goatcheese4me Posted January 14, 2011 Report Posted January 14, 2011 Hi!First, thanks for this site. It really gives a great perspective on bidding as well as an informative guide.Last night I tried several times to bid on a hotel through Priceline only to be rejected. I was wondering if you can provide any guidance or insight as to how far off I might be.My areas, ranking in order:-TS-madison square garden-mid town east / west (both equal)-empire state buildingWe're doing megabus to get up to NYC and mostly seeing shows, so really MSG and TS are equal. Anyway, here's what I bid. I'm not sure the order is correct because I don't think they sent me the "tips for success" emails in sequence. Also, my bids change because I was reading this site as I was making my attempts and seeing other deals elsewhere, so if there seems to be very little logic, it's because I kept changing my target areas.And again, all of these were rejected.1st set of attempts:3 star - MTE - $853 star - MTE/W - $1002nd set:3 star - TS - $1253rd set: (I remember reading someone else doing this same approach, but didn't work for me unfortunately)3.5 star - MSG - $753 star - MSG - $78 4th set:3.5 star - MSG - $933 star - MSG - $1003 star - MSG/ESB - $905th set:3 star - MTE, MSG, ESB - $1083 star - MTE/W, ESB, MSG - $1123 star - MTE/W, ESB, MSG, TS - $115I really was surprised that $115/ni was rejected for all districts listed. Where do you see success?I ask because the marriott marquis is offering the government rate of $212, which after taxes would be $493, and I know priceline's taxes and fees are pretty high. At some point it may no longer be worth it to gamble with priceline and instead go with the sure thing for a little more.Thanks ahead of time for any help you could provide!
Romelle Posted January 14, 2011 Report Posted January 14, 2011 On the Calendar of Wins (center of page just above here) somebody has a 4* $130 MTW for your dates. Hotwire (which tends to be a little more expensive) has a 4* MTE for $179. So you are probably getting close. Not great news, but .... NYC is pretty amazing.Romelle
thereuare Posted January 14, 2011 Report Posted January 14, 2011 Welcome to BetterBidding!There is a WIDE margin between the most you have bid thus far $115/$125 and the $212 best hotel direct rate you're able to find... i think there is a lot more bidding to do, and the ability to bid much higher, before declaring that it may not be worth it.Since the target/goals of your previous bids kept changing as you were bidding, where do you stand now? What is your desired star rating and maximum bid? Although you listed the zones in preference order, is price or zone more important... in other words, would you pay more to be in the TS or MSG zone vs. paying less to be in the MTE or MTW zone... or is your real goal the least expensive hotel in any of the zones you've listed at the minimum star rating you choose?Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
goatcheese4me Posted January 18, 2011 Author Report Posted January 18, 2011 Oops! I forgot to come back and read your reply. Rookie mistake...Anyway, I had another day bidding where, basically, as the price went up, I got pickier with the area I'd be okay with staying, the top 3 being Times Square, Midtown West, and Madison Square. The highest I bid for (and rejected) each was $135 for MTW/E, $145 MSG, and $160 for TS, all being 4*, 3.5*, and 3*. The next day I tried $150 for MSG and MTW but to no avail. Then I made a rookie mistake....Tired of bidding, I bid $155 and threw MTE into the mix, with only 4* and 3.5* checked. Well, I got it! THE ROOSEVELT HOTEL (3.5*) in MTE near madison avenue, 5th avenue, and only a few long blocks away from the heart of Times square. So in the end, an excellent location!However, my mistake was that I didn't look back to see what my last MTE bid was, which was $135. This means I *might* have been able to get a deal between $135 - $155. However, it might not have been the Roosevelt, so ...no regrets. I did see someone else get the Roosevelt for $110 checking out the Friday I'm checking in, but I'm betting the weekend would have cost more anyway.Anyway, THANK YOU for this site! It definitely helped! Seems like a beautiful hotel!
AaronJB Posted January 18, 2011 Report Posted January 18, 2011 Congrats on your success. :)Definitely not a bad deal for this well-located NYC property, with the lowest rate on Expedia at $225.Thank you for sharing your win and using the site's PRICELINE link.Enjoy your stay.
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