Priceline Hotel: 3* Ottawa (Downtown) Radisson Hotel Ottawa Parliament

[Matt05]

I have been bidding for a hotel in Ottawa now for the past 4 days (I need it for 3 nights starting May 13, ie 2 days from today) and each time so far, I've bid the same amount and its been rejected. Each time also however, I get a message giving me the opportunity to re-bid again immediately, but this time suggesting that I increase my bid by $20.00

I'm wondering if doing this will guarantee me a successful bid and this is their way of telling me. Has anyone done this and been successful ? Or immediately increased their bid by less than the suggested $20.00 and been successful ?

I'm going to keep on trying at my old bid, but since time is running out, I will soon have to increase my bid if prompted to do so, so I'll eventually know.

Just wondered what others experience with this has been.

Thanks,

Matt

[Romelle]

I always ignore the counter offer and keep slowly trudging upward.

I've had success at just a couple of $$s, about 1/3 the way up, a little over 1/2 up, and recently got clear to the amount of my bid plus the X$ offer with no success. I'd guess in the last case that somebody else meanwhile bid and emptied the inventory, or the hotel changed its offering.

You are almost out of time here.

If Ottawa allows you several bids in the same session, I'd try to increment my way up. However, if that doesn't work, tomorrow or the 13th you'd best bite the bullet, IMHO.

Romelle

[Matt05]

Thanks Romelle.

Since I am new to all this, I just wanted to know what others have done and you've been most helpful.

I'll bid again tomorrow and if I'm still unsuccessful, will increase my bids bit by bit.

When you say you were successful 1/3 or 2/3 of the way up, do you mean up to the counter offer or up to the published price of the hotel ?

Matt

[Matt05]

....and now, just hours since I bid this morning, and minutes since I posted my above response, I get a Priceline notification (because I specified this in my preferences) that another customer just successfully booked a deal for the same price and star level of hotel that I was/am bidding for. What gives ?

Of course, it doesn't tell me if this might have been a last minute or 'down to the wire' bid. What should I make of this ?

I wish they could hold our bid for a certain period, say 12 hours even, so that we could benefit from sudden price changes instead of just spot prices.

[AaronJB]

When PRICELINE provides a counter-offer, the majority of the time you do not have to go to the counter-offer to be successful.

PRICELINE is saying that you have an extremely good chance if you raise to that point.

However, the actual required bid for acceptance is usually somewhere in-between the last rejected bid and PRICELINE's counter-offer. In my experience, it's generally somewhere less than the halfway point between, although it's going to vary from situation-to-situation.

PRICELINE win emails are not for the same dates.

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

[Romelle]

When you say you were successful 1/3 or 2/3 of the way up, do you mean up to the counter offer or up to the published price of the hotel ?

Matt

I meant up the counter offer amount. With a $15 counter, just up $5 or up $10.

The way I feel about that published hotel price is pretty much the way I feel about auto list prices (with the possible exception of Saturn).

There is a lot of discussion about whether one should believe those PRICELINE notifications or not. Two very strong camps at opposite ends. I'm well into the suspicious side. I think maybe one should treat them as "directionally correct", without relying much on the exact number.

Romelle

[thereuare]

Matt05,

See this thread: Priceline Suggests Price to Pay (also referred to on the board as a 'counter-offer')

For what star rating are you bidding? How much have you been bidding when you received the $20 counter-offer? Has this been the lowest counter-offer amount?

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

PS- i have moved this thread to the CANADA >> Priceline section of the board.

[snowflake]

Yesterday, Priceline did the same thing for my $77 bid. I ignored it and was successful with $80.

[Matt05]

Thanks Snowflake.

Thats what my bid is too. Perhaps I'll inch my way up to $80.00

What hotel did you get and what were your dates ?

[Romelle]

Matt - In case Snowflake doesn't get back to you, you can find that posting (and lots more from others) if you enter "ottawa" in the Quick Search Box up at the top of this page.

Romelle

[Matt05]

Thanks Romelle.

You and everyone else have been a tremendous help to this newbie. I see there've been some great wins.

I hope to be able to post of my success soon too.

I see that some successful bidders in the Ottawa downtown area adjusted their bid to include Hull, while others included 2* properties from initially only specifying 3*, even though the winning bids were all 3* or higher in the DT area.

I guess there was some risk here in that they may have got a hotel in Hull, or a 2* property...

In my case I need to be in the downtown core as we are going for a family event and many of us out of towners want to be near each other. Most of the rest have already booked through conventional means (and prices) at the Radisson, Lord Elgin, Delta and Minto but I wanted to try this out. I'm hesitant to include Hull as I may actually end up in a 3* out there.

[Romelle]

Matt,

The administrator (thereuare) was asking what star level you are bidding? I'm curious also. If you are bidding the 4* or 3 1/2* level and just the "Ottawa" zone, you have some interesting options you may not understand yet. I suspect that is why thereuare was asking.

