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Priceline Hotel: 2* Portland ME - 2 or 3 night - how to bid?


MiSsMoMmY
By MiSsMoMmY,
in

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I've been trying to read everything about how to bid but it is all confusing.

I want to bid on a hotel in Portland, ME for the nights of August 16, 17th and 18th. I will not have the money in my account until August 10th.

I get price alerts from them and have gotten numerous alerts that one in scarborough - south portland is booking at $70.

Do I start bidding on a 3.5 star (the highest) even though I only really want a 2 star? My favorite hotel in the area is the Howard Johnson Plaza and it is a two star.

I don't want to pay any more than around 250 total including taxes, so if it will be more than that I would like to only reserve it for august 16th and 17th.

Any help or ideas on how to bid for this? The rate for the howard johnson on their website is 155-165, 140 with my AAA discount.

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Welcome to BetterBidding!

I want to bid on a hotel in Portland, ME for the nights of August 16, 17th and 18th. I will not have the money in my account until August 10th.

If/when your bid is accepted your credit card is charge immediately... so depending upon your billing cycle and how comfortable you are having this 'float' on your credit card will likely have some influence as to when you should bid.

I get price alerts from them and have gotten numerous alerts that one in scarborough - south portland is booking at $70.

The issue with price alerts is that there is no date reference... these could be for the same exact dates as yourself OR they cold be for dates in January or February.

Do I start bidding on a 3.5 star (the highest) even though I only really want a 2 star? My favorite hotel in the area is the Howard Johnson Plaza and it is a two star.

It depends if you're willing to pay more for a higher rated hotel OR if your goal is the least expensive 2* (if that's the star level you decide to bid) or better in the zone. NOTE that the star rating you select is the minimum that you're willing to accept, and PRICELINE will always upgrade you if possible. So if you bid $50 for a 2* hotel and there is a 3* available that will accept $50 for your dates, you'll get upgraded to the 3* property.

I don't want to pay any more than around 250 total including taxes, so if it will be more than that I would like to only reserve it for august 16th and 17th.

Are you ready to bid now OR are you going to wait until closer to payday on the 10th?

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

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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Your $250 max is about a $75 bid for a 3 night stay, and about a $125 bid for a 2 night stay.

Portland, ME has three Priceline zones. Are you interested in all three of them?

Hotwire is showing a 2* for $119 (it has a pool). So it is likely a $75 Priceline bid won't be enough (maybe if you are really lucky), but you should be able to keep the 2 night stay nicely within your budget.

Romelle

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Well I am going to be bidding early in the AM on the 10th so I likely won't have time to post and wait for a reply. I'm just looking for a general strategy to allow me the most possible bids. There are three zones

1. Biddeford Saco, which has its highest hotel as a 2 1/2 star

2. Portland West, which has a 3 star

3. South Portland Scarborough, which has a 3 1/2 star

Any of these areas would be fine as my overall goal is the cheapest room. I plan on bidding as many times as possible for the three night stay, and if I don't win a bid, decreasing to the two night stay, which will allow me to big again (?).

In order to get the max number of bids, can I select Area 1, bid $60 and if I don't win, add area 2, bid 70, then add area 3, bid 80 etc?

Then if that doesn't work, change to the two-night stay and repeat??

I guess I just don't understand how the rebidding works -- should I start with the 3 1/2 star zone and work down, or is it okay to do the above strategy and work up, to give me chances to increase my bid?

If I can't get the hotel at a really good price, my plan is just to extend my campsite reservations, which are only costing me $28 per night, but are an hour drive from Portland.

(Oh, and to answer Romelle, 250 is the total I want to spend - I'd like to get three nights, but if not, two nights for 250 or less is fine.)

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In order to get the max number of bids, can I select Area 1, bid $60 and if I don't win, add area 2, bid 70, then add area 3, bid 80 etc?

With the method above you run the risk of an overbid in zone2 and zone3 since if they were available at $60 you would never have had a chance to win either at that price.

Using the same price points this would be a better approach:

Select 2* Zone1...

Bid $60, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2* Zone2...

Bid $60, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2* Zone3...

Bid $60, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2* Zone1 and Zone2...

Bid $70, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2* Zone1 and Zone3...

Bid $70, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 2* Zone1 and Zone2 and Zone3...

Bid $80

If the above is rejected you can close the browser and repeat for just a two nite stay.

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

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FYI, No luck at all, tried every combo and so did my girlfriend. Everything from 3* to 1* for just 8/16-8/18 and 8/16-8/19 and went up to 85 for the three nights with no luck. :( Looks like we may be camping out all 7 days. There were a couple of hotels in my price range on Orbitz, but they only had smoking rooms, or nonsmoking rooms with only one bed and I need two.

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Hotwire has a 1* for $83 for a three night stay.

For Aug 16 it has a Scarborough area 2* for $68, but nothing else in that price range for other night combos. The Aug 16 listing even said it had laundry facilities ... could be good mid-camping?

It wouldn't hurt to keep trying up until the very last. The whole idea of PRICELINE and HOTWIRE is to sell rooms that otherwise would stay empty. It is always possible a hotel will make something available in the last few days.

Sorry it didn't work out right away though.

Romelle

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