arbitrageur

Thereuare, You've once again made me think about things in a different light. I decided to use different max price limit bids for respective hotel star qualities. My thoughts before bidding were -- 4* Max bid = $95, 3* and 2.5* Max bid = $80. I got the 4* Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf, bidding through savingsbarn.com. Check-In Date: Sunday, April 9, 2006 Check-Out Date: Friday, April 14, 2006 Hotel Name: Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf 2500 Mason Street San Francisco, California 94133 415-362-5500 Summary of Charges Your Offer Price: $85.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 5 Subtotal: $425.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $72.80 Total Charges: $497.80 In case anyone wants to try for these dates, I bid the following for a 4*: FW - 65, 70, 75, 80 USE - 65, 70, 75, 80 USW - 65, 70, 75, 80 FW + USE - $85 and accepted Thanks again! FYI: I'll need another 5 night hotel stay in San Francisco from 4/17-4/22. I'll separate that in another post, but will most likely use the same bid strategy for those dates tomorrow.

Can anyone give me advice on how to get a good deal on a one-way rental from LAX or LGB to Minneapolis? The rates I've pulled up on National for a one-way rental appear to be 1/3 higher than a standard rental.

Should I even try bidding for hotels greater than 2.5* or would it be a waste of time?

Hi, I'm bidding for a friend that will need a hotel from 4/9-4/14 in either the USE, USW or FW areas. I'm looking at price over star quality at this point with a max bid of $80/night. I'd like to stay in a 2.5* or greater. I'm also willing to split that stay (3 nights / 2 nights) or try bidding 4 nights first and then using the priceline add a night feature. Please post a bidding strategy, or any suggestions. (P.S. I just returned from a 2 week east coast vacation with all hotels booked with help from betterbidding.com. Thanks..... :) )

Hi, Can someone please help me identify the hotel listed below. Thanks in advance. ___________________ Details for your 2.5-star hotel in Civic Center Hotel Details Check in:CheckInDate:Sun, Apr 9, 2006 Check out:CheckOutnDate:Fri, Apr 14, PricePerRoomPerson:$57per room per night Retail: $87.00 You save: $30.00 Hotel Amenities Restaurant(s) Property offers at least one restaurant on the premises; hours and days of operation may vary.

I don't think my original target of $85 was realistic based on the prices I was pulling up (> $300/night). $15 x 5 = $75 over my original budget. It was still cheaper than anything else I could find and just about in line with my backup reservation in Arlington. I'm curious if prices will drop closer to my stay dates though.

I decided to give priceline a spin again, raising my max limits significantly and adding Dupont Circle. I ended up with the Washington Court Hotel for $110 in the Conv. Ctr. area and didn't have to split my stay. I'll list my bid history below just in case anyone else wants to try for these dates. Used the sbarn link. Thank you all for your help. ________ 4* Dupont Circle - $97, 110, 120, 122, 124 Downtown - $97, 110, 120, 122, 124 Convention Center - $97, 110, 120, 122, 124 3* Dupont Circle - 100, 105 Downtown - 100, 105 Conv. Center - 100 (got a free rebid for $22 extra so I knew I was close). Then bid 105 Dupont Circle + Conv. Center - $110 accepted ___________ Washington Court Hotel Check-In Date: Monday, March 20, 2006 Check-Out Date: Saturday, March 25, 2006 Convention Ctr - Capitol Hill Area 525 New Jersey Avenue, Nw Washington, District Of Columbia 20001 202-628-2100 See Hotel Website View Map and Directions Reservation and Billing Information Check-In Date: Mon, Mar 20, 2006 Check-In Time: After 04:00 PM Check-Out Date: Sat, Mar 25, 2006 Check-Out Time: 12:00 PM Your Offer Price: $110.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 5 Subtotal: $550.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $89.84 Total Charges: $639.84

