Priceline Hotel: 3.5* Toronto (Downtown North) Delta Chelsea

[investment_banker]

I use priceline. I don't see where you can bind? I can just select the price and buy the hotel I think...

But I am looking for at least 3 star hotel that's not more than 25km (15.5mile) from downtown Toronto and price that is under $100 per night. Can somebody help me how I can search for room like this? Thank you. And preferably for between Mar 22-26 or Mar 23-26. Thank you.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Use the PRICELINE search box on the top right corner of this page, enter "Toronto" in the city section as well as your dates and click the GO button... this will take you directly to the bidding section of PRICELINE.

Once there, if you look at the map and the zone boundaries, which zones are within an acceptable distance from where you'd like to be?

Are you willing to pay more for a higher rated hotel OR is your goal the least expensive 3* or better for this stay? Is your check-in date not yet confirmed or flexible in that you can arrive either day?

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

[iceboi]

You can actually get 4 stars hotel for under $100

[investment_banker]

how? I go in there and it's telling me to pay without knowing what my hotel is. I put for $80 in downtown toronoto, are they actually going to get me a room for $80 in downtown? What if I put $1?

[Romelle]

how? I go in there and it's telling me to pay without knowing what my hotel is. I put for $80 in downtown toronoto, are they actually going to get me a room for $80 in downtown? What if I put $1?

Hotels set rates for the rooms they put in the Priceline inventory. The hotels have specific star levels, and are in specific zones. Assume you have decided to bid for 4* hotels and selected the downtown Priceline zone. If your $80 is equal to (or higher than) the rate of at least one of the 4* downtown hotels in the Priceline inventory, you will get a room at the $80 (plus some taxes and fees).

If you put in $1, it is extremely unlikely some hotel has put rooms in the Priceline inventory at $1. Since so little is at risk, you can just try it and you will see what happens.

If you enter "toronto" in the Quick Search box straight up on this page, you will see the results bidders have posted here. That will give you more ideas as to what is possible.

Also, if you look at the very first post in this Priceline Canada area, you will see a list of hotels other bidders have reported as wins.

What you want to do is get an idea of the lowest price that might work. Then start your bidding a little lower than that and work up. If 4* hotels are available in Priceline for perhaps $70 (just a math example), you don't want to start at $80. You can bid every 24 hours.

Romelle

And yes, it will tell you to pay without knowing what your hotel is. It is sometimes referred to as "opaque" bidding. You learn your hotel only if and when your bid is accepted.

[thereuare]

If you haven't seen it yet, this is a good thread to read as well, since it explains the similarities, and differences, between PRICELINE and HOTWIRE and an overview of how each works:

I've Never Used Priceline or Hotwire.

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

[investment_banker]

I followed the exact same strategies posted by winners but how come I don't win? This is not fair

[Romelle]

I followed the exact same strategies posted by winners but how come I don't win? This is not fair

Rates are very date-specific. Sometimes hotels simply sell out. Sometimes hotels raise their rates when they note a pick-up in business. Hard to say exactly what happened.....

If you put your dates, and enough on each side to get a range of 10 or so, into a site like Expedia or the retail side of Priceline you will see rates for each individual day. Then you can compare those rates with the rates the winners have gotten for their dates. If they were bidding for less expensive days, it stands to reason that a lower bid could be successful.

Or you can pull up some hotel web sites and check their rates by individual days.

In any case, I'm happy you did successfully enter your bids. That was the first hurdle. Now to find a winning level.

At what level star level and rate were you bidding? Sometimes other bidders find failed bids to be useful information. It lets gives them a starting point for their bidding, and saves them reworking the same lower levels that didn't work for you.

Romelle

[investment_banker]

I tried to bid for $73 on 4 star Toronto South. Then Moved on with $75 Toronto North and South and it didn't work. It worked for other people. This is for 4 nights.

[Romelle]

I tried to bid for $73 on 4 star Toronto South. Then Moved on with $75 Toronto North and South and it didn't work. It worked for other people. This is for 4 nights.

For your dates, there are successful Priceline Toronto bids on the Calendar of Wins ONLY for the 25th and 26th.

Hotwire 4* Mar 22 $122

Mar 23 $125

Mar 24 $115

Mar 25 $95

Mar 26 $78

A Priceline bid for the last two nights will win at a lower rate than one including the more earlier expensive nights, as your bid was doing.

