TRIP SUMMARY box) hover your mouse over the 'See more' link by the amenities, do you then see more then what you have included above?

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[crito]

Couple things.

First, you are correct about what "Free Internet" means on HOTWIRE, but it's sometimes listed incorrectly. (About a year ago I posted about getting Hotwire Bucks as compensation for my hotel listed as "Free Internet" having an in-room charge and free in public areas.)

Second, I believe the HOTWIRE listing you're looking at also has a TripAdvisor number on it, and it's 4.5, which does suggest the Seaport.

Third, I think the main reason prices are so high for your weekend is the meetings of the American Society of Human Genetics, which is quite large (about 6000) and is soaking up hotel rooms all over the city (the main meetings are in the convention center but there are many 'satellite' meetings at universities).

Fourth, on Last Minute Travel I see the Copley Marriott for about $190/night, and you might spot it on HOTWIRE for about the same price in the 3.5* listings. That hotel is not as nice as the Seaport, but it's nice hotel in a good location. Since it is attached to both Copley Place and the Prudential Center, you will have a huge variety of restaurants to choose from, although the Marriott's own restaurant is nothing special.

[Pico Paco]

I had to think outside of the box to stay in budget; I abandoned the hotel search yesterday and had luck. I found a nice studio apartment with full kitchen in Copley zone for $150/night, including taxes. Beautiful deal. Also, the full kitchen will help ensure safe food for my daughter who is Celiac (which was one of my concerns with identifying which hotel I was getting).

I never did see any PRICELINE Express/ HOTWIRE Easy View searches under $225. Everyone on the board says the blind bids seem to be about 10% less than the Easy/Express deals, and thereuare estimated the same (which my unsuccessful bids confirmed). This left me with the best case scenario over $200/night plus about $100+ in taxes. I got really lucky with the apartment, and I'm sorry there's not a purchase to credit to BetterBidding after all the help I received.

YellowDog and thereuare, thank you so much for your time and your help. I used the formula by thereuare once more with no luck. Crito, Thanks so much for the tips. With your agreement re: "free internet," and the TripAdvisor number was a great clue that helped me with other guesses on hotwire. I was very close to making a purchase after your comments, but around midnight, in the middle of my hotel research, my HOTWIRE results suddenly increased prices (about $6-10/night) AND descriptions, while also finally transitioning all HOTWIRE web pages to their new layout (with different description styles). A real bummer.

Throughout the process, I began all searches using BetterBidding's PRICELINE, HOTWIRE, and BiddingHelper links. In the future, for all travel, I will always begin at BetterBidding and use their links for other searches and especially any hotel purchases.

[yellowdog]

Thanx for the follow-up and closing this thread.

Good to see that you found something that will work for you.

Welcome back and thanx for using board's HOTWIRE and PRICELINE links.

Yellowdog.