Priceline Hotel: Paris bidding strategy 4*

[new_horizons]

Hello: I am bidding for a 4* in Paris between 9-Oct to 14-Oct and gone up tp $125 but no win. Any strategy someone can suggest? Paris has no free re-bid zones for 4*. I don't want to stay in the La Defense - Neuilly area since it is a bit far. I know OQE and OQW would be most expensive so i have been using those as re-bids

Champs Elysees - Arc De Triomphe

Eiffel Tower - Porte De Versailles - Montparnasse

Opera Quarter East

Opera Quarter West

St. Germain - Latin Quarter - Montparnasse

Bastille - Bercy

Batignolles - Montmartre - Republique

La Defense - Neuilly

I have been using the board's PRICELINE link for all my bids

Thanks

[Rhine-and-Roses]

I also have been trying to bid in these zones, for these same dates, minus La Defense/Neuilly. I bid up to $180, so you are going to probably have to go a lot higher than your $125, unless you get lucky. I have finally decided to use my corporate rate rather than playing with rates this high and risk a new hotel that I might not like.

There is a possibility of going out to CdG airport if you can't get a decent price in Neuilly/La Defense. (The latter is much closer in than CdG.) Right now Hotwire has a 4* at CdG for your dates which appears to be the Sheraton for $97. If it turns out to be, it is a reasonably easy ride into Paris. You would do best to buy a five zone Mobilis card (You need a tiny id photo) at the airport. That gives you unlimited travel to/from the airport, and inside Paris, including buses. The Sheraton was decent, located right in the airport, and incredibly close to the RER lines into Paris. (Just go down a couple of flights and you are there. RER trains run every 10 minutes.)

It is not a short ride in, but it's not a whole lot longer than staying at some of the hotels on less served metro lines. (It took 55 min to get to my Grands Boulevards language school, as opposed to 42 min from the Marriott Rive Gauche.) The big downside to me is you can't go back to the room and freshen up or drop off packages during the day.

You can PM me if you have any questions about it. I did it April when I was paying for my own trip and couldn't get anything in town for a price I was willing to pay.

[new_horizons]

Thanks for your reply Rhine-and-Roses!

I am surprised that $125 wasn't accepted and even $180 from you fell short. Is there an event this time? There are a few wins for Marriott Rive Gauche for under $110. Staying close to the airport might be a last option but it would add about 2 hrs to the day. Defense might be better that way. Bercy shows a median 4* for 203 so that might have a better chance although I am not sure which hotels are there.

[thereuare]

I am surprised that $125 wasn't accepted and even $180 from you fell short.

What is the best deal you're able to find at a 4* property thru traditional booking channels?

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

[new_horizons]

Anything from about $170 to about $200 on different sites. Should I considering splitting up into 2 bids? Hotwire is showing one at $215 in the Opera Grand Boulevard area.

[thereuare]

If you're willing to split bid i would go thru the following date combinations:

10/9-10/14

10/9-10/13

10/10-10/14

10/9-10/12

10/11-10/14

If you're turned down on these sub-sets of your dates, what hotel is it that you're seeing for $170/nite?

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

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[new_horizons]

Tried different date combinations

10/9-10/14 up to 165

10/9-10/13 up to 145

10/10-10/13 up to 145 but no luck so far. Hotwire is showing 4* starting with $236 which appears to be Golden Tulip Washington Opera and has really bad reviews.

Any further strategy anyone can suggest? I was hoping to get something under $150 but no luck so far

[thereuare]

If you're turned down on these sub-sets of your dates, what hotel is it that you're seeing for $170/nite?

???

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

Please click this PRICELINE link before replying.

Thanks.

[new_horizons]

$170/nite was for Villa Eugenie at the time but is a lot more expensive. The cheapest now showing is Best Western Premier Amiral Hotel ($192) but again bad reviews and location. I am leaning towards an Apart-hotel. Priceline doesn't seem to be getting good deals for the dates.

I have been using the board's PRICELINE link each time for all my searches. Thanks

[thereuare]

If you're bidding up to your current limit there really isn't much more that you can do other than stick with it and hope for lower rates in the weeks ahead, split your bid (already tried), lower your star rating (not necessarily recommended in Europe), OR raise your bid price (doesn't sound like an option for you at this time)

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

Let us know what you ultimately decide to do for this stay or if we can be of further help.