Priceline Hotel: del mar bidding help please

[wilma]

Hello...having bid only once before...I am asking for some help.

We have friends staying at the Villa L'Auberge in Del Mar. That is way out of our price range...

so we need to try some bidding.

Staying 3 nts Sat 7/30, Sun 7/31 and Mon 8/1...checking out Tu Aug 2.

We would be happy with

2.5* in Del Mar (Possibly Courtyard?)

or pleasently pleased with a

3* in Del Mar (Possibly the Hilton?)

Am I correct to assume that Del Mar would be our best/only choice to be somewhat near our friends?

Prices I have gathered per night are...

Courtyard 219.00

Marriot Del Mar 209

Hilton Del Mar 209

Doubletree 160

Best Western Stratford 149

Clarion Carraige House 161

Bottom line max bid...nothing over 100

So...any tips?

Too early to bid?

Wilma

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Are you willing/able to SPLIT YOUR BID?

[jmulligan]

Del Mar can be pricey. You may want to go to Mapquest and pull up a map for Del Mar. It will tell you what the neighboring cities are. Solana Beach is a nice little beach community that is way less upscale than Del Mar. Same for Encinatas and Cardiff by the Sea. But, I am not sure there is much in the way of hotels there. If inland is a possibilty consider the Mira Mesa area or Poway. If all else fails try Escondido, you will be 15 or so miles away (map it to be sure) but there are alot of places to stay there that are reasonably priced.

Or up the coast in Carlsbad or Oceanside.

For what it is worth I used to rent condos right on the beach in Oceanside for as little as $95/night. That might be tough for the time of year you are looking at though.

Good luck. Del Mar is gorgeous!

[Guest aldo]

The problem will be that your dates are during the Del Mar Racing Season: http://dmtc.com/

If there are any rooms given to Priceline in the area, it may not be until closer to your date of arrival. If you want to wait, book a back-up you can live with and cancel if successful. Then just keep bidding every 72 hours, since you have time.

About two weeks ago, someone posted that they were able to get the Country Inn and Suites in Sorrento Mesa (just east of La Jolla) for early August at $65 a night. Not much else has been reported during your time frame, probably due to no availability through Priceline yet.

Good luck!

[martyYYZ1]

I won the Country Inn & Suites for Aug 6-11 for $65. This is a decent 2.5 star hotel and is about a 15 minute drive to Del Mar. The regular rate was $149. I see that the rates for your dates is also $149 so I suspect you could also get this hotel for $65. It also includes breakfast

[wilma]

sorry for the delay...lost the hard drive and had to get a new computer system-but-I'm backkkkkkk :)

no...we cannot split the bid.

I will be bidding on two rooms for my father in law will be going with us. he will not have the sense of humor to "move"

as far as Solano Beach....I have seen sucessful bids at the Courtyard Solano Beach (but considered to be part of the Del Mar priceline area)

...so I will try Del Mar 2.5

any tips on starting price?....

[Guest aldo]

The Courtyard Solana Beach shows sold out for your dates.

It is highly unlikely that any hotel in the Del Mar area will be giving rooms to Priceline during the Races, and if they do, it will probably only be for weekdays, not weekends, and not until the last minute. You'd be better off trying another area.

[thereuare]

he will not have the sense of humor to "move"

Nice way of putting it! :)

Sorry to hear of your computer woes.

We have seen acceptances at this property as low as $42, but when rates were much cheapper. Given the time before your stay, i would start there, but if not successful, i would jump to $50 on my next bid, then increasing by $5.

Any other questions feel free ask and let us know how it goes.

[wilma]

3* del mar $45 no :)

then added 2 1/2 * $55 no:(

not sure what to add....do I add 2*

are there 2* del mars?

or I had read once I could bid higher by adding Cornado...and that anything below 100 during the summer should not be picked up on Cornado.....

any thoughts?

otherwise...I'll wait my 72 hrs to bid higher....

[thereuare]

I always take a conservative approach... since your stay is not until the end of July, why take unnecessary chances?