Priceline Hotel: 4* Philadelphia (Olde Town-Penns Landing) Hyatt Regency Penns Landing

[idlewild]

I have used the forum before, but it is over a year now and my memory is hazy on the strategy of how to bid on Priceline. I am looking for a 4* hotel in downtown Philadelphia from 11.25.2008 - 11.30.2008. I know that only two areas of Philadelphia, downtown and the airport, have 4* hotels and that should aid me significantly in my re-bidding. I guess I'm looking for the strategy to start me off and a ball park figure of a realistic $ amount that I should use. No one as yet appears to be looking for hotels in Philadelphia that far out so I really don't know what is realistic and what is not. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[thereuare]

Please follow-up your previous Priceline Boston thread with whatever you ended up doing for that stay... then bump this thread and we'll have a look at the above.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

[idlewild]

Please follow-up your previous Priceline Boston thread with whatever you ended up doing for that stay... then bump this thread and we'll have a look at the above.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

As per your request. I updated the Boston thread from last year. Sorry, I thought that I had provided that information last year.

[thereuare]

There are actually THREE zones in the Philadelphia area which offer 4* bidding... please go back to PRICELINE and doublecheck your Priceline Re-Bidding Explained zones. Confirm with the board and we'll make sure you have it correct.

Also, we wouldn't want to suggest a strategy which went higher than you wanted to bid, what is your maximum bid for this stay?

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

[idlewild]

You're right. I had a wee look at some other threads and the Cherry Hill - Mount Laurel area now has at least one 4* hotel. Just simply plugging in the dates that I wanted conventionally provided me with a figure of $185 for downtown Philly. So I'm open to suggestions as to what my first tentative bid should be.

[thereuare]

Don't use the previous threads on the board, our hotel lists, or the retail version of PRICELINE to determine your re-bid zones... only use the techniques outlined in our Priceline Re-Bidding Explained thread.

With the best rate thru conventional means $185/nite, what is your maximum bid for this stay?

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

[idlewild]

I really don't have one. I was hoping to bow to your experience and that you would provide me with a realistic starting bid based upon booking through the conventional method, the city, previous history and desired dates, etc. I would obviously and ideally like to start as low as possible, but I also want to start, as iterated before with a realistic starting bid. Any input in warmly received.

[thereuare]

We're not asking you to let us know your starting bid but rather are asking about your maximum bid... which can only be determined by you based upon your budget and how much of a savings you need vs. the best $185/nite rate to make an 'opaque' purchase worthwhile (some are only willing to risk an 'unknown' purchase if it's a very deep discount... others are happy if they can save just a few dollars vs. a conventional booking)

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

[idlewild]

I don't have a maximum amount, just for it to be less than the amount outlined through the conventional method. Obviously I would like that saving to be as considerable as possible, but I don't have a $ amount to which I would ascribe that saving.

[thereuare]

Rates are not high for these dates....

At the 4* level you have FOUR re-bid zones. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.

(NOTE: 're-bid zone1' is not the same as priceline's Zone1, 're-bid zone2' is not the same as priceline's Zone2, etc, etc)

Start with our link to PRICELINE

Select 4* Downtown...

Bid $55, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone3...

Bid $70, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Downtown and re-bid zone4...

Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $84, if rejected add re-bid zone3...

Bid $87

Any questions feel free to ask.

If the above is rejected HOTWIRE has a 4* hotel in the Olde Towne (Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Internet, Business) for $89 which is a match for the Hyatt Penns Landing and that is our best guess... i would take that if the above is rejected.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[idlewild]

That's great news, hopefully. I'm bidding this weekend, so I will let you know how I get on. I will of course use the links that you provided.

[idlewild]

You were spot on with the bidding and the hotel. It went as follows:

Selected 4* Downtown and bid $55 - rejected

Added re-bid zone1 and bid $60 - rejected

Added re-bid zone2 and bid $65 - rejected

Added re-bid zone3 and bid $70 - rejected

Closed browser and used the link you provided to re-access

Selected 4* Downtown, added re-bid zone4 and bid $75 - accepted.

The hotel is the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn's Landing. A four star hotel for $75 a night is good enough for me.

Thanks again for all your assistance. It is greatly appreciated.

I'm booking my flight to the UK soon, so I'll let you know how that goes. Hopefully it'll be as positive result as this one.

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Looks like a very nice deal for your stay and glad to hear we were able to help.

Thank you for sharing your results with the board.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

Enjoy your stay.