Can anyone tell me the name of the 3.5* hotel listed below on Hotwire for $129/night? Thanks. Details for your 3.5-star hotel in The White House - Capitol Hill Hotel Details Check in:silkCheckInDate:Mon, Mar 20, 2006Check out:silkCheckOutnDate:Sat, Mar 25, 2006Hotel name:Hotwire Hotel Supplier Our 3.5-star hotel suppliers include: Hilton, Millennium, Crowne Plaza, plus other top brands and quality hotels. When do I learn the hotel's name?Ratings Guide 59% savingssilkPricePerRoomPerson:$129per room per night Retail: $317.60 You save: $188.60 < Back About This Deal What you'll get: A room in a quality name-brand or trusted independent hotel A location that works for you Star ratings you can trust The lowest price anywhere, guaranteed Why you'll save: Top hotels use Hotwire to fill their unsold rooms. By allowing our hotel suppliers to remain anonymous, we negotiate rates significantly lower than what you'll find on other travel sites! Once you book your room, we immediately confirm your reservation and show you the hotel's complete information, including its name and exact location. You can't get a refund or change this reservation once your purchase is complete. Hotel Amenities Boutique Hotel Property offers a distinctive, unique or eclectic atmosphere. Many boutique hotels are smaller, hip properties in an urban setting, or renovated hotels with historical flair.Fitness Center Guests have access to exercise equipment; an additional charge may apply. High-speed Internet Access Guestrooms are equipped with high-speed Internet access; an extra charge may apply.Golf Nearby Property is located within walking distance or a short drive of at least one golf course; an extra charge typically applies. Tennis Nearby Property is located within walking distance or a short drive of at least one tennis court; an extra charge typically applies.Business Center Guests have access to business equipment and services; an additional charge may apply.

Strangest thing just happened. I went to the Hotwire site and saw the 2* South of the Mall for $77 for the entire length of my stay. I again tried to book it, but after entering my credit card info, the booking failed. I called the Hotwire customer service rep, and they said it was a computer glitch and that there was no 2* South of the Mall availability. If I hit the "search again" button, the listing would vanish. Anyone else ever run into this "glitch?"

Cancellable backup is in Arlington. Not my first choice, but there just in case.

OK... I appear to be a little bit screwed at this point. I raised my max bids for a 4* to $100, 3* to $95, and 2.5* to 75. All bids failed. Luckily I have about a month to solve this. I went to book the 2* on Hotwire, still showing for $77, and after I entered my credit card info, the booking failed. I called the customer help line, and the rep believes that someone must have bid my stay dates moments before I did. I think I need to split my bid dates now. I was thinking of doing 3/20-3/23 and 3/23-3/25. Is this a good combo? Should I use the same bid strategy with the split dates?

OK, this is the only leg of my east coast trip that is not set. I plan on bidding tomorrow morning using the bid strategy above, increasing my bid limits by $10 for each star level. I've seen people snag a 4* for less than $100/night, which looks promising. Any last minute words of advice from the board?

Okay.... I struck out with the strategy above. I decided to add Copley since I saw people snagging it for $80/night. I was tight bidding from $70-$75-$77-$79 and got it for $79/night. Anyone willing to try $78? Thanks again for your help. I'll give the details of the reservation below. As usual, used the savingsbarn link. Now for the real bugger -- D.C. Marriott Copley Place Check-In Date: Thursday, March 16, 2006 Check-Out Date: Friday, March 17, 2006 Copley 110 Huntington Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02116 617-236-5800 See Hotel Website View Map and Directions Reservation and Billing Information Check-In Date: Thu, Mar 16, 2006 Check-In Time: After 04:00 PM Check-Out Date: Fri, Mar 17, 2006 Check-Out Time: 12:00 PM Your Offer Price: $79.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $79.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $17.89 Total Charges: $96.89

Well, I tried bidding via priceline using the strategy above and was unsucessful. I couldn't get myself to bid above $76 when I knew hotwire's price was only $76. So, I booked via Hotwire through the savingsbarn.com link. Got Sheraton on the Falls, as predicted by Thereuare. 3/18-3/20 1 room(s) @ $76.00 per night x 2 night(s) = $152.00 Taxes and fees: $27.75 Hotel Subtotal $179.75 Total Price $179.75 Thanks for your help. 2 more cities left to book now -- Boston and D.C.

Hi Thereuare, I think in a different post we talked about supply and demand effecting the price of a hotel. If someone purchased the 2* Capitol Hill Suites via hotwire 4 days ago for $109, yet I am now showing a quoted hotwire price of about $80 for the same hotel, is it safe to assume that there has been an increase in hotel inventory for 3/20 causing the hotwire price to drop nearly $30 for that one night?

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll give priceline a whirl this 2 more times up through this coming weekend raising all max bids by $10. If unsuccessful, I'll book through hotwire. If anyone thinks I should consider making an earlier decision, let me know. I also noticed that someone snagged the 2* Capitol Hill Suites via hotwire on February 9 for my first date of 3/20 at $109. Since my posted hotwire rates are much lower, is it safe to assume that right now, most available room inventory hasn't been released yet since I'm not even within 6 weeks of my desired date?

