Priceline Hotel: 4* Vancouver (Airport YVR) River Rock Casino Resort

[madullgo]

Hello,

I am seeking for help or advise for bidding 4* Hotel for Vancouver Airport Richmond between July 6 (Sat) - July 14 (Sun). I have tried to bid 2 times but it both failed.

Both attempts by using the following strategy:

Starting Bid at $75 and used 6 re-bid zones by $5 increment up to $105.

I looked at the bid history for last year and up to now, people can achieve under $100. Did I do something wrong? Or, it's too early to bid?

Thanks for your help in advance!

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding.

Rates vary year/over/year and may vary substantially if not the exact same date/s as another user.

What would be your desired budget per night for this stay?

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

[madullgo]

Thanks for your prompt reply!

The express deal or Hotwire has 4* around $117, I am trying to see I can get under or at $100. Is that possible?

Thanks again!

[thereuare]

Assuming the airport zone is the only zone you're willing to bid you can try as follows:

When bidding 4* in the Airport zone you have SIX re-bid zones. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.

Select 4* Airport...

Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $78, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $83, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $88, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $90

If the above is rejected post back and we'll revise to try again in 24 hours.

Any questions feel free to ask.

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

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[madullgo]

Thanks for your advice!

I followed your strategy but it failed again.

And yes, I would like to stay at the Airport Zone with 4* only.

Looking forward for your other advices! Thanks again!

[AaronJB]

Unfortunately, at this point, it looks like a higher bid will be required. If $90 was rejected, I'd try higher - $92, $95, $97 and then $100. Hopefully it will not take higher than $100.

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

[Romelle]

You could try splitting your bid, if you are willing to change hotels part way through your stay. 8 nights is a fairly long span for hoping some hotel has Priceline availability every one of those nights.

I checked Hotwire to see if there were some problem nights.

Interesting results:

For the full 8 nights - 4* airport - $114

6 $94

7 $98

8 $98

9 $99

10 $99

11 $118*

12 $97

13 $94

Of course Hotwire and Priceline aren't necessarily the same, but it appears the 11th could be causing your problem. There are various ways of approaching this, but I think I'd first try for the first 5 nights using the pattern thereuare gave you. Then I'd go to work on those last 3 nights.

Romelle

[madullgo]

Thanks for both of your advices!

Romelle, thanks for looking into details for me and it seems I may have to separate 2 hotels/bids and see how it goes. One thing suprise me is if I separate the 5 nights and 3 nights, the "express deal" at Priceline gives me $93/night and $95/night respectively. Which is better than 8 nights $118/night. In this case, I will based on $93 and $95 as my maximum bid. Hope it will works! I will wait for the 24 hours past and try again.

Thanks again for ALL your help!

[Romelle]

If you were bidding all eight nights at once just now, you don't have to wait that 24 hours, as the different dates (split into 5 and 3) is enough of a change to let you keep bidding.

Romelle

PS - But before you get into too much of a hurry, you might want to check up in the Bonus Money Opportunities area and see if any of the links are still active. If one is, it will give you $10 a night up to $50 toward your bid.

If you get the bonus money in your account and then come back and link through this site before actually bidding, betterbidding will get a bit of support.

PPS - you've still got plenty of time. Sometimes hotels don't even give rooms to Priceline until somewhat later.

[madullgo]

Thanks for your advice and remind me about the Bonus Money.

I notice there will be a Technology Conference on July 11 and it will take place in one of the 4* Hotel (Westin), maybe that's why the price on July 11 is higher. And maybe that's why the price on Hotwire and Priceline Express Deal before and after July 11 is lower.

Since there's a conference taking place, is that mean the price for 8 nights will maintain at the high side? Is it make sense to bid before and after July 11 and separately purchase July 11 as a regular discount price on Priceline or Hotwire or other website?

The reason I am thinking this is because there's only 3x 4* Hotels at the airport area (Fairmount, Westin and River Rock); and only Westin and River Rock has the bidding history. Therefore, I will either win one of them and the worst case senerio is to change hotel in the middle of the trip.

Is that make sense? And, shall I start to bid before and after July 11 now? Or, I should wait and try for 8 night booking everyday?

Thanks again!

[thereuare]

...if I separate the 5 nights and 3 nights, the "express deal" at Priceline gives me $93/night and $95/night respectively.

Does this appear to be for the same hotel? (based upon the star rating, amenities shown, and any other information provided by PRICELINE?

If you're SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID fails i would purchase these PRICELINE EXPRESS deals ratther than try two separate purchases and the nite of the 11th as a third purchase... you could potentially end up changing hotels twice in stead of just once, since the nite of the 11th is in the middle of your date range and not the first/last nite.

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

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

PS- if you do purchase a PRICELINE EXPRESS deal please write down the amenities shown before your purchase and include them in your post. Thanks.

[madullgo]

I think I should take your "thereuare" suggestion to purchase this trip by using PRICELINE EXPRESS as I may have to change hotel twice; especially, I have a little one with us.

Currently, there's no Express Deal Bonus Cash Code can use, is that worth to wait for a new code as I still have time? Also, will the price normally drop or rise closer to the trip schedule?

Thanks again!

[Romelle]

Or you could first try to bid the first 5 nights and see if you can beat that $93 Price.Express deal significantly? Still taking the PE deal for the last 3 nights.

Romelle

[thereuare]

The risk/disadvantage of waiting is:

1) if what appears to be the same hotel is offered for each purchase (based upon the amenities, user review rating, etc, and any other clues that PRICELINE uses to describe this hotel, then you have the advantage of it being the same hotel and not having to change properties mid-stay

2) the price of either/both could go up

Unfortunately doing a search for date i'm still seeing the $93 offer for the first 5 nites but a different hotel (based upon the amenities) AND higher price for the last 3 nites.

You could lock in the $93/nite rate for the first 5 nites now and then purchase the remaining 3 nites if:

1) you get a code to use to lower the price

2) the same hotel (based upon the amenities) as your first purchase seems to appear (even with a code, since it would be worth locking in now/at that time if you thought you would likely receive the same hotel and not have to change properties mid-trip)

... or of course you could continue to wait it out and hope inventory/pricing for your complete stay moves in your favor (with the risk that rates actually go up instead of down)

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

Let us know if you have any additional question and how you decide to play it.

Good luck!

[madullgo]

To save all the hassles, I just booked through the express deal via your Priceline weblink.

Here's the amenties for 4* Hotel Vancouver Airport/Ricmond:

- Free Internet

- Free Parking

- Pets Allowed

- Restaurant

- Business Center

- Casino

- Fitness Center

Hotel: River Rock Casino Resort

Rate: $119/night

Period: July 6 - July 14

Thanks all your suggestion and help!

[yellowdog]

madullgo

Thanks for using the PRICELINE links on the board :)

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

We hope you're satisfied with the outcome and will like the hotel.

Enjoy your stay.

Yellowdog.

[Romelle]

madullgo,

Glad you are set. Having to move a little one did put an added element in the equation.

Now you can teach him/her Blackjack at the casino? My older brothers taught me when I was four. B)

Romelle