Priceline Hotel: 3.5* Charleston (North Charleston-Airport-Coliseum) Sheraton

[KenH99]

Hi,

I'm new to bidding on PL and really want to maximize chances for a good deal, money's tight! Your advice sincerely appreciated.

I've read rebid tips and FAQ.

One night stay - June 16

Zone - North Charleston Airport - Coliseum

1st choice - 3.5* final price ideally around $65-80, of course, lower is much preferable!

If I have to add a zone for rebid, am thinking add North Charleston - Northwoods Mall? No 3.5*s there as far as I can tell.

Not at all averse to a 3* but if so much prefer it to be in my primary zone (North Chas. AP).

Suggested starting bid price?

If 1st bid unsuccessful suggestions on 2nd bid?

Any other tips or strategy welcome!

Will gladly use your PRICELINE link to bid and book.

Thanks,

Ken

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

At the 3.5* level you actually have FOUR re-bid zones to use. Please see this thread: Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board... this way we can use all four of them on a bidding strategy and not just one.

Is your $80 maximum all-in or before taxes and fees? If the latter, what is your maximum bid price (before taxes and fees)?

Let us know the above and we'll take it from there.

Thanks in advance for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board for your bididing, searches, and travel purchases... please click this PRICELINE link before replying.

[KenH99]

$80 is max w/tax & fees. If I can't get the 3.5* at that I'll drop down to a 3*

Rebid Zones?

1. Chas. Southern Univ

2. No. Chas - Northwoods

3. Folly Beach

4. West. Chas.

Thanks!

[thereuare]

$80 is max w/tax & fees.

If the latter, what is your maximum bid price (before taxes and fees)?

... please click this PRICELINE link before replying.

2x

[KenH99]

Max Bid price before taxes - 75

clicked the PRICELINE link

[Romelle]

For a starting point, I usually take a look at several different things and then pick the lowest number from that.

1 - 60% off Priceline Retail for my dates - this is wishful thinking, but once in a great while somebody scores at that level.

2 - 60% off hotel web site rack rates - same comment as #1 above. The good thing about this research is it keeps you from bidding higher than the rate you would pay for direct purchase. Sometimes hotels have web site sales not available elsewhere.

3 - Other bidder results - you can find them quickly by keying your city (and perhaps zone) in the Quick Search box above. Rates are VERY date specific so the closer match you find to your dates, the better your chances of scoring around that amount.

4 - 15 to 20% off Hotwire.

In your case, you only have a few bidding days left, but do have those wonderful 4 free rebids at the 3.5 level. You also expressed a willingness to drop down a 1/2 star, so that adds to your options.

I think I'd spend one day exploring the lowest rates with the above logic, essentially proving to myself I wasn't missing a serious bargain at the 3.5 level. Maybe just 50% off Priceline retail/hotel rack rates since there is so little time.

Then the next day I'd get realistic, working on up. First bidding the 3.5s and then signing out, coming back in again and bidding the 3s. You have to do the sign-out to uncheck those zones you don't want at the 3 level. This day I might have the 3* bids a few dollars less than the 3.5s.

Crunch time the third day. The 3 bids need to get to the top of the budget, or at least until success is achieved.

Do write down the time of your very last bid for one day, and don't start the next day until this time has passed. You don't want to lose a day with Priceline insisting you haven't cleared the 24 hour mark.

Recheck your free rebids at the 3* level. Slight difference from the 3 1/2* list.

Finally, for the record, I just bid and stayed in some 2 and 2 1/2* places in New Mexico. Very small towns and that was all that was available on which to bid. I was VERY pleasantly surprised - Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Inn and Springhill Suites (Marriott). All were really nice and included excellent free breakfasts.

Romelle

[thereuare]

Using your $75 maximum bid price, and your FOUR 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. I'd begin as follows:

Select 3.5* North Charleston-Airport CHS...

Bid $55, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $70, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $75

If the above is rejected post back and we'll revise to try for a 3*.

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

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[KenH99]

Success on the 3rd (70$) rebid.

Sheraton Charleston Airport Hotel

$87.92 w/taxes & fees

Used your PRICELINE link to bid and book.

Thank You!

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Glad to see you were able to get a 3.5* property within your budget and are pleased with the purchase.

Thank you for sharing your win and using the PRICELINE links on the board to begin your bidding.

Enjoy your stay.