Okay, I took a peek at the individual dates, and its looking pretty ugly. Even L'Enfant, which I saw had several posted wins in my price range looks to have no vacancy on some of the dates. It looks like I might have to settle for the 2* on Hotwire. Any special events taking place in DC on these dates? Downtown 3* Rouge 3/20 = $339 3/21 = $339 3/22 = $339 3/23 = $309 3/24 = $249 Washington Plaza 3/20 = $299 3/21 = $299 3/22 = $299 3/23 = $299 3/24 = $169 Topaz 3/20 = $309 3/21 = $309 3/22 = $309 3/23 = $309 3/24 = $169 ______ CC L'Enfant 3/20 = $219 3/21 = no vacancy 3/22 = no vacancy 3/23 = $229 3/24 = $169 Hyatt 3/20 = $449 3/21 = $449 I stopped here to end the pain.

4* showing on Hotwire for $76/night Hotel Details CheckInDate:Sat, Mar 18, 2006 CheckOutDate:Mon, Mar 20, 2006 Hotel name:Hotwire Hotel Supplier Our 4-star hotel suppliers include: Intercontinental, Hyatt, Omni, plus other top brands and quality hotels. Hotel Amenities Restaurant(s) Property offers at least one restaurant on the premises; hours and days of operation may vary. Pool(s) Property offers at least one pool area; hours and dates of operation may be seasonal. Fitness Center Guests have access to exercise equipment; an additional charge may apply. Spa Services Guests have access to a spa facility or spa services; an extra charge typically applies. High-speed Internet Access Guestrooms are equipped with high-speed Internet access; an extra charge may apply. Children's Activity Program Property offers supervised programs, events or activities for younger guests; an additional charge may apply. Golf Nearby Property is located within walking distance or a short drive of at least one golf course; an extra charge typically applies. Business Center Guests have access to business equipment and services; an additional charge may apply.

Hi, I wouldn't mind splitting my stay at 2 different hotels, although I'd prefer not to. I'm not too sure about the mixed reviews I've read about the Capitol Hill Suites and that's why I'm hesitant to book it. I'd be comfortable bottom fishing on priceline until March 3, but for a stay as long as mine, what do you think a realistic max should be for a 3*? Thanks.

Hi, I was unsucessful bidding 4* max $90, 3* max $75, and 2.5* max $63. On my next attempt in 72h, I was going to raise my max limit on the 3* to $85 following thereuare's strategy. I think I will also keep my 2.5* max at $65 and 4* max at $90. Any other suggestions here? At what time frame do you think I should start considering splitting my bid dates? I'll post my exact bid history below: Select 4* Downtown... Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $64, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $68, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $71, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $74, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously. Select 4* Convention Center... Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $64, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $68, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $71, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $74, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously. Select 4* Downtown and Convention Center... Bid $77, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $83, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $86, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $90. ____ Select 3* White House... Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $65, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously. Select 3* Convention Center... Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $65, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously. Select 3* White House and Convention Center... Bid $70, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $75. ____ Select 2.5* Convention Center Bid $55, rejected and added Downtown Bid $63 Thanks in advance for any helpful suggestions.

In general then, would it be safe to assume that as long as your posted rates stayed unchanged, and your opaque (hotwire) sites stayed unchanged, then you could probably bottom-fish for a lower rate bidding on priceline until close to your needed date? But if you started to see the opaque sites and posted rate sites increasing, it might be best to start increasing your max priceline bid and/or using a backup plan? When evaluating the starting bid for a hotel, do you use a percentage from the lowest posted rate, or do you try to undercut the level you're getting from an opaque site?

Got the Viking for $45!!! You guys rock. Check-In Date: Friday, March 17, 2006 Check-Out Date: Saturday, March 18, 2006 Hotel Name: Hotel Viking One Bellevue Avenue Newport, Rhode Island 02840 401-847-3300 Your Offer Price: $45.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $45.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $13.33 Total Charges: $58.33 Placed through the savingsbarn link.

Since I'm travelling in the off-season, as the date of my stay approaches, would the hotwire offer generally increase, decrease, or stay the same? I'll bid on the strategy above later today and tell you how it goes.

I'm trying to snag a 3* for 1 night on 3/17 in Newport/Newport Beach. Because there have been very few winning bids posted in this area, I'm not sure where to start and am requesting bidding assistance. I'd like to keep my max bid at $80, but I don't know if that's realistic. The posted rates are as follows: 1. Hyatt - $169 2. Marriott - $155 3. Viking - $189 4. The Newport - $139 Thanks.

OK, the dates of my Niagara stay have changed and so have the prices of the rooms. I now need 2 nights -- 3/18 to 3/20. I just tried the following series of unsuccessful bids: Niagara - $60 Niag + St. Cath - $65 New Bid Niag + Welland - $72 Niag + Welland + St. Cath - $78 I just looked on hotwire, and they still have a 4* hotel going for $77 now. Do you think if I hold out is it possible to beat the hotwire price? Anyone know if that is still the Hilton?