Priceline Hotel: 3.5* Atlanta (Perimeter) Crowne Plaza Perimeter Northwest

[McMick]

My first bid was 3.5 * in Perimeter for $35. (I was hoping for the Westin.) Rejected, but Priceline said if I just increase my bid by $9...I didn't take the bait. (Does it ever make sense to take them up on the you-don't-need-to-check-another-box just increase-the-bid-by-this-specified-amount offer?)

Second bid: I added Buckhead since I didn't think there was any 3.5* properties in that price range in Buckhead, and increased my bid to $38...accepted! I'm thinking I would have gotten the exact same property had I taken them up on the "just increase by $9" offer.

With taxes and service fees of $12.68, the grand total was $50.68. Of course, I used the PRICELINE link on the (awesome) Better Bidding web site!

[yellowdog]

Congratulations on your success!

Nice going with the counteroffer. Have a great stay!

Thank you for sharing your win with the board and using our PRICELINE link to begin your bidding :)

Yellowdog.

PS.

I didn't think there was any 3.5* properties in that price range in Buckhead

Allways double check your zones before you bid to be on the safe side. Ratings/zones can change at any time.

[thereuare]

I added Buckhead since I didn't think there was any 3.5* properties in that price range in Buckhead

Glad this one worked out well for you, but for future bidding never use the hotel lists on the board to determine your re-bid zones. The correct (and only way) to determine your re-bid zones is discussed here: Priceline Re-Bidding Explained

Also, even though there are no 3.5* properties posted to the board in the Buckehead zone (although using the technique in the link above you'll see that 3.5* properties are offered in this zone), the hotel list does show multiple 4* properties in this zone. The star rating you select is the minimum you're willing to accept, so even if there is a zone with no 3.5* hotels, but does contain 4* hotels, you shoudln't use that as a re-bid zones since your 3.5* bid could be upgraded to a 4* hotel in the unintended zone.

Ultimately this worked out well and you received a hotel in the original zone you wanted, so all is well, but i outlined the above to make sure that your future bidding goes just as well and you don't end up in a zone you didn't want.

Thank you for sharing your win with the board and using our PRICLINE link to begin your bidding.

Enjoy your stay.

[McMick]

Thank you everyone for their input...and I can see how I could have got stuck with a room in an undesired location. I've read the "Priceline Re-Bidding Explained" link in the past and did not understand it. Reviewing it again today I now understand how it works.

I was thinking in terms like "gleff" (post #8 on the "Priceline re-bidding explained" thread) that by maintaining a low bid and adding a zone in a more expensive area, it would be like rebidding in the original zone--since my bid was way below the norm in the pricey area. But the "Priceline re-bidding" strategy outlined is a much better way! I'll have to try it next time. In this particular case, the Buckhead area would have been perfectly acceptable had the hotel win landed there.