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Priceline Hotel: 5* London (Mayfair-Soho) The Grosvenor House


Volk@indigo
By Volk@indigo,
in

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Seeking bidding advise on London for the dates 25th of october 2011 to the 27th of october 2011. Looking to stay in a 4 or 5 star hotel in the following areas: Mayfair, Bloombury or Westminister.

To date i ve bid up to 163 with no results. Using the free redids I ve received counteroffers for 204 from 151 bids and up. I suspect that this may refer to a Mayfair hotel as if i use the combination of Bloombury and Westminister i do not receive a counteroffer.

163 is my maximum at the moment. Any advise, should i keep going up in 1 dollar amounts using free rebids and probably get accepted around 175 or should i hold out a little longer.

The hotel on offer i suspect will be the Inter Contientinal as I ve seen other bids of 151 to 168 already accepted for in or around those dates.

thanks all.

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Hmmm, if it were me and my maximum was strict, I'd start looking at 4* in Notting Hill or Regent's Park. Good deals can sometimes be had there and you're still quite central.

You're probably right on it being a Mayfair hotel that is coming up on the counteroffer. I have had counteroffers accepted that were $3 higher than what I was bidding, I've also had to go more like $15 higher than where I was to have a counteroffer accepted. Is that for 4* or 5*in Mayfair?

If you go to "free rebids explained", on page 3 there was a post on Sept 7 2008 which gave a full matrix of rebidding with 5 re-bid zones available -- which 5* in London has. I have used it for 4* which has 2 free rebid zones, but also used desired zones that were more expensive than the zone I was bidding as rebid zones, so that if I ended up in one of those I would be just as happy. That matrix gives you 30 rebids that you can use -- over the course of about an hour you can get a lot of bids in without running into the 24 hour problem.

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I usually go up in $3-$5 bid increments on the counter-offers, but with time and free re-bid zones you might want to try $2 up each bid. My experience is that the re-bid offer is the highest amount for that room on that day, and PL usually accepts an offer somewhere in between. One caveat is that inventory constantly changes, and I've had re-bid offers unavailable even when I bid to that amount a few days later.

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If I see an counteroffer and am following the matrix (with 5 free re-bid zones) so I have 30 or so free re-bids, I'd just go up $1 at a time. Especialy if I have a few weeks to work with. If it's not taking $163, who knows if it would take $164, you never know where it will tip the scales. Mayfair is usually the most expensive zone, especially when we're looking at 4*. It doesn't seem like there is a huge amount of inventory for 5* in the other zones.

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163 is my maximum at the moment. Any advise, should i keep going up in 1 dollar amounts using free rebids and probably get accepted around 175 or should i hold out a little longer.

Welcome to BetterBidding!

What is the best rate you're able to find at an acceptable 4* property for these dates thru conventional booking channels and what is the rate at the hotel(s) you think you'll receive if you continue bidding?

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... and your searches too! (please click this PRICELINE link before replying, thanks)

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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Thanks all for suggestions. At the moment as of 11th of October i can get a 4 star Hilton in Mayfair for 245 dollars or one of the Thistle hotels for 203 dollars through the regular booking sites. The Thistle Hotels are offering good deals at the moment on Mid-term breaks. The hotel i think I will get if I keep bidding for a 5 star only will be the InterContiential on Park Lane. I know "notions of grandeur" with a 5 star hotel but it s a 10th Wedding Anniversary. At the moment their website is offering a double room for 356 dollars.

I've been doing a bit of research on successful wins for September/October 2011/2011 off this website and research would indicate that no 4 star hotels get offered for the Mayfair area only 5 star hotels(8 in total) with the Intercontientinal and Marriott the most popular varying in prices from 151 to 190. the bloombury Area only offered the Mariott Marble Arch and Holiday Inn regent Park for prices between 105 and 200 while Westmininster offered the two Park Plazas and the Crowne Plaza for prices between 105-120. I know I'm only working off reported bids to Better Bidding only but it still offers and indications of trends.

i appreciate suggestions about branching out into Notting Hill area but I am hoping to stay in the above listed areas as our break is relatively short. Flying into stansted and will try to avoid public transport as much as possible. Enjoy walking between sites anyhow and know london pretty well. if I dont have success closer to the time I'll consider branching out.

Any suggestions on bidding advise. Should i hold out or continue with free rebids till i get an offer half way between 163 and 204. thanks for help and suggestions. as they say "its good to talk."

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Should i hold out or continue with free rebids till i get an offer half way between 163 and 204.

There is no right or wrong answer here as it depends upon your comfort level in not having a room booked with just about 2 weeks to go, but i would continue bidding higher as you don't seem to have much zone flexibility in your plans and as the Thistle properties in this zone were last reported as 3* properties (we don't see this chain too much anymore) hopefully you can get the same or lower price at a better hotel.

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

Good luck and keep us updated on your progress.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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The wonderful matrix is located at Priceline Re-Bidding Permutations -- at page 3. dated Sept 7 2008 by Smilingboy. (if the link doesn't work you should be able to search by posts made by Smilingboy?)

it's also found here: Priceline and Hotwire Forum > Tips and Tricks for Priceline and Hotwire > General Priceline Tips

For me, I'm not crazy about Thistle at all, it's not quite Holiday Inn calibre on average, I'd be gunning for a 4* in an area that I like better! (or splurging on a 5* if I can manage it -- in my Nov 7-10 bids, I went up to $171 for 5*but nothing came through so settled on $120 for the Chelsea Football Club 4*)

I've also read the debates about bidding early v. bidding late on this forum and the consensus seems to be that one may as well bid early though last minute deals do come through, it all comes down to occupancy targets set by the hotels at various points in time prior to check in date.

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I agree with vanpoodle as to the timing of the bidding. When I'm set for dates and confirmed to the point I'd be willing to walk away from a great PL hotel deal if work commitments came up, I start bidding. Even 6+ months out, you just never know how inventory will fluctuate and I love having the hotel booked, even before booking airfare.

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Did not want to leave booking a hotel any later and won The Grosvenor House, a JW Mattiott for 181 dollars a night working out a 445 including taxes for the two nights(€323 Euors) which isn't a bad deal.

Started bidding a 150 for Mayfair and was able top redib up to 30 times using locations without 5 star hotels. Received a counteroffer of 207 when I bid 155 which i refused and kept going up in 5 dollar intervals using free rebids. Eventually won at 181 which isn't a bad deal. I was convinced I would be offered the Intercontientinal but you never know with Priceline.

I tried Westminister, Bloombury and Mayfair for a 4 star bidding up to 150 and also received a counteroffer for 207 which was the same as a 5 star conuteroffer.

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I think you got the best deal going for Mayfair at the moment -- I was studying it closely for my London bid and I think that's the lowest a 5* was going in the area for this time of year. Who knows if something cheaper would have come up in a week or two, sometimes you just don't know which way demand goes. That matrix was magic for maxing out the # of bids in a session!

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Its great, at least you know your not going to over bid which i've been guilty of in the past before discovering this website. I'd have never know about numerous rebids etc. Enjoy your trip. its a great city. I live in ireland and its only a short hop across Irish Sea, 45 minute flight and have visited numerous times. So much to do there and so little time. Flights, accom in a five star hotel and transfer into city working out at €225 each which aint bad at all.

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Congratulations on your success!

Glad to see you're happy with the results and the information on the board was helpful with your purchase.

Please use the requested PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your future bidding, searches and travel purchases.

Enjoy your stay.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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