Priceline Hotel: Help 3.5* San Diego (Mission Valley) 5/27/10 - 6/7/10

[sdwow]

My parents are coming to town for 11 nights (5/27/10 - 6/7/10), so I need a very good deal on a nearby hotel. I also need to add PRICELINE's trip insurance ($55 for 11 nights) due to my Dad's health status and risk of the need to cancel for illness. There is a 3.5* Doubletree very close here in Mission Valley, which would be the best (location-wise). The other two 3.5* hotels (Marriot and Hyatt) in Mission Valley that Priceline lists on their retail site would be great too.

My bids were rejected at $42, $45, $46, $47, & $48. I submitted all bids tonight by adding locations that I don't think have any 3.5* hotels (San Ysidro/border, National City, Chula Vista, El Cajon, La Mesa).

From what I understand, PRICELINE's "name your bid" site might use more hotels than what are listed on their retail site hotel maps. Is that correct? If so, is it possible that the "name your bid" site might find a 3.5* hotel in one of these regions in San Diego where no 3.5* hotels are listed on their retail site hotel maps? I don't want to risk winning a bid for a hotel outside of Mission Valley (and definitely not in these far-flung locals that I added to my bid).

Also, any advice on how much to bid? I figured was low-balling it, but I thought I remembered people winning some bids for 3.5* hotels in Mission Valley in the $45-$50 range.

I forgot to use this site's link to start my bids on PRICELINE- but I'll definitely do it when I re-bid. Thanks!

[thereuare]

Please click this PRICELINE link and then reply to this thread and we'll answer your questions above.

Thanks.

[sdwow]

Thank you- I clicked on the PRICELINE link. I'll click on it again tonight when I have another bid opportunity.

[thereuare]

From what I understand, PRICELINE's "name your bid" site might use more hotels than what are listed on their retail site hotel maps. Is that correct? If so, is it possible that the "name your bid" site might find a 3.5* hotel in one of these regions in San Diego where no 3.5* hotels are listed on their retail site hotel maps? I don't want to risk winning a bid for a hotel outside of Mission Valley (and definitely not in these far-flung locals that I added to my bid).

The "retail" and "bidding" sections of PRICELINE each use a different universe of hotels, as well different zone names and boundaries, so you can't use one to determine your re-bid zones for the others.

The way to determine your re-bid zones is explained in this thread: Priceline Re-Bidding Explained. Please see this thread and feel free to ask any questions you have and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board (HINT: you have NINE re-bid zones when bidding 3.5* in the San Diego area)

If you read the above thread and are confused just post back and we'll break it down further for you.

Rates are date specific, so you may not be able to replicate another user's win if their dates are different then your own. As well, if the sub-$50 wins are only available during times of very low occupancy, this can make a longer stay harder to win since just one nite of normal/higher occupancy can effect the amount required for the entire stay. What is the best rate you're able to find thru conventional booking channels?

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your bids and travel purchases.

[sdwow]

Thank you so much for your advice- reading the thread you recommended was extremely helpful. That makes it very easy! It's great that San Diego has so many zones lacking higher end hotels- so I can rebid many times without waiting.

I hadn't considered that a longer stay might make it more difficult to get a good deal due to the fact that there is a greater chance that the period could over-lap with at least one high hotel-occupancy day in the region. So, thanks for pointing that out. Maybe I'll do some further digging to try to figure out if there are just a few keys days that are extra full in the region (looking on other sites, like Hotwire). If so, I could try getting a lower Priceline rate for part of my parents' stay, and book them again on Priceline (and possibly getting a different hotel) at a higher rate for the busier days.

I did check Hotwire for the full 11 days and the cheapest rate in Mission Valley seems to be $82.

Thanks again for all of your help. I'll attempt some bids again (using the link from this site!) later this evening and will post my results.

[thereuare]

If you'd like, feel free to confirm your re-bid zones with the board.

Good luck and thanks for starting your bids with the PRICELINE links on the board.

[Colfax]

I hadn't considered that a longer stay might make it more difficult to get a good deal due to the fact that there is a greater chance that the period could over-lap with at least one high hotel-occupancy day in the region.

Your parents' 11-night stay includes Memorial Day weekend. I expect the whole weekend will be busy, not just one day.

If your parents are willing to split their bid and possibly move once I'll suggest trying 5/27-6/1 as one piece, and 6/1-6/7 as the other. That's sort of a "natural" split with the first piece being all of Memorial Day weekend.

If so, I could try getting a lower Priceline rate for part of my parents' stay, and book them again on Priceline (and possibly getting a different hotel) at a higher rate for the busier days.

When you split one segment isn't always more expensive. It could be that Hotel A has given PRICELINE the first five nights at $50 (for example), and Hotel B has given PRICELINE the last six nights at $50. But no hotel is available at $50 for all eleven nights.

[Colfax]

Another reason to split long stays like this is to hedge against the risk of winning a a hotel you don't like and being stuck there eleven nights. This can happen at any bidding level, (but more likely at 2* than 3.5*).

If you split and win six nights---the first six or last six, you'll see what you get. If you like it try Add a Night for the other five nights. (No guarantee it will work.) If you don't like the first hotel you can make other plans for the rest of the trip.

If you want to try it you could bid to $48 for the first six nights, then the last six nights.

If your parents don't want to move you'll have to go higher than $48.

Thanks for using the board PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links.