Priceline Hotel: 4* Paris (Eiffel Tower - Grenelle - Montparnasse) Pullman Paris Rive Gauche

[wasabi2011]

Hi!

I began to bid for a 4* hotel in Paris for a 4 night stay in 2 rooms:

check-in: January 31 2012

check-out: February 4 2012

I began really low, hoping to get a fabulous deal once in my life, but I had no luck :)

I would like to get a strategy from you to get a 4* hotel in Champs Elysees - Arc De Triomphe or Eiffel Tower - Porte De Versailles - Montparnasse for U$D maximum.

If its necessary I can include Opera Quarter West - Jardin des Tuileries area.

Thank you very much!.

Sonia

[thereuare]

So we don't suggest a strategy which goes higher than you're willing to pay, what is your maximum bid for this stay?

Also, it appears that you have already attempted to bid for this trip? If so, how high have you already bid and did that bid include all the zones above?

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

[wasabi2011]

I'm sorry I didn't mention all the information :

I went up to U$D 130.- and I would like to get each room for U$D 150.- maximum.

Thank you!

[thereuare]

I would like to get a strategy from you to get a 4* hotel in Champs Elysees - Arc De Triomphe or Eiffel Tower - Porte De Versailles - Montparnasse...

If its necessary I can include Opera Quarter West - Jardin des Tuileries area.

I went up to U$D 130.- and I would like to get each room for U$D 150.- maximum.

To confirm when you bid up to $130, did you include (Opera Quarter West - Jardin des Tuileries) or only the two previous zones?

Let us know and the above 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.

[wasabi2011]

To confirm when you bid up to $130, did you include (Opera Quarter West - Jardin des Tuileries) or only the two previous zones?

Let us know and the above 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.

When I bid up to U$D 130.- it was for Champs Elysees-Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower-Porte de Versailles-Montparnasse areas. That was on Monday 26th.

I tried again on Wednesday 28th. and included Montparnasse, Opera Quarter West-Jardin des Tuileries but stopped at U$D125.-

Thank you.

[Romelle]

I've had a couple bids work this early. You just never know, and it doesn't hurt to try.

The one thing I have to mention though - they charge your card right NOW.

Hope you score something.

Romelle

PS - Bidding every other day has the benefit of not having to remember just when that 24 hour clock is clear.

PPS - Bidding once a week isn't bad either, because you get less rejection. And that keeps you from getting frustrated and bidding higher than you meant to.

[wasabi2011]

Thank you Romelle for your answer.

I am sorry to tell you that I don't understand your advice, the one that doesn't hurt (...work this early...?).

If its possible can you make it clearer for me?

The PS and PSS are all right :)

[Romelle]

I've had successful bids seven months ahead of time. You might too.

And the part about not hurting was just that bidding is free. Just wastes a little of one's time.

Good luck.

Romelle

[wasabi2011]

OK ! :)

Yes, I have been successful in other occasions too!. I prefer to take my time trying to get the price I am willing to pay.

Last minute bidding is not for me.

Now I am waiting for another strategy tip if there is one to follow.

Thank you again

[thereuare]

...and included Montparnasse...

There is more than one zone which included Montparnasse, so to confirm:

You're looking for a 4* hotel or better with a maximum bid of $150 in any of the following zones:

Champs Elysees-Arc De Triomphe

Eiffel Tower-Porte De Versailles-Montparnasse

OQW - Jardin des Tuileries

... St. Germain - Latin Quarter - Montparnasse is not an acceptable zone.

As well, you have already bid up to $130 in:

Champs Elysees-Arc De Triomphe

Eiffel Tower-Porte De Versailles-Montparnasse

... and up to $125 in:

OQW - Jardin des Tuileries

Is all the above correct? Please confirm and we'll advise accordingly.

[wasabi2011]

I will tell you from the begging.

It is easer to name the areas just the way Priceline does:

1. September 23d. : Zone 3, 4 and 6-----From $65.- to $80.-

2. September 25th.: Zone 3 and 4--------From $90.- to $100.-

3. September 26th.: Zone 3 and 4--------From $110.- to $130.-

4. September 28th.: Zone 3, 4 and 7-----From $110.- to $125.-

4. September 30th.: Zone 3, 4 and 7-----From $120.- to $132.-

(3) Champs Elysees - Arc De Triomphe

(4) Eiffel Tower - Porte De Versailles - Montparnasse

(6) Opera Quarter East - Les Halles

(7) Opera Quarter West - Jardin des Tuileries

I made a mistake in the first bid. I don't want zone 6.

I would like just 3 or 4 but if its not possible, lets try in 7 too.

I hope I made it clear :)

Thank you for helping me!

[thereuare]

Thanks for the details. With NO re-bid zones i would proceed as follows:

Select 4* Champs Elysees-Arc De Triomphe...

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

Select 4* Eiffel Tower-Porte De Versailles-Montparnasse...

Bid $135, if rejected add Champs Elysees-Arc De Triomphe...

Bid $140

If the above is rejected wait 24 hours and try:

Select 4* Champs Elysees-Arc De Triomphe...

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

Select 4* Eiffel Tower-Porte De Versailles-Montparnasse...

Bid $145, if rejected add Champs Elysees-Arc De Triomphe...

Bid $150, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* OQW - Jardin des Tuileries...

Bid $135, if rejected add Champs Elysees-Arc De Triomphe...

Bid $140, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* OQW - Jardin des Tuileries AND Eiffel Tower-Porte De Versailles-Montparnasse...

Bid $145, if rejected add Champs Elysees-Arc De Triomphe...

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.

