dishwab Posted September 20, 2011 Report Posted September 20, 2011 Hello all, I'm new to this bidding game and was looking for some help. I am hoping to find a 3.5 star or above room for 2 in downtown Pittsburgh for the dates of 10/16/11 - 10/19/11 (Sun-Wed). I bid that today on Priceline and nothing was accepted.I saw on Expedia and Hotwire an "unlisted name" hotel that was 3.5* for $130-$135/night. Should I be able to get lower? Am I bidding too early? Will it help to wait closer to the last minute? Any advice would be appreciated.Edit: I just checked the exact same search on Expedia, only for dates 9/25-9/28 (ie: the same days but much closer to today) and it came back at $85/night. This sort of leads me to believe I may better off waiting... or is that a false correlation?cheers, Joe
AaronJB Posted September 20, 2011 Report Posted September 20, 2011 Welcome to Betterbidding. :)Rates often vary (sometimes quite significantly) by dates in major cities - comparing 9/25-28 vs. 10-16/10-19 is not an accurate comparison as there could be something going on on the October dates. There is no way to know if rates will come down closer to the stay - please read the discussion on this topic in the FAQ.What would be your desired budget per night for this stay?Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.
dishwab Posted September 21, 2011 Author Report Posted September 21, 2011 Thanks for that, just checked out the FAQ. It seems there isn't much rhyme or reason as far as predictions go. Up to $100/night would be my maximum, more or less, and anything less obviously would be a bonus.
pip321 Posted September 21, 2011 Report Posted September 21, 2011 FWIW, there's a Pittsburgh Steelers home game on Oct. 16th, but not one on Sept. 25th. That may account for some of the difference in price that you see.
dishwab Posted September 21, 2011 Author Report Posted September 21, 2011 FWIW, there's a Pittsburgh Steelers home game on Oct. 16th, but not one on Sept. 25th. That may account for some of the difference in price that you see.I actually did notice that when I was checking into possible reasons. I didn't see much else regarding festivals, events, etc. so that may have something to do with it. I think we may skip Sunday night at the hotel and stay with a friend when we get in on the Megabus. That leaves just Monday 10/17 and Tuesday 10/18 for hotel stays, which should help keep costs down a bit (unless we can find a really great deal on 3 nights). In the meantime, I'll keep trying with bids and searches
thereuare Posted September 21, 2011 Report Posted September 21, 2011 Unfortunately rates still seem a bit high, but fortunately you have SEVEN re-bid zones when bidding 3.5* in the Pittsburgh. 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 give it a try as follows:Select 3.5* Downtown...Bid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $70, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $100Any 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. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
dishwab Posted September 21, 2011 Author Report Posted September 21, 2011 Yeah I was going to try that strategy after reading some other posts on here. Referencing the Hotwire Hotel List it looks like the ONLY Pittsburgh zones with 3.5* + are Downtown and Airport. Is that verifiable? I don't want to accidentally end up in Pittsburgh Suburbs at a 3.5* obviously.Edit: Scratch That...Using the technique laid out here: Priceline Re-Bidding Explained I have deduced that the following zones would be safe to include(ie: less than 3.5* only)- Greentree (3)- Pittsburgh East - Monroeville (3)- Pittsburgh North - Allegheny Valley (2.5)- Pittsburgh South (3)- Pittsburgh South Side (2.5)- University Center (3)- West Mifflin - West Homestead (2.5)Am I correct in thinking that?
thereuare Posted September 22, 2011 Report Posted September 22, 2011 Yes, the above are currently your re-bid zones when bidding at the 3.5* level... but always double check just before bidding to make sure nothing has changed since you last checked.Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.Good luck and let us know how it goes. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
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