Chris26WI

Yes, that's absolutely true... it's just the "problem" to find the Marriott Riverside in the 4-star category too.. which is really a 5-star hotel (and usually as expensive as the "PL-5-star" JW Marriott in marriott.com or other travel sites)... If you want to spend a bit more for much more, I'd recommend the upgrade to executive floor. The free food in the lounge (breakfast and "snacks" in the evening) together with the great view to the Chao Phraya from the lounge is worth it alone. But I have to admit that I don't know the standard rooms - which look quite nice in the website... Strange the less expensive rooms (Plaza Tower) are renovated and the more expensive ones (Crown Tower) are not... (yet?)

Yeah, I think so... 35$ seems to be the bottomline for Holiday Inn Bkk... I tried before with 30 and maybe 32$ (don't remember 100%) - always been rejected. Indeed, I can imagine that 5star in this peak period is hard to get in Bkk. So you should be glad with the Holiday Inn - especially at that price! Oops.. and yeah.. for Priceline UK/US, 40 US$ is the minimum bid for 4star level.. so you can't succeed there with a 35$-bid for a 4-star hotel.. that's why you have to bid 3-star there hoping to get upgraded to 4star (which can fail, however... see my Tawana Ramada post).

Wow, that's cool.... I didn't really imagine that you'll get the 35$-deal for the HI BKK over New Year - which is top peak season in Bangkok!!! Congrats!! Have you been upgraded to a 4-star hotel, or just bid for 4-star with this price (which is possible in Priceline HK)?

Well, he's been used to these deals already from Thailand.... - so I will just have to satisfy his expectations ;-)

Marriott Berlin Inge-beisheim-platz 1 Berlin, 10785 Germany 49-30-220000 http://marriott.com/property/propertyPage....arshaCode=BERMC Check-In Date: Friday, 10 December 2004 Check-Out Date: Sunday, 12 December 2004 Your Offer Price: HK$420 (~54US$) Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 2 Subtotal: HK$840 Taxes: HK$133.36 Processing Fee: HK$75 Total Lodging Charges: HK$1,048.36 ----- Started with offer of 410HK$ for one night -> rejected; added 2nd night, bid 420HK$-> accepted ----- Will have a friend from Asia visting me for end of this year, and so we'll do some travelling around Germany.... This is currently probably one of the best Priceline deals for Germany... 54$++ for the quite new Marriott Berlin (which is a 5star in German hotel listings) is just a steal! - Marriott.com says cheapest rate 136 EUR incl. taxes (170$) per night (room only)... I pay 53 EUR incl. PL fees and taxes per night, so a saving of more than 60 %!!! for these dates

Thanks, DeltaPurser.. the Sofitels have appeared several times for Europe PL bookings already so I wasn't really surprised... I was expecting the Intercontinental or the Sofitel... (and hoping for the Hyatt Regency ;-) )... Well, maybe I could have gotten it somewhat cheaper but there were no free re-bids ... so what... I've read positive reports about the Sofitel Mondial in German cosumer sites already, so I am quite confident. For sure, I will post a review and pictures in realhotelphotos.com

Sofitel Cologne Mondial Am Dom Kurt Hackengerg Platz 1 Cologne, 50667 Germany 49 221 20 630 http://www.sofitel.com/ Zone: Cologne Your Offer Price: HK$695 (~89 US$) Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: HK$695 Taxes: HK$110.89 Processing Fee: HK$75 (per offer) Total Lodging Charges: HK$880.89 ----- Happy with this place... - I didn't want to risk the Park Plaza (or Bestern Western Premier nowadays, after the name change) anymore.. so I didn't bid for 4-star.. and just went ahead with 5-star.. starting at 545 HK$ and just adding 50 HK$ three times.. till I got the Sofitel... Sofitel.com says special internet rate for this date for two incl. b/f 116 Eur, so not extreme saving (HK$881~90 EUR), but still ok.

Don't use the drop line list.. it's only a selection of the locations... click on the little line below.. "other destinations" -> India...

You can bid for New Delhi and Mumbai on Priceline Hongkong.

