Priceline Hotel: 3.5* Miami (Downtown) Hotel Urbano

[rach1fun]

I am looking for a hotel before my cruise. I would need the hotel for Oct 11, 2013. My hope is that I could end up with Intercontinental downtown, however I would be ok with any of the 4* downtown hotels. My second choice area would be the beach area. I have seen people post that they have gotten Intercontinental for ~$70-100, which would be my goal. However on all the websites currently, that hotel is about $350 or more. I read somewhere on here that you should start bidding as soon as you know your plans are firm (which for me will be end of December after we bid on a contract at my job). Am I looking too early to get a good deal? All of the posts with successful bids seem to be about a month from the date they need their room. I haven't actually bid anything yet because I have to wait until end of Dec, and dont want to be locked in yet....

[longduo]

I am also looking for a 4* or 5* hotel in downtown Miami pre-cruise, but I need it for February 11. The lowest prices I have seen are $250. How low can I bid to possibly have it accepted? I have tried up to $145 so far with no luck. We have stayed at the Intercontinental several times, but the prices this year seem quite high.

Longduo

[thereuare]

I haven't actually bid anything yet because I have to wait until end of Dec, and dont want to be locked in yet....

A LOT can change between now and the end of December... please reply to this thread once your plans are firm and we'll continue the discussion for this trip at that time.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... and click each of these previous links before replying.

I am also looking for a 4* or 5* hotel in downtown Miami pre-cruise, but I need it for February 11.

Please start a NEW TOPIC for your own trip and we will assist you there.

Thanks.

[rach1fun]

I am looking for a 4* Downtown Miami Hotel for our pre-cruise stay Oct. 11 for one night. I think I would also be okay with South Beach. I have been bidding for the last few days, bidding from $72-121, using areas downtown, south beach - central, collins avenue oceanfront, and ocean drive. This is about as high as I would like to go before adding taxes.

Any ideas? or am I just looking too early? I was told to start looking as soon as my plans are final..

[thereuare]

Please keep all posts for the same stay in the same thread.

You are smart to begin bidding now... but this doesn't mean that you have to win something now. The idea is that you begin bidding as early as possible but making sure not to 'chase' prices... you're currently looking for any 'low hanging fruit' where the rate would leave little risk of rates heading lower between now and your stay.

At the moment my guess is that it will likely take about $120-$140 for a 4* hotel for these dates, but as you've already bid up to your limit, find a fully refundable back-up (try our sister site Pre Cruise Hotels) that would be acceptable in case rates only rise from here, and then continue to try PRICELINE / HOTWIRE once a week or so for the next few months.

Any questions feel free to ask.

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

Good luck and keep us updated on your progress.

[rach1fun]

I ended up going down to 3.5 stars because I was getting antsy. I dont have the guts to wait until last minute. I will post my winning bid...

[rach1fun]

Had been bidding up to $120 for weeks at 3.5-4* with no luck. I decided to go a bit higher tonight. I first tried $125 4* with no luck, and then put in 3.5* at $128, and this is what I got...

I had previously purchased what I thought would be a great deal on a PRICELINE EXPRESS Deal. It was $87 downtown 3*. I was thinking maybe Holiday Inn POM, however I got Springhill Suites Miami Airport East. In my opinion it was NOT in the downtown area, and reviews were of a bad neighborhood with nothing around it. (It was connected to a Hospital).

I called them and was able to get a refund (minus a $25 change fee) if I purchased a new hotel in the Downtown area FROM PRICELINE.

This hotel is not one that I was expecting with a 3.5*+ bid, but I had seen it before and thought it looked nice. It is a little further away from the Port of Miami, but it gets good reviews...

[yellowdog]

rach1fun

Thank you for sharing your result with the board!

Also thanx for the addition for this new property to the BetterBidding Priceline Hotel List

Great to hear that everything worked out to your satisfaction. Enjoy your stay.

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

Yellowdog.

[tenerifesharon]

Had been bidding up to $120 for weeks at 3.5-4* with no luck. I decided to go a bit higher tonight. I first tried $125 4* with no luck, and then put in 3.5* at $128, and this is what I got...

I had previously purchased what I thought would be a great deal on a PRICELINE EXPRESS Deal. It was $87 downtown 3*. I was thinking maybe Holiday Inn POM, however I got Springhill Suites Miami Airport East. In my opinion it was NOT in the downtown area, and reviews were of a bad neighborhood with nothing around it. (It was connected to a Hospital).

I called them and was able to get a refund (minus a $25 change fee) if I purchased a new hotel in the Downtown area FROM PRICELINE.

This hotel is not one that I was expecting with a 3.5*+ bid, but I had seen it before and thought it looked nice. It is a little further away from the Port of Miami, but it gets good reviews...

We enjoyed 3 nights at the Urbano last November (neither Priceline nor Hotwire, but purchased with a Skyauction bid). It's a nice boutique hotel with very friendly and helpful staff, and well furnished guest rooms. It's really not within walking distance - including any restaurants - to much of anything (except a visit to Vizcaya, the beautiful estate of Charles Deering), but you can get the free downtown trolley (or city bus for a dollar or so) in front of the hotel's door and go to the nearby Brickell shopping area. If you will have a rental car -- parking at the hotel is pretty expensive (almost $30 IIRC) and there is almost NO nearby street parking (unless you want to spend a lot of your one-night stay looking for an available spot). Enjoy yourself and have a great cruise. :)