thenewbie

Congrats on your win, but Downtown/Financial District isn't a free rebid area as you could have been given a 4* hotel in that location.

If you have any questions next time around, don't be afraid to ask before bidding. :)

The state house is on Beacon Hill in Boston. It's located at Beacon Street at Park Street.

Downtown & Copley would most likely be your Priceline areas. Let us know what date you're looking at and we'll work from there.

To add since your budget is fairly low for these dates...

Although the reviews aren't good for the Howard Johnson Inn @ Fenway, you can get a free night for a room with 2 double beds by using their price-match policy. The Howard Johnson website is listing a 2 double bed room at $155 and Orb itz has them for $143.75. If you book one night on the HoJo website (using the above HoJo link), and then file a price-match claim within 24 hours, their customer service should give you the night for free.

By doing so, you'll allow yourself an additional ~$100 to either use on your other nights, or just add to your spending allowance. It should also give you a cancellable back-up for one of your nights. It's just something to consider.

With those rates, you'll likely only get the 3* Club Qtrs in downtown.

As I believe I previously mentioned, you may also be successful at the 4* level in Cambridge if you were willing to take the subway or a cab into the city.

Select 3* Copley...

Bid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone 1...

Bid $70, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline...

Select 3* Copley + re-bid zone 2...

Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone 1...

Bid $80

Select 3* Downtown...

Bid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone 1...

Bid $70, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline...

Select 3* Downtown + re-bid zone 2...

Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone 1...

Bid $80

Select 3* Downtown and Copley...

Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone 1...

Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone 2...

Bid $95

Tried entire strategy -- no luck. Is a Sat or even the fri. night better to consider? Just looking for one night during that week or weekend.

If you've tried the above for Fri. or Sat. night and failed, I think you'll need to consider the Cambridge or the Airport/Revere areas to be successful within your budget.

Found SUPER 8 MOTEL - ANAHEIM/NEAR DISNEYLAND on triprewards at $59 and $52 on Expedia.com

Anybody else finding any of these deals?

Orbitz sometimes has lower prices as well.

Well I think you may have answered your own question. Rates are high, some hotels are sold out, and whatever opaque prices available are in your opinion 'overpriced'.

You can give the following a try, as a couple of rack rates are below $180. If you don't understand how to find the rebid areas, ask for help before bidding.

Select 4* Logan/Revere...

Bid $50, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $55, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* Logan/Revere and re-bid zone2...

Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $65.

Select 4* Downtown...

Bid $50, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $55, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* Downtown and re-bid zone2...

Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $65.

Select 4* Copley...

Bid $50, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $55, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* Copley and re-bid zone2...

Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $65.

Welcome!

The WTC area isn't really a 'tourist' area and it isn't won frequently (if at all).

If you don't want to increase your bid, you may have success under $100 in the 4* Airport/Revere area as well as in Cambridge. The T (subway) covers the city, so transportation from these two areas shouldn't be a problem. If you'd like additional assistance, let us know.

Actually, Le Parker is in UM-CPS according to our records, so try that area first.

This portion should be in a new thread, but it'll be moved to a new one by thereuare.

The above does appear to be the Le Parker Meridien. However, I'm unable to view the rates on their website, so I'm not sure if there will be any difficulties trying for it on Priceline. Assuming you know the 2 free rebid areas for NYC, you can try the following if you are willing to stay in MTW or MTE. Any questions, please ask before bidding!

Select 4* MTW...

Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $110, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* MTE...

Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $110, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* MTW and MTE...

Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $125, if rejected close browser.

Hotwire is showing a Downtown 3* for $102 (supposed to be the Doubletree) and a 3,5* in Back Bay for $169 (supposed to be the Hilton Back Bay). So I think availability is not the problem - rather the high rates on 4* level.

I haven't seen either of these for 6/14-17, but things on Hotwire change, so it is possible.

How's it working with Easyclicktravel.com - are hotel rooms purchased there cancellable ? If so, what is the cancellation fee ? I would at least give it a few more shots on 4* Copley and Downtown, maybe the contingents for June come up later on. Bidding higher than $95 is not an option for me right now, since I am afraid to overbid and later read about many other bargains made for that period. I thought of rising my maximum bid approx. 4 weeks in advance, maybe to $120.