...well... seem to be bad news (price-level)... March is already low-season again... - but however, sure the SGS is one of my favourite Bangkok places as well... I like it more than the JW, but maybe not more than the Westin...;-)

I prearranged an upgrade to executive floor for only 24US$++ surcharge which is absolutely worth it IMHO (excellent lounge breakfast and dinner "snacks" buffet). And the euro is strong, so cheap for me ;-). Allover 73 US$ net / night for executive room .... Holiday-Inn.com says 116 US$ net / night for executive room for the same period... so a huge saving!

You can still read the board, but you'll have to clean the respective cookies before so that you're not recognized anymore...

Holiday Inn Silom Bangkok Riverside - Silom 981 Silom Road Bangkok, Thailand 662-238-4300 Check-In Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 Check-Out Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2004 Your Offer Price: HK$350 (~45 US$) Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: HK$350 Taxes: HK$48.44 Processing Fee: HK$75 Total Lodging Charges: HK$473.44

The only 5-stars in "Riverside-Silom" next to the river is the Shangri-La. Rates on priceline for the Sha-La depend on the season.. starting from as low as 55 US$ (low-season + PL fees + taxes).. just check the other entries here in the board. (The Banyan Tree is the other 5star in "riverside-Silom" - but it's not on the river but in Sathorn, and usually goes for higher prices then the Shangri-La.) I got the Sha-La for HK$681 (~ 87 US$) lately for 1 night in November (see my respective post).

The asian Priceline-sites are hold by Hutchison Hongkong, in a sort of franchise from Priceline US.

Happy you were successful... You will like the JW, it's a very nice hotel in central location.

Well, - by exception - I wanted the Holiday Inn (because I needed one more night in Bangkok and didn't want to change hotels again for this one night.... which is followed by 2 other nights in the HI already).. and didn't want to try the 3-star-upgrade tactics anymore (since I got the Tawana Ramada last time).... Holiday Inn Silom Bangkok Riverside - Silom 981 Silom Road Bangkok, Thailand 662-238-4300 Check-In Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2004 Check-Out Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 Your Offer Price:

Why don't you just do a cancellable reservation for a hotel in London via one of the usual travel sites (or hotel group sites). You can still cancel after you get the visa and try to book via PL.

... I even book my hotels via Priceline before I book my flights!!! And choose some of my vacation places by the fact if I can book via Priceline there... that's really crazy :)

... well, I think because of surprises like this... I am addicted to Priceline...;-), it's the thrill everytime ;-))

hehe maybe... but I know the Ramada Tawana.. I mean from outside.. it's good location, but seems to be a bit run-down already inside.. but maybe you're right...

Here we go again.... Marriott Jw In Bangkok Sukhumvit 4 Sukhumvit Soi 2 Bangkok, Thailand Check-In Date: Sun, Nov 21, 2004 Check-Out Date: Mon, Nov 22, 2004 Your Offer Price: $77.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $77.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $20.46 Total Charges: $97.46 ---------- Go it on first try (ticked all areas Riverside&Sukhumvit&Siam) Well... now I will have 1 night JW Marriott, 1 night Ramada Tawana, 1 night JW Marriott.... :) - so maybe I will drop this 1 night at the Ramada and go for one more at the JW, will see....

Ohmygod, what am I doing... hotelhopping in Bangkok? Well, at least, here's a very new sight for Bangkok.... a 3 star in Riverside-Silom Ramada Tawana Riverside - Silom 80 Surawongse Rd Bangkok, Thailand 66-2-2360361 Check-In Date: Sat, Nov 20, 2004 Check-Out Date: Sun, Nov 21, 2004 http://www.ramadainternational.com/bkkhw Your Offer Price: $49.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $49.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $15.09 Total Charges: $64.09 ---- Cannot remember my bidding history clearly, but quite a history! Finally added 3-star for Riverside/Silom to get a re-bid (expecting it's a free rebid).. and boom.... Tawana Ramada.. (45 US$ before had been for sure rejected for 4-star riverside/silom)...

Marriott Jw In Bangkok Sukhumvit 4 Sukhumvit Soi 2 Bangkok, Thailand Check-In Date: Friday, 19 November 2004 Check-Out Date: Saturday, 20 November 2004 Your Offer Price:

Holiday Inn Golden Mile Tsim Sha Tsui 50 Nathan Road Kowloon, Hong Kong Check-In Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2004 Check-Out Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2004 Your Offer Price: $81.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $81.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $17.80 Total Charges: $98.80 ---- Accepted on first bid