Hotwire does tend to be a little more expensive than Priceline, but the pattern of less expensive and more expensive nights stays the same.

I'm guessing those downtown hotels are business hotels, with more vacancies on the weekends? Thus the lower rates on the weekends.

Romelle

[investment_banker]

So how should I bid on priceline with this strategy? bid night by night? How can I make sure it's the same hotel for 4 nights then?

[Romelle]

So how should I bid on priceline with this strategy? bid night by night? How can I make sure it's the same hotel for 4 nights then?

There is NO way to make sure it is the same hotel for 4 nights if you split your bid. You have to be willing to move hotels mid-stay for this approach.

Are you willing to take the chance of having to move?

If you want to pursue this split bid strategy, you probably could bid just 2 nights and 2 nights. I don't think it will be necessary to break it up into night by night. Assuming the Mar 23 through Mar 26 (4 nights) stay, 2 are week nights and 2 are weekend nights.

Also, there are reported wins at a little less money for 3 1/2* hotels. What is your maximum budget for the stay?

Assuming you are willing to move, you want to bid the less expensive 2 nights first (the weekend nights). When you have those tied down, then pursue the other 2 nights.

Have you actually gotten into the Calendar of Wins and clicked on the Toronto wins on your nights? First click on the count of wins, and then the specific hotel report. If you do that, you can see how those bidders pursued their wins, and the hotels they received. For both 4* and 3 1/2* too.

Romelle

For the record, I'm just a member, not a moderator. You may want to ask the moderators for a specific bidding strategy.

[investment_banker]

I've not won any bids...also 23-26 is 3 nights in most places. I have to do 23-27 for 4 nights...right? At least it says that when I do 23-27

[Romelle]

I've not won any bids...also 23-26 is 3 nights in most places. I have to do 23-27 for 4 nights...right? At least it says that when I do 23-27

Yes, you are right - 23 - 27 gets you 4 nights since the first date is check-in, and the second date is check-out.

The screen just before you finally submit your bid also says how many nights. Always a good idea to read that and double check everything before you hit the submit.

Romelle

[Romelle]

In your earlier posts you mention wanting a hotel "within 15.5 miles of downtown Toronto, at least 3*, and under $100.

As near as I can tell from the Priceline map on the first screen for Priceline Toronto bidding, the following zones meet your mileage requirement:

3 Don Valley

4 Downtown Toronto North

5 Downtown Toronto South

6 Markham

8 North York East

11 Toronto Airport East

12 Toronto Airport West

13 Toronto East

14 Toronto West

15 Vaughan - North York

Please look at the Priceline map and see if you indeed are OK with all these zones. Or, if not all of them, which ones are OK??

What will your check-in and check-out dates be?

The administrator thereuare asked in an earlier post for you to define your goals - "Are you willing to pay more for a higher rated hotel OR is your goal the least expensive 3* or better for this stay?"

The answers are needed in order for someone to create a bidding strategy specifically for your situation.

Romelle

[investment_banker]

Right now I am specifically looking at Dtown North & South for Mar 23-27 that is under $100.

Thank you very much

[Romelle]

Right now I am specifically looking at Dtown North & South for Mar 23-27 that is under $100.

Thank you very much

There are lots of different ways to do this.

I'm going to again mention I'm just a member, not an official moderator here.

However, if I were bidding with the guidelines as you stated above, here is what I'd do next:

You've already bid at the 4* level for this day and your dates, and know $75 doesn't work.

You could come back in now and try 3 1/2* Downtown North at $65. If it doesn't work, you could add Downtown South and raise your bid to $75.

If that doesn't work, you could lower the star level to 3*.

Romelle

[thereuare]

Right now I am specifically looking at Dtown North & South for Mar 23-27 that is under $100.

Are you willing to pay more for a higher rated hotel OR is your goal the least expensive 3* or better for this stay?

???

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

[investment_banker]

I just got delta chelsea for $80! Thank you!!!

[Romelle]

I see the hotel you mention in the hotel list as:

3.5* Delta Chelsea (DOWNTOWN NORTH)

Please confirm this, and the dates for which you booked.

I'm happy for you. Next time will be lots easier too.

Romelle

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Glad to see you're happy with the results and this is inline with your budget.

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

Enjoy your stay.