Priceline Hotel: 3.5* San Jose (Palo Alto) Sheraton

[verga]

My daughter has to book a hotel room in Palo Alto (near Stanford University) for 2 nights (May 14-16) to attend events at the university. She has no vehicle so she has to stay near the university otherwise she would be cabbing back to her hotel.

She is eyeing the 3.5* Sheraton Palo Alto Hotel which is listed at $119 at Priceline. How high should she bid to secure a hotel in Palo Alto?

Thanks,

Verga

[verga]

Target hotel - Palo Alto only.

I made the following bids with no success:

3.5* Palo Alto at $45 - failed

added Mountain view at $50 - failed

added San Jose South at $52 failed

so...I will try again tomorrow.

Do you think I should start at 4* first from $60 up to a max of $70 (5 bids total - 3 bids noted above plus Milpitas and Newark) and if no success, the will try 3.5* from $52 to $60 (3 bids total)?

I used your PRICELINE link for my bids.

[thereuare]

She is eyeing the 3.5* Sheraton Palo Alto Hotel which is listed at $119 at Priceline.

Do you think I should start at 4* first from $60 up to a max of $70

What is the ultimate objective? PRICELINE currently rates the Sheraton at 3.5* so do you prefer to try for this hotel OR looking more for the best value and hoping for something higher rated at not much more than your failed 3.5* bid? (NOTE: Keep in mind there are other 3.5* rated properties in this zone and there is no way to bid on just the Sheraton... so bidding 3.5* could land any 3.5* rated hotel in the zone)

We'll don't see that much bidding in this area, but most reported wins at the 3.5* level are higher than you're currently budgeting.

Let us know how you'd like to proceed and we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow.

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board for your purchases.

[verga]

She will need a hotel for those 2 nights at whatever price but hopefully below $100...whether it is a 4* or 3.5* - no preference in hotel other than it must be close to the university at the lowest possible rate.

We will continue to bid until she gets a hotel. If using Hotwire is better, please let us know.

Thanks again for all your help.

[thereuare]

I'm assuming that landing a hotel anywhere in the Palo Alto zone will get her 'close enough' to the University? If so...

When bidding 3.5* in this zone you have TWO re-bid zones (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)

Select 3.5* Palo Alto...

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

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

Select 3.5* Palo Alto and re-bid zone2...

Bid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

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

Select 4* Palo Alto + re-bid zone4 (ie- one of the zones which is a re-bid zone at the 4* level but NOT at the 3.5* level)...

Bid $73, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $78, if rejected add re-bid zone3...

Bid $80

Any questions feel free to ask (especially regarding which re-bid zone to add for the first bid at the 4* level)

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

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[verga]

I think I got it but to be sure....here is the strategy I am going to use today -

Select 3.5* Palo Alto...

Bid $55, if rejected add re-bid zone1 (Mountain View)

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

Select 3.5* Palo Alto and re-bid zone2 (San Jose South)

Bid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone1 (Mountain View)

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

Select 4* Palo Alto + re-bid zone4 (Milpitas) (ie- one of the zones which is a re-bid zone at the 4* level but NOT at the 3.5* level)

Bid $73, if rejected add re-bid zone1 (Mountain View)

Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone2 (San Jose South)

Bid $78, if rejected add re-bid zone3 (Newark)

Bid $80

[verga]

I bid as per the suggested strategy:

up to $70 for 3.5* hotel - all failed

up to $80 for 4* hotel - all failed

So should I wait....or increase my bid for 3.5* hotel?

Thanks

Verga

[thereuare]

24 hours after your last rejected bid i'd re-try...

Select 3.5* Palo Alto...

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

Bid $80, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* Palo Alto and re-bid zone2...

Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Palo Alto + re-bid zone4 (ie- one of the zones which is a re-bid zone at the 4* level but NOT at the 3.5* level)...

Bid $93, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $98, if rejected add re-bid zone3...

Bid $100

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.

[Colfax]

On Expedia I see several Palo Alto hotels and motels under $100 for your dates. I think at least some of them run a free shuttle to Stanford, but I don't know which ones. Maybe you'll want to book one of those hotels conventionally (rather than bidding on PRICELINE) to guarantee your daughter is within walking distance or has transportation to campus. Stanford's information office might have a list of local hotels with shuttles to campus.

[verga]

Thanks for your suggestion, Colfax. I asked my daughter to check it out and see which hotel would suit her needs.

Meanwhile, we'll keep bidding for 3.5* and 4* up to $90 maybe $100. I asked her to check out the Stanford guest house available to guests with university related activities - $109 per night all in.

[verga]

After my bid of $75, I was asked to add $22. Instead, I added Mountain View and bid $80 - SUCCESS!!!

Yeay!! She got Sheraton Palo Alto Hotel at $80 - the hotel she most wanted and also where most of the event participants are staying!! $109 is the rate offered to the event participants and $119 is the price listed at Priceline and Expedia. $80 is-not much of a discount, but still very good!!!

I used the PRICELINE links provided.

Thank you for your assistance, thereuare.

[AaronJB]

Congratulations on your success!

Fantastic deal and glad to hear that you were able to get the hotel you were looking for!

Thank you for sharing your result with the board and using the site's PRICELINE link.

Enjoy your stay.