Some of the other zones don't have hotels offered at those levels, only 3* and lower. Because of this, one can safely bid them at the 4* and 3 1/2* levels, thereby getting more bids in one 24 hour period. This is the "free rebid" thing you probably have noticed being discussed. It is sort of tricky concept, and you need to completely understand it before using it. However, it is a really powerful tool, and well worth a bit of confusion at first.

Post back if you want to pursue this further.

Romelle

[Matt05]

Sorry Romelle I forgot to answer that question from Thereyouare.

Yes, I am bidding 3* and higher.

I think see your point : If I include an area in addition to Ottawa DT (zone 3) which does NOT have 3 1/2* or 4* (such as, say Ottawa West or Hull) and only ask for a 3 1/2* or higher, then my chances are better of getting what I want where I want ?

Am I understanding this correctly ?

Again, I thank you all for your help.

[thereuare]

Here is a link to snoflake's Priceline Ottawa win, which was for July 7-11.

Most of the rest have already booked through conventional means (and prices)...

Perhaps I'll inch my way up to $80.00

How much did your relatives pay for their rooms... i'm guessing in the $150+ area? What is the best deal you're able to find for an acceptable hotel for these dates? If roughly the same amount i'd increase your bid a bit more... you'd still be looking at ~$50+ savings based upon the rates i'm currently seeing and you don't really have too much time on your side, imo.

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

[Romelle]

Matt - Using those other zones doesn't improve your chances for a specific dollar bid, but it lets you make several increasing bids in the desired zone.

Anyway, since you have so little time left, a quick hint with totally bogus numbers (you substitute your own):

Opening bid 4* Ottawa $10 (that bogus number - you pick your starting point).

When it doesn't work, add one non-4* or higher zone and raise your bid by a bit (your choice).

When that doesn't work, add the second non-4* or higher zone and raise your bid some more.

When that doesn't work, and the third and last non-4* or higher zone and raise your bid some more, getting clear to your max budget.

Still homeless?

Sign out, link back through the PRICELINE link up above again and sign in again. Repeat the above process, but this time start with 3 1/2*s. (The reason for the sign out is it clears out all the zones and lets you add them in one at a time). If you just lower the star level in the same session, the zones stay checked.

Still homeless?

Sign out, link back in again as before. Throw your max budget at that downtown 3*. This time, you can't put in those outer zones since they do in fact have 3* places.

The one thing we haven't discussed, you want to make sure EACH TIME you start a bidding session that the zones you plan to use as free rebids definitely don't include the star level upon which you are bidding. You do this by going into Priceline and checking only the specific zone and making sure those little buttons don't turn on to white.

Romelle

The Delta 3 1/2* downtown is $158 for your dates. That $80 is just barely 50%. Odds are slim that it will work. If you had more time, you might try it a little longer, but I think I'd follow thereuare's advice and nudge that budget a little. There is a Downtown B&B at $71 on the Priceline retail side but it has gotten some weak reviews.

[Matt05]

Yay, success !

After several shots this morning without success, I tried again this evening and on my second attempt got the Radisson Hotel Ottawa Parliament for $82.00

I started out with 3 1/2 * in just the downtown area for $80.00. When that was rejected I included 3* and increased my bid to $82.00 and it was accepted.

I'm happy and relieved that I can now put this to bed and concentrate on other elements of the trip. It's been quite a learning experience for my first time on PL (but not my last !) and I couldn't have done it without all your help, especially Romelle and thereuare. Thank you very much !

I'll know for the next time not to wait until so late. This board is the best, and very helpful.

I did book using your embedded link and I will post this win in a separate thread as well.

Cheers,

Matt.

PS I'm headed to Montreal after Ottawa for 3 days and now wish I'd booked my hotel there through PL as well. I booked through Hotwire, but having used them twice before and got the same very good hotel for an excellent rate, thought I was getting the same property again. Seems like they've changed their description and lowered the star rating of that property since I was last there in March, and I've now ended up with a property that has horrendous reviews on Tripadvisor ! Not sure what recourse I'll have if any, but we'll see when I get there.

[Matt05]

Tried several times this morning (May 11) for 3, 3 1/2, 4 * in all areas, with bid's ranging from $74 - $80 but was unsuccessful.

Then this evening, tried for Downtown area only, 3 1/2 *, $80.00 but was not accepted.

Then added 3* and increased bid to $82.00 and was accepted.

Very happy, and thanks to all on this board.

Matt.

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success. :)

Very nice deal for this property, and glad to hear that you're pleased with the result.

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

Enjoy your stay.

[Romelle]

Matt,

Nicely done!

And ... Whew - bit of a cliff hanger.

Romelle

[Matt05]

" Bit of a cliffhanger..."

No kidding Romelle ! :) .... and thanks for all your help.

Matt.