Priceline Hotel: 4* Boston (Waterfront-Convention Center) Renaissance

Seeing the sky high prices on websites , including Hotwire, I am wondering what range you imagine a winning bid will take for a 3, 3.5 or 4* those dates? This coincides with the Volvo Ocean Race event boat departure.

This is for my mom and a friend, who would like to stay at $120-140/nite MAX including taxes,etc. Any comments? They will have no car,and most likely take taxis or buses, no metros unless there is a lift (climbing stairs can be a problem).

Unless I think I can get them some more reasonable accomodation, we may not go forward with the airline ticket purchase.

Thanks for any help.

Which zones are they willing to accept?

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

quincy market, copley, waterfront and last resort.... airport, in that order. Thanks

If you want to give it a try your best chances are likely in the airport zone, but not sure if you'll be successful, although you can (and should) certainly try the others too!

Did you want to try for a hotel room first and if successful then book your airfare? What is your maximum bid amount (before fees and taxes) Did you want to try for the least expensive in any of the zones above OR did you want to try up to your limit for your first choice of zone, then up to your limit for your second choice, etc, etc. Lastly, did you want to try first for a 4*, then a 3.5*, then a 3*.. or are you looking for the least expenisve 3* or better hotel for this stay?

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

I might be securing accomodations before the tickets but all on same day.

I guess cheapest most central hotel, most convenient, would be the best, going down to 3*. But at airport would probably need to stay at 3.5* o 4* to be happy and guaranteed shuttle to the "T".

trying for higher stars first, of course, dropping as last resort!

Price before taxes $110. for 4*, and hopefully a little less if we need to drop down.

Thank you. This one is a challenge.

So to take this one step at a time...

You want a 4* in either the quincy market, copley, waterfront and last resort.... airport zones with a maximum bid of $110/nite?

Did you want to bid up to your maximum in each zone before moving onto the next zone or are you interested in the least expensive 4* or better in any of the above zones? Since Airport is your 'last resort', you could also try for the least expensive 4* up to $110/nite in either the quincy market, copley, or waterfront zones... then start over (and lower) for a 4* at the airport.

Let us know your thougths and we'll take it from there.

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

Will not try airport area until we have exhausted all other possibilities.

Would like cheapest 4* in the three areas, but in order (airport not yet).

Then cheapest 3.5* in any of the three areas, but in order

then cheapest 3* " "

then after three* bust in all areas... try the airport for 4*, then 3.5* much lower.( hopefully the airport will come in under $100)

I hope I have explained this more clearly.

I guess I am looking for a starting bid that would be logical, more than anything, as I will be checking out the free re-bid areas to be able to max out opportunities.

I may not start this for a couple days or more as I need to coordinate with the family that they get a 24 hr flight reservation request the same day I start bidding.

If we get nothing within the budget, the airline reservation cancels itself out.

Thanks for your time here.

Would like cheapest 4* in the three areas, but in order (airport not yet).

Then cheapest 3.5* in any of the three areas, but in order

then cheapest 3* " "

In other words you want to try up to your maximum ($110)in the quincy market before trying for copley? (and copley before trying for the waterfront)

While i doubt this will be the case, but just as an example... of a room is available in teh Quincy market zone for $110/nite and a room is avialable in the Waterfront zone for $60, you prefer the Quincy Market for $110 (since you want to bid up to your limit for your first zone preference before trying any of the other zones)

Do we have your preferernces correct?

I do not want to max out 4* at $110 before dropping down to 3.5 and 3*.

I also do not want to max out at $110 in one zone before trying another.

I have not really thought about every detail, as you have pointed out..I guess I will make some of these decisions as I go as if I were to get a counteroffer, that might tempt me a bit longer before dropping down stars.

I hope this is a bit clearer. Price is more important than star level. That said, .. it sure is nice to get a higher star level for little more!

Thank you

Would like cheapest 4* in the three areas.

Then cheapest 3.5* in any of the three areas, but in order

then cheapest 3* " "

I do not want to max out 4* at $110 before dropping down to 3.5 and 3*.

The two quotes above contradict each other. Based upon your most recent comments, please confirm you want:

The least expensive 3* or better in either the quincy market, copley, or waterfront zones?

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

you said it perfectly. Why is it so complicated for me to say so! sorry.

I would like the least expensive 3* or better in either the quincy market, copley, or waterfront zones.

Hello! I hope that you're successful in finding a hotel, but I thought I would add a tip that may help if you end up having to try the airport area. I live in Boston, and the area PRICELINE and HOTWIRE give for the airport zone is fairly large, and you could end up pretty far from the city and not near the T. That said, the only two known 4* hotels in the airport zone, the Hilton and the Hyatt, are closer and have frequent shuttles that connect directly to the subway (and at the Hyatt, you can even take a water taxi across the harbor into the city). So, I would recommend that if you do try the airport zone, you don't go any less than 4* so you can be reasonably sure of having good transportation access. The airport subway stop is only 2 stops from downtown, so it's not too far away.

Beth

Thanks, Beth. I will keep that in mind.

You have no re-bid zones at the 3* level.

Select 3* Quincy Market...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Copley...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Waterfront...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Quincy Market and Copley...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Quincy Market and Waterfront...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Quincy Market and Copley and Waterfront...

Bid $110

Any questionsl freel free to ask.