[wasabi2011]

I am sorry to tell you I made a mistake and begun with Eiffel Tower-Porte De Versailles-Montparnasse.... and I won for $135.- the Pullman Paris Rive Gauche hotel.

It is far away from the places I was looking to stay...its over a freeway and thats almost unacceptable in a city like Paris. Tripadvisor and Booking.com ratings are not encouraging. No "charme" at all!!

Its my fault as I made a mistake but I feel really disappointed :)

Thank you any way for your help.

If you have any suggestions to make my experience the best it can be, it would be very nice.

[thereuare]

Sorry to hear you're not happy with the results and this location is not ideal for your needs.

Hopefully another user more familiar to this area will be able to comment further on how to make this work well for your plans, but this property is won somewhat often, so i suspect it's probably do-able.

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 your stay... hope it goes better then you anticipate.

[wasabi2011]

Sorry to hear you're not happy with the results and this location is not ideal for your needs.

Hopefully another user more familiar to this area will be able to comment further on how to make this work well for your plans, but this property is won somewhat often, so i suspect it's probably do-able.

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 your stay... hope it goes better then you anticipate.

It would be great to hear from someone who went recently there!.

Thank you for your help.

[Romelle]

I've not stayed in that area, but have managed the Paris underground several times. It runs very frequently and is inexpensive. Buying strips of 10 tickets - a "carnat" (if I remember how to spell it?) - seems to work well. Slight savings, but more importantly one isn't fumbling with change and buying another ticket with every trip.

From a Yahoo map, on metro stop looked to be about 1/4 mile and the other one maybe 1/3 mile. The closer one did involve going under/over a fairly major road.

Since people don't necessarily cruise this site after their trip is over, you might have the best luck searching for comments. Unfortunately, in this case nobody has contributed a review. Maybe when you come back you can help the next guy with your discoveries?

You can key some unique part of the hotel name in the Quick Search above - maybe "pullman rive" - that will pull up other bidder results as well as maybe some random comments.

www.tripadvisor.com has reviews. I just looked, and there are some fairly crabby ones on there. You might just select and read the positive ones. I suspect people who pay full price are more likely to complain, whereas if you get a good deal (as you did) you can be a little more tolerant.

And then there is www.fodors.com and www.lonelyplanet.com and other similar sites.

Romelle

[Rhine-and-Roses]

I don't know the hotel at all, Wasabi2011, but the location is fine. You are just a five minute walk to Balard metro stop, line 8. You take the metro to either La Motte Piquet-Grenelle and change for Eiffel Tower area or the Rond Point at Charles de Gaulle/Etoile, or stay on the line 8 to Concorde. You are in easy reach of the main tourist attractons. While the hotel is not in the most tourist area of Paris, you might be glad to get away from throngs of people, and you really are still in the city where you are located. The location is really not much different from Marriott Rive Gauche, as far as time to tourist sites- in fact it is closer to the Eiffel Tower! www.ratp.fr is the metro site. Look for the English button on the top right.

Ask your concierge about taking the bus instead of the metro. Metro is easier, bus is more scenic. You can buy a day pass called a Mobilis, or a Paris Visite pass, which gives some discounts to tourists, but costs more than the Mobilis. They both give you unlimited travel on the bus/metro for the day. The Mobilis can be bought from a machine, but you might need a credit card with a microchip. The machines have an English button, usually a British flag. Otherwise, buy it at the counter. I think Paris Visite can be bought for several days, so you don't have to wait in line everyday.

I was not thrilled the first time I won Marriott Rive Gauche, but now it is my hotel of choice in Paris. You may find the same with the Pullman. I myself prefer to find charm and quaintness in the city, and find convenience and comfort in my room, which mostly means well maintained chain hotels to me.

Hopefully your hotel will be fine. Please do let us know. Et bon courage!

[Romelle]

In my checking around, I also noticed there is a nearby tram. Forgot to mention it earlier.

As Rhine-and-Roses suggested about the buses, this would also be a good question for the concierge.

Romelle

[wasabi2011]

Thank you very much Romelle and Rhine-and-Roses. I feel much better after your messages.

When I get back I promise I will write about Pullman Paris Rive Gauche hotel. I always do it on Tripadvisor.

See you in February! :)

[thereuare]

Please also add your review to our own HOTEL REVIEW section :)

[Deras]

I stayed at the Pullman Paris Rive Gauche about a year ago and found that although the hotel is somewhat far away from most sightseeing sites, it is not as bad as you think - there are even several top rated restaurants within 10 minute walk. Having said that, the Metro and Trams are very close and it is VERY easy to get around the city from there regardless of where you want to go. As for the hotel itself it is very clean and the staff are kind and serviceable - i would characterize this as a standard business hotel rather than a 'quaint' tourist hotel.

It is not a bad choice and you should not feel all that bad, after all you will spend most day walking about and will not come back to the hotel until after dinner!

Have fun!

[wasabi2011]

Thank you so much Deras for your words!

I was feeling bad because my sister in law lives in Paris and she told me I am going to be at the "banlieue" (suburb)... just over the freeway and a place where you shouldn't go walking around at night. Quite frightening :)

As you say, I will be walking all day long, so if the hotel is nice and comfortable, that will be enough. If you remember some good restaurants (not the expensive ones!) or a place to have breakfast near the hotel, please write me back.

Thank you again,

Sonia

[wasabi2011]

As I promised in my post in October 2011, I just wrote the hotel review of The Pullman Rive Gauche Hotel in Paris France.

Hope it will help other travellers!

Good Luck!

[thereuare]

Thanks for the follow-up!