tenngirl

London can be tricky for PRICELINE, but at 5* you have 6 free re-bids, so hopefully you will get lucky! I would suggest trying to stay in Westminster, which is centrally located (walking distance) for all of the main tourist attractions (Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Downing St, Trafalgar Sq, theatres in the West End, the National Gallery, Tate Modern, London Eye, etc). From the posts on this board, it looks like only bids above $210 have won 5* hotels in London. I would suggest starting at $190 (since you have so many free re-bids) and increase by $5 each time. BEFORE YOU BID, double check that the zones listed below are still free rebid zones for 5* hotels (meaning they don't offer 5* hotels in that zone). 5* Westminster $190 if rejected, add Bloomsbury - Marble Arch $195 if rejected, add Finsbury and Islington $200 if rejected, add Hammersmith $205 if rejected, add Notting Hill

If you are unsuccessful with Priceline, I'd try HOTWIRE--I found much better London deals there after my PRICELINE bidding failed. This site has a list of Hotwire hotels to help you guess which one you are buying.

Put them in the topic line, don't know where they went. $105, 7/16/08. Thanks!

Very pleased to get this hotel. Booked on 7/14/08 after 5 failed bids on PRICELINE. Express By Holiday Inn London - Earl's Court 295 North End Road London, W14 9NS United Kingdom 011 44 207 384 5151 Amenities: Complimentary breakfast, high-speed internet access Trip Advisor rating: 4.5 out of 5 Hotwire rating: 3 out of 5 Used the BetterBidding HOTWIRE link. Thanks!

Hotel - 1 room, 1 night The Grand at Trafalgar Square, Club Quarters 8 Northumberland Ave London, WC2N 5BY United Kingdom 011-44-207-451-5600 Check-in date Thu, Jul 3, 2008 Check-out date Fri, Jul 4, 2008 $149 per night, excluding taxes and fees. Amenities include internet and fitness center. Room was clean, modern, comfortable and very quiet. Also had central AC and Heat, rare for London. Hotel is in perfect central location for sightseeing (Trafalgar Sq, Westminster, Downing St, Buckingham Palace, West End theatres, London Eye), located 200 yards from either Charing Cross (Northern, Bakerloo) or Embankment (Norther, District, Circle) tube stations.

Yes, I won it as 4*. Hopefully it really is up to 4* standards!

Exactly--I thought there was a chance it wouldn't take again but given that I had 5 rebids for that option, I thought it was worth a shot.

FYI, I just recently stayed near the Mondrian and it looks like it is under heavy construction. It may not be the nicest place at the moment, and I think the Sky Bar is also closed.

Started bidding at $66 and went up to $86, increasing by $5 each time.

4/2 - 4/3 Westin LAX for $76 Initial bid at $66, offered to give me a "free" rebid if I increased by $17, which I did not do as I knew I was close and had 5 free rebids left. Raised bid by $5 each time, was accepted at $76 for the Westin LAX.

3* Beverly Hills--West Hollywood, Hyatt on Sunset, $130 3/28 - 3/30 I decided to add Santa Monica as an area I'd stay in and was willing to drop my star level because I couldn't really go over $155. My new bidding strategy was: 4* Beverly Hills--$145 add Lawndale--$150 add Santa Monica--$155 Add 3* level--$130 accepted. By adding the 3* level I knew I could try for a 4* up to my limit but then drop my price back down after I added the 3*. I only used free rebid zones that didn't have 3* in my initial bid (only Lawndale), knowing that I would drop my star level if my first three bids failed. Thanks for the help!

Unfortunately I can't split my bid, and I am trying to stay below $125 if possible. I posted this before I read the FAQ about when to bid, so it looks like I am stuck. Thanks!

Yes, I thought I'd try hotwire if my priceline bid failed again tomorrow.

Boutique, golf nearby, Tennis nearby, high-speed internet 3.5*, $156 per night, 25% off retail. Thanks!

I totally did. It was the hilton.

Hi, I neeed to stay in LA, preferably 4* in Beverly Hills on 3/28 and 3/29, but have been rejected at $125 (started at $100 and used all my rebids). Any advice other than wait 24 hrs and try again? Is there a chance I could get a 4* in a few days (i.e. closer to the date) for less than $120? Thanks!

oops forgot dates--2/21 thru 2/22, 2 rooms.

Tried for 4* in White House/Downtown with following bids $66 $75 $85 Tried new bid for 4* in Georgetown/Foggy Bottom $69 Accepted Areas are very close together, so it worked out well! :)

I was thinking about doing this to try for the omni too, so thanks for sharing--it will save me some cash! I think priceline always give you the lowest priced hotel in the star level you requested. I thought that was how they get their money. When you get "upgraded" to a higher star level, I think what actually happens is the higher star hotel was actually cheaper than the ones in the level you chose.

first bid accepted, was offered $3 upgrade to full-size.

First bid $75 accepted

$50 Winning bid on priceline for 3* in Charlottesville VA for 12/4-12/6. First bid was accepted.