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

I am perplexed. I am losing confidence on being able to explain things anymore in my old age!

I would have thought the 3* bid would be the last one to make in a series. Is it unreasonable to START at 4* to bid, and then after all the zones are used up, to drop to 3.5*, and last resort drop to 3*?

Your strategy is the opposite of what I usually do, and seems I have not much chance getting a 4* this way, or am I not understanding something?

I can't help but think I am not expressing myself clearly AGAIN! I promise I am not trying to be difficult !!!

Anyway, thanks for all your help trying to decipher what's in my mind.

I would like the least expensive 3* or better in either the quincy market, copley, or waterfront zones.

We supplied a strategy based upon your comment above... the least expensive 3* or better in any of the three zones.

Is this not what you're seeking?

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

Yes, I am willing to go down to 3* after I try first at 4*. I really don't know how to word it. :)

This is what I would do, so please tell me what I should have stated.

I was thinking of the following, but asking for a logical starting bid as prices are so high.

$80( or the amount you suggest) 4* Quincy market. if rejected close browser and make same for Theater, if rejected close browser make same bid for Waterfront. If rejected drop to

$80 3.5* Quincy market if rejected..close browser and bid the other zones individually ,etc " " " then close browser and drop to

3* $80 Quincy market if rejected close browser, bid another zone, etc.

Then as to not have to wait 24 hrs. I would raise my 4* bid ( by how much?)and start over with 2 zones at once, ( a combination I had not used earlier) Quincy M. and Theater. Close, do same bid for Q.M. and W., then Theater, W . , doing the same then at 3.5*, then 3*.

In a nutshell this is the order I was THINKING I would like to try, and assumed I would get the fine tweeking from you. Am I approaching this logically? Or have I not thought this out properly?

So my question is "How should I have worded this request?"

I guess I don't know how to say it. I am so sorry for all the time you have spent with me. But thank you VERY MUCH. I hope to be able to add something POSITIVE on this thread at some point.. like a nice win with your advice.

I tried to only add this

"I just saw that the 4* Nine Zero and the 4* Onyx are selling for $202 for those dates compared to the $259 Doubletree and $252 Collonade. Does this improve my chances in your opinion? Thanks."

..but the entire post reposted. Sorry. Can't find the edit function today for some reason.

Where are you seeing the Nine Zero for $202... i just went to their website and it's over $500/nite.

It is there through "easyclicktravel"

The way their business model works i wouldn't be too encouraged that your PRICELINE bids will be accepted based upon the $200 ECT rate... their rates are often not correlated to true supply/demand as they often buy blocks of rooms at deep discounts and sell them at a mark-up. So they already own the rooms at a contracted rate, determined by the entire block, and are not subject to the same tight demand as the majority of other suppliers on these particular dates.

I really think your chances of acceptance at this point are quite low, but if you have the time to bid, you can certainly try:

At the 4* and 3.5* level you have THREE re-bid zones... none at the 3* level. 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.

(NOTE: 're-bid zone1' is not the same as priceline's Zone1, 're-bid zone2' is not the same as priceline's Zone2, etc, etc)

Select 4* Quincy...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Copley...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Waterfrtont...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* Quincy...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* Copley...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* Waterfrtont...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Quincy...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Copley...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Waterfrtont...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Quincy and re-bid zone1...

Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Copley and re-bid zone1...

Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Waterfrtont and re-bid zone1...

Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* Quincy and re-bid zone1...

Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* Copley and re-bid zone1...

Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* Waterfrtont and re-bid zone1...

Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Quincy and Copley...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Copley and Waterfront...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Quincy and re-bid zone3...

Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $108, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $110, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Copley and re-bid zone3...

Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $108, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $110, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Waterfrtont and re-bid zone3...

Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $108, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $110, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* Quincy and re-bid zone3...

Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $108, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $110, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* Copley and re-bid zone3...

Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $108, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $110, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* Waterfrtont and re-bid zone3...

Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $108, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $110, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Quincy and Copley and Waterfront...

Bid $110

Any questions feel free to ask.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Thank you so much. As soon as I get this coordinated, I will let you know how it is going! I greatly appreciate all the time you invested with me here.

Just wanted you to know I am not ignoring the advice. There has been a medical emergency. Once that is given the "go - head" we will proceed.

I am so glad we hadn't delved into this yet. Thanks for your tips. That is the strategy I could use for any stay in Boston, just hopefully lower the first bids if it isn't an event weekend.

No problem... thanks for the update.

Good luck with whatever issues have come up... we'll be here whenever you're ready :)

Wow. To say I am elated is an understatement. Having seen Wes S previous Priceline Win for Saturday night, I tried my luck in this zone only (after spending two evenings trying to get something in Copley and Quincy-Financial area up to $130 for three nights starting May 15th, trying 4*, then dropping to 3.5*)

I first tried $69 for may 15-18. 4* Waterfront..... Rejected

Then changed the dates to May 16-18th.... Accepted.

Thanks you so much for posting Wes S.

The extend your stay is $291 which I did not accept. I hope to see this hotel on Hotwire later or get lucky closer to the date.. or.. will have to stay elsewhere the first night. With these savings I am not concerned.

Of course I used the PRICELINE link here, and am thrilled to be back online as I was unable to connect here for quite awhile. Seems my computer glitch has been resolved!

The hotel I won is the Renaissance, forgot to add to title.