Priceline Hotel: Uh I'm clueless...walk me through this like I'm a 2 yr old

[Lovely_Star]

Ok I'm going to go out on a whim for the first time ever and bid on a hotel and car rental through PRICELINE. I'm nervous and I really need step by step guidance on how to make it happen. As the designated family TA if it blows up in my face it will be my fault, lol. Anyway, we need a hotel preferably 3* for one night only FRI 12/3/10. We need a car rental (mid, standard or full) pick up at HNL on 12/03 and drop off on 12/11. I would like to pay no more than $75 for the hotel (areas 2, 7, 8 or 9) including all taxes and fees. I would like to pay no more than $20 per day for the car rental, again including all taxes and fees. Please let me know if these requests are reasonable and/or attainable. If so whats the best method of attack to insure they come to fruition? I know the first step is to make sure that I use the links from this site......

ETA: These are the hotels I took interest in while researching on these boards: Hawaii Prince Hotel, Doubletree Alana, Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, Courtyard Waikiki Beach, Aqua Aloha Surf, Aqua Palms and Spa and Castle Ocean Resort Waikiki.

[thereuare]

As the designated family TA...

How many guests and rooms do you need?

Anyway, we need a hotel preferably 3* for one night only FRI 12/3/10. We need a car rental (mid, standard or full) pick up at HNL on 12/03 and drop off on 12/11. I would like to pay no more than $75 for the hotel (areas 2, 7, 8 or 9) including all taxes and fees.

Please use separate threads for your hotel and car rental bidding. We'll use this thread for your hotel stay, please start a NEW TOPIC in the Car Rental section of the board for your car rental. Please include the names of the zone(s) you're interested in (not the numbers) and your maximum bid amount (before taxes and fees).

ETA: These are the hotels I took interest in while researching on these boards: Hawaii Prince Hotel, Doubletree Alana, Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, Courtyard Waikiki Beach, Aqua Aloha Surf, Aqua Palms and Spa and Castle Ocean Resort Waikiki.

You can't bid on specific hotels when using PRICELINE, if you're going to move forward with PRICELINE, you need to be willing to accept any hotel in the zone(s) you select. What star level are you seeking for this stay?

I know the first step is to make sure that I use the links from this site......

Thanks! Please click this PRICELINE link before replying to the above.

[Lovely_Star]

How many guests and rooms do you need?

Please use separate threads for your hotel and car rental bidding. We'll use this thread for your hotel stay, please start a NEW TOPIC in the Car Rental section of the board for your car rental. Please include the names of the zone(s) you're interested in (not the numbers) and your maximum bid amount (before taxes and fees).

You can't bid on specific hotels when using PRICELINE, if you're going to move forward with PRICELINE, you need to be willing to accept any hotel in the zone(s) you select. What star level are you seeking for this stay?

Thanks! Please click this PRICELINE link before replying to the above.

Uh that would make since, duh I told you I was clueless. I need one room only for me and DH. I'm aware that I can't bid on specific hotels and am willing to take that gamble. However, after further research I've narrowed it down to the following zones and hotels I'd be settled with: Waikiki City Central (Courtyard Waikiki Beach, Aqua Aloha Surf or the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani ), Waikiki Marina Area (Hawaii Prince Hotel, Aqua Palms and Spa or the Doubletree Alana). I will start a 2nd thread for my car rental in that section. I am seeking 3-4* hotels. Maximum bid before taxes is $60 (is that realistic) maybe $65? I will start a 2nd thread for my car rental in that section. Thanks...okay lets do this :)

[Lovely_Star]

Okay I just wanted to add that I think $60 is very reasonable since I just researched and found I could book the Aqua Palms and Spa for $80 a night with my AAA discount.

[travelguy2]

I'm aware that I can't bid on specific hotels and am willing to take that gamble. However, after further research I've narrowed it down to the following zones and hotels I'd be settled with: Waikiki City Central (Courtyard Waikiki Beach, Aqua Aloha Surf or the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani ), Waikiki Marina Area (Hawaii Prince Hotel, Aqua Palms and Spa or the Doubletree Alana).

OK, so you're aware you can't bid on specific hotels. But here's something else to consider: if you bid in those zones, you are NOT guaranteed to get one of those hotels you just named. You could get ANY 3* (or whatever level you are bidding) hotel in that zone - and those are likely not ALL of the 3* hotels in those zones. Did you get those off the hotel list on this site? If so, be aware that this list is only a list of hotels that someone has reported winning in the zone, not a comprehensive list of ALL 3* hotels in the zones (since hotels and zones are constantly changing, maintaining such a list would be a ton of work). There's always the possibility that you could get some other random hotel that no one's ever won before.

That's one reason I personally try not to bid lower than 3* on Priceline, because I figure that even if I get some random hotel, if it qualifies as a 3* it probably won't be terrible (although I've been wrong about that before too, on occasion :))

Okay I just wanted to add that I think $60 is very reasonable since I just researched and found I could book the Aqua Palms and Spa for $80 a night with my AAA discount.

Try searching some of the other 3* bids in this forum for those areas, that will be your BEST indicator of what is likely to be accepted.

[Lovely_Star]

I just booked the Aqua Waikiki Wave 3* hotel directly through their reservations line. Since it is at least 30 days in advance it made me eligible for their early bird special (non refundable, no cancellations). Total cost including all taxes and fees is $77 and I do not think priceline would have been able to beat that. Bidding seems to be a real nuisance. I will more than likely use hotwire for our car rental however.

[AaronJB]

Sorry to hear that bidding did not work out in this instance, but thank you for closing the thread.

Enjoy your stay.