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I tried to bid on a 4* last night unsuccessfully as follows: MTE $130 + MTW $135 + TS $136 + CONEY $140 QUEENSBOROUGH BRIDGE $145 LI CITY $150 UPPER EAST SIDE $155 CPS $156 Am I even remotely close to winning a room at this price for this time of year, or am I better served by dropping to a 3.5* in this case? Max I'd like to spend on a 4* would be $170, but of course less is better. Thanks for all your help.

OK, so the dates are set. August 23-28 (5 nights). I probably should also post this in the Priceline forum as Priceline is who I've tried bidding on first. I'm open to a room in any part of Midtown - 3.5* or 4*. Thanks for the advice.

Hi All, Any suggestions as to when to start bidding on rooms (either Hotwire or Priceline) for a room in NYC at the end of August? We'll be there from 8/23rd or 24th to the 28th. My goal is for a room 3.5* or 4* in Midtown East/Central Park South. Previously via Hotwire, I got the Double Tree on Lexington & 51st and it was a great location; HUGE room for Manhattan - an excellent hotel all around. From looking at that receipt, I bid on that on the 8th for a check in of the 21st. SO my question/observation is: it seems the better deals are had as you get closer to the time of travel b/c hotels are looking to put "heads in beds" as the saying goes, and will let the unbooked rooms go for less as the dates get closer. Generally reasonable logic? Thanks!

In this instance, changing hotels really is inconsequential b/c we're spending Saturday night in Portland, ME. So ultimately, I'd be checking out of one hotel anyway. Amenities for the Hilton are: Smoke Free Rooms Fitness Center Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Business Center High-speed Internet Access

I was asked to post the amenities: Amenities Smoke Free Rooms Fitness Center Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Business Center High-speed Internet Access

Got the Hilton across the street from my other hotel (Sheraton) $169.00 - per night $ 57.25 - taxes and fees $395.25 - total stay Again, given the low availability in Boston at this point I am pleased with this deal.

Got the Back Bay Sheraton $233.00 - per night $ 82.00 - Taxes & fees $548.00 - Total Given the difficulty I had getting a room and the low availability at this time, I'm feeling OK about this deal.

I tried every conceivable combination of dates up to about $210! Finally gave up and booked a hotel through HOTWIRE which I'll post soon. I got a room in Portland through a friend in the industry. In the end, I didn't end up paying too much more than I had expected to pay via PRICELINE, so I'm not really upset by it.

I'm def. breaking up the stay now. Unfortunately, 2 nights in Portland aren't an option as we have a lot to do in Boston - including college tours. I've accepted that there isn't much supply, so it's going to demand a lot more of my wallet! Going to consider 3* now, too. In my ideal world, I'd spend 10/14 & 10/15 in Quincy Market area, 10/16 in Portland, 10/17 & 10/18 in Copley. I think this is going to work out...eventually. Thanks for all the advice.

This trip seems cursed! I've bid on: 3.5* up to $150 denied 4* up to $180 denied I can break the trip up as follows: 10-14 to 10-16 and would ideally be Fan Hall/Quincy area for this part of the trip 10-16 to 10-19 Copley OR 10-17 to 10-19 (with the night of the 17th in Portland, ME. HELP? I'm starting to get irritated at seeing people get 3.5* for ~$110. Thanks for any help!!!

Something to keep in mind for your dates of travel is that Boston is going to be even busier that weekend. The Head of the Charles Regatta is that weekend and many of the colleges/universities have Parents' Weekend that weekend, too. I was supposed to be in Boston that same weekend (10/21 - 10/26) and bid as high as $150/night without success. Hopefully you're able to pull off a win as the dates get closer and hotels want to fill up their unreserved rooms.

I've seen the recent winning bids for 3.5* properties in the Copley area for $107-ish. I have bid up to $130 without success for the above dates. Any thoughts on why I'm not getting a win at the $130 price point? The only thing I can think is that it is the length of the stay? I would have no issue breaking up the stay into 2 bids (even different locations) if I were likely to get a similarly good deal like the others have. Any in put? Thanks!

I have been watching prices for weeks in anticipation of a trip 10/14-10/19 and have found that prices vary through out the day. For example, just today when I read your post, I looked for my own dates and a 3.5* in Copley was $370ish. I looked again just now and it's down to $266 for the average price. When I go to put in my (winning) bid in a few days, I'll watch for the low end of the range and then bid just under half that price ($266 would have me start at $120) and go up from there. So my advice is to watch for a few days checking your date range, find the low end, bid half and go from there. Good luck.

I would call the hotel and request it. Call now and put the request in, then call again the day of check-in. There is no guarantee but I have always been able to get what I asked for. That's a great deal on the Intercontinental. A friend of mine works for IHG and even with the "family rate", I can't get that good a deal.

That is going to be an expensive weekend with the Head of the Charles Regatta and some of the colleges having Parents' Weekend. I don't know how true this is, but I read on another travel blog that you check the Hotwire price for your dates and use that price as a guide; anticipating spending about 80% of the HW price. I also have a personal theory (and it is JUST mine) that once you get inside the 21 day advance fare window, hotels will release their un-reserved rooms at good prices so as to get "heads in beds". My logic is that people book their airfare generally 21 days in advance and their hotel immediately after that. Thus, once you're inside that 21 day window, hotels have a general sense of their occupancy.

