peeps112 Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 Hi there,I have been studying up on most of the priceline strategies and tips accumulated from this board and others. But, I am still a little trigger shy. I would like a room in a 4 star hotel or resort for the above dates (March 30 - April 7, 2012). I also would not mind the Makena Beach Resort. I am not sure if it is currently considered a resort or 3.5*, and I dont want any other 3.5*'s beside it, so I think going 4* and resort is my best bet. Frankly, I have no clue what to base it on. Prices for resorts and 4*s seem to be in the high 300's at best, but I really only wanted to pay up to $180 per night. I have seen winning bids from posters ranging from $99 to $180 but have not seen any for this time period yet. I'd prefer to be in Wailea but would be happy with any 4* or resort (or Makena). Any advice on how to proceed with my bids? I will of course use the links from this board. Thanks! Link to comment
Romelle Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 If you look at the very first post in this Priceline - Hawaii area (the pinned hotel list) you can browse down to Maui and see that the Makena Beach Resort has been reported as 3.5* hotel. It just happens to have the word "resort" in its name. The star category "Resort" is essentially a 4 1/2* - between 4* and 5*. If you bid 3.5*s you might receive it. Or you could receive some other 3.5* hotel in that zone. Or you could be upgraded to a 4* or higher. You have to be prepared to accept any 3.5* in a zone when you bid it. So you are right, your best plan is to bid 4* or higher. Have you found the Calendar of Wins yet? It is under the green Tools pull-down just above. You can select Hawaii -Priceline and your dates and see what other bidders have gotten. You mention you haven't seen any other bids yet posted for your time period, but it would be well worth checking back from time to time. You've got lots of time yet, so it might be worth while to just low-ball a few bids to get over the "trigger-shy". But make them really low. I did it once, and won 10 days in London about 7 months ahead of time. Good price, but I wasn't ready to pay for it yet. You might also keep an eye on the Hotwire offerings. Usually the moderators can make a well-educated guess as to a particular deal. It has also been reported as a Hotwire win. You can check in the Hotwire - Hawaii area - same first pinned post as in Priceline - Hawaii.Romelle Link to comment
peeps112 Posted October 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 Thanks a lot, Romelle. What do you mean low? Lower than $100? Great tip on the Calendar of Wins - I will look for it. Also a bit confused by what you mean by you won 10 days but was not ready to pay for it yet - arent you bound to pay for the bid you make? Thanks again! Link to comment
Romelle Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 Yeah, I had to pay. Or at least my credit card got charged immediately and I had to scramble around to pay when it was due. Maybe $75? And if it happened to be successful, I assume you'd be pretty happy anyway? Just to get you comfortable with the process.Romelle Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 29, 2011 Report Share Posted October 29, 2011 I'd prefer to be in Wailea but would be happy with any 4* or resort (or Makena).To confirm...You're ok with both the "Kaanapali-Lahaina" and "Wailia-Makena" zones. Are you willing to pay more for a Resort vs. a 4* OR is your goal the least expensive 4* or better for this stay?Please confirm the above and we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow.Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
peeps112 Posted October 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 I am okay with both zones. The way I understand it, the only 4 star on the island is the Westin villas, the others are resorts. If so, we would prefer to stay in a resort and I guess would pay more accordingly. Hopefully that helps. Thanks! Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 31, 2011 Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 The way I understand it, the only 4 star on the island is the Westin villas, the others are resorts.Both Kaanapali-Lahaina and Wailea-Makena offer 4* bidding, so on this basis, you need to assume that each zone offers 4* properties (making there more than one on the island). Regardless, based upon your comments, i assume you want to bid for a Resort class property up to your $180 limit before trying for a lower priced 4* hotel? If so, with time on your side, i would begin as follows...At the Resort level you have TWO re-bid zones. 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.Select Resort Kaanapali...Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $130, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $140, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINESelect Resort Wailea...Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $130, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $140, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINESelect Resort Kaanapali and Wailea...Bid $145, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $155Any 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 Link to comment
peeps112 Posted November 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 I tried exactly as was suggested. Upon all rejections, I considered whether I really wanted to pay that much for a 4 star hotel, given the list. Most important to my wife and I was a nice resort with a great beach near snorkeling (in a nice area of course). I therefore narrowed in further on Makena (if you scroll up, I thought that was one my favorites early on, too). Since there were only two 3.5*'s in Makena/Wailea, I figured that my odds were pretty good, especially considering Hotel Wailea charges more than the former. Plus, that was highly rated in reviews, so not a bad alternative. I did $85, re-bid zone $95, re-bid zone $105, then closed the browser and opened a new one through this site's link and selected both Wailea and Kihei, doing $115, then one re-bid zone at $125. All with no luck. I then did Wailea and Kahului together at $135 and got the Makena Beach resort. I called and verified that construction would be done in time and that all rooms would be renovated by then. Very happy with my choice. Thanks so much for the guidance. Link to comment
thereuare Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Congratulations on your success! Nice to see you received one of the hotels you were originally hoping for and are pleased with the results. 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. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
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