Priceline Hotel: 4* DC (White House - Downtown) JW Marriott

[Remyko]

Hello,

This is my first time using Priceline. Looking for 3* in Downtown-Whitehouse area 7/13-7/16. Don't really want another zone, but could live with Convention Ctr-Capitol Hill area. Hotel prices range from $119/night to $179/night in Downtown-Whitehouse area for those dates.

I have already bid $55, $60, $65 and all got rejected with the only zone being Downtown-Whitehouse. Any suggestions? My first three bids were prior to the "month away" mark. Once the trip is less than a month away, are lower bids more likely to be accepted?

Also, any experience with that optional $5/day trip insurance?

Many thanks,

Remy

[AdGuy]

Two quick thoughts...

1) You have one free rebid for a 3* bid. You could use this to up your bid without the risk of ending up in an area other than the preferred Downtown area.

2) I happen to believe trip insurance is a poor investment but everyone's different. In my mind, insurance protects you from MAJOR losses...if my horse farm is destroyed that's a MAJOR loss; if I miss my hotel stay that's a $100 problem...I can survive that (or else I probably shouldn't be going on vacation).

In my years of using Priceline and being on these boards, I've never seen a correlation between bidding early (or late) and having bidding success. I doubt the purchase of trip insurance would impact your success as well.

Good Luck,

AdGuy :)

[thereuare]

Rates i'm seeing seem high for these dates... at which hotels are you finding rates from $119-$179?

My own take on insurance:

Assume the average Priceline hotel room is $50... if i'm paying $5 to insure that room i can 'forfeit' one room for every 10 nites i book and break even. Given that my 'no show' rate is likely to be less than 10%, insurance is a bad bet in this instance. Even if you raise the average rate to $100, i still believe my no show rate is less than 5%, so still a bad bet. I also agree with AdGuy... insurance should be used to protect against major losses, not $100 and $200 'investments'.

[Remyko]

I checked several 3* hotel web sites in the Downtown-Whitehouse zone:

Holiday Inn $168.99

Wyndham $179

Doubletree $169

Washington Terrace $179

Washington Plaza $119

thanks, Remy

[thereuare]

How flexible is your budget?

You may be at the point where it's worthwhile to pay a little more and try for a 4* property. Cost would be more, but likely a better value.

Of course if cost is the primary concern than this isn't the best option.

Let us know your thoughts and we'll suggest a strategy. When are you eligible to bid again?

[Remyko]

My budget is flexible up to $80 tops. I am eligible to bid now.... and will most certainly let you know what happens. (I think I read in an earlier post that I am safe to rebid in Springfield if needed since there aren't any 3 or 4 *hotels in that zone?) Thanks a lot.

[AdGuy]

For 3* bidding, Springfield is your only free rebid. If you're trying a 4* I'd focus on that first and use each of the following five zones as free rebids:

Alexandria - Mt. Vernon

Alexandria - Pentagon

Arlington

Crystal City

Springfield

If you have no success with the 4*, start a NEW bid for the 3* using the Springfield zone as a free rebid.

Best of luck,

AdGuy :)

[thereuare]

It's highly recommended that you know how to check your re-bid zones... when posted a zone may be a re-bid zone but by the time you bid a hotel may have been added to that region, thus no longer making it a re-bid zone. Net result is that you could end up in an area that you don't really want to be in.

Please read PRICELINE RE-BIDDING and ask any questions that you may have.

Would you consider SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID? For instance, if you go to the HOLIDAY INN website you'll see that the rate for the last two nites of your stay can be had for $105! This may mean that it is the first nite of your stay that is 'holding up' your acceptance.

[Remyko]

I appreciate your line of thinking, but I'm not willing to possibly change hotels. We have 2 kids (and I know the risk I'm taking with the bedding situation but hopefully we'll end up with 2!) I did read all about the re-bid advice, so will check priceline now immediately before bidding to verify the * levels in those zones. Any thoughts on the strategy for amounts?

[thereuare]

You're already close to your maximum bid, so I don't think there is much more than you can do other than increase your bid $5 per re-bid... within 3 days you'll be at your maximum bid.

[Remyko]

Thanks Thereuare and Adguy. Tried $65 bid for 3* Downtown-Whitehouse AGAIN - got rejected and then rebid at $70 by adding Springfield (has no 3 *) and got rejected. Can bid again in less than 24hrs. Think I'll try 4* as suggested....may have to up my max.

[AdGuy]

Keep trying...Priceline's inventory changes all the time. Also, if you haven't yet I would secure a refundable/cancelable reservation through "traditional" means just in case. :) By knowing the exact price of the traditional reservation it may help you rethink your Priceline max bid. You mentioned $80 was your max bid but the cheapest thing through traditional methods (at a comparable level) was going for $119. You might need to raise this figure (especially at a 4* level) to see success on Priceline this time.

[Remyko]

Bid $75 DT/WH rejected, rebid adding Springfield at $80 rejected, rebid adding CC/CH (because I see the prices there are sky high and would be ok to end up there anyway) at $85 rejected !!! I better make a conventional reservation somewhere...Crystal City? Wanted to be where the action is, but.......... :)

[AdGuy]

You should definitely make a traditional CANCELLABLE reservation. My guess is you'll be spending $125-$150/night minimum in the White House/Convention Center area for a 1* or 2* place. That said, you may want to stretch your $85 max bid up to $100. Also, you may see things turn around once you get to July...if you're willing to wait that long.

[Remyko]

I bid again after 72 hours - this time upping it to a 4* DT-WH 7/13 - 7/16 and even backed up my bid to $80............accepted by Marriott J.W. Hotel National Place on Pennsylvania Ave! I am thrilled. Thank you so much Adguy and Thereuare - your advice about trying a 4* worked out....Thanks. :)

Should I now repost this with a header indicating my winning bid?

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your win... we'll edit the title accordingly.

Thank you for sharing your success with the rest of us and we're happy to see it went well! A good example of how inventory can, and does, constantly change.

Have a great stay.