Priceline Hotel: 3.5* LA-San Fernando Valley (Valencia-Stevenson Ranch) Hyatt Valencia

[jmtraveller]

Hi,

I am fairly new to Priceline bidding and because I did not read enough guide before I began, I made some unsuccessful bids.

So the first search I entered was:

07/28/2010 ~ 07/31/2010

Valencia - Stevenson Ranch.

only checked 3.5 stars. Bid amount was $60.

(since retail price was around $120 and I was hoping for 50% off)

The dates are pretty much set. We were looking to book as closest to Six Flags Magic Mountain as possible as we avoid spending too much time / extra costs on transportation. We would like somewhere that is at least a 3 stars and the maximum we'd pay would be $65 for 3.5 * or $55 for 3 *. We do have a back-up reservation at a 2 * for $72 but that's why we are using PL to save some costs.

So after I entered it, it came out rejected. Not knowing enough about re-bidding, we changed the star level by adding 3 star in addition to 3.5 star, but we did not increase the bid amount. Since it was basically the same offer, of course it got rejected and we wasted the free re-bid.

Then I looked up more information about the hotels in this area. It seems that Hyatt Valencia is the ONLY 3.5* hotel in this area and there are four 3 * hotels.

Also I looked up "dummy zones" and it seems that all the other zones do not have any 3.5 * but they do have 3 * hotels. And I looked up recent winning bids and it appears that some were able to book the 3.5 * Hyatt Valencia with $55 (booked in Mar/10 for Apr/10), $54 (in Apr/10), $54 (booked May/10 for Jun/10).

So it does seem that it is possible to book under $60, which makes me hesitate about raising the price of my previous bid of $60.

It has already passed the 24 hours since my last bid, so I am free to bid again or start over. I'm just wondering what should be my next steps...should I start low balling and use more rebid zones and add $1-2 at a time? Would that give me the best chance of getting the Hyatt Valencia for under $65? We can settle for 3 * as long as it is close enough to Six Flags (or have shuttle) and that it is not over $55.

I welcome and appreciate advice, ideas, or suggestions you'd like to offer. Thank you so much.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Rates are date specific so you may not be able to replicate another user's win when their dates are different then your own (since demand, and therefore rates, may be higher for your dates than the other user who was successful at lower prices). To try bidding again...

At the 3.5* level in the Valencia-Stevenson Ranch zone 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.

Select 3.5* Valencia-Stevenson Ranch...

Bid $50, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $58, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $63, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $65

Any questions feel free to ask (especially confirming your re-bid zones if you're unsure)

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

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[jmtraveller]

Thank you so much! The link provided all the information I needed to know about re-bidding. I used the BB PRICELINE link to check the star ratings and will use it again to bid on the hotels. So in this area, there are:

North Hollywood - Studio City

Simi Valley –

Valencia - Stevenson Ranch

Van Nuys - Mission Hills

Warner Center - Woodland Hills Area

And ONLY Valencia - Stevenson Ranch, the one we want to bid has a 3.5*. Burbank is out of the consideration because it has 3.5 AND 4 * hotels. So it means I have 4 free re-bid zones like you mentioned. I will try bidding at $50 but I will probably use lower increments. We've spent more $ than we could have on a 3.5* star hotel in Anaheim. Priceline bidding price was way lower than Hotwire's rate which we booked with...I regret not finding out sooner. Thank you for the information about the rates! That does make me feel better about the whole price comparison.

I will update how it goes when we book again tonight.

[Colfax]

Good luck with your bidding tonight, jmtraveller.

I don't know how many are in your party but since you're new to PRICELINE I'll mention that Priceline reservations only guarantee double occupancy (2 people), which could be a room with one bed. If you need two beds Hotwire is often the better choice because you can enter the number in your party and be guaranteed bedding for that number.

Six Flags makes Valencia a popular destination for family vacations and the hotels there, like in Anaheim, tend to have a lot of two-bed rooms that will accomodate families. Still you should understand that two beds aren't guaranteed on PRICELINE, and if you need two beds PRICELINE is somewhat of a gamble.

[jmtraveller]

Previous bid on July 5:

Valencia - Stevenson Ranch.

checked 3.5 stars. Bid amount was $60. Rejected.

I asked for help on this board and waited a bit until the itinerary was settled.

Second try on July 12:

Valencia - Stevenson Ranch.

checked 3.5 stars. Bid amount was $55. ACCEPTED!

The price must have dropped the second time I bid. I was expecting a no-go and raising the price on the re-bid because the recent win for this hotel was $70.

I also used $10/nt bonus cash from Entertainment Book so it came to $45/nt at Hyatt! My boyfriend and I are very pleased :)

I did use the PRICELINE link on this board. Thank you for all your help!

[yellowdog]

jmtraveller

Congratulations on your success!

Thank you for sharing your win with the board and using our PRICELINE link to begin your bidding :)

We hope you're satisfied with the outcome and will like the Hyatt.

Enjoy your stay.

Yellowdog.

[dv8r]

tried to book that 3.5* Valencia / Stevenson Ranch Hyatt near Magic Mtn for this Fri & Sat night and was rejected at $75 ...

even though rack rate on the website is showing $122 plus tax...

My father confirms this 3.5* is the Hyatt as he's had it for $60 in the past...but claims that deal is no more.

Suggests the Embassy Suites or Courtyard instead of Priceline or Hotwire randomness , as those hotels provide complimentary breakfast and are good values if purchased through Orbitz etc.

[thereuare]

dv8r,

If you'd like help with your own stay please start a NEW TOPIC.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or if you decide to book direct use the links in our support page where we have link to Orbitz as well as most major hotel chains and online booking agencies.