BacSi

Hotel Central Park does seem to be a very well reviewed hotel. And while I would never stay there during normal times----just to far out for me----during the week from hadies aka IBC week---I'd be happy to get this place for $200. Keep that reservation. While we discuss $120 vs $180 vs $300 for a winning bid the fact is that during this week there may be no NYOP rooms available. The IBC is a hotel devouring monster

Good Luck But I will buy you a large drink when next in AMS if you get a win before $200. If it were me I would also consider bidding on a 3 star. Some of those may be less in demand, at least initially, more so than the 4 and 5 star hotels will be. Expense accounts. Only a two night stay? If it were at least 3 nights I might consider an apt. Some of those seem to be less used than hotels during the IBC week. At least it kind of looks that way. Apts in AMS normally require a min of 3 nights though.

Actually its worse than this. Prices will be sky high IF you can find anything. I can't remember virtually any PL NYOP wins during the IBC week as far as the last 3 years. Well well north of $150 for a 4 star IF you can find any rooms. North of $200 would be my guess IF there are any rooms to be had at all. Considering how bad the hotel direct rates will be a win at $200 for a 4 star just might be a real steal.

As long as you are not looking for Old World Charm in a 150 year old building then the Marriott is darn near perfect. Great rooms. Great beds. Great bathrooms. Great location. Fairly typical Marriott type of service. Which means pretty good. Its rated high for a reason

What is your other option----booking direct? And where is it located? How far out? For a busy June weekend you could be at or north of $140 as far as a wining bid on a 4. It has been than kind of summer. If it were me I'd bid on a 3 star. I'd not expect to get anything South of $100 a night but I'd bid up to the max of my budget. The very very very few 3 star wins I have seen over the past 5-6 years have been well located quality hotels. I loved the one I stayed at. Bidding on a 3 IMO has a lot to do with my initial question to you. What is your other option and how much will you spend for it?

Those of us like Brian who follow PL NYOP for Amsterdam every day get a good feel for pricepoints needed for a win and the hotels that show up at those pricepoints. Normally anyway----this has been a difficult summer. :-( For months and months we saw $65 (or $85) wins. We could tell you that $65 or $66 would get a win and at what hotel. Then we would see some one post that they had a first time bid and won at $110 (when $65 should have got a win) And then we would see some hotel that had not shown up in years as far as a win. Different pricepoints and different hotels That is what I was trying to say

"So, you are thinking the 4* may be the Amsterdam Hilton" I am not sure why they think this. The Hilton has for years been a mainstay 5 star hotel. ON PL as well as all other booking sites that I have seen-----and I have seen a few. I have heard nothing about any down grading of that hotel. I would bet money----the Hilton is still a 5 star. And is IMO not the 4 * hotel in question.

Why the Hilton as a 4 star may I ask?

"seems like the Movenpick although the location on the hotel list indicates East Amsterdam not City Centre." The Movenpick is indeed a PRICELINE center museum zone hotel. But it is Amsterdam East as far as HOTWIRE.

Your dates? And it is a very nice hotel in a lovely quiet area of Amsterdam. A little farther out than most in that PL zone #2. But it is a short walk to the tram and then a short ride into the centrum.

I read about some youngster looking for a bed in a hostel dorm room for this summer. A search brought up the prices. Some of those single beds in large dorm rooms were going for over $50 a night. The range was pretty much $40-$60 for their dates. Keep that in mind as you find your bids on 3 and 4 and 5 star hotels going up higher than you think they should. It is all relative as to what is truly expensive.

As far as I can tell there is no 3 star AMS data anywhere. not for the past several years. But there are 3 star AMS wins. Just no clue as to dates or hotels. Just that there were wins. I got a 3 star maybe 5 years ago. A fine hotel it was. But what hotels are in play now and for what price? You would have to bid to find out.

