Priceline Hotel: 4* London (Bloomsbury-Marble Arch) Novotel St Pancras

[St. Louis Bill]

Well here is a first post from a new member. I am struggling with figuring out how to do things so I apologize in advance if there is an easy answer in the Forum. I am traveling to London for leisure arriving Dec 17, 2009 at Heathrow. We plan on experiencing the Christmas Season at Markets and stores in London. Previously we bid at a Web site, Skyauction, and stayed in Bloomsbury at a My Hotel for under $100. I know I have seen links to FAQ but when typing FAQ in Search Engine I can't find anything. So here goes. My needs are simple I want a nice Hotel accessible to the Tube, (my wife has some mobility issues, but has difficulty now walking long distances). It seems that our best bet would be Soho/MayFair or possibly Bloomsbury choosing a 5 star. I expect that we will take the Tube in from Heathrow and use the Tube and our feet to get around London. I've looked at a number of the winning hotels in Mayfair and Soho but it appears the challenge is that you do not know in advance if they are accessible by Public Transport. If I am Leaving in December what is the best strategy to start bidding. Should I wait a few months?

Last and this really sounds stupid how do I know when someone responds or find a Topic? I'm OK in TA but challenged here. Thanks in advance.

[yellowdog]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

I think you should start bidding right now. Your dates are a really busy time in London. And prices are already high for 5* hotels.

If you have specific needs or need to know the location for the hotel is maybe HOTWIRE an option for you?

If you're trying to target a specific property then HOTWIRE can often be a better option if you're successfully able to identify it based upon the star rating and amenities shown before your purchase... the trade-off is that HOTWIRE usually costs a little more than PRICELINE, so you need to decide what is most important to you for a given stay, the lowest possible price OR the ability to take an educated guess as to the property you may receive.

Bloomsbury doesn't offer 5* bidding, only 4*. So is the Soho/MayFair zone the only one you're willing to stay in? Can you also please post your max budget/night.

Please post the requested information/thoughts and we'll go from there.

Yellowdog.

[St. Louis Bill]

Thanks Yellowdog. We are familiar with the Central area of London previously staying at a Thistle Hotel Victoria Station (had to take the tube or bus to the theater district), and My Hotel Bloomsbury (loved it because we could walk everywhere). London is the last 4 days of a 12 day trip to starting with 4 days in Krakow, then Prague and finally London. I can use Marriott points but in London it would be 160,000 points for 4 days and I think there are better ways to spend them. The range of hotels we have been looking at have been between $125 to about $180 using Trip Advisor as a filter. Our needs in the hotel (besides a bath tub - wife request) is we just want it to be OK. Small rooms are fine but we would prefer a decent size bed I am 6'1. We are comfortable walking around Central London and taking the tube to Camden and Portbello Markets, the airport and back to our hotel (if we get tired and we walked to far in one direction). I've not stayed in London in December so I am thinking a Hotel in Soho would be most convenient. Honestly we haven't really budgeted it and I would rather pay a few $ more for a slightly better hotel. I also may have accidentally reposted your response trying to reply.

[St. Louis Bill]

Just tried a $109 bid for a 5* rejected was countered with $183 per day after adding $100+ in taxes/fees it made it more expensive than Hotwire.

[FOEDOGG]

I'm going to London for very similar dates (Dec 19-21) and I wanted some place close to a tube station as well for convenience's sake. I tried Pricelining 5* in all of the central London zones for $100 or less, no bites. So, I started over with 4*, lowered my bidding to begin @ *75, and was rejected until I added Hammersmith and was accepted @ $77 for Millennium/Copthorne Chelsea FC.

Its not Central, but it's 3 blocks to the tube and 6-7 stops from most of the action (Picadilly, Covent Garden, Marble Arch, etc.) If you're looking for a little closer to central, I've seen 4* going in the $78-85 range. However, you can't really guarantee close tube access on Priceline, trying the HOTWIRE thing and using this site to determine hotel may better suit your needs. Good luck hunting!

