Priceline Hotel: Folly Beach, SC Help (Near Charleston)

[athiker]

I am hoping to win a stay at the Holiday Inn Folly Beach Oceanfront the nights of June 20 & 21. Travel site rates are $216 and HOTWIRE is $206. It appears to be the only oceanfront in the PRICELINE Folly Beach area using Search Nearby in Google Maps "Hotel" and looking on the travel sites. HOTWIRE shows the oceanfront icon for the $206 hotel.

My hesitation is when I go to bid on PRICELINE it lists the "median 3* price in the area selected" as $159 which makes me wonder if there is another 3* hotel in the zone that in not oceanfront. No other hotel comes up period on the travel sites specifically in Folly Beach, however Google Maps shows an independent hotel named Holliday Inn of Folly Beach (note the 2 "L"s in Holliday)...this hotel is not on the water and has a bad review...I do not want to stay here. Their website also specifically states they are not affiliated w/ the major chain Holiday Inn.

There is also Waters Edge Inn of Folly Beach...also not ocean front...but appears to be very nice and I would be okay if I got this one. I doubt the double "L" Holliday would be in the PRICELINE system but welcome others' thoughts. We are visiting family staying at the Holiday Inn Oceanfront so its not mandatory we are oceanfront, but the bad review (and quite honestly their own website pictures) of the one independent has me concerned.

There are 2 zones in the general area that max out at 2 1/2 stars so I have several rebid opportunities when combined with the 3 weeks or so before our trip date.

Could anyone offer a bidding strategy and any insight into whether the Holiday Inn Folly Beach Oceanfront is the only 3*? I'm pretty confident but the $159 vs the $216 I've seen is throwing me off. All I've found in a search of Folly Beach here is this thread where someone came to the same conclusion a few years back. Thanks!

Priceline Folly Beach

[thereuare]

As PRICELINE doesn't provide a complete list of all of their properties, and new hotels are added all the time, i don't think anyone can say with absolute certainty if this is the Holiday Inn is the only participant in this area as there could always be another one which others haven't considered.

What is the address of the Holliday Inn Folly Beach (the one with 2 L's)... have you seen what other travel site rate it?

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

If you would like to move forward with PRICELINE, what is your maximum bid for a 3.5* property in this zone?

[athiker]

Thank you for your reply!

Holliday Inn of Folly Beach: 116 West Ashley Avenue, Folly Beach, SC *not oceanfront, not desired, independent

Holiday Inn Folly Beach Oceanfront: 1 Center Street, Folly Beach, SC *oceanfront, target property, part of the major chain

I have not found the double L Holliday in on any travel sites whatsoever...only via Google Maps and their own website: http://www.hollidayinnfollybeach.com/ This hotel may be fine, I have no personal experience there, its just I would not want to pay oceanfront rates for a non-oceanfront property unless it is truly excellent. Their rates seem high to me considering location, the room pics and the one scathing review I read.

Water's Edge Inn seems to fall in the excellent category.

I do not have a specific price target. If we get a good enough deal on 2 nights we may bid for a 3rd. If the deal is so/so we will stay 2 nights. If we can't seem to get much off w/ failed bids then we may stay in closer to Charleston and drive in to visit family at the oceanfront Holiday Inn.

I guess I would love $105 to $120 and maybe go as high as $140ish for the real Holiday Inn oceanfront. Does that sound reasonable? A successful $105-$110 I would probably bid for a 3rd night. Hotwire has it for $206 and the travels sites for $216. I got such a good deal at Wild Dunes last year ($105 for $243) maybe I'm expecting too much?

[thereuare]

I guess I would love $105 to $120 and maybe go as high as $140ish for the real Holiday Inn oceanfront.... HOTWIRE has it for $206 and the travels sites for $216. I got such a good deal at Wild Dunes last year ($105 for $243) maybe I'm expecting too much?

Since you can't bid on this specific hotel, the following is for a 3* hotel in this zone. Given the lack of history in this area, and time before your stay, i would try bidding as follows: (i've used $120 as your upper limit since you may win a hotel other than the Holiday Inn, and it appear you would only go up to $140 for that specific property)

At the 3* level in Charleston you have TWO 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* Folly Beach...

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

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

Select 3* Folly Beach and re-bid zone2...

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

Bid $80

If rejected wait 24 hours from your last rejected bid and re-try, starting with the board's PRICELINE link (and not any emails PRICELINE may send informing you that you're eligible to bid again):

Select 3* Folly Beach...

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

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

Select 3* Folly Beach and re-bid zone2...

Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $105

24 hours later:

If rejected wait 24 hours from your last rejected bid and re-try, starting with the board's PRICELINE link:

Select 3* Folly Beach...

Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $115, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Folly Beach and re-bid zone2...

Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $125 (if you wanted to try the extra $5)

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, and keep us updated along the way.

[athiker]

Thank you again for your response. I will let you know how things go and use your link.

