Priceline Hotel: Oct. Weekend stay in Portland - need help

[LukeyLou2]

Okay, this is my first try at Priceline (have used Hotwire numerous time with good deals). I have read all the posts on rebidding etc and have looked at the recent wins posted for the downtown Portland hotels like Monaco, Hilton, Marriott. My question has to do with my dates. I will be ending a hiking program on the OR coast and coming back to Portland on Fri Oct 7, staying until Sun Oct 9 (when I expect to rent a car to do the Columbia Gorge loop Sun afternoon to Tues morn and fly out Tuesday afternoon).

I have not seen any Winning Bids last year in Priceline downtown Portland hotels (3.5 stars and up) in October. Is this a peak time (like leaf-peeping?) and is this a city that gets busy on weekends instead of dead? Do I have a chance at 3 star and above hotels for under $100 bid/day during this time or should I look into places out further that are close to Tr-Met lines? Thanks very much for your opinions. (I don't mind 2.5 star hotels, just can't find any in downtown, of course.)

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Please start by reading your messages.

Rates for these dates are fairly high (more so the Saturday nite then the Friday nite) and a 3* for $100 may be tough, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a try.

Unfortunately there are no re-bid zones available when bidding the 3* level in Portland, so you'd suggest starting at $75, increase your bid by $5 every 24 hours and you'll hit your $100 limit in 4 days, then if unsuccessful we can re-group and suggest a strategy while considering other zones.

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

Any questions feel free to ask.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[LukeyLou2]

Thanks for suggestion. Today I tried 4 star hotels and started at $80, rebid $85 then $90 adding areas each time.

I wasn't really expecting to get lucky but it helped me know what to expect when doing it "for real" probably next week. If can't get for $100 will maybe change to Lloyd Center area (at lower $) as that seems to have good Tr-Met transportation to downtown. Don't want to rent car until really need. Will update this thread when I succeed. By the way, love the Calendar of winning bids and the info some have included in their posts!

[thereuare]

Glad you're finding the board and the information here helpful :)

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board for your bidding.

Keep us updated on your progress and let us know if we can be of further help along the way.

Good luck.

[Triska]

If you're not set on downtown, I'd try the Cascade Station area near the airport. It's right on the MAX line, so you can easily get downtown without having to get on TriMet. I've consistently seen 3 star hotels from about $60 and up. The Sheraton is a 3 1/2 star and isn't on the MAX line, but it shares its shuttle with Aloft which is. Even if you got a hotel that wasn't on the MAX line, most if not all have airport shuttles and you can get on the MAX right there. I'm assuming you're renting a car at the airport, so this would be very convenient for you.

[Triska]

I tried to edit the above post, so just ignore it! I realized I was on the Priceline forum, not Hotwire. Priceline doesn't have the Cascade Station area. They have just one airport area, not two like Hotwire.

There's not a lot of leaf-peeping here in Portland. We've always been able to find fantastic deals during the weekends. I actually think it's cheaper on the weekends due to business travel during the week and fall is probably going to be less expensive than the summer. Downtown is always going to be much more expensive, but of course it has its perks. If you are planning to spend all weekend downtown, I'd stay there. However, if you are only planning to do things downtown on one day, it might be worth taking the MAX and staying a bit further away. I often look at Hotwire's availability to see how booked the weekend is. Right now, downtown only has a 3 1/2* for $183 and a 1* for $85. You have time to keep trying thereuare's strategy.

If you already tried thereuare's strategy without success, here are some other ideas if you keep your location more open. If you definitely want to stay downtown, then just ignore the rest of this post!

If you're not set on the 4* downtown hotels, you might want to try the Airport area as another bidding area. Many hotels are right on the MAX lightrail line (the Cascade Station ones are), so you can easily get downtown without having to get on a TriMet bus. The Sheraton is a 3 1/2 star (most likely the $85 Cascade Station hotel on Hotwire) and isn't right on the MAX line, but it shares its shuttle with Aloft which is. Even if you got a hotel that wasn't on the MAX line and a bit further away (some are a few miles away), most 3*, if not all, have airport shuttles and you can get on the MAX at the airport or Cascade Station if they stop there. I'm assuming you're renting a car at the airport, so this may be very convenient for you.

Mods: What do you think of this strategy? If you decide you are okay with the possibility of staying in the airport area, this is what I'd do. I'd begin my bid for a 4* downtown, then go to 3 1/2 *. Add Lloyd Center as a free rebid as it only has 3*. Then add the airport (as far as I know, there are only two 3 1/2* in the airport area--Sheraton and Embassy Suites). This might sound funny, but there have been times I've successfully lowered my bid or kept it the same when I've added an area that typically is less expensive. As of now, you can get a 3 1/2* at the airport for $85 on Hotwire, so you would have to consider if you'd be willing to bid more than that on Priceline as there's a good chance you'd end up in that area.

