Priceline Hotel: London Bidding Help

[blue_ocean]

Hello, I'd like to book a 4* room in central London for Aug 4 2012 and would really appreciate some help on a bidding strategy please. It's during the Olympics so could be really expensive but I am hoping to keep it under $140 for now if possible. I'm willing to try a 3* for up to $100.

Thanks

[AaronJB]

Please provide the exact date/s of travel and desired star rating/zones that would be acceptable.

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[blue_ocean]

I'd like to stay for 1 night on Aug 4 2012 relatively close to the center, so I'm assuming the following bidding areas:

Bloomsbury

Chelsea

Finsbury

Kensington

Mayfair

Notting Hill

Regents Park

City and London Bridge

Westminster

A 4* would be preferred up to $140 and a 3* is acceptable up to $100. If things don't work out, I don't mind increasing the budget. Thanks for your help.

[blue_ocean]

went from $80 to $140 with no luck for 4* on those bidding zones

[thereuare]

You may be successful somewhere in the $165-$185 range for a 4* hotel... did you want to increase your budget for a 4* OR first try for a 3* up to $100 (which i think will be a tough win) in the same zones above?

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[vanpoodle]

Here is my take for bidding in London. I have heard that there are apparently rooms still available during the Olympics so you may not have to pay to pitch a tent in someone's backyard!

Theoretically, Mayfair is the most expensive zone, and perhaps lower bids in Notting Hill or Bloomsbury are worth trying. I consider both of those zones as being worthy central bases for a visit to London. I think Westminster (also very central) is likely to have similar pricing to Mayfair. Docklands would be less expensive (I have seen winning bids at what I thought were expensive times below $100) but it is not central (though has good tube access), worth bidding on if nothing within budget working in the more desirable zones and the hassle of getting in and out of there is worth it considering the savings. The two Docklands 4* appear to be a Hilton or a Crowne Plaza and they're both pretty new. And the tube is close. Docklands also isn't exactly central but it is on 2 different tube lines so reasonable for getting to the main places of interest and there is an excellent museum very close to the Hilton Docklands.

Consider starting off low with Regent's Park as well. That zone is fairly central. The worst of the hotels PL uses there appears to be the Holiday Inn Camden Lock there which is middle of the road in terms of the hotel itself (not a TERRIBLE place or anything, just average) but it is in a really neat part of the city and still close in. Or you might get lucky and land one of the better hotels they are known to use for that zone.

Careful with Kensington as the most likely hotel is the Hilton Olympia I recommend to only bid there if you can't get reasonable bids in another zone and this one gets accepted at a low price. The hotel is actually pretty good but there is no tube closeby, so you're most likely going to take the bus to get to the tube to go out. There are many wonderful hotels in that zone but I know how my luck tends to be and to brace myself for a less desired property.

There's nothing really wrong with City/London Bridge either, it should be cheaper than Mayfair/Westminster.

The 2 known 4* in Finsbury are both very nice hotels, they're just more than 10 minutes' walk to the tube. The east end is really getting revitalized and there is certainly night life there and it is hopping. It wouldn't be a hardship to take the tube to get to a more central zone from there to see the sights.

If you bid on Chelsea you're likely to get the Copthorne Football Club which is entirely decent, less than 10 minutes' walk to the tube, but in zone 2. Or maybe you'll have really good luck and not get this property but instead get a better one. I would only bid separately for Chelsea after reasonable bids in other zones have been rejected (you can use those other more desirable zones as re-bid zones and just work the bids on this zone starting really low) and the cost savings out there make up for the fact that it's not that great a hotel and it's out of the way and its rate is quite a bit cheaper than other comparable hotels and for good reason. (ie I knowingly bid this zone and won this hotel for $120 a night when bids into the $150s were getting rejected for 4* in the Westminster, Mayfair, Notting Hill, Bloomsbury, Regent's park). You are highly unlikely to get something in walking distance to Harrod's or anywhere walkable to Sloane Square -- there are a ton of great hotels in this zone but PL doesn't seem to use them for Name Your Own Price. There is no point bidding this zone plus a nicer zone in the same opening bid at a fair price for the nicer zone because you'll end up with this hotel and be overpaying for it! (the only caveat is that if Chelsea happens to be playing a home game next door (which isn't very often), then they likely haven't given any rooms over to PL for that one night)

[blue_ocean]

Just want to update.

I tried $150 for 4* and $110 for 3* (not including taxes), and was unsuccessful. Dockland seems like a nice area and I would have probably gone for that as well. However, I found a decent deal with Holiday Inn and ended up booking that instead. Got a room a few mins walk from a tube station and shopping mall that includes breakfast for 3 people. Total was 103 USD tax included so works out well for us. It saves us from getting two rooms during this busy time :).

Thanks again for all your suggestions. This board has been extremely helpful.

[AaronJB]

Thank you for closing the thread. Enjoy your stay.

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