[St. Louis Bill]

Thanks I actually checked out your hotel on Trip Advisor after I saw your post and it seemed like a real deal. I'm probably just being lazy thinking if we were located near Soho except for tube trips to Camden and Portobello it would be easier. But for a $100 a day it might be worth the inconvenience. Have you stayed at that Hotel before?

[MadFlyer]

Thursday he 17th would be the last business night of the year and the rates are probably higher for that one night.

The 5 star landmark Regent Park zone is not currently showing on HOTWIRE yet so they have not opented inventory.

For london I always look at www.lastminute.co.uk and then go to hotels...then choose top secret hotels.

This is a large tour operator london owned site and they have great contract rates with hotels far in advance.

There is a 5 star city hotel for around 625 dollars total for your dates or 383 pounds for 4 nights. The clues are not perfect but could be the Landmark Hotel or the Grange City hOTEL: Grange City is a new 5 star with rooms often as low as 80 pounds.

It states right in the header that it is right at a tube statiion no matter which hotel i 't might be.

I actually have the opinion that these dates will have good availability right up to december. Business Travelers dissapear on the 17th and leisure travelers usually book closer in and less luxury. I could be wrong....

[St. Louis Bill]

Madflyer thanks. I was thinking $220 per night at a Marriott then using status to upgrade was a good idea. I have checked out last minute before but used hotelscombined this time. I will check the rates. Since I have a few months and have a points reservation backup I intend to shop. From you post it sounds like more may become available in a while. thanks and I'll let you know how it turns out.

[St. Louis Bill]

Madflyer I couldn't find Top Secret Hotels when I went to web site under hotels. It just listed them by name. Can I access the web site from the US? Thanks

[St. Louis Bill]

Well update I went to $130 for Soho Mayfair and was rejected with a recommended bid of 183. I did find a 5 * for the dates in lastminute.com secret hotel (UK not US Web site) for 382 pounds. Seems like this might be the best option. I am trying to determine if it is City Centre, I think so but it is not easy to decipher.

[St. Louis Bill]

Won - Novotel London St Pancras 17-21 December for 2 Nights

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Hope you're happy with the ultimate outcome and that this works well for your plans.

17-21 December for 2 Nights

Can you please add a reply to this thread with the correct dates of your stay... as 12/17-12/21 would be a 4 nite stay (perhaps you were bidding for 2 rooms?) and we'd like to make sure that the information is correct for the Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins.

Thanks for sharing your PRICELINE win with the board.

Enjoy your stay.

[St. Louis Bill]

Being a poor typist so much for cutting and pasting. The dates were correct the days were not. 4 nights for a total cast (with taxes/fees) of $450. From the reviews not a 5 but a solid 4 and close to the tube.

[thereuare]

Thanks for the follow-up/confirmation! :)

Have a great trip.

[runrig]

Hi thereuare

Am first time user of Priceline and a forum but came to you via Moneysavingexpert in the Uk that recommended we go to his site and ask you questions as you are very helpful!

Am terrified of bidding and getting it wrong. Have read many of the threads and guides on how to bid/rebid BUT one question that doesn't tie in with the advice given. When I bid and it is rejected - the forums tell me to add another area without the same star rating and bid again. It says that to find the star ratings available in an area - you tick box the area nd then click next and it will show you all thge hotel star ratings avaiolable in that area so you can choose a 'dummy' area to use for a rebid. this doesn't work for me - on the Priceline site - I cannot find any where that it tells you the hotel star ratings available in each area! When I tick box the area and click next - it takes me to the bid page and then I start being commited. I can find lists of hotels on forums BUt it does advise that these change . If I put 5 star in Marble arch thinking there aren't any - they might have added one and I get this! Can you advise??

[thereuare]

runrig,

Please start a NEW TOPIC for your own stay. Including location, desired star level, and dates of your stay.

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

Thanks.