Hotwire Hotel: 3* Savannah (Historic District) Best Western Plus Savannah Historic District

[joeman]

On Price.Line's Name Your Own Price hotel initial bidding page, there will be a green '$' icon with the words "Best Deal" next to a particular City Zone and another such icon next to a particular Star Level.  I have also noted that the star level "Best Deal" may change if a particular city zone (not the "Best Deal") is selected.

 

I am wondering if there is a particular significance to this.  I could see where this would indicate where the cheapest rooms are, or the greatest discount vs. retail, or best value based on some sort of sliding "price vs. star level" scale.  Call me a cynic, but I could also see Price.line using this to steer the customer towards inventory they want to sell, or even rooms where they would make the biggest commissions -- a "Best Deal" for Priceline, so to speak, not necessarily the bidder.

 

Specifically, I was looking at Savanna, GA's "Historic Savanna and Riverfront" for Oct. 17-19.  I was planning to bid on a 4* property, but the 3.5* level shows the "Best Deal."  Either of these levels will have the same bidding strategy since none of the other city zones have properties higher than 3*.  Would the "Best Deal" indicate a significantly lower price for the 3.5* vs. the 4*?  I would be happy with the 3.5* if it were say, $25 cheaper.  Or should I just not let it influence my decisions?

 

Anyone know what the NYOP "Best Deal" means?

[AaronJB]

There may be rooms at that level that have a larger % discount, but rates are really so specific to the particular place and dates. It becomes a matter of the specifics, and the difference between going for a 4* and a 3.5* may not be that major.

 

I wouldn't let it influence my decision if I was trying to go for a 4*, but if you were just looking at "a place to sleep" and are more interested in just getting something 3.5*+ that's reasonable, then you would consider exploring the option and bidding at the 3.5* level. If your priority is a 4* and more amenities though, I wouldn't let it influence your decision.

 

What would be your desired max budget per night for this stay? Is there a max you would pay for a 4* before dropping down to 3.5* if you're unsuccessful at the 4* level?

 

Thank you for using the board's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[joeman]

Thanks for the quick reply, Aaron.  This trip is more in the planning stages at the moment.  This is going to be an anniversary trip for us, and our destination is not set in stone just yet.  We have wanted to go to Savannah and were planning to take the train, if we do.  So, without a car, the most important factor for us is location.  We don't really need the 4* amenities.  I guess I am so used to getting such good deals on 4* properties from Priceline, that's my first inclination. :)  We would probably be just as happy with a 3.5* or 3* property.  It's been years since I've been to Savannah, but I recall even the 2.5* - 3.5* brands were nice properties in the Historic District.

 

We haven't set a firm budget for our trip yet, but I was hoping to get a room for around $100 per night.  Looking at the Express Deal prices and other websites, it doesn't appear likely to find a deal at that price for these dates.  However, we are still a couple of months out, and our options are open.  I'll keep you posted if we do get a room through Priceline or Hotwire, using the Quick Quote links above, of course!

 

The main thrust behind my original post was about the significance of the "Best Deal" icon.  I guess it is self-explanatory to some extent, but I wasn't sure what it meant exactly.  Greatest % discount makes a lot of sense.

 

 

[AaronJB]

Happy to help - please do keep us updated on what you decide. Let us know when your dates/plans are confirmed and we would be happy to offer our thoughts on how to proceed.

 

Thank you for using the board's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[joeman]

To update, we have pretty much firmed up our plans for Savannah for the weekend of 10/17-19.  I say "pretty much" because I haven't found a hotel room at a price I like.  Though not a 'firm' budget, I would prefer not to spend more than $150 on a room. On Priceline (using the Quick Quote link above), I have bid 3.5* properties up to $125, and 4* properties up to $140, with no luck.

 

I also used the "Bidding Helper" in the Tool Box dropdown (Bidding Helper is quickly becoming my favorite tool on this site!) to check Hotwire and PRICELINE EXPRESS deals.  Currently, there is a 3* property (looking at Historic Riverfront District only) on Hotwire for $126.  The amenities listed are:

 

Free Breakfast

Free Internet

Pet friendly

Smoke Free Rooms

Fitness Center

Pool(s)

Business Center

Internet access

In-room accessibility

Wheelchair accessible

 

This doesn't appear to be an exact match to any of the properties on the Hotwire Hotel list. Any ideas on which property this is?  Any on the list would do, but we would prefer it not be the Best Western.

 

My plan is to do another round of bidding on PL, 4* up to $150, and 3.5* up to $135.  If neither of these works, then I would go with the Hotwire 3* for $126.  Any thoughts on this plan?

 

Thanks so much for your help!

 

Just a housekeeping question... if/when I secure a deal on Priceline or Hotwire, should I add the win to this thread or start a new one in the proper section?

 

 

[joeman]

Oh, and as an aside regarding the OT, when I bid this selection on PL, the Best Deal icon was on the 4* option when I selected the Historic zone.  However, when I added another zone without a 3.5* or 4* property, the Best Deal jumped to 3.5*!???

[thereuare]

Just a housekeeping question... if/when I secure a deal on Priceline or Hotwire, should I add the win to this thread or start a new one in the proper section?

When you win a hotel use the ADD REPLY and REPORT WIN button on the lower right corner of this thread (only viewable by the OP of the thread) and use the form to provide the details of your win... the entire thread will then automatically be moved (if necessary) to the correct section of the board.

Glad to hear you like the BiddingHelper.com tool! (you should try RateDrop as well :) )

As noted above, ignore the 'best deal' indication by PRICELINE as it's not meaningful and should't impact your bidding at all.

Unfortunately i don't have a guess for the 3* HOTWIRE offer, but i can't exclude the Best Western Plus Savannah Historic District from the possibilities... and at current rates i do think a 3.5* or better will likely take more than $150/nite.

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board.

Keep us updated on your progress and let us know how we can be of further help along the way.

[joeman]

Yep, I bid Priceline 4* up to $156, 3.5* up to $150 , and 3* up to $130.  All bids were rejected, so I took the Hotwire deal @ $127 (127 x 2 nights + 59.35 taxes & fees = $313.35 total).

 

The listed amenities were the same as noted above except Wheelchair Accessible was not listed on the hotel details page.  However, after the hotel name was revealed, the Wheelchair Accessible amenity returned???

 

Even though I was hoping for a different property, I have read the reviews of the BW Plus Promenade, and I'm sure we'll enjoy our stay.

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success. :)

 

Very good deal for this Savannah property and glad you are satisfied with the win.

 

Thank you for letting us know about this new amenity set for this HOTWIRE property so that we can update the site's Hotwire Hotel List.

 

Thank you for sharing your win and please use the site's PRICELINE or HOTWIRE links to start your purchases and searches.

 

Enjoy your stay.