Reservations are pre-paid, but you can cancel 72 hours before the check-in date without a penalty (except for Disney hotels - just in case you use them in the future).

Talking about the Revere/Logan zone - what are the commuting times to the city center (where to find bars, restaurants, shops etc.) besides the waiting time for the shuttle ? I've read that the distance to BOS is only about 4-5 miles.

Blue line on the subway to Government Ctr. (Faneuil Hall & Quincy Market - shopping, restaurants, and bars) is about 10 minutes. Transferring to a different line (i.e. Copley area and/or Fenway park) will add another 10-15 minute subway ride to your trip.

since the big "TechEd" from Microsoft will take place in Boston Jun 11-16, I don't think that I will have a realistic chance of getting a hotel room for my desired price, which is at $95 w/o tax. Many hotels do not even show a rack rate for my dates, which I think means that they are sold out.

How firm is your $95 maximum? The cheapest 4* rack rates are the Hotel @ MIT for $249 and the Lenox (which I'm not sure is on PL) for $249. Unless you raise your maximum, you're limiting yourself to a 3* (at best) or some hotel outside of the city.

As for 4* Logan/Revere, I've stayed in both the Hyatt and Hilton properties near the airport. Both offer a shuttle to the 'T' but it'll be on average a 10-15 minute wait for one. When hotel rates in the city are expensive, it's worth a try giving the airport/revere area a shot for the 4* level. As for the 3* hotels, they are further away from the city in Revere, which would result in more expensive cab rides or longer trips on the T.

Most of the usual priceline hotels are sold out for your dates according to Orbitz:

4* Copley

Sheraton - Sold out

Fairmont - Sold out

Westin - Sold out

4* DT

Hyatt Regency - sold out

Millennium - sold out

Omni Parker - sold out

Digging around, the 3* Holiday Inn Select (in downtown Boston) on EasyClickTravel (they call it a 3.5*) is looking like a good backup right now at $140/night, as their online rate is $238. Depending on your plans, staying in a suburb will cost you more for increased subway usage, longer cab rides, etc.

I'm afraid you are not understanding the concept of using free rebids. If you would read (or re-read) the post I made yesterday, you would see that the rebids are for you to increase your bid. Trying the same bid more than once won't do you any good, as it already failed.

Now that you've bid $140 for the 4* level without success, you have a few options for tomorrow:

1) Increase your bid (what would be your maximum?)

2) Split your dates

3) Lower your star level

Now before bidding again, please let us know which option you would like to try and we will provide you with a bidding strategy to try.

First you will need to know how to find the free re-bid areas for NYC. Read this thread to learn how to find them. (There are 2 for the 4* level and only 1 for the 3* level)

If you have any questions on how to find them, ask us before bidding.

I don't know how much more a 4* is worth to you compared to a 3* so the following is based on the previously mentioned hotwire prices.

Select 4* MTE...

Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $120, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* MTW...

Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $120, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* MTE & MTW...

Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $130, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $135, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Let us know how you do and we'll work from there.

Both Hotwire:

April 13-15:

3,5* Midtown East with restaurant, fitness center, business center, pool, tennis nearby (4 out of 5 tripadvisor rating)

128 usd/night pre tax

Looks like the Millennium UN Plaza

April 15-20:

3* Times Square boutique hotel with fitnetss center, business center, restaurants and high speed internet access (3 out of 5 tripadvisor rating)

139 usd/night pre tax

Looks like the Paramount (which has small rooms) Reviews

You can most likely get a lower price if you tried on priceline. If you want to give it a shot, let us know.

You can still bid today (depending on your $ limit)

Copley + DT

Bid $99, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $110

If you don't want to go this high, you can try again after 24 hours. Just let us know how high you are willing to go.

Within 48 hours of booking on Hotwire, if you find a lower price for your entire stay for an equivalent room type in the same hotel on the same dates, we'll refund you double the difference!

A few things to keep in mind when requesting a Double the Difference refund:

Quick update/review:

Check-in time as "after 3pm" but I had no problems doing so around 1pm. Requested 2 beds and received 2 double beds. I couldn't find my P.Club card to save my life, so I don't know if they would have given me any special treatment.