The airport...EASY to and from to central Boston. Silver line on the "T" (MBTA - subway/train). Boston is THE easiest city to get around on public transportation in the US. The "T" is color coded, so if you can follow the red line, green line, blue line, yellow line, etc....you can get anywhere.

To share my experience trying to get either a 3.5* or 4* in Boston: From 10/21 - 10/26 - I bid as high as $140 (maybe $150) a few weeks back and it was rejected in Quincey Mkt & Copley-Back Bay areas From 10/14- 10/19 - same areas & star-ratings...my bids up to $130 were rejected. That said, it's my theory from looking over my past Priceline and Hotwire wins that the great deals I've gotten were generally < 3 weeks out from the date of arrival. I theorize that most people book airfare at least 3 weeks before to capitalize on better prices and book hotels in tandem with the plane tickets. Also part of my theory is that with the hotels knowing generally what their occupancy will be, they release the rooms to PL/HW at better rates so as to fill them up with last minute travelers. The "last minute" traveler is generally someone who is taking a leisure trip and will do so only if they can get a good deal. Hotels know it is smarter to fill those "last minute" rooms at discounted prices vs. not filling them at all. Examples of wins: 3.5* Manhattan Double Tree (HUGE ROOM) was $126.48/night including taxes (Jan. 21 - 26, 2010) - booked January 8, 13 days prior to arrival 4* Boston - Onyx Hotel, April 6, 2009 - $119.84 including taxes - booked 15 days ahead of arrival 4* Seattle Westin 5/27/10 - 5/30/10 - $89.23/night including tax. Booked on 5/4/10 - so that's 23 days in advance but I figured better early b/c it was a holiday weekend. Again..this is all my theory. One I am going to be testing out for Boston soon. (see rejected October bids) I saw advice somewhere that a general rule of PRICELINE bidding is to look on HOTWIRE for the same star rating and areas you want to be in, and bid 80% of that prices as your starting point. I'm cheap and will start lower than that though. GOOD LUCK.

JDH, I've never had problems with my requests for double beds either. I call as soon as the reservation is made, then again the day I'm checking in if I'll arrive later on check-in day or the day before if I arrive early on check-in day. If nothing else, you can request a cot.

Thanks for the info Aaron. It's a relief to know that I'm not going to have to spend $175/night for a decent hotel. Yes, we're a party of 3. And I know 2 beds aren't guaranteed. Since I am traveling with my nieces (17 & 11), we could make a king work if we had to. But so far I haven't had any trouble getting a double room via PL or Hotwire reservations. When I went to Seattle over Memorial Day weekend I actually had 2 bed for just me when I opted for the room with the better view. And if need be, we can ask for a cot. It will all work out...

Aaron, you bring up a question. Is there a general correlation between HOTWIRE prices to PRICELINE? You pointed to a Hotwire price of as low as $189. It was always my belief that PRICELINE is less than HOTWIRE as a general rule. i.e. if a Hotwire price is $189 can you generally get a similar room via Priceline for less?

Thanks for the replies. I knew the (damn) regatta was going on. Then another one of my friends also pointed out some schools have Parents' Weekend around that time - and BOOM - BU is having theirs that same weekend. I guess I'll move the trip to 10/14 - 10/19 if I can't get the success I want come a month out. I am obsesses with this trip as I'm taking my 11 yr old niece as her b-day gift, and my other niece will be going to look at colleges. I'm like a kid on Christmas morning with this. Will post results as soon as I have them. Thanks again.

Dates: 10/21 - 10/26 (can also travel 10/14 - 10/19 and have bid on this, too) I've been bidding on a 3.5* & 4* in Boston for a couple weeks now. Copley or Quincy are the target areas and I've been strategic about about adding the zones which don't have my desired star level when increasing my bid. NO LUCK up to $130. I'm hoping you can confirm something I think I'm noticing after looking at proximity of bid to the actual dates of stay. In general, do most people have the most success bidding about 3+/- weeks before their stay? Other than my NYE win, that is the luck I've had with my other bid in Seattle via the link found here and a Hotwire bid before I knew about this board were in the 3-4 week window. My suspicion is that this is generally true (not always) b/c most people book their flights about a month before so as to get the best fare, so the hotels have a general idea of their occupancy 3-4 weeks out, any will release un-reserved rooms to PL and/or Hotwire at better rates to fill up the hotels? Is my logic at all logical?

I feel your pain, BACID... I've been bidding for a few days now for a trip to Boston in Oct. (10/21 - 10/26) and can't get anything. I've bid as high as $110 on 3.5* & 4* in all the areas I want - basically the exact same areas as you - though I'd rather have the Copley area. I think I got spoiled by my $80 Park Plaza deal at NYE. Hopefully I'll be able to post exciting results soon. Regardless, enjoy your time in Boston!!!

I posted results yesterday. $80 for a 3.5* from 12/29 - 1/1 at the Park Plaza Thanks for the help/in put though. I do appreciate it. Fingers crossed I can do as well for an up coming trip to Boston in October.

Don't know why it put the in place of the price in the subject line.