Priceline Hotel: Questions for booking Ottawa

[CdnDavidK]

I'm looking to book 3 nights in Ottawa - May 11, 12, 13, 2102. I'm looking for a 3* and would like Free Parking.

My preferences for zone are (best to worst) zone 1, zone 3, zone 4, zone 2.

I'm looking to stay under $75/night if possible.

Questions: (I am not a frequent traveller, so please forgive the very 'basic' nature of my questions.)

1) I understand that there's no definitive answer to "should I try to book now, or wait til May", but can anyone offer some guidance?

For example, should I try some very low bids now to see what kind of counter offers, if any, I get?

2) Is there a way to ensure I get a hotel with free parking? On Priceline? On Hotwire?

3) Any suggestions on a bidding strategy?

Thanks in advance.

[Romelle]

I'm a member, not a moderator, but thought I'd answer the easy questions for you.

As to low bids now - no charge for failed bids. There are only two downsides. Your credit card is charged right now if you are successful, and you waste a bit of your time if you are not. With current low interest rates, the credit card charge may not be an issue. How you value your time is your call. There is a longer discussion in the FAQ area up above.

Lately there have been a few isolated examples of "guaranteed amenities" on Priceline, but generally there is no way to ensure free parking with opaque bidding. On Hotwire, you can look for the feature in the amenities list.

You need to post your zone preferences by name. Those numbers change from time to time as Priceline changes zones.

Romelle

[CdnDavidK]

Thanks for the info Romelle.

Regarding the zones, they are (in my preferred order): Gloucester, Ottawa, Ottawa West, Hull.

[thereuare]

Regarding the zones, they are (in my preferred order): Gloucester, Ottawa, Ottawa West, Hull.

Are you willing to pay more to be in your first choice of zone vs. second choice vs. third choice, etc, etc... OR is your ultimate goal the least expensive hotel in any of your acceptable zones? Along the same lines, are you willing to pay more for a higher rated hotel OR is your goal the least expensive 3* or better for this stay?

Here is a link to the PRICELINE FAQ where you can find links related to your 'Bid Early or Late' inquiry.

Let us know how you'd like to proceed and we'll take it from there.

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

[CdnDavidK]

The more I consider it, the zone preferences are not that important. Thanks for helping me realize that.

I'll be running a half marathon in Orleans while I'm there, so my real priorities are:

1) A clean, quiet room for a good night's sleep...

2) ...at a reasonably low price.

My worry is getting something like the Chimo Hotel (3*, Free Parking) with a guest review score of only 6.8.

(How does a property with those kinds of reviews rate 3 stars?)

Any help would be appreciated.

[thereuare]

I'll be running a half marathon in Orleans...

I assume you mean Ottawa?

2) ...at a reasonably low price.

'Reasonable' is relative... what do you consider to be a reasonable price per nite for this trip?

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

[CdnDavidK]

Nope...Orleans. The Ottawa Marathon is two weeks later. I'm doing the Place d'Orleans Mothers Day Half Marathon on the May 13.

I guess by reasonable I mean I'd like to pay about, or under, $300 for the three nights.

Does that help? Does that seem reasonable? (Remember, I'm not an experienced traveller.)

[thereuare]

OK, so to clarify (for anyone else following along) the Place d'Orleans Mothers Day Half Marathon is an even held in Ottawa; i mistakenly thought that "Orleans" was short for New Orleans... and obviously you can't be in two places at once!

So that we can better tailor a strategy for your needs, the question is this:

Assuming a 4* was available for $85 and a 3* available for $60... which would be your preference? Both are 'reasonable' and within your budget, but it comes down to whether you're willing to pay more for a higher rated hotel OR if your goal is simply the least expensive hotel at the minimum star rating you choose? If you decide that you're looking for the least expensive hotel within your desired star rating, given that you've already mentioned wanting to avoid the 3* Chimo hotel, do you want to set your minimum star rating at 3.5*?

Also, note that with PRICELINE you can't stipulate that the hotel you receive has free parking... you can receive a hotel anywhere within the zone at the star rating (or higher) that you choose. If you prefer to have a guess as to parking charges before your purchase, HOTWIRE may be a better option... the room will likely cost a little more than if you had used PRICELINE, but you can take an educated guess as to the property being offered based upon the amenities/description HOTWIRE shows before your purchase.

Let us know your thoughts on the above and how you'd like to proceed and we'll advise accordingly.

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

[mathchris]

Since I live in Ottawa, I will give my two cents!

Orleans is a suburb of Ottawa. If you were to pick a hotel in downtown Ottawa, I can almost guarantee it wont have free parking. Parking is really hard to find downtown so you will almost always have to pay for it!