Priceline Hotel: 3.5* Boston (Boston Common - Theater District) Boston Park Plaza Hotel And Towers

[BBbF]

I am looking for a good deal on a 3-4* hotel for this Wed and Thursday. I have seen that deals have been going as low as $90 lately, but that they seem to be running between $140 and $180 a night. However, HOTWIRE's cheapest for these nights is around $219. Is there something going on in town that is driving prices up?

There are going to be three of us in the room, but our 6 y.o. can sleep in the bed with us, so PRICELINE should be fine.

Can you help me with a bidding strategy?

[BBbF]

OK, I figured I would tell you what I have done so far based upon a couple of the posts here in Boston already:

Bid for 4*

$120 Copley

$125 Cop/Commons

$130 Cop/Com/Harborfront

$135 Cop/Com/Har/Quincy

$140 Cop/Com/Har/Qui/South Boston

$145 Cop/Com/Har/Qui/SBo/North Cambridge

$150 Cop/Com/Har/Qui/SBo/NCam/Medford

None were accepted, so I closed the window, re-clicked the PRICELINE link here and did the following:

Bid for 3.5*

$120 Copley

$125 Cop/Commons

$130 Cop/Com/Harborfront

$135 Cop/Com/Har/Quincy

$140 Cop/Com/Har/Qui/South Boston

$145 Cop/Com/Har/Qui/SBo/North Cambridge

$150 Cop/Com/Har/Qui/SBo/NCam/Medford

No dice again...so I am quitting for the night. Also, I am using the discount code (summer) for 5% off...not sure that makes a difference to the hotels.

Thanks for the advice. We have three days to get this done, so hopefully everything will work out!

[BBbF]

Any suggestions? Do you think I am in the ballpark for what I have bid so far or should I consider going either down in *'s or up in price?

Thanks in advance!

[thereuare]

Although i don't now their size, there are at least two conferences taking place during your stay which may be impacting rates.

You're not likely too far off, as PRICELINE EXPRESS has a 3.5* hotel in the Boston Common-Theatre District for $181/nite (less 5% code from my signature) brings your cost to about $172/nite... how high are you willing to bid on the next round of bidding?

Let us know your maximum bid and we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow.

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

[BBbF]

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the feedback you guys give here and have told a number of people about it over the years, even though I haven't posted a whole bunch since I joined.

I was hoping to stay under $150 a night, but would probably be willing to go to $175. I was figuring that I might keep trying to bid on the 3.5 and 4 stars tonight and tomorrow and if that doesn't work drop to a 3 star on Tuesday night, but I am not sure where to start the bidding and how to maximize the number of rebids.

My wife's (and hence my) :) preferred locations are Backbay/Copley, then Boston Commons, and finally Quincy or Waterfront...we will have our 6 y.o. son with us so we are trying to limit the amount he is going to have to walk.

Thanks again for your help!

[thereuare]

...preferred locations are Backbay/Copley, then Boston Commons, and finally Quincy or Waterfront...

Did you mean Harborfront (which you have already bid) or Waterfront (which is the previous name for the currently named Seaport District-Convention Center zone)? Given your previous rejections i assume that the least expensive in any of these zones is the current goal OR are you willing to pay more to be in one zone vs. another zone?

I was hoping to stay under $150 a night, but would probably be willing to go to $175.

The PRICELINE EXPRESS approach above does get you in at $171/nite... you'd prefer to try at the 3* level before taking this 3.5* option at the upper end of your range? If so, what is your maximum bid at the 3* level?

I was figuring that I might keep trying to bid on the 3.5 and 4 stars tonight and tomorrow and if that doesn't work drop to a 3 star on Tuesday night, but I am not sure where to start the bidding and how to maximize the number of rebids.

Nobody can say if rates will come down in the next day or two OR more even higher (or stay the same), but the only issue i'd have with your approach is that if it comes down to lowering your star rating on Tuesday and that is rejected, you leave no time to try much else with your check-in date the very next day... you don't leave yourself very much of a back-up plan (unless you have one should that scenario present itself). As well, the 3.5* PRICELINE EXPRESS off is somewhat of an outlier at the moment in the sense that is priced nearly $50/nite cheaper than any of the 3* or above rated hotels in the zones that you're bidding... should this offer disappear, then you're looking at rates of $225+ based upon current prices.

Let us know the star rating and maximum bid you want to use on your next round of bidding and we'll outline a strategy for you to follow.

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board.

[BBbF]

Wow...just finished another round of bidding with no luck. I did the following:

4*

$130 Copley

$135 Cop/Harbor

$140 Cop/Har/South

$150 Cop/Har/Sou/North Cambridge

$160 Cop/Har/Sout/NCa/Medford

No Dice. Then:

4*

$140 Copley/Boston Common

$150 Cop/Com/Har/South

$160 Cop/Com/Har/Sou/North Cambridge

$165 Cop/Com/Har/Sout/NCa/Medford

Again, no luck. Then:

3.5*

$150 Copley

$155 Cop/Harbor

$165 Cop/Har/South

$175 Cop/Har/Sou/North Cambridge

$185 Cop/Har/Sout/NCa/Medford

Ugh...getting frustrated...noticed that there is not a 3* hotel for less than $200 in the area we are looking at...

3.5*

$180 Copley/Boston Common

Success! Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers

I have to say, I am not sure if I got the best price I could of seeing as that was my first bid over $165 for the Boston Commons area, but I don't think it would have gotten appreciably better. Good to have this off my to-do list and now I can pack! :)

Thanks again for all your help.

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Nice to see you got this stay settled and given current rates in the area are pleased with the results.

Thank you for sharing your win and using the PRICELINE links on the board to begin your bidding.

Have a great trip!