[XxNinaxX]

Hello everybody,
It's going to be my first trip to FL (12/27 - 1/7) and I've already found betterbidding.com to be extremely helpful. But there's still a thing that I'm not quite sure about.

What prices should I expect to pay during that time of the year in FL (the calendar shows a couple of wins between 60 and 100 dollars in 2008)? Maybe you can help me out with further information or guesses.

I'm in need of accomodation (2-3*, doesn't have to be in the center of the cities) for these dates:

12/27-12/29: Miami
12/29-12/30: Florida City
12/30-01/02: Key West
01/02-01/05: Naples
01/05-01/07: Miami

Can I get a room for less than $100 or is it probably going to be much more?


Looking forward to hearing from you.

[AaronJB]

Welcome to the site.

The Key West stop is of some concern, given that rates will probably be pretty high for the NYE holiday, although NYE will likely be considerably cheaper. Naples and Miami after the first of the year will likely be fairly reasonable and Miami and Florida City at the open of the trip will be moderate.

Are you looking for the best you can get under $100 or are you looking for the cheapest hotel in the 2*-3* category?

[XxNinaxX]

Hello,
Thanks for the info.
I'm basically interested in the best I can get for the money and I'd also be willed to pay about $20 more if it's really worth it (let's say for a 4* instead of a 3*).
Anyway, $100 would be my limit for Miami, Florida City and Naples, if possible. For Key West, I'd go up to approx. $180.
Of course I'd be very happy to save some money when I can

[thereuare]

Let's take this one leg at a time and use separate threads for each leg of your stay.

We'll use this leg for the Miami portion of your trip. Which zone(s) are you willing to accept. Do you want to try for a 4* first up to your limit, then try for a 3.5* if you're not successful, and so-on down the line OR do you want to start seekign a 3* or 3.5* property which would likely cost less than a 4*?

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

[XxNinaxX]

Sounds good!
Well, I'm not quite sure what to do. Would it be considerably less for a 3/3.5*? If we're talking about possible wins such as $60 for a 3* and $100 for a 4*, then I'd rather try for a 3*, I guess.
Could you give me an idea of the approx. costs we're talking about? I'd really appreciate it a lot.

Thank you very much.

[thereuare]

Without knowing what zones you're considering it would be impossible to give you even a ballpark idea.

You could do a HOTWIRE search and that will give you a general feel for prices in a given area, but keep in mind that PRICELINE and HOTWIRE each use their own criteria to rate hotels, with HOTWIRE being a bit more 'generous' in their rating system. So a 4* on HOTWIRE coudl be a 4* on PRICELINE too, or priceline could rate that same property 3.5*.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

[XxNinaxX]

Thanks for the advice.
I've checked Hotwire as well as the calendar of wins for December prices (also of previous years) and found prices between $50 (a couple of last year's wins) and $170 (a current hotwire offer for a 3.5* Coral Gables). Hope I can get along with my approx. $100 limit.

The zones that I prefer are:

1st: Coral Gables - Coconut Grove
2nd: Miami Downtown
3rd: Miami Beach
4th: South Beach

Having looked at the hotel list, I think I'd be okay with the 3* properties. Wouldn't hate a 4* though


I already want to thank you so much for your help. Bidding for hotels in a foreign state and foreign cities is a bit overwhelming for a beginner. So I really appreciate your help. I'll make sure to use your links whenever I can.

[thereuare]

At the 3* level you have ONE re-bid zone. 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 3* Coral Gables and Downtown...
Bid $55, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $60, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE
Select 3* Beach and South Beach...
Bid $55, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $60, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Coral Gables and South Beach...
Bid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $70, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE
Select 3* Beach and Downtown...
Bid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $70, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Coral Gables and Beach...
Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $80, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE
Select 3* Downtown and South Beach...
Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $80, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Coral Gables and Downtown and South Beach...
Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $90, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE
Select 3* Coral Gables and Downtown and Beach...
Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $90, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Coral Gables and Downtown and South Beach and Beach...
Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone...
Bid $100

Any questions feel free to ask.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.