Priceline Hotel: 4* Amsterdam (City Center-Museum Quarter)

[zachpn]

I am currently searching for a 4* in Amsterdam City Centre Museum Quater.

Date: 20 - 23 April (Wed-Sat)

Bid of 75 and 80USD was rejected yesterday - I was not offered any counterprice from priceline.

Hotwire offers a 4* for this date for 163USD ...

Some other board users here already suggested to split my booking into 20-22 weekdays and 22-23 weekend to bid two different prices.

Since it is possible to change hotels during our stay when using this method i am more willing to pay a bit more or change the hotel category.

Today I will increase my bet and I wonder if the 75-80USD was much too low for this date?

Shall I start with a higher value or increase the steps? Changing the category to 5* or 3* would be also an option but I also do not know what would be a good bet to start with.

I want to book the Hotel with Priceline or at least hotwire since they are much cheaper than the 3*IBIS Hotel we were looking before (169Eur/Room)

Ill share the results and of course I used the PRICELINE link :)

Any advice welcome :)

[thereuare]

Amsterdam has been quite expensive lately (or at least not as cheap as it was just a year ago) and with HOTWIRE at $163/nite i'm guessing your $80 bid is likely much too low.

Given your fallback option at 169EUR what would be your maximum bid for this stay?

[zachpn]

Well... I allready booked the flight.

I am thinking of 130USD/night max.

The cheaper, the better :)

3* is also Ok - but I really dont know where to start.

[zachpn]

105 USD for a 4* rejected :) :)

[BacSi]

Its the weekend that is the problem. For the most part bidding in AMS this year----while more expensive than the last two years----has not been all that bad----until you add in the weekends.

A bid of $80-$85-$90 (4*) is certainly ball park for many dates----until you add in the weekend. Then its quite possible to jump to $130-$150. Not all weekends but far to many for sure.

There is virtually no data on 3* bidding in AMS. The 3 stars that did show up some years ago were all pretty good hotels. If I ran into a wall at the 4 and 5 I would certainly start on the 3's. But I would realize I was bidding blind.

I am not as clear what is going on later in the summer. I doubt I would start a bid for mid August as high as I would start one for April or May.

[zachpn]

yes - the weekend is the problem

biding for 20-22. April and extend the stay until 23rd for a bit higher rate is not possible, isn't it?

However. 130-150USD is better than 163USD for a Hotwire Hotel.

So you suggest starting at 130USD for this trip?

If this doesnt work I guess I will go for a 3* - maybe starting at 60USD

[thereuare]

biding for 20-22. April and extend the stay until 23rd for a bit higher rate is not possible, isn't it?

Even when the extend your stay option is given it doesn't ensure that you'll be able to do so. PRICELINE can come back with one of three responses:

1) you've extended your stay at the same price as your previous bid

2) you can extend your stay at a higher price, and you're given the option to accept/reject the higher price

3) no rooms are available to extend your stay

So if you opt to SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID you have to be willing to at least accept the possibility that no rooms will be available for the additional nite, or that it will be price prohibitively high, so that you'll need to change hotels mid-stay.

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

[BacSi]

If it were "me" I'd split my bid. No way I want to be paying $140 for a non-weekend night.

If it were "me" I would be bidding around $80-$95 working my way up to $95----for a 4*.

For the 5* I would start at $95 or $100 and go up from there if need be.

This advice has to do with what I have seen for the spring-summer not for your exact dates.

Its a small easy to get around city. For me changing hotels is no big deal. Assuming you might have to change hotels with two bids.