I am guessing you realize that Queensday stars on the eve of the 29th and goes fullonorange on the 30th? I am really curious how you make out for the 29th. A busy, wonderful, exciting, expensive hotel time in AMS QD is.

"Am I bidding too low? " I would say you are. While you are not bidding over a weekend you are still in a busy period and $80 would be about the lowest win I would expect to see these days. Well on a really good day. For a 4 star my guess is that between $81 and $95. With luck by $90. EDITED: I saw one win a few days before your stay----also a non weekend----that was a $89 4 star win. I think you could be close.

If it were "me" I'd split my bid. No way I want to be paying $140 for a non-weekend night. If it were "me" I would be bidding around $80-$95 working my way up to $95----for a 4*. For the 5* I would start at $95 or $100 and go up from there if need be. This advice has to do with what I have seen for the spring-summer not for your exact dates. Its a small easy to get around city. For me changing hotels is no big deal. Assuming you might have to change hotels with two bids.

"Maybe we should just stay in Rotterdam the whole time.... " IMO-----that would truly be a bad idea. A really bad idea. With PL this summer and spring it has been the weekends that are more expensive. Of course assuming the PL hotels do not have some big conference going on as far as a monday. If you are going to split and that is something I would do-----the weekend is Fri and Sat night. Sunday tends to be less expensive as does Mon-Thursday. Check out the rates for the NH Amsterdam Centre as far as a 4*. That is the hotel that normally shows up via NYOP. As far as a 5*----harder to tell----lots more hotels are in play at one time or another. My 4 star bid range? $80-$95. If you do not have a weekend in the bid you "should" get a win. For the weekend? $95 and up.

Its the weekend that is the problem. For the most part bidding in AMS this year----while more expensive than the last two years----has not been all that bad----until you add in the weekends. A bid of $80-$85-$90 (4*) is certainly ball park for many dates----until you add in the weekend. Then its quite possible to jump to $130-$150. Not all weekends but far to many for sure. There is virtually no data on 3* bidding in AMS. The 3 stars that did show up some years ago were all pretty good hotels. If I ran into a wall at the 4 and 5 I would certainly start on the 3's. But I would realize I was bidding blind. I am not as clear what is going on later in the summer. I doubt I would start a bid for mid August as high as I would start one for April or May.

I agree with Brian. We are not seeing wins becoming cheaper as you get closer----not this spring or summer.

If you drop down and bid on a 4* you are more likely than not to get the NH Amsterdam Centre (based on reported wins). A very nice hotel and one better than some 5 stars IMO. And the location is dead on perfect. For some 5 stars the location may prove to be a little less than perfect. But if you do drop down to a 4 then bid low. With a high bid at a 4 no telling what hotels pricepoint you might hit. I'd start around $80 USD.

$85 is in fact a great deal for this time period. And you got it for one reason----not a weekend. Sunday through Thursday stays are still quite NYOP reasonable this summer and spring. Well done

Actually I think what you were saying and what I said were basicly the same. Better price or closest price? Sort of splitting hairs if you see a big difference. And no where did I advise anyone to bid higher for anything. But thanks for the suggestion on a new topic anyway.

"I will automatically get the 5*? " An interesting question. You bid on a 4* but at a high enough bid that you also hit a 5* pricepoint. My guess is that there is no automatic about it. But that is just a guess. I follow AMS bidding every day and have done so for years. I can count on 2 fingers (maybe 3) the number of times a 4 star bid has won a 5*. Now something accounted for that 5* showing up----the very few times it has----but not a clue as to why. Maybe those bidders had a bid that hit the 5* pricepoint closer than any 4*?

Try a 5 for $160. Not your exact dates----but somewhat close----I just saw a 5 star win at that pricepoint. Worth a try anyway. I think---but would have to re-check to be sure----it was the Aramath they have.

Well done. For such an expensive weekend you did quite well. This shows that during expensive weekends having to bid a lot higher than normal can bring unexpected results. I have not seen this hotel show up as a win----in like forever.

What property is this?