Priceline Hotel: Bidding advice

[Sersee]

I used priceline once last year. I am a little nervous using it. I am hoping you guys can help me out with the bidding advice. I want to arrive May 27th(Friday) and leave May 29(Sunday). I am going to Cranberry Township , Pa. I am familiar with the area and am fine with the Marriott there. I would also be ok with Four points Sheraton(mars, pa). The Marriott is a 3 1/2 star hotel and Four points is a 3. I am considering getting two rooms , so the lower I can bid ...the better. Are hotels ok with me calling and requesting connecting rooms after I have bid? Or do the hotels look down on priceline?

The marriott is $149.00 on priceline and Four Points is $100. Do I bid at 50% less ? So should I bid $75 for the Marriott and $50 for Four points? I cannot tell if the four points is in the cranberry map zone? Priceline only has 7 hotels listed in the area and both hotels are the only ones with 3 1/2 and 3 stars. Do I have a good chance/

Also..I would love to stay at the Residence Inn ..which is listed as a two star hotel but rated number one by far on the tripadvisor website. If a hotel is sold out from their own website...does that mean you are unlikely to win that hotel on Priceline? Would it be hard to get this hotel since there are five other 2 star hotels listed?

Thanks so much!!

[thereuare]

Please click this PRICELINE link and reply to this thread, we'll then comment on your post above.

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

PS- after your next reply we'll move this thread to the Pennsylvania >> Priceline section of the board and we can continue this discussion there. Thanks.

[Sersee]

I clicked the link and it took me to the priceline page..I am not really sure what I am supposed to answer?

[thereuare]

...am fine with the Marriott there. I would also be ok with Four points Sheraton(mars, pa).

You can't bid on, or exclude, specific hotels from your bidding... you need to be willing to accept any hotel in the zone(s) that you select at the minimum star rating (or higher) that you choose.

Are hotels ok with me calling and requesting connecting rooms after I have bid? Or do the hotels look down on priceline?

You can call once the hotel is known and ask them to note any requests you have, but there is no assurance that the hotel will be able, or willing, to accommodate your request. Each hotel (and sometimes employees) have their own thoughts/policies about those who book thru PRICELINE, HOTWIRE or any third party website.

Priceline only has 7 hotels listed in the area and both hotels are the only ones with 3 1/2 and 3 stars. Do I have a good chance

You can't use the hotels showing on the 'retail' side of PRICELINE to determine what you will get when bidding. The two sides of their service each use a different universe of hotels and some properties may participate with one side of the service and not the other (and vice versa). See the relate link in our PRICELINE FAQ for more info.

If a hotel is sold out from their own website...does that mean you are unlikely to win that hotel on Priceline?

We have seen PRICELINE / HOTWIRE wins when a hotel is otherwise sold-out, but this is much more the exception then the rule, and i wouldn't count on receiving a hotel which is otherwise sold-out.

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

Let us know how you'd like to proceed and we'll take it from there.

[Sersee]

I do understand that I can't choose my hotel or exclude..but didn't realize that the hotels on the retail side was different then the bidding side.......so is there a way to kind of figure out what the hotels are by the star rating? When I put in a search on the retail side for Cranberry Twp, Pa. ..I got 113 listings but only 7 were actually in this area. One was a 3 star(four points) and one was a 3 1/2 star(Marriott). The rest were two star. When I go to the bidding side...I get 7 hotels one being a 3 star and one being a 3 1/2 star. So I though that meant it was probably the four points or the marriott. ....

[Sersee]

Ok I have a 3 1/2 star Pittsburgh International airport-PIT area hotel at $67.00

airport shuttle, pool, fitness, restaurant, business center, high speed internet access, tennis

recommended by 90% hotwire reviews

3 Star Pittsburgh International airport -PIT area hotel at $64.00

same amenities as above minus the tennis...add in complimentary breakfast and smoke free room

recommended by 95% hotwire reviews

3 star Pittsburgh North Cranberry hotel $82.00

pool, fitness, business center, high speed internet, smoke free rooms, golf nearby

95% recommended by hotwire reviews

Maybe Four points?

thanks!