(Mods, am I correct on this also?) Another place to try and get a free rebid if you are going for a 3 1/2* or 4* is to add Vancouver (just check to make sure it's only 3 star and below. It is right now). DO NOT use it as a rebid if you are going for a 3* because I can almost guarantee you'll get it. I would only add it if you are trying for a 3 1/2 * and above. Be sure to uncheck it if you need to downgrade to 3*.

If you are not successful at the 3 1/2* and want to try for a 3*, I would wait for the next day and do a similar strategy with 3* with downtown, Lloyd Center and then finally the Airport area, but use a much lower price if you are using the Airport area. As an example, I have won the 3 * Holiday Inn Airport at least twice on Priceline for about $45. It has a free shuttle even though it's a few miles away. If you bid higher, you will hopefully have a better chance of getting a nicer 3* hotel, but I'm not sure if it works that way.

[LukeyLou2]

Thanks very much for your advice Triska, especially the info that Portland isn't a huge weekend city and leaf-peeping isn't that big. (From one of the guidebooks I did see that mid-Oct. is around the best time for general leaf-peeping, great for me hiking Multnoma Falls etc. on Sun. & Mon.)

I tried again today for 3.5* and above in downtown Portland and went from $70 up to $90 by adding areas (Clackamas, Beaverton, Vancouver, etc.) No good but I will try several more times in next 10 days before I consider 3* at Lloyd Center and Airport--just because it would be worth it to walk out the door right into the city or to Max for a day of Washington Park/Hoyt Arboretum.

Am moving my search to grab a hotel in Hood River / Mt. Hood areas for now. Any moderate or inexpensive hotel/motel ideas?

[thereuare]

Am moving my search to grab a hotel in Hood River / Mt. Hood areas for now. Any moderate or inexpensive hotel/motel ideas?

The highest rating PRICELINE offers in the Hood River area is 2*... is this the quality level you're looking at for this stay?

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

[LukeyLou2]

After reading reviews of all of them in TripAdvisor, I'd be happy with any, even the 1* sounds just fine. I'll just be sleeping there so as long as the place is clean, I'm set.

Wondering if I should try for the 2* first, just to see if I can get it inexpensively. If not, add the 1* Sunset Motel. Any thoughts?

[Romelle]

After reading reviews of all of them in TripAdvisor, I'd be happy with any, even the 1* sounds just fine. I'll just be sleeping there so as long as the place is clean, I'm set.

Wondering if I should try for the 2* first, just to see if I can get it inexpensively. If not, add the 1* Sunset Motel. Any thoughts?

I'm sure you know it by this time, but just in case ... you can't target a specific hotel like the above mentioned Sunset. If you bid a zone and a star level, you have to be willing to accept any hotel in that zone and at that star level or higher.

Good luck though.

Romelle

[thereuare]

No good but I will try several more times in next 10 days before I consider 3* at Lloyd Center and Airport--just because it would be worth it to walk out the door right into the city or to Max for a day of Washington Park/Hoyt Arboretum...

Am moving my search to grab a hotel in Hood River / Mt. Hood areas for now. Any moderate or inexpensive hotel/motel ideas?

I'm a little confused... your Downtown stay is for 10/7-10/9... would the Hood River/Mt. Hood stay replace this, or is that for a different set of date(s)?

Wondering if I should try for the 2* first, just to see if I can get it inexpensively.

It depends what you're looking for from the stay, but when looking at the lowest rung of the budget hotels, i would strive for the highest rating possible... at 1* you could hit a diamond in the rough OR it could be something you're not very pleased with.

Let us know how high you would want to bid at the 2* level before lowering to the 1* level (or if you feel that 1* would suit your needs just fine and you'd like to start there) HOWEVER, if this is for a different set of dates then 10/7-10/9 please start a NEW TOPIC.

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

[LukeyLou2]

Thanks Romelle--the Sunset is the only hotel that is a one star in the Hood River area so unless they add other hotels that are not in their lowprice (not Name your own) listing of hotels that's the only hotel I could get. I should have been more clear in my post, though. I will be moving the Hood River search to a new posting as it is separate from my Portland search of Fri thru Sunday morning.

[thereuare]

I will be moving the Hood River search to a new posting as it is separate from my Portland search of Fri thru Sunday morning.

Please start a NEW TOPIC for your Hood River stay and include your dates. Also, note that the 'name your own price' and 'retail' sides of PRICELINE each use a different universe of hotels, so you can't expect that the only possibilities you can receive when bidding are those which show on the retail side of their service. See the related in our PRICELINE FAQ for a further discussion on this subject.

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