Room was fairly large for NYC. I have photos, but it'll take me a couple of days to post them over on the real hotel photo site.

Full review to be posted in the review section within a few days.

The number of rooms does not equate to a lower room rate. The only difference is that a hotel needs to be offering 3 rooms (or more) on Priceline in order for you to be successful.

I didn't realize that I was taking this type of risk when I book with, what is supposed to be a reputible firm.

This was the VERY first time I did this on my own.

I'm a poker player...I play hundreds of hands every single day...and I understand the risk I take when I gamble.

This was NOT considered a gamble.

Hotwire is NOT a gambling site.

Unfortunately, Hotwire makes this explicitly clear when you booked your vacation.

I just worked my way through a 'hotel reservation' on their website and this is what they show on the billing screen:

Review booking terms

Hotel Booking Rules and Restrictions

* ALL BOOKINGS ARE FINAL and cannot be cancelled, refunded, changed, exchanged or transferred.

* The hotel name and street location will be shown only after you book.

* The hotel will require a valid credit card at check in; debit/check cards are not typically accepted. The card must be in the name of the primary hotel guest, and must include sufficient available credit for incidental expenses such as phone calls, room service and parking; this credit amount will vary by hotel.

* While Hotwire works to ensure that the amenities shown are available, we cannot guarantee they will all be in service during your stay.

* Some hotels may apply additional charges that are not included in your Hotwire rates - such as parking, convention or resort fees. You will be required to pay any such fees directly to the hotel (usually at check-out time). Once you book such a reservation, we recommend contacting your hotel to ask about any additional charges.

Hotwire does offer trip insurance, which covers certain trip cancellations. However, I doubt that an animal falls into the covered protection: "Illness, injury or death of you, a covered family member or traveling companions."

Here you go:

Should I bid early or close to arrival date?

I don't think it would be necessary to split. If you wanted to try to get a 4* for part of your stay, and a 3* for the remainder, it might work - but the $100 maximum will make it fairly difficult to do so.

The 3* Paramount is relatively cheap for your dates (Standard room $134.10 on Travelocity"]Travelocity), so if you end up bidding on the 3* level, you may end up with this property for all of your dates.

I bid like this -

MTW 4* 120, rejected

UWS 4* 130, rejected

UEW 4* 140, rejected

MTE 4* 150, accepted at the Grand Hyatt. Total for 3 nights is $533.91. Total at Belvedere would have been $577. We really love the Belvedere so would have been happy with it, but wanted to try for a 4*. Whether this was the correct method, I don't know, but I am happy with the result.

It wasn't the optimal way to bid, but it works as long as you are happy with the results.

Next time, don't hesitate to ask for assistance if you have any questions before bidding. :) We may be able to help you save a few extra dollars for your next trip.

Not sure if this will work, but you can give it a shot. If you need help identifying the rebid areas, ask before bidding.

Select 4* MTE...

Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* MTW...

Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* UM/CPS...

Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

If you are certain that you don't want to go higher than $100, you can then try something like the following. There is only ONE rebid area at the 3* level.

Select 3* MTE...

Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $85, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 3* MTW...

Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $85, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 3* UM/CPS...

Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $85, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 3* UM/CPS and MTE...

Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $95, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 3* UM/CPS and MTW...

Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $95, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 3* UM/CPS, MTW, and MTE...

Bid $100

- Should I break the booking into two 4 night stays? Are you willing to stay in 2 seperate hotels? If so, look on a website, such as Travelocity"]Travelocity, to check rates for each night to determine how to maximize splitting your dates.

- Will prices rise due to the holiday? No. Rates are more expensive for the end portion of your trip.

- Will I receive a more favourable rate due to the length of stay? Not on Priceline or Hotwire

Preferences are: less than $130 in MTE and 3 or 4*

Would you be willing to stay in MTW? If not, we'll provide you with a bidding strategy for only MTE. You'll also want to read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained to learn how to find what areas you can use for free rebid areas. Let us know if you only are interested in MTW and what your rebid areas are for the 3* and 4* levels, and we'll recommend a bidding strategy for you!