One other detail...if booked directly on the travel sites they are including a $20 breakfast credit with the $216 rate.

What really threw me off was the $216 travel site rate vs. the $159 "median" rate that showed up. Is that odd if there is only one 3* in the zone and it is in fact the oceanfront Holiday Inn? Or does that number not mean much?

I also found this link: Priceline webpage showing 3* for the hotel I want

[thereuare]

The median price offered by PRICELINE is often not accurate and not useful in a bidding strategy.

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

Good luck and keep us updated on your progress.

[athiker]

I've worked my way up using the suggested strategy but no luck so far. I just got rejected at $125 which concluded my 2nd round of bidding. The only thing I did different was I started at $85 (skipped the $65-80 steps) since I became pretty confident my target hotel is the only 3*. I know you were starting conservative just in case there was another non-oceanfront...I decided to risk it. Since that was the case I didn't really expect a hit until above $100, but was kind of hopeful for $125. I have at least 24 hours now to consider upping or going another route...maybe staying in another area.

BTW, thanks for the step-by-step illustration showing how to get 4 bidding opportunities per round. I'm pretty sure I would've only thought to do 3 combos.

[thereuare]

Glad to hear the re-bid strategy was helpful and thanks for using the PRICELINE links for your bidding :)

Good luck on your next round... keep us updated as to your progress and if we can be of further help along the way.

[athiker]

Well I guess business is good on Folly Beach. Tuesday I got rejected at 130 - 145. I tried yesterday after 24 hours but for some reason it I couldn't bid again yet...then didn't get around to it again. Just now, Thursday, I got rejected at 150 -165.

The only things to note are when I bid $150 I was offered the "one time" ability to rebid right away if I increased my bid by $30 without changing anything (that was new to me) and then at $160 (that is the 1st bid after closing the browser and reopening to try the 2nd 2 bids) I was offered an immediate rebid if I went up by $35. Neither immediate rebid price levels were attractive to me. I'll probably try $160 each of the next few days and then make other plans.

[thereuare]

Well, at least you know that at the moment the 'right' numbers is between $161-$180... you have to decide how high you're willing to bid.

Do you have a back-up plan? If so, where and how much?

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

[athiker]

When you say the "right" number is between $161 and $180 how do you know that? When they offer you an instant rebid if you increase by x amount do you know from experience that they always accept that new amount?...thus making it the upper end of the acceptance window? So being offered an instant rebid if I go up $30 from my $150 meant they would definitely take $180?

I tried $160 and $165 today again with no luck. I was offered an instant rebid on my $160 bid if I went up $35.

Actually, maybe I was lucky after all. We found out later today that our relatives may have to cancel their trip (they are paying with miles). I would've been bummed to pay up only to have no real reason to go to that specific hotel anymore! So things are on hold now. I will update if anything changes. Thanks for your continued input.

EDIT: Oh, the backup plan was to see if our relatives would be allowed to use more of their miles (they have a tons due to work travel) to book us a room and pay them the $300 and something for two nights instead. Otherwise just stay inland and travel to the beach to visit each day. We'd probably be going to dinner in Charleston anyway so between us we'd have a hotel base in both locations.

[thereuare]

Generally when you receive a counter-offer that is a 'good' number to be accepted, but it can often be undercut by using re-bid zones... see this thread for more info: Priceline Suggests Price to Pay

Once you find out let us know if the trip is on or off and we'll proceed then.

Please follow-up this thread with whatever you end up doing for this stay, even if you choose to book direct, cancel your trip, etc.

[athiker]

Trip is back on so tried bidding again today. $150, $155, $160 and was offered rebid if +35 on the $160 so tried increasing by 1/3 of difference as suggested by a poster in the thread you linked to. $172 bid failed.

Not too disappointed only b/c I wouldn't really be thrilled to pay $172! Disappointed only b/c I see in another thread that I could get the ocean front Marriot in Hilton Head for $89 for those dates and having stayed there before know it would be nice. Obviously they have a good gig going there in Folly Beach being the only oceanfront game in town.

Will update when I have anything new to post.

[thereuare]

Please update whatever you end up doing for this stay... even if you cancel the trip, book direct, etc.

Thanks for using the PRICELINE links on the board to begin your bidding.

Keep us updated and let us know if we can be of any help along the way.

[athiker]

I tried several more times in the days following my last post up to $170 to no avail. I got rebid offers a few times of $160 + $35 but declined. Anyway, they win, we are still going but paying with miles from my BIL who travels extensively for work. I'm going to pay him for his miles, but not full value, he is generously cutting us a deal.

The room rate on Travelocity is now up to $260 and it is $246 on HOTWIRE for my dates (Prices were $216 and $206 back in late May.). Like I said, they have a pretty good exclusive ocean front gig going there. I imagine its one of the more profitable Holiday Inns in the chain. Oh well, I hope its nice.

[yellowdog]

athiker

Thanks for the follow-up and closing this thread.

Yellowdog.