[thereuare]

There is a lot of overlap between the retail and bidding sides of PRICELINE, but by no means are the hotels shown on the retail side a 'finite' list of hotels which you may receive when bidding... there are hotels in the retail side which don't participate on the bidding side, and likewise hotels on the bidding side which may not participate in the retail side. See the related link in our PRICELINE FAQ for more info on this subject. (as well, as you've noticed, the zone boundaries on the retail and bidding sides are different, so you need to be careful in that regard too!)

You can see the hotels reported to the board in this Priceline Hotel List, but this list is not finite either as it only contains hotels which have been reported to the board as a win (and admittedly this isn't the most frequently visited area)

Let us know your thoughts and/or how you'd like to proceed and we'll advise accordingly.

[Sersee]

Well I guess I would like help with figuring out possible what hotel I might get. LIke I said I am very familiar with the area..I looked at the hotel list and it has the 3 star as the four points(which is what I kind of figured)..so I would be happy getting that one. I won't be so nervous if I have a strong inkling of which hotel it is.

When I choose my zone(Cranberry township).. the 3 1/2 star hotel is in blue..which means that there is a 3 1/2 star hotel out there..(I think). I didn't see it listed in the Pittsburgh cranberry hotel list. I am wondering if it's the Marriot because I don't know another hotel in that area with a restaurant in it. Unless..new ones have been built. It goes for $149...What would be a good offer? I also believe this is around what the Marriott goes for?

Also, do they automatically put you in 2 double bed rooms?

TIA!!

[thereuare]

Please keep all posts for the same stay in the same thread. If you ultimately use HOTWIRE we'll move the entire thread to that section of the board.

I'd say the Marriott is a definite possibility at the 3.5* level, but with PRICELINE there really isn't a way to determine which you will get as there are no clues provided before your purchase. As well, let's assume that the Marriott is a 3.5* hotel in the zone, it's possible that they seldom often inventory to PRICELINE OR they may only offer a very minimal discount, so small that as users get close to full retail price they just choose to book direct (or lower their star rating an continue to bid on PRICELINE in hopes of a better value in terms of percent discount for the hotel they ultimately receive). I'm not suggesting that either of these scenarios is the case here, but it's just an example of how even if you determine that there is only a sole 3.5* property in the zone, you still may not be able to win it as a reasonable rate.

Given the $149/nite direct rate for a 3.5* property in the zone, how high would you be willing to bid to make an opaque purchase worthwile? (either before you decide to book direct or seek a better value for a lower star rated hotel)

Is your goal to try PRICELINE first in seeking the best price but having less of an idea of where you will likely end up... or paying a bit more and using HOTWIRE where you can know if the hotel has certain amenities beforehand and/or guess as to the hotel you'll be receiving (but it typically costs a little more)

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

[Sersee]

Ok I see what you are saying..thanks...What would be a good bid to start for the 3* one? The list says it's probably the Four points..I have stayed there numerous times and am ok with that. PRICELINE retail side has it at 100 per night. I am thinking of booking two rooms and then calling to see if I can get them to connect. So if I can get a great deal..that would help me out.

[thereuare]

If you let us know your maximum bid for a 3* hotel in the Cranberry Township zone we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow.

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

[Sersee]

Well since I have seen someone else get it for $51...I guess that will be my maximum. Also, is there a different strategy if you go for two rooms? I have 5 people(3 kids). If I can get a hotel for in the 40's..I would go for two rooms. Do you do it at one time? Or do you do one and then bid a second time?

[thereuare]

At the 3* level you have THREE re-bid zones. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.

Select 3* Cranberry Township...

Bid $40, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $45, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $48, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $51

Any questions feel free to ask.

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

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[Sersee]

Thank you so much for the help. I ended up not being able to go due to other issues. I just couldn't pull it all together and was rushed. But I am now booked to go June 7th through the 10th and have posted a new priceline pittsburgh hotel thread regarding my new hotel hunt.