vanpoodle

I spent some more time on this. I re-read about using re-bids. I hadn't realized PL would consider adding the re-bid zones together as an additional bid, I thought I was more restricted than that. Previously, I'd manage about 25 bids using combinations of the re-bid zones plus zones I'd already bid on. I learned that with all the combinations I could squeeze out 31 bids at a session (but oh boy a whole lot of browser closing and re-entry of details!). In $1 increments today (of course using the PRICELINE link) I went from $115 to $145 with Notting Hill, Bloomsbury, Regents Park and Mayfair. Still nada, zip, zero, not even a counteroffer. I appear to still be well below retail rates, even our "favourite" Copthorne Tara is at $261 at a site which emailed me to say it had a special 24 hour deal on hotels. So in the short term I'll inch a bit higher on my bids. Not sure though whether to lay off and start again later at a lower level hoping that rates may come down a bit closer to our stay or whether to just keep going like I have been (or if availability tightens up and could therefore end up at a crazy guest house out by the airport or the like because there's nothing else...). Would love some advice if anyone has any wisdom to share. Budget really isn't the issue (we'll pay what we need to pay, though certain family members were really hoping I could keep my brilliant PL streak of less than $100 a night going!), I want something that's a decent enough price below retail to make it worth my while to be "surprised" with where we'll be staying, if that makes sense. I just haven't seen many posts for 4* that are much higher than where I've gotten to in bidding in quite some time, so I seem to have hit some nasty dates. I had also made bids on Kensington, City, Islington, Westminster and Chelsea up to $105 just in case there was a deal there. I'm not as crazy about those zones, but if something cheap were available there I'd deal with the hassle. Hotwire appears to have VERY slim pickings for those dates.

Got it -- it worked fine today! Not sure what was going on yesterday, I tried a couple of times just to be sure it wasn't my computer, but I guess it probably was. If you're making tweaks to BetterChecker anyway to add 2012, could you add Starwood? Also, Millennium/Copthorne are a chain in London, if they're not too "local" could they be added?

Thanks for looking into those Hotwire listings. Oddly, those were the only hotels on Hotwire today. Nothing in any of the other zones at all, just those 4 hotels listed with 4* or more. Not sure if I should be concerned yet that I may need to pay close to regular retail prices (gulp). I had another round of PL bidding today and went up to $124, still no sign of even a counteroffer. I'll still have faith and only inch up slowly in the bidding.

You can only bid once every 24 hours for the same zone. So if you only bid on Mayfair and wanted to start fresh, you would close the browser and then start again with a new zone like Notting Hill. Mayfair could then be added in as a rebid to Notting Hill. Then if nothing there, close out of the brower, use the PRICELINE link again and do a bid for somewhere like Bloomsbury, and then you could piggy back bids for Mayfair and Notting Hill from that new bid.

I just tried the BetterChecker link but I got a "site not found" error. Is it still in use?

Thanks for the idea -- there's a Chelsea/Knightsbridge/Battersea area 4* (80% recommend) with just gym, restaurant, business centre and internet for $153 but not enough info to identify I'm guessing. Kensington-Earls Court 4* $175 (with no recommendation info) with the exact same amenities. The zones are so big, the eastern half would be a great location but if I got anything in the western half I'd be out in the sticks. Regent's Park 4* for $319 (same icons plus no smoking icon), Mayfair 4-1/2* for $436. Those prices aren't fantastic, though with the exchange the Regent's Park would be $10 less than the Hilton I've got as backup.

Initially I was bidding for 2 rooms 8 nights from Nov 5-13. I went up to $105 over the course a few weeks in August for Kensington, Notting Hill, Regents Park, Bloomsbury, Mayfair. Then in mid-September (I took a break), in order to accommodate a family member, I thought I'd split it to 2-3-3 nights with the middle 3 being for 3 rooms. I have posted my wins in Notting Hill for Nov 5 & 6 ($84) and Nov 11,12,13 ($83), both at the Hilton Hyde Park. The middle 3 are proving tougher. I bid a few times a week and have slowly been creeping higher, am now up to $119 without even a counteroffer appearing. I have been bidding (using your PRICELINE link) on Kensington, Notting Hill, Regents Park, Bloomsbury, Mayfair. But then they changed the Hilton Olympia to a 4*, so I've now decided that I'll stop bidding on Kensington past $100 (I'd be content with Kensington's less desired hotels below $100 only -- the more I pay the pickier I get) and have added Westminster and the City and London Bridge into the mix after looking at what is on the hotel lists and the PL retail side and I figure that most of those would be acceptable. My preference would be Notting Hill, Regents Park, Bloomsbury, Mayfair. I'm not bidding Chelsea/Knightsbridge because there are a few too many hotels in the mix that are too difficult to get to and from. I've also tried bidding for a 5* and went up to $161 for Notting Hill, Bloomsbury, Westminster, Mayfair and Regents Park. I reckoned that if it ends up that I can snag one for not much more than a 4* I'd give it a whirl. I won't go lower than 4* for London. World Travel Market is on those dates so I'm wondering if that has anything to do with the hotel market tightening up. In looking at other booking sites I'm finding that overall things are fairly expensive for those nights. I have a cancellable Hilton Euston booked as backup at GBP199 a night, so basically, I'll keep bidding until I get within range of that or whatever non-cancellable deals I find on the internet closer to departure. I'm just looking to get the best deal I can at this point, I did very well for 5 nights below $85, so we've just got these 3 more expensive ones to get. I've got lots of time so I'm slowly creeping higher with my bids and not rushing it.

I've decided to be very careful bidding in Kensington for the next while for 4*, the Olympia being upgraded to 4* means that there are now somewhat slimmer pickings in terms of desirability and with that one it is mostly location. The NH Harrington Hall was quite nice, as is Baily's across the street from it, but I tend to look at the list and make sure I can live with all of the possible hotels before bidding and be prepared to get the least desirable one on the list. Once I need to place bids over $100 because nothing lower is being accepted I get a lot pickier and stop adding Kensington to my zones.

I haven't tried adding a night because I booked two rooms on this bid, and the 3 prior nights will have 3 rooms since I'm also bidding for a family member who will be visiting us there just for a portion of our trip. So, like a lot of my life, it gets complicated! and yes, I did use your PRICELINE link when I did some bidding this morning for those 3 rooms. I'll slowly keep creeping higher in my bidding over the next few weeks.

Opened bidding at $79 for Notting Hill, was counteroffered at $96. Added Kensington, then Hammersmith and Wembley in $1 increments (learned from previous bid) and bid accepted at $83. Great weekend rate -- am trying to infill for the 3 nights prior but appears I will have to bid quite a bit higher. Have gone up to $119 in slow increments over the past few weeks and not even a counteroffer in sight.

I realized that the details got cut out Nov 5&6, $84 a night, then Nov 10,11&12 for $83 a night, same hotel.

I booked this a couple of weeks ago but only just joined your forum this morning now that I know about Priceline, a friend told me all about it. I started at $79 for both sets of stays, was counteroffered $96. Added in Kensington in my next bid at $84 and was accepted. Got wiser the second time and came back at $83 with Kensington and was accepted.