Priceline Hotel: 4* Paris (St Germain-Latin Quarter-Montparnasse) Marriott Rive Gauche

[ElPal]

Hi,

I used your link to access Priceline and bid across Champs Elysees - Arc De Triomphe, Opera Quarter West - Jardin des Tuileries, Eiffel Tower - Porte De Versailles - Montparnasse, St. Germain - Latin Quarter - Montparnasse for $150 per night but was rejected.

October is normally not peak season so I am surprised not to have been able to get a 4* for that price.

Also, I signed up for the Priceline Winning Bids notifications and was wondering if anyone could identify these 2 properties:

4* St. Germain - Latin Quarter - Montparnasse Area for $150 a night*.

HOTEL AMENITIES

24 Hour Front Desk

Bellman

Concierge

Breakfast Room

Bar/Lounge

Remote Control Television

Direct Dial Telephone

High Quality Bath Amenities

Private Bath

Hair Dryer

In-room Refreshment Center

OR

4* Champs Elysees - Arc De Triomphe Area for $126

AMENITIES

24 Hour Front Desk

Bellman

Concierge

Breakfast Room

Bar/Lounge

Remote Control Television

Direct Dial Telephone

High Quality Bath Amenities

Private Bath

Hair Dryer

In-room Refreshment Center

Unfortunately the amenities don't really reveal anything that different to what I would expect of any 4* hotel.

Any tips/information would be much appreciated, including whether I am best waiting until closer to the time when the hotels will realise they are still empty and need to fill up?

Thanks

[hopecookies]

Also, I signed up for the Priceline Winning Bids notifications and was wondering if anyone could identify these 2 properties:

What I find to be quite useless about the Priceline Winning Bids is that they don't tell you the dates. Winning prices for August are vastly different than say in September.

For the summer, plenty of people won in the St Germain area for around $100 to $130, but in Sep/Oct, the only winning bid I heard for St. Germain was $181 for the Pullman Montparnarsse. All this to say, don't go by the winning bids that PL gives you. It's better to look at the Calendar of Wins or check the forum to see what people got in Paris.

Also if you look at the hotel lists, you can kind of guess which hotels it might be. There's only like three or four per zone per star level for Paris.

[thereuare]

ElPal,

Please follow-up your previous threads with whatever you ended up doing for each of this stays:

Priceline Kuala Lumpur

Priceline Australia

Brussels Priceline Hotel

... then reply to this thread and we'll have a look at the offers above.

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

[ElPal]

Hi,

I have now replied to those threads and given I had done a few other bids for this one

I have used your links to name my own price on priceline.

On 16 August 2011, I bid for 5 stars for Champs Elysees - Arc De Triomphe, Opera Quarter West - Jardin des Tuileries, Eiffel Tower - Porte De Versailles - Montparnasse, St. Germain - Latin Quarter - Montparnasse at $150 which was rejected.

On 18 August 2011, I bid for 4 stars for Opera Quarter West - Jardin des Tuileries, Opera Quarter East - Les Halles at $115 which was also rejected.

I then decided to wait a few weeks until it was closer to the stay thinking perhaps then hotels may be cheaper having realised that it is getting closer and they are still not full.

Today, I bid (again using your links) for 4 stars initially only for Opera West- Jardin Tuileries at $110. It was rejected.

Then I added in the Champs - Arc de Triomphe and kept the price of $110. It was also rejected.

Then I got an email from Priceline with $5 bonus cash so decided to bid for $125 total (being $120 me + $5 cash) and this time included also Opera Quarter East - Les Halles. Again, rejected.

Having seen on the forums that people have managed to get the Meridien L'etoile (Champs) for $120 I'd hoped to get something at this price.

So what's the best strategy - am I really likely to get something in any of those 3 areas for $125? Do I just patiently let the 24 hours click over and make the same bid each day?

I note that some people have got the 4* Marriott Rive Gauche in St Germain but am hesitant to bid in either of the areas featuring Montparnasse as it is a lot further South from the centre of Paris and means having to rely on metros as opposed to being able to stroll from the hotel to the main attractions.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Ellie

[hopecookies]

Your 5* bids are way too low. Also, not very many individuals have won 5* bids. Availability is low I believe.

As for 4*, OQW and OQE is pretty hard to grab at $115. Look around to see what people have won in that region, the price is never that low. The most affordable bids in those two regions was won at Melia Vendome Boutique (according to various forums), and usually around $140. You're going in a period that's almost the start of the slow season so who knows.

