Loading...

Priceline Hotel: Seattle: Best Bidding Plan


vb mom
By vb mom,
in

Recommended Posts

I have a question about bidding for a four star hotel in Seattle. There are several 4* hotels and some seem more desirable than others from the reviews I have read. Would placing a higher bid increase my chances of getting certain hotels? I would hate to put in a higher bid only to find that I got one of the less desirable hotels that might have accepted a lower bid. Is there any rhyme or reason to your bid amount and which hotel might pick it up? Thanks.

Link to comment

You can't bid on a specific hotel when using PRICELINE. You have to be able to accept any hotel in the zone at the star rating (or higher) you select.

If you're trying to target a specific property then HOTWIRE can often be a better option if you're successfully able to identify it based upon the star rating and amenities shown before your purchase... the trade-off is that HOTWIRE usually costs a little more than PRICELINE, so you need to decide what is most important to you for a given stay, the lowest possible price OR the ability to take an educated guess as to the property you may receive.

Is there any rhyme or reason to your bid amount and which hotel might pick it up?
The short answer is no. But please read this link: Don't bid higher for a specific hotel

Let us know how we can help you further.

Yellowdog.

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

Link to comment

Additionally, while serious concerns should certainly be considered, when reading reviews on tripadvisor, keep in mind that a good portion of those reviews are likely from those who paid full price and may have had differing expectations. I've stayed at a number of properties that I've loved for $70, but would have felt differently about had I paid $200.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

Link to comment

I don't have any particular Seattle hotel in mind. I don't even remember which 4* I read about that people weren't too thrilled with. I just like a clean room and I am a happy camper.

I just noticed that the Edgewater seems to be well liked and it is on the 4* Seattle Priceline list. I was guessing that they might only pick up the higher of the bids. However, I was afraid to bid too high and be picked up by a not as desirable hotel.

Sounds like I might as well keep the bids low and whatever is, is.

Link to comment

If there is a property you're trying to avoid then HOTWIRE is probably a better option for you for this stay (assuming you can reasonably exclude it from the possibilities of what is offered). HOTWIRE may cost a little more than PRICELINE, but it increases the chance of getting what you want. However, i'll add that while there may be some 4* hotels which are more preferred then others, for the prices we typically see won in this area, i think the 4* hotels in this zone all provide excellent value.

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

Link to comment

At this point there is not a hotel I am trying to avoid. I guess I was just trying to figure out if there was a way to maximize my chances of getting a more desirable hotel from the 4* grouping. (Fully understanding there is no guarentee) I have used Priceline enough to know that it is a gamble. We have never been totally disappointed with a Priceline win. When I went down once to 2.5* we weren't thrilled with our win, but it was okay in the end. However, since then, I have never bid under a 3* again. It is just that for Seattle, I have read more than once that if you want to be assured of a decent hotel downtown, to stick with a 4*. I think I will be fine with bidding and taking what I can get. It just seems so early for bidding for August. I did go ahead and try last night, but got rejected. I looked at last summer's wins and it seemed like the lowest win I found for a 4* was $70, so I went with that. No luck this time.

Thanks for all of your insights.

Link to comment
Additionally, while serious concerns should certainly be considered, when reading reviews on tripadvisor, keep in mind that a good portion of those reviews are likely from those who paid full price and may have had differing expectations. I've stayed at a number of properties that I've loved for $70, but would have felt differently about had I paid $200.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

Exactly! I stayed at Hotel Max (which is a 3 star) last time I was in Seattle, it had super super tiny claustrophobic rooms, and it was pretty unenjoyable, but I paid like $60 bucks.. I heard someone checking out ahead of me and they paid at least 3x that. Then I would be upset. For some reason, it's almost impossible to get a decent hotel under $100 in Downtown Seattle. So any of these 4 stars for $70-85 are a great deal. I actually, wouldn't be able to travel there if I had to pay full price.
I don't have any particular Seattle hotel in mind. I don't even remember which 4* I read about that people weren't too thrilled with. I just like a clean room and I am a happy camper.

I just noticed that the Edgewater seems to be well liked and it is on the 4* Seattle Priceline list. I was guessing that they might only pick up the higher of the bids. However, I was afraid to bid too high and be picked up by a not as desirable hotel.

Sounds like I might as well keep the bids low and whatever is, is.

Hmm, well you never know, but it seems not too many people have been winning that lately if you look at the wins, but actually they have been running a lot of sales lately, the prices have come down on that hotels retail price, I've noticed. But, that hotel is much smaller than say the Westin or the Sheraton... also the location of the Edgewater, while pretty, isn't that practical considering you walk everywhere in Seattle. IMO.
Link to comment
  • 5 months later...

Update:

Never won a hotel for August 3-5. I had booked a cancellable reservation several months ago. We are settling with the Quality Inn on John Street in the Seattle Center area. Hopefully it will be alright. We don't need fancy, just clean and safe. It is only for two nights and we will be out and about during the day time.

Link to comment
Need help with your own trip?

Register now, we have a huge community of travel enthusiasts to answer any questions you might have.

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account
Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
QUICKQUOTE [X]
PRICELINE & HOTWIRE on one screen!
NOTE: Priceline searches for
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY ONLY
Room %roomN%:
Age of child:
FINDFAST[X]
×
×
  • Create New...