pmenon

Done :)

Oops, I should add that Im trying to stay at a maximum bid of $150 per night. I'm really not going to be spending a lot of time in the room, and just need a comfy bed to crash on at the end of the night. I've looked around and there appears to have been some really awesome wins for the Doubletree Chelsea, as well as the Hampton Inn Times Square North, both of which I would be really happy with.

Hi everyone, I need a hotel room in NYC for 3 nights, from May 27-30. I would prefer to be in the ESB/midtown area, but not too far away from that. I would also consider being in Long Island City. Being near a subway stop is essential. As for star rating, I don't really need anything fancy; a stay at a place like a Courtyard Marriott, Hampton Inn or Doubletree are just fine for me. Thank you all in advance for your help.

Bonus: I just found out that I'll be able to crash at a friend's place for the first 3 nights (May 1, 2 and 3) !! That works out perfectly, as it now means that I only have to budget for a hotel for 2 nights, instead of the original 5. Translation: I'm able to go up on my bids for 4* ! Would a maximum of $200 make sense ?

I should add that I would also be willing to up my bid to $175 for a 4*. Im not sure how much that'll help though :)

Yeah, it is looking highly unlikely at this time that Im going to get anything, even around the $150 mark, if I insist on a 4*. I'm definitely willing to consider a 3.5* now, in the same zones as indicated earlier. Would rather try this first before trying to split up the stay. How should I frame my bidding now ?

I assume convential refers to methods via normal Priceline/Travelocity/Expedia booking, as well as through the hotel website ? If so, this is what I've found, arranged by star rating: 4* The Liason at $329/night via Priceline The Hyatt Arlington at $211/night via Priceline The Westin Grand at $420/night via Priceline The Dupont DC at $315/night via Priceline (I would LOVE to get this hotel) The Westin Arlington Gateway at $313/night via Priceline The Willard Intercontinental at $450/night via Priceline The Sofitel at $363/night via Priceline J.W. Marriot at $469/night via Priceline Hotel Palomar at Arlington at $338/night via Priceline I haven't started looking into the 3.5* star hotels as of yet, still holding out ! :)

Thanks ! I followed the above, and even upped my max bid to $145, without having any luck at all for my dates. Quite strange; I was really hoping that I would be able to wind up with a good hotel at that rate, given the prices that Ive seen some bids win at. It might be time to downgrade to a 3.5* ...

Tough question. Upon doing some further research, out of the potential three 4*'s that I could end up with in Arlington, I wouldn't mind staying at 2 of them .. its the third one Im not sure about. That's why I sort of shifted my zone priorities around. I would be willing to pay a little more to stay in D.C. proper, though.

Great, thank you !! How would the strategy change if I wanted to change my zone priorities to DuPont, then White House, then Capitol Hill, and finally Arlington ?

Actually I think I figured it out: my re-bid zones would be Silver Spring, Alexandria West, DC Suburbs, Bethesda and Mount Vernon, right ?

Hmm, I think I might have messed up my bids :) I used the PRICELINE link from the site, and proceeded to start the Name Your Price process. I started off by selecting the Dupont and Arlington zones, and started off with $90, as suggested. The bid was rejected. Here's where I get confused: what should I select now ? I interpreted a rebid zone as another Priceline zone, so I upped my bid to $95, and included the Capitol Hill zone in. Was that the right thing to do ?

I think the maximum I would like to go to, in terms of bid amount, is $130. I would definitely be willing to pay this amount for the DuPont area, and less so for Arlington. With respect to Arlington, if I go by the Hotel list on this site, there are three 4* hotels. I would definitely prefer the Palomar, but I think I would be OK with the other two as well. Having said all that, in each of those areas, I would try and get the least expensive 4* .... and will even be willing to consider 3.5*, since they look quite decent.

Thanks for the heads up. I hadn't checked, but will do so. Do they seem unusually high for the dates (maybe there's an event going on) ? What price would you recommend I start my bidding at ?

Sorry, I also should add that, after looking at the Priceline zone maps, that I'd prefer to be in the DuPont, Arlington, White House or Capitol Hill areas, in that order.

Hey everyone, Will be in Washington D.C. from May 2-5, 2010, inclusive, and am looking for a place to say. I have never been to D.C. before, but from a quick analysis of the maps, as well as public transport, it appears that the city is quite well covered. I'd like to spend around $100 per night, preferably at a 4* hotel. I'm willing to stay more or less anywhere, as long as a metro is close by. Having said that, Im not sure if some areas are better than others, so recommendations and advice are welcome. I will also be flying into and out from Reagan National airport, so that's something else to keep in mind. Thanks in advance !

Tried again, and went all the way up to $55, but still no luck. Looks like the hotels there still want to get away with charging over $100 per night :)

How long does Priceline keep bid history for ? I tried the same bid I did earlier (namely, $50 for 3*), and PRICELINE informed me that it was a repeat from earlier on.

I think maybe I might wait a few days and retry again. I guess because I did see those previously successful bids for $45, Im a little stubborn :)

Cheers. Just tried a bid of $50 for a 3*, and was still rejected.

Thanks, I did, and will use the links on this website.

Id like to stick to no more than $50 a night, for a 3*. I checked this same time period for last year, and that's where I saw the winning $45 bids for a 3*.

Hey everyone. I'm looking for a hotel in Charlottesville, VA for 3 nights; April 29-May 2, 2010. I've done some searching around here and have seen past bids for around $45 get 3* hotels, but when I tried PRICELINE today for the same, my bid wasn't accepted. Could it be possibly because Im bidding far in advance of my desired dates ?

I decided to go with the Nine Zero hotel through Orbitz. Decided to splurge a little on a nicer hotel, and used the WELCOME10 discount to get 10% off. Thanks for all your help !

Thanks for that, it looks like a very good hotel as well. Do you think it would make a difference if I contacted the Ames directly to inquire about their Hotwire rate, and to see if they may offer it again ? Alternatively, would it be possible to get a 4* for cheaper than the $114 through Priceline ? Im not sure whether MLK weekend is an expensive time in Boston or not, but why pay more when you dont have to, right ? :)