Priceline Hotel: 3.5* Seattle (Downtown - Pike Place) Red Lion Hotel On Fifth Avenue Seattle

[kamare]

we stayed there last year and hated it. i want to use priceline again for seattle but i'm nervous we'll get stuck there again. the weekend we'll be away is march 16-18, and we need something in the pike place area. i'm planning to bid 75, is that wise?

any input would be appreciated :)

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding. :)

Unfortunately, there's no way to avoid a particular property when using PRICELINE. Additionally, unfortunately in the case of the Renaissance, on HOTWIRE it often appears with the same amenities as a few other properties, and there's often no way to narrow down which it may be. In terms of bidding in the Downtown/Pike Place area for these dates, you could certainly try starting at $75, but unfortunately I think for these dates it may take as much as $95-105.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[kamare]

ok cool, thank you :) i think you might be right about the price range, but i have seen a lot of winning bids around that date range for a lot cheaper than i would have expected so i'm going to at least start there and see how it goes. i mean it wouldn't be the worst thing ever to stay there again but imo it is def. the lemon of the options in that area of the city. i'll post what we ended up with later as an fyi.

[thereuare]

Please read your messages and click each of these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links before replying.

Keep us updated on your progress and let us know if/how we can be of further help along the way.

[aa85]

Just want to throw in my 2 cents as a local. If you need to be in a specific area of downtown Seattle, Priceline could be problematic. The "Seattle Downtown - Pike Place" zone is quite large and there are certain 4* hotels (Sorrento, Edgewater) that are not exactly convenient to the downtown core.

You might want to consider bidding 4* in the "Seatle Center - Space Needle" zone. The only 4* hotel in that zone that has been reported to this board is the Pan Pacific, which gets very good reviews and is only about 5 blocks north of the main shopping areas. There is a streetcar that can take you into downtown for $2.50 if you don't want to walk - it goes right by the hotel. There is also a Whole Foods in the same complex as the hotel. Recently some posters had reported getting good deals at the Pan Pacific, but obviously it is highly date-dependent.

Good luck!

[kamare]

thanks, guys!

thereuare - gotcha, read my messages, and definitely used the forum's PRICELINE link for bidding.

aa85 - we ended up having to go up to $85 (still pretty cheap though lol) and lower our star level to 3.5 in order to book. i originally tried your idea of switching areas to the space needle area but since there was only the one 4 star property in that area i didn't want to go below 4 and our bid of $85 was rejected. we ended up getting the red lion...? don't know anything about it but it looks kind of similar to the marriott without being a marriott ;) so we're ok with that!

thanks again for the help :)

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

While not the 4* you were originally seeking, hope you're pleased with the results and looking forward to your trip.

If you're not familiar, Red Lion is a regional chain with property mostly located in the northwest (Washington State, Portland OR, etc).

Can you add a reply to this thread confirming the price you paid for the Red Lion (it's not clear if you paid the same amount as you had bid up to for a 4*)

Thank you for sharing your win and using the PRICELINE links on the board to begin your bidding.

Enjoy your stay.

[aa85]

I am very familiar with the location and like it a lot - I work across the street. :)

You'll be several blocks north of the Renaissance and not next to the freeway. Much closer to Pike Place Market, Nordstrom, other shopping, restaurants, etc.

Have a great visit to Seattle!