Priceline Hotel: 4* Paris Mid Sept Bidding Strategy

[lcheni]

Would be pleased to win a bid (4* Paris Mid Sept) close to the one posted a few days ago (Novotel Effiel $80) for my week of Sept 13~18, but not sure how to proceed with no fee-bid zones for 4* Paris.

I need 3 rooms for 6 adults and we are quite flexible in where we stay.

From my 2005 experience of Paris, of the current Priceline map,

I probably would prefer and try to bid progressively of the below:

3 Champs Elysees - Opera Quarter West

4 Eiffel Tower - Port De Versailles - Montparnasse

6 Opera Quarter East - Les Halles

7 St. Germain - Latin Quarter - Montparnasse

-------------------------------------------------------------

Until I did some further research/reading, I am not sure what would be a good start $, and how to add zone/$ etc.

Just wondering whether there is a bidding strategy covering places like Paris.

A while ago, I followed one posted that worked out great for Vancouver (with 3-4 free bid zones)

http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?sho...mp;#entry333439

but I now need one with no free-bid zones.

Thanks.

[lcheni]

I just read the below:

#6 - Pricline Bidding Strategy Paris-15/08/09 for 3 nights

Priceline Paris Bidding Strategy

I guess that I can scheme my bidding sequence based on it, but without any Free-Bidding Zone.

Would appreciate comments/suggestions on building the bidding sequences.

[thereuare]

I probably would prefer and try to bid progressively of the below:

3 Champs Elysees - Opera Quarter West

4 Eiffel Tower - Port De Versailles - Montparnasse

6 Opera Quarter East - Les Halles

7 St. Germain - Latin Quarter - Montparnasse

To confirm, you're fine with any of the zones above? The least expensive 4* or better in any of these zones is acceptable?

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

[lcheni]

"The least expensive 4* or better in any of these zones is acceptable?" Yes.

I guess winning in any of the 4 zones would work for me, esp in the range of $80~100 (not much higher) for 3 rooms for a mid Sept week.

Please alert me if I need to follow a particular sequence of adding zones in re-bidding.

Thanks.

[thereuare]

With no re-bid zones avaialble i would bid as follows:

Select 4* Champs Elysees and Eiffel Tower...

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

Select 4* Opera Quarter East and Latin Quarter...

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

Select 4* Opera Quarter East and Eiffel Tower...

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

Select 4* Champs Elysees East and Latin Quarter..

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

Select 4* Latin Quarter and Eiffel Tower...

Bid $85, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Opera Quarter East and Champs Elysees...

Bid $85, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Champs Elysees and Eiffel Tower and Opera Quarter East...

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

Select 4* Champs Elysees and Eiffel Tower and Latin Quarter...

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

Select 4* Opera Quarter East and Latin Quarter and Champs Elysees...

Bid $95, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Opera Quarter East and Latin Quarter and Eiffel Tower...

Bid $95, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Opera Quarter East and Latin Quarter and Champs Elysees and Eiffel Tower...

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.

[lcheni]

Started on bidding (Paris 09/13~18 3 Rooms; 4* No Free-rebid zones) based on the suggested scheme in this

Priceline Bidding Strategy

Went through the list from $85 to $105; Not Successful; No Counter Offer etc.

I checked Marriott Rive Gauche for $ and availability: Spotty inventory (1 or 2days) for cheaper rooms (C$261~$300)

for 3room 5 days : only Executive Room-Best Available Rate (C$436)

[thereuare]

Sorry to hear your bids thus far have not been successful.

Is $105 your maximum bid at the moment?

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

[lcheni]

Is $105 your maximum bid at the moment?

How high would you suggest?

Also wondering what impacts it maybe for 3 room for the week (Mon-Sat) for the time of the year?

[brianc_li]

The autumn Paris fashion week starts in late September. This affects availabilty. Certainly prices will be a bit higher than average.

[thereuare]

I only took a quick look (so don't go bidding just yet based upon these numbers), but at the moment rates are high and unfortunately i don't think you're close... at the moment for a 4* for your complete stay i think you're looking closer at $200 than you are $100. (but of course i wouldn't start too high, plenty of time to increase gradually if you're willing to bid higher)

Is SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID an option? What is the best rate you're able to find for this complete stay? I see some of the rates above but if i interpret your post correctly that is only for partial dates, not your entire stay, correct? Also, please post in US dollars, as i believe you're posting Canadian dollars... not that there's too much difference at the moment anyway :) , but it's easier to compute in US dollars since that is the currency you're bidding will be in.

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

[lcheni]

1. Bidding $$$ Range: The other recent post mentioned receiving a counter offer of $140 <#8 - http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?sho...mp;p=370643>. After a few practicing rounds, I will most likely have to raise to that level or higher. Or, if needs to be, going down to 2/3 level in order to keep in the budget.

2. That week (Mon-Sat) is my complete stay of Paris before moving down to Burgundy for another week.

3. C$: Some meta search sites(hotel; train; car rental) would use only one currency and others would remember my home country and not so easy (or I have not found switch yet) to change to the other preferred reporting currency. I will try to use US$ as much as I can. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Thanks for your feedback and suggestions.

[lcheni]

Yesterday, after 2~3 biddings of Paris Hotels(mainly zone 12- Gare de Lyon) for the week of Sept 13, I encountered first time that PRICELINE stopped the bidding process and turned me over to the city-wide listings of hotels offerings.

Just wondering whether it was because of the very limited PL hotel availability in zone 12 (Gare de Lyon) - there probably were only 1 or 2 hotels in the zone for each * level and for each * level, I started at 55% of the PL median price.

Later, I got PRICELINE eMail asking me to check the Status of bidding. That as well turned me over to the same city-wide of hotel listings.

[yellowdog]

lcheni

Please keep all posts in the same thread since posts are for the same dates. We will edit and move your thread in the end.

PRICELINE maybe don't have any discounted rooms for your dates or you might be bidding to low.

How high have you bid?

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

Yellowdog.

[Romelle]

A couple months ago I bid and got a hotel in the La Defense area. Admittedly it is out a ways. But is right on a metro line and it seemed most of the places we wanted to see were scattered about Paris so would have usually rode the metro a bit anyway.

The hotel was very nice, and considerably less expensive than those more central.

There really wasn't any evening action, but that really wasn't our thing anyway. The area is business commercial, but totally clean and safe.

If I've piqued your interest, you might look at the hotel reviews in that area and see if it is a bidding possibility.

FYI.

Romelle

[thereuare]

Don't read anything into getting transferred to the "retail" section of PRICELINE... it's just a way of cross-marketing; PRICELINE knows you need a hotel, your bid was rejected, and they're trying to sell you something from the retail offerings. I'd venture a guess that the average PRICELINE user doesn't re-bid or add other zones, so they probably make just one bid and leave... this gives PRICELINE an opportunity to capture a sale from the average customer who would simply leave after a rejected bid.

If you let us know your bidding history we can assist further.

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