Priceline Hotel: Bidding in Paris (help required) 24/09-27-09

[progressive]

Hello!

This is my first time bidding on Priceline. I have had a look at various other posts and have kind of shortlisted areas for a hotel. I am looking for a place in Paris for 3 nights (24/9-27/9) at at the following locations (in order of preference):

1. Champs Elysees - Opera Quarter West

2. Opera Quarter East - Les Halles

3. Eiffel Tower - Port De Versailles - Montparnasse

4. St. Germain - Latin Quarter - Montparnasse

5. Bastille - Bercy

The areas I don't want to stay in:

1. Batignolles - Montmartre - Republique (Read on other forums that these districts are comparitively unsafe due to proximity to the railway station)

2. La Defense - Neuilly (It seems quite far and I read that it gets very secluded on weekends)

If my opinion is wrong about the above 2 areas, please tell me.

I don't mind staying in 3* hotels in any of above mentioned areas (though who wouldn't prefer a 4* or a 5*?!) :-)

My budget is very tight between $70-$80/room/night. Can I get a decent 3* (or above) with this kind of a budget?

Also, what would the bidding strategy be for this?

Thanks!

[thereuare]

I am looking for a place in Paris for 3 nights (24/9-27/9) at at the following locations (in order of preference):

1. Champs Elysees - Opera Quarter West

2. Opera Quarter East - Les Halles

3. Eiffel Tower - Port De Versailles - Montparnasse

4. St. Germain - Latin Quarter - Montparnasse

5. Bastille - Bercy

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Given your budget, i assume you're not necessarily willing to pay more to stay in a zone higher up in the zones above, but your goal is the least expensive 3* or better in any of the zones above... is this correct?

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[progressive]

Yes... that's right!

[thereuare]

You have no re-bid zones at the 3* level in Paris. I'd begin as follows:

Select 3* Champs Elysees and OQE and Bastille...

Bid $55, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Eiffel Tower and St Germain...

Bid $55, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Eiffel Tower and OQE and Bastille...

Bid $60, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Champs Elysees and St Germain...

Bid $60, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Champs Elysees and Eiffel Tower and Bastille...

Bid $65, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* OQE and St Germain...

Bid $65, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Champs Elysees and OQE and Eiffel Tower and Bastille...

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

Select 3* Champs Elysees and OQE and St Germain and Bastille...

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

Select 3* Eiffel Tower and Bastille and St Germain and OQE...

Bid $75, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Eiffel Tower and Bastille and St Germain and Champs Elysees...

Bid $75, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Eiffel Tower and Bastille and St Germain and OQE and Champs Elysees...

Bid $80

Any questions feel free to ask.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[sush]

Hi

Thanks for the bidding strategy. I tried this for 12th Sep to 15th Sep for all the points mentioned below but it didn't work out. I guess I need to start bidding for a 2 star now. Should I adopt the same strategy for 2 star or will I have to wait 24 hrs on priceline before trying since I have already chosen all the areas when trying to the 3 star search? Also do I need to wait for a specific date for the prices to lower and try then?

My choices of stay are only

1. Champs Elysees - Opera Quarter West

2. Eiffel Tower - Port De Versailles - Montparnasse

3. St. Germain - Latin Quarter - Montparnasse

4. Opera Quarter East - Les Halles

[AaronJB]

Sush,

Please start a new thread for your stay; prices can vary significantly from day-to-day, so a strategy that may work for one set of days may not be successful for another.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[progressive]

Hey Thereuare,

I have followed your strategy till $82 for 3* and above but with no luck. Is it too early? Does it happen often that hotels don't give their rooms to PRICELINE till the end maybe?

Cheers!

[Romelle]

It is of often a good idea to hunt down a back-up place that will let you cancel your reservation. Then you can safely and calmly bid up until just before the cancelation deadline. Hotels.com has a cancelation policy (link from this site under the Support/Travel tab). It is hotel-specific so you have to read the fine print of each hotel, but www.venere.com has some hotels that are cancelable. There are others, but these are the only ones I know off the top of my head.

One really never knows when rooms might become available. I've read that Paris is one of the cities where last minute bidding can work, when nothing was available earlier.

Romelle

[thereuare]

Does it happen often that hotels don't give their rooms to PRICELINE till the end maybe?

See the related link in our PRICELINE FAQ.

Romelle's advise above is good... book a fully refundable back-up reservation as this not only gives you a 'price to beat', but protects you from rate increases between now and your stay as well as gives you a place to stay should your bids continue to be turned down.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases. (or the links in our support page if you're looking for a backup reservation)