As for the Champs - Arc de Triomphe region, nice area, your bids are realistic and in line with past winners. But if you're realistic, and you plot a map of all the hotels that have ever been won in the 4* category, you'll see they're all at least, 3 or 4 metro stops from the dead center of Paris (we'll say Jardin de Tuilleries). Think about that. That might be walkaway one way, but it's a long walk 30 min or more.

Do what everyone suggests: get a refundable reservation that doesn't take your CC number up front, so you'll have a ressy just in case. Then play around with the bids.

i also suggest thinking more about taking the metro. It's really really easy, and clean.

[thereuare]

...means having to rely on metros as opposed to being able to stroll from the hotel to the main attractions.

Paris is a fairly large and spread out city... and i don't think of "all the major attractions" as being in one place. You really need to rely on and use the metro to get around and see most parts of the city, imo.

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

[ElPal]

thereuare, I probably could have expressed myself better. I have actually been to Paris 7 times so am quite aware of the layout. I just recall that staying near Grenelles or near the Opera Garnier, everything was in walking distance - 30 mins is not a long distance but being all the way down at Montparnasse would mean about an hour's walk to get up towards the Louvre/Opera area.

Thanks hopecookies, I will think about whether I want to up the bid for OQW and OQE. Re the Champs/Arc area, if my bids are realistic - do I just continue to bid the same amount each 24 hours and see if I get it?

Also, re refundable reservations, any idea how I get one of these?

[thereuare]

Also, re refundable reservations, any idea how I get one of these?

You can try the 'retail' version of PRICELINE (but double check the terms of the reservation to ensure it's fully refundable)... use MAPSandHOTELS.com to assist in choose a hotel with the best location for your needs.

I will think about whether I want to up the bid for OQW and OQE

Once you finalize your zone plans let us know which you decide upon and your maximum bid and we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow.

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

[ElPal]

Thanks for your help. I used your PRICELINE retail link to look at 4* hotel prices and the lowest for the period I am looking at was $191 per night for anywhere in Paris (not specific to an area of Paris) which was the Millenium Paris Charles de Gaulle.

I also took the time to search each of the 3 and 4 star hotels which have been listed as being won on PRICELINE for Paris and have decided on the following areas listed by preference:

OPERA WEST JARDIN TUILERIES - Can you please suggest a bidding strategy for me.

OPERA EAST LES HALLES - Can you please suggest a bidding strategy for me.

EIFFEL TOWER GRENELLE MONTPARNASSE - I am nervous that if I bid for a 4* I will end up with the Pullman Rive Gauche which is much further South than the rest of the 4* hotels. what do you think and can you suggest a strategy please

CHAMPS ELYSEES ARC DE TRIOMPHE - A little nervous I will end up with the Hilton Arc de Triomphe which is a little further away. What do you think and can you suggest a strategy please.

Thanks in advance

[thereuare]

When bidding on PRICELINE, you have to be able to accept any hotel in the zone at the star level (or higher) that you choose... there is no way to avoid a particular hotel in the zone.

With the above noted, do you want to include/exclude Eiffel Tower and/or Champs Elysess in your bidding?

Are you willing to pay more for a higher rated hotel OR is your goal the least expensive 3* or better for this stay (keep in mind that star ratings in Europe are a bit more 'generous' then their US/North American counterparts... a 3* in Paris may be more like a 2*/2.5* in the States). What is your maximum bid for this stay?

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

[ElPal]

I think I'd prefer to avoid Eiffel Tower and Champs Elysess and focus on the 2 x Opera zones. I would prefer a 4* and would prefer not to pay more than $150 per night.

If this is unrealistic then I am willing to include Eiffel Tower and Champs.

I will be in Paris in just over 4 weeks so I am keen to organise this.

Thanks

[thereuare]

To confirm, you have already bid up to $130 in each of these zones? If so, i'd resume as follows:

Unfortunately there are no re-bid zones avaialble when bidding 4* in Paris.

Select 4* OQE...

Bid $135, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* OQW...

Bid $135, if rejected add OQE...

Bid $140

If the above is rejected wait 24 hours and once again start with the board's PRICELINE link and re-try:

Select 4* OQE...

Bid $145, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* OQW...

Bid $145, if rejected add OQE...

Bid $150

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.

[ElPal]

To confirm, you have already bid up to $130 in each of these zones? If so, i'd resume as follows:

Unfortunately there are no re-bid zones avaialble when bidding 4* in Paris.

I have bid up to $125 for 4* across the 4 zones.

