Priceline Hotel: REJECTED: 5* Hamburg Germany

[Welldone Rumproast]

My initial bid for USD 81 was rejected (as I expected).

Priceline only has one zone in Hamburg, therefore re-bids will have to be 72 hours apart.

TOBB indicates that a 5* bid for USD 95 was accepted last year at the Raffles Vier Jahrszeiten, whick is a true 5-star property right on the shore of the Inner Alster (the lake in the middle of the center city (I stayed there one time in 2000 on a deeply-discounted promotional rate).

To my knowledge, the only other possible 5* properties would be the Kempinski Atlantic or the Park Hyatt Hamburg. I've never seen a Kempinski property come up on PL, and the Park Hyatt is more like a 4.5, so I'm going to proceed on the assumption that it is the V.J (the other two hotels are in the same general central city area, with the Park Hyatt very near the Hauptbahnhof (train station).

There's a EUR 155 promotional rate (USD 168.52 at today's exchange rate - one twin bed excluding breakfast) but it is not cancellable so I'll hold back - instead I'll probably book a cancellable backup room at a 4* like the Marriott (which is just a block or so from the V.J.).

I'll updade the thread with my subsequent bids.

(Another note