Chris26WI

You cannot loose anything if you try for 5 star for 100 $ offer... however you won't probably be successful. However, you can still bid for 4 stars after that. I wouldn't expect high prices for a Friday night, probably more for a night during the week. As you still have some time, you can start quite "low" I think, maybe starting with 70$something.. and go higher after the 72hours passed... (or you bid on PL SG/HKG).

Really don't remember my bidding history clearly (tried for two different weekends), but for that one I started with Mayfair-Soho and Regents Street, 4star, rejected upt to 88$, rejected, added Kensington, lowered to 75$, accepted. Holiday Inn Kensington Forum Kensington - Earls Court - Knightsbridge 97 Cromwell Road London, United Kingdom 44-207-3705757 Check-In Date: Fri, Aug 5, 2005 Check-Out Date: Sun, Aug 7, 2005 Your Offer Price: $75.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 2 Subtotal: $150.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $35.06 Total Charges: $185.06 (used savingsbarn.com) Offical rates 63 Pounds/night (prepayed, no refund), which is around 118$ incl. taxes.

The HI Asia World gets good reviews, if I remember right (not sure where I read these).. seems to be a Holiday Inn above average.

Only the Marriott appeared several times as a 4 star. Not sure about 3 stars.

Which one did you get? You didn't include name and address...?

Well.. I think I can not really help.... I always passed via Macau towards Hongkong.... but from Tsim Tsa Tsui you can go to Lantau (Airport) by subway.. takes maybe 40 mins..

290 SG$ = 174 US$ 1609 HK$ = 206 US$ 2500 HK$ = 321 US$ 933 HK$ = 119 US$ 742 HK$ = 95 US$ 400 HK$ = 52 US$ (sorry, can't edit the previous post anymore) [easier for us Europeans to calculate... because 1 Euro is almost the same to 10 HK$]

Well, after beeing rejected serveral times on PL US for 5-star HK for 1 night, Jan1st to 2nd, up to 145 US$, I went to PL Singapore and started bidding at 180SG$ for 5-star, West HK Island, TST and Central Kowloon... headed my way up to 265SG$..always rejected.. then entered 290SG$.. and got: "We found a hotel that would have accepted your offer, however the charge for your hotel room(s) was not approved by your credit card company. If you can use another credit card, you can try this same request again right now by entering the information below." Including taxes and fees, this would result in a price of 344,20 SG$ per night. Converted to HK$, this would be about 1609.40 HK$. Currently, I am holding a cancellable back-up reservation for the Inter-Continental Grand Stanford Kowloon for 2203.05 HK$ incl. taxes (side harbour view room, including benefit of "upgrade to Junior Suite or Club room, UPON AVAILABILITY"). The following hotels seem to be very probable for the Priceline-bid (I add the current prices per night for that date): *JW Marriott (2250 HK$+13% = 2542.50 HK$) *Grand Hyatt (2081 HK$+13% = 2351.53 HK$, prepayment) *Inter-Continental (1775HK$+13% = 2005.75 HK$, gov rate) *Inter-Continental Grand Stanford (1075HK$+13% = 1214.75 HK$, prepayment) The Sheraton, the Langham and the Harbour Plaza show "no availibility" in their websites. As the Intercontis haven't shown up yet as far as I know (but are still possible) the most probable hotels seem to be the JW Marriott and the Grand Hyatt IMO. So in case of the JW I'd save 933 HK$, in case of the Grand Hyatt 742HK$... In case of the Inter-Conti almost 400 HK$, while the IC Stanford would be cheaper to have regularly (but I could use the best price guarantee in this case). I am not really sure if I was much happier with the JW Marriott, as it seems to be a nice 5star, but nothing special? (never stayed there before), however I'd like to stay one night in Central HK too.. not sure. I don't think that the situation will improve towards the end of the year, as the 1st of January really seems to be top peak season... - I want to go to Brunei after Hong Kong, but the Sheraton Utama in Brunei shows already now no availiblity for first week of January (or net yet bookable in starwood.com?).. and the Empire Hotel is decently more expensive.. - So to fly to Brunei already on Jan1st doesn't seem to be a cheaper solution in this case, currently.. Probably it's the best to stay with the cancellable reservation at the Standford for now? However, this "Priceline thrill" and the curiousity what hotel that might be are tough too.... ---- ps.: tried before for 4 star TST and West HK Island too... rejected up to 165SG$. Kowloon Hotel, Cosmopolitan Hotel, Eaton Hotel show no availibility. Renaissance Harbour View wants >2000 HK$/night, same as New World Renaissance...

Sorry, don't know the link anymore :-( - I would'nt put too much into that "retail price" that Priceline gives..

I strongly assume this 3 star in Cairns is the Holiday Inn... and the 5star in Sufers Paradise is very probably the Marriott, yeah. Well, yes, for Priceline HK I know there are some chinese boards with winning bids reported... but unless you speak Chinese... (or at least can read Chinese :-) )... bad luck!

Well, I'd say, nothing is really "safe" within Priceline... but anyway... chances might look well that the former Park Plaza doesn't appear anymore.. though it's no guarantee... (I think also individual hotels can participate in Priceline)... Apparently the Le Meridien has shown up some times already as 4star which seems to be nice deal.. and the Renaissance + Crowne Plaza will probably still participate. So I'd take the risk.. maybe for one night only to check.. (however there seems to be some Park Inns in Cologne now according to parkplaza.com..).

China Airlines has a promotion currently, including 2 nights in Club room of the Regent... in case you'll be taking CI on your way to Taipei. http://www.china-airlines.com/en/dp/promotion/pro1.htm

...apparently they reconstructed it now using a backup :-/

Tried it, but it gave me "Blue Status" only.. but your link says "Eligibility is subject to confirmation of your Citigroup Chairman Card membership." .. so that's probably why..

Yep, as written.. ("Accepted on first offer") :) Tried before for another weekend (Jun18/19th) up to 48US$, but was rejected. Was a little bit hoping for the Marriott (which is more centrally located and more expensive than the Renaissance) otherwise I would have booked the Ren regularly.

Renaissance Brussels Hotel Brussels Rue Du Parnasse 19 Brussels, Belgium 32 2 5052929 Check-In Date: Saturday, July 2, 2005 Check-Out Date: Sunday, July 3, 2005 Your Offer Price: $58.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $58.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $20.92 Total Charges: $78.92 Accepted on first offer, marriott.com says 79 Euro incl. breakfast & tax (Marriott Elite rate) or 85 Eur weekend rate without breakfast, but including taxes. So not a huge saving. (Used savingsbarn link)

Sure, I didn't like the Marriott too much too.. and as what I've heared they don't really take good care of status card members.. so what you'll get is the lounge access, nothing more. And they didn't credit me any points or stay credit in the Marriott, although I asked them before tu put my MR in the booking (but they never answered)..

95$ should be a great price for the Raffles Plaza... tried too before.. but didn't go too high because I didn't really want the Conrad (which is possible too)... At least, I liked the stay in the Stamford quite a lot which is managed by Raffles too.

Not sure.. but as i roughly remember, the Westin will go from around 100$ (depending on season +/-), the Holiday Inn Asia World for less, while the Sheraton hasn't shown up for quite some time, if I remember correctly. Maybe the Sheraton was upgraded to 5star, but not sure at all.

...apparently ezboards had a 'internet attack' during the last days... TOBB is still missing all entries... at least I cannot see any details to any reported bid..

Yeah, I think for the peak season, it's better to book as far ahead as possible.. at least if you want to stay in some fixed zone and/or hotel class...

Got already a positive reply from priceline: "Amount Charged by Priceline (Including Taxes and Fees): $184.76 Available Total Charges (Including Taxes and Fees): $117.00 Total Refund: $67.76" :)

Finally filled the missing night... rejected up to 185SG$ for TST+West HK Island, added East HK Island and increased by 3SG$.. Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel Tower 20 Nathan Road Hong Kong, Hong Kong 852-23691111 Check-In Date: Wednesday, 28 December 2005 Check-Out Date: Thursday, 29 December 2005 Your Offer Price: SG$188 (~ 113 US$) Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: SG$188 Taxes: SG$24.44 Processing Fee: SG$16.50 (per offer) Total Lodging Charges: SG$228.94 Sheraton.com says 1150HK$/night+taxes, so around 170US$ incl. taxes.

Not such good deal after all! Saw this hotel for the same dates for 117 US$ per night incl. tax at another travel site (marked as "available"). Will try Priceline's best price guarantee.

...messed this up a little bit.. as I wanted West HK Island... and forgot that Central Kowloon isn't a free rebid... so I got the Harbour Plaza.. (150$ for HK West Island were rejected before.. added Central Kowloon and increased by 5$)... well, will check this place out... offical rates according to their webpage start at around 300US$++ per night, so still some savings. Harbour Plaza Hong Kong Central Kowloon 20 Tak Fung Street Hung Hom Hong Kong, Hong Kong 852-29968017 Check-In Date: Tuesday, December 27, 2005 Check-Out Date: Wednesday, December 28, 2005 Your Offer Price: $155.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $155.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $29.76 Total Charges: $184.76 (ps.: used the savingsbarn-link... usually I remember doing the PL US bidding via that link nowadays :-) )