What do you mean by no re-bid zones? I have seen other people in the forum say that they have placed the same bid each day and have eventually got the hotel at that price (eg the Meridien in the Montparnasse zone). Does that mean even if I wait the 24 hours I cannot rebid for a 4* in Paris?

Will priceline not allow me to place the same bid even outside the 24 hour period and if that is the case, will it tell me that is the case?

[Romelle]

The rebid zones let one bid some more in the same 24-hour period. You are fine bidding tomorrow (or whenever your 24-hours is up).

There is a long discussion about it elsewhere, but the short answer for your situation is - free rebid zones are those that do not contain the star level you are bidding (or any higher star level). All the Paris zones currently contain at least 4* or higher.

Romelle

[thereuare]

Re-bid zones are detailed here: Priceline Re-Bidding Explained, and allow you to bid more than one inside of 24 hours. As you don't have any re-bid zones, you CAN bid again after 24 hours have passed.

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

Good luck on your next round of bidding.

[ElPal]

Thanks Romelle and thereuare for your help. I am still going with that strategy re OQE and OQW.

However, I thought I would share with you something that happened when I decided to go outside these zones and bid instead for a 4* in the St Germain zone.

I bid $95 per night - thinking that some people have had the Marriott Rive Gauche for $105 so I would go upwards from there.

I got the following message:

"Try Again Right Now

We searched hundreds of options to find your hotel room, however we can't accept your offer of $95 per room, per night. Your credit card has not been charged for Request Number ###-###-###-##. If you are willing to raise your price by $19 to $114 per room, per night, you can try the same request again right now.

Normally you are required to change additional items (add zones, star level, or dates) in order to try your request again. However we are able to extend this one-time opportunity to you because of the zone, quality level and dates you requested."

I just thought that was interesting that they were basically suggesting if I was willing to bid $114 I would probably win (and I am guessing it would be above their inventory price so they could get their bonus).

I wasn't willing to go up to $114 for that zone so will continue bidding for the OQE and OQW zones.

[thereuare]

This is what we refer to as a counter-offer and suggests that the 'right' price is somewhere between $96 and $114 (no telling if you'll be successful at just $1 more or if it would take the while $114). You can read more about counter-offers in this Priceline Suggests Price to Pay thread.

If you want to try pursuing the property above at an amount more than $95 but less than $114 let us know.

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

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

[ElPal]

I had a play with OQE and OQW and had a few more rejections.

OQW 4* $136 closed and re-used your link

OQE 4* $138 closed and re-used your link

OQW, OQE $139 closed and re-used your link

OQE 3* $95 closed and re-used your link

OQW 3* $100 closed and re-used your link

OQW, OQE 3* $105 closed and re-used your link

Then I decided to try the 4* St Germain having had the counter-offer yesterday - I bid $102 per night and it was accepted. I will do a new post for it.

Thank you so much for your help. I am still trying for Florence so will keep you posted on that thread.

[ElPal]

Having first bid for this zone for a 4* yesterday for $95 (of course using your link) and having received the counter-offer of $114, I waited 24 hours and bid for 4* for $102 (of course using your PRICELINE link) and the bid was accepted.

TOTAL COSTING

Offer Price:

avg. per room, per night US$102.00

Rooms: 1

Nights: 2

Room Subtotal: US$204.00

Taxes & Fees: US$25.82

Total Charged to Card: US$229.82

Thanks so much for your help.

As you know from my other thread, the zone was not my first choice but having tried 3 and 4* up to $139 for OQE and OQW I decided to opt for another zone and a cheaper price for my stay. The extra $38 per night is some extra spending money!

[Romelle]

I will do a new post for it.

You don't need to do a new post. Just add it on here. That way the whole story is intact. It can be more helpful for other bidders that way.

Romelle

[PierreC]

Thats a great deal !! Dont know the dates but still im jealous !

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Given the dates and bidding history, i think this is a very nice deal. Glad you're pleased overall with the outcome and looking forward to your stay.

Thank you for sharing your win with the board.

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

Enjoy this leg of your trip.

[ElPal]

You don't need to do a new post. Just add it on here. That way the whole story is intact. It can be more helpful for other bidders that way.

Sorry about that - I had wanted to spare people all of my ramblings and just give them the bids :)

[ElPal]

Thats a great deal !! Dont know the dates but still im jealous !

Dates are 11-13 October. It is a great deal - I checked the other hotel selling sites and was coming up for a lot more (A$560 whereas I paid A$225)- this deal has rung true to Priceline's 60% off.