Priceline Hotel: Miami-South Beach hotel needed for Aug 28 & 29

[mwolford]

HI, I'm new to this, and have read the tutorials but am not really sure what to expect...what should the going rate be for this area on those dates? I dont' want to wast time starting at 60 if it's really going to be around 90...any suggestions would be helpful. thanks!

Mary

[Romelle]

Have you found the Calendar of Wins yet? Under Tools up above. Any successful bids members post here are recorded on that. While rates are very date-specific, South Beach is pretty popular so you might find some other bidders' results there.

Hotwire rates can be a little higher that Priceline rates, but they can still give a general idea. For your dates the lowest Hotwire 4* South Beach is $115.

Do you have a specific budget and star level in mind?

There are actually 3 Priceline South Beach zones. In which ones are you interested?

You have a number of "free rebids" available when bidding at the 4* level. If you are not familiar with this concept, and want to employ this really useful bidding technique, there is good explanation in the FAQs above.

Working through some lower level bids isn't necessarily a waste of time. It isn't unusual for somebody to report they've been successful with a bid when they thought they were just "low-balling". Priceline suggests 40 to 60% savings of hotel rack rates, but I've actually seen people get 70% off and less than 10% off.

Romelle

PS - I'm a member, not a moderator, but thought I'd just give you a little start.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Please let us know which PRICELINE zones (use the BiddingHelper.com search box at the top of the page and after submitting you'll be taken directly to the page with the PRICELINE zones on them) you're willing to accept as well as your desired star rating and target budget... we'll then have a closer look at your trip and advise accordingly.

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

[sghokie]

I too am looking for these exact same dates here.

Scoping out some of the stuff online I see the Colony for about 100 + tax, that's sort of my measuring stick.

I would love to stay there in that hotel.

[thereuare]

sghokie,

Please start a NEW TOPIC for your own trip, and please use the requested PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your future bidding, searches and travel purchases.

Thanks.

[mwolford]

Hello, thanks for answering my questions! I am looking at PRICELINE Zone 14 (South Beach - Collins Avenue Oceanfront) which is the northerly part of South Beach. So far I've gone up to 100 for a 4 star and been unsuccessful. I'm wondering about starting over going down to 3 star and trying 80? Any advice?

Thanks for your help, I'll see what I can do... Mary

Thanks,

Mary

[Romelle]

You could try 3.5*s, before dropping to 3*?

HOTWIRE has a 3.5* for $95, so you probably are close in your bidding. Sometimes HOTWIRE can be a little more generous with stars, so this might equate to a 3* on PRICELINE.

Also, the more zones you are willing to consider, the better your chances of success. You can zoom in on that PRICELINE map until you can see the full zones and a bit more detail. The South Beach zones are very narrow, with the southerly one (Ocean Drive) being a little over a mile long, the northerly one (the one you are bidding) slightly less than a mile long. It is really easy to walk from the northern end of the north one to the southern end of the south one. And they are remarkably similar.

Romelle

[thereuare]

So far I've gone up to 100 for a 4 star and been unsuccessful.

Although rates are not that high for your dates, $100 is not that much for a 4* hotel in this zone... is $100 your maximum bid for this trip? Also, are any of the other South Beach zones acceptable?

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

[mwolford]

I would like to stay close to 100... I could go down to 3 stars and choose another South Beach area as Romelle suggested...what about parking? I hear that many hotels in South Beach do not have free parking and it can be $25 per day~! Wow, that's alot!!!

Thanks Romelle, I'll try to add another zone and maybe drop to 3.5...I'm also worried about the cost of parking :(

[thereuare]

...I'm also worried about the cost of parking

You should expect to pay for parking in this area.

I'll try to add another zone and maybe drop to 3.5...I'm also worried about the cost of parking

If you let us know which zones you're willing to accept and your maximum bid we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow.

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