Priceline Hotel: 3.5* Charleston (Downtown) Doubletree by Hilton Hotel and Suites Charleston Historic District

[travellvr]

Hello,

I'm a total newbie to this, but we would like to go to Charleston, SC this weekend (6/22/13-6/25/13) for 3 nights, and we want the Isle of Palms area, and to be on the beach. High demands, I know. :)

Anyway, I'd really like the Charleston Harbor hotel. It's listed as a 3.5* for PRICELINE on this site.

Now my questions....how do I determine what to bid on PL, and what can I do to try to ensure this exact hotel? (I know there are no guarantees)

Thanks for your help!

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding.

Please keep all posts regarding this stay within this thread.

There is no way to bid to ensure a particular hotel or increase the odds of a particular hotel. HOTWIRE is a somewhat better bet as you can make an educated guess as to which hotels are showing, but there is no guarantee that the hotel you want will be showing. Additionally, if you bid on a particular zone, you have to be willing to stay anywhere within the zone, which very well may result in a hotel not on the beach. Are you willing to consider other hotels, or would these be the only ones of interest?

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

[travellvr]

Thank you for putting both of my posts together. I could not figure out how to modify the first one and get it on the correct page. After reading some reviews about Charleston Harbor, I think Wild Dunes sounds like where we want to be. Am I understanding correctly that both Charleston Harbor and Wild Dunes are considered 4* on Hotwire? Also, how do I determine where to start the bidding?

Thanks for your help!

[thereuare]

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

Please click each of the links above, then reply to this thread and we'll continue the discussion for this Charleston trip.

Thanks.

[travellvr]

Thank you. I have clicked both links. :)

Also, after reading some reviews on here, I think we'd prefer Wild Dunes. What can I do to maximize our chances of getting this property?

[thereuare]

Different wording but same point as AaronJB's comments above:

You can't bid on a specific hotel when using PRICELINE, you have to be able to accept any hotel in the zone at the star level (or higher) that you choose. With HOTWIRE you can often take an educated guess as to what is being offered based upon the amenities associated with the property, but it's still a 'best guess' and no guarantees you will receive the hotel you're hoping for. As well, HOTWIRE only shows one hotel at each star level per zone, so there is a chance the hotel you're hoping for isn't the one which is offered for your particular dates.

If the Wild Dunes is the only hotel you're willing to accept for this stay then the opaque providers are probably not the best way for you to book this trip. If on the other hand you're looking for a good deal at any 4* or better rated hotel in the zone, then you an likely give up the ability to pick the hotel you want in exchange for a good/lower price.

Let us know if/how you'd like to proceed and we'll take it from there.

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

[travellvr]

Thank you for your help. When I look at the hotel list for Mt. Pleasant/Isle of Palms, the only 4* that shows is Wild Dunes. Charleston Harbor is listed as a 3.5*. So if I placed my bid and requested 4*, would I most likely get Wild Dunes? I realize there's risk that I get something else...this is a 3 day trip, we'll make it work. :)

Also, can you advise on what bid to place? We leave on Sat. so I don't have a huge amount of time to try multiple bids, etc. The best published rate I'm seeing for Wild Dunes is $236.

Thank you so much for your help...truly appreciate it.

[thereuare]

I would think if you're successful, based upon previous wins, the Wild Dunes would be a likely outcome, but there could always be others that have not yet been reported to the board or that we're not aware of. From the top of the Priceline Hotel List:

This Priceline Hotel List is NOT a complete list of all hotels that Priceline offers in this area, it is ONLY a compilation of hotels that have already been reported on this forum. Hotels are added/removed by Priceline all the time, and star ratings can change at ANY time. As well, the geographic boundaries of an area are subject to change, so it is always a good idea to look at the PRICELINE map before purchasing. DO NOT USE THIS LIST to determine what areas to add when attempting to bid again within the 24 hour window, see Priceline RE-Bidding Explained for information on how to add cities in order to bid again.

In light of the above, you MAY get a hotel that is NOT on this list, or get a hotel on this list but at a star level you didn't expect (if the star rating has changed).

If you'd like to move forward with PRICELINE, so we don't suggest a strategy that goes higher then you're willing to pay, what s your maximum bid for this trip?

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

[travellvr]

My max bid would be $150. Thank you.

[Sally Swish]

I would be interest to know if you followed through with this on PRICELINE. I am trying to determine what, if any, are the 3.5 star hotels for IOP aside from Charleston Harbor.

Thanks!

[thereuare]

Sally Swish,

Welcome to BetterBidding!

If you haven't yet, please start by reading your messages and click each of these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links.

You can see all hotels reported to the board in this zone by viewing our Priceline Hotel List (and be sure to read the comments at the top of the page).

If you'd like help with an upcoming stay please start a NEW TOPIC.

Thanks.

[travellvr]

I have not placed any bids yet. My max bid is $150.

Any suggestions for where to start?

Thanks.

[thereuare]

When bidding 4* in Charleston you have SEVEN 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.

(NOTE: 're-bid zone1' is not the same as priceline's Zone1, 're-bid zone2' is not the same as priceline's Zone2, etc, etc)

Select 4* Mount Pleasant-Isle of Palms...

Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone3...

Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone4...

Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone5...

Bid $130, if rejected add re-bid zone6...

Bid $133, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE...

Select 4* Mount Pleasant-Isle of Palms and re-bid zone7...

Bid $135, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $138, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone3...

Bid $143, if rejected add re-bid zone4...

Bid $145, if rejected add re-bid zone5...

Bid $148, if rejected add re-bid zone6...

Bid $150

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.

[travellvr]

Thank you so much. After plotting out everything we plan to do during our stay, I convinced my husband that a stay at the beach doesn't make much sense. Everything we plan to do is in or near the downtown area. So I have changed my plan of attack a bit. My plan is to shoot for a 3.5* in historic downtown Charleston. If I am doing this correctly, these are my re-bid zones:

Charleston Southern University - 2.5*

Folly Beach - 3*

North Charleston-Northwoods Mall - 3*

West Charleston - 2.5*

I looked at previous wins for the Doubletree (one of two properties on the list for 3.5*) and it looks like they range from $65-80.

I've also read that a Saturday check-in can be a complicating factor when trying for a low rate. (not sure how true that is...?)

Here's my thinking....

Select 3.5* Downtown Historic Charleston...

Bid $70, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone2...

Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone3...

Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone4...

Any advantage/disadvantage to waiting till last minute (say Friday afternoon) to do this?

Thanks for your help.

[thereuare]

You actually have FIVE re-bid zones when bidding 3.5* in the Charleston region... doublecheck and see if you can determine the missing re-bid zone.

Rates are date specific, using MAPS and HOTELS.com i searched for your dates and then filtered the results to only show the 3.5* hotels on the map. Both 3.5* hotels in this zone are priced at $246/nite, making your $85 maximum bid only about a third of prevailing rates, which does not give you a very high chance of success.

I don't see any advantage of waiting... as per above i don't think your odds of success are very high but should you win at the prices you're considering bidding, an $85 win would be an EXCELLENT deal, and very little downside to the deal potentially getting even better. The downside is that if your bids are rejected (which i think is likely) you have to begin to scramble to lower your star rating and other zones you may not really want since you don't have any time left to 'wipe the slate clean' and try again in 24 hours.

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

[travellvr]

I found the 5th re-bid zone. Thank you!

I started my bidding at $80 and finished at $110. No luck.

I will try again tomorrow. Not sure I really want to go too much higher though, considering there are parking fees and internet fees.

I will lower to 3* if necessary. Just like the locations of the 3.5*.

Thank You!!

[AaronJB]

Thank you for keeping us updated and please let us know if you have additional questions.

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

[thereuare]

Going back to your original bidding of $150 for a 4* hotel... PRICELINE EXPRESS currently has a 4* property offered for $158/nite (Indoor or Outdoor Pool, Restaurant, Free Parking, Business Center) if you're willing to go $8 more per nite over your previously rejected bids (or want to try bidding on PRICELINE once again)

Thanks for using.

[travellvr]

Well, I've bid all the way up to $151 for a 3* in downtown, and no luck.

Not sure what to do at this point. Really didn't want to pay more than that.

There is a 3.5* on PRICELINE EXPRESS for $163 and it includes free internet. Probably still a parking fee though.

Wonder why they offer that for $163 but refused my bid of $151?

Any advice at this point would be greatly appreciated. Really prefer to be downtown since everything we're doing is right there.

Thanks!

[thereuare]

Wonder why they offer that for $163 but refused my bid of $151?

Assuming you mean why shouldn't a 3* bid at $151 be accepted when a 3.5* is available at $163... every hotel sets their own rates and sometimes it has very little to do with how much other hotels at a higher or lower star rating are charging. There are many instances where a 3.5* may cost less then a 3* in the same area for the very same dates.

With your stay just one day away i don't think you have too many options other then the usual ones:

• SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID
• increase your budget
• lower your star rating
• consider other nearby zones

It looks like the Saturday nite is the 'problem' nite... if SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID is an option HOTWIRE has a 4* hotel Downtown for 6/23-6/25 for $125/nite... then you can stay at a different property at a lower star rating or in a nearby zone for less? (HOTWIRE has 3* in Isle of Palms for $159/nite for the solo nite of 6/22)

Your thoughts?

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

[travellvr]

So darn happy right now. :D

We too were thinking that the Saturday night was the issue, and your comment confirmed it. We reworked our itinerary a bit, and decided that we could leave early Sunday morning, and then stay later on Tuesday (but still leave that day), and have roughly the same amount of time in Charleston, but only 2 hotel nights instead of 3.

Wow what a difference that change made! Got the Doubletree Suites Downtown Charleston (3.5*) for $85/night!!! Beyond thrilled with this win.

Thanks so much to you for your help. I was a complete Priceline novice a few days ago. You've taught me well. I won't be afraid to use Priceline again. Looking forward to a fun trip to Charleston.

THANKS!!!

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success. :)

Solid win for this property and glad you are pleased with the result. Doubletree cookies at check-in are always a plus, as well.

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

Enjoy your stay.