Priceline Hotel: 3.5* Palm Springs Hilton Palm Springs

[pope]

Looking to bid on a 3.5*, 4*, or Resort property for Monday 3/28 for 5 nights (can downgrade to 4 nights if the Friday night becomes an issue). Would take either the "Palm Springs" area or the "Rancho Mirage - Indian Wells - Palm Desert" area.

This is my first time bidding in an area with the "resort" class and I'm unsure how it works. Is it above 4*? I read on here Indio is a free re-bid for 4*, but not for 3.5*. Is Indio a free re-bid for "resort?" Also, is there anywhere I can get a list of what the resort fees are at some of these places?

My search on here has shown people getting 3.5*, 4*, and Resort classes for as low as the mid $60's and would like to do the same.

Edit: Full rates (for 4 nights) as seen on Kayak.com start at $111 for the 3.5* Ace and go to $223 for the Resort Weston Mission Hills.

I will be using the PRICELINE link on this site and will be posting my win, should I get one.

Thanks for any help.

[Colfax]

Weekends usually cost more than weekdays so it's possible Friday night will be an issue, but if you prefer one hotel for five nights you might as well try for that first.

Resort is sort of like a 4.5*, so 4* bids can be upgraded to Resort. (And Resort can be upgraded to 5*, although there are no 5* in this area.)

RM-IW-PD is the only zone with Resort bidding here; PS only goes to 4*. Palm Springs and Indio are rebid zones for Resort in RM-IW-PD.

I don't know a list of Resort fees but the amounts will be on the hotel websites and in TripAdvisor reviews.

Did you want to bid to your limit for a Resort first, then if rejected try for a 4*, then 3.5*? Or are you trying to win the least expensive 3.5* or higher available in either zone?

[pope]

Thanks for the clarification on the resort class. I am trying to get the least expensive hotel 3.5* and up. Since PS and Indio are rebids for the Resort class, it sounds like I have a lot more options testing out pricing in Resort. Also, it seems like RM-IW-PD does not have a 3.5* hotel. So may I could:

start with 3.5* PS

add 3.5* RM-IW-PD

4 star PS

add 4 star RM-IW-PD

add resort PS

add resort RM-IW-PD

Then try again using Indio but leave out 3.5*?

[Romelle]

You might know this, but just to be sure - you can lower your star level in the same bidding session, but you can't raise it.

When you are bidding a certain star level, the higher levels are assumed.

Romelle

Hi, Colfax!

[thereuare]

Also, it seems like RM-IW-PD does not have a 3.5* hotel.

PRICELINE indicates that there are 3.5* rated hotels in the RM-IW-PD zone. As noted at the top of the Priceline Hotel List, DO NOT use the hotel lists to determine your re-bid zones... the only method which should be used is outlined here: Priceline Re-Bidding Explained. If you read this thread and are confused just post back and we'll break it down further for you.

So may I could:

start with 3.5* PS

add 3.5* RM-IW-PD

4 star PS

add 4 star RM-IW-PD

add resort PS

add resort RM-IW-PD

Then try again using Indio but leave out 3.5*?

As noted above, this won't work, since the star rating you select is the minimum you are willing to accept... so when you first bid for a 3.5* in the Palm Springs zone, PRICELINE also searches for 4* hotels there as well. Therefore, when you try to bid 4* Palm Springs (2 bids later in your sequence) it won't be processed since it will be viewed as a duplicate bid.

If you're goal is the least expensive 3.5* or better and you're not willing to pay more for a higher rated hotel, then your bidding strategy would come down to:

Select 3.5* Palm Springs...

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

Select 3.5* Rancho Mirage-IW-Palm Desert...

Bid $x, if rejected add Palm Springs...

Bid $x + y (where x+y is a bid amount larger then $x)

What is your maximum bid for this stay?

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

Feel free to ask any questions you have regarding the above and we'll take it from there.

[pope]

Thanks for the assistance. I was late in my reply because somehow my subscription did not email me, I must have viewed an older reply while not logged in, and thought the thread was dead.

Stupid of me to suggest bidding backwards on star class.

Based on what I've seen from previous wins, I'd like to cutoff my bidding at $70 for now. I've seen wins as low as $57, although that could of been a seasonal thing. Also there is a Hotwire 3* hotel for $67 which I think is the Indian Wells Resort Hotel. I don't like the other 3* enough to PRICELINE at 3*, but I would accept the HOTWIRE offer if it was that hotel. I also don't mind waiting 24 hours and trying again.

Based on your tip, this is what I think I'll try today:

Select 3.5* Palm Springs...

Bid $60, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE...

Select 3.5* Rancho Mirage-IW-Palm Desert...

Bid $60, if rejected add Palm Springs...

Bid $65 (where x+y is a bid amount larger then $x)

Then tommororw I could bump it to $70 if need be. Thanks.

[thereuare]

Your gameplan seems reasonable, but i wouldn't put so much weight into previous wins at much lower prices... rates are date specific and at the moment are a bit higher for your dates.

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board.

Good luck and keep us updated.

[pope]

I played around with 5 nights for $61-$67 with no luck in either zone from Resort down to 3.5*.

I had thought the 5th night being a Friday was making it difficult so I made it 4 nights and was accepted at the 3.5* Hilton Palm Springs for $67 night ($62/night to me using $5 rewards). The Trip Advisor reviews on this property are pretty bad, but hopefully it will be nicer than the the beater hotels we usually stay in. Kayak rate is $146/night after taxes, so this is about half of list price.

Thanks for the help. I used the BB PRICELINE link.

Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $62.00

Total Offer Price Per Room, Per Night with Bonus: $67.00

Subtotal: $248.00

Taxes & Fees: $50.88

Total Charges*: $298.88

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success. :)

Not a bad deal for this property; the reviews are mixed, but the frequent responses on tripadvisor from hotel staff are at least a positive sign. Hopefully the hotel will exceed expectations. Please let us know if you need help with an additional night.

Thank you for sharing your win and using the site's PRICELINE link.

Enjoy your stay.

[pope]

As a follow up to this trip, we had a great time at the Hilton, no complaints at all. Would stay there again, especially at that price.

[thereuare]

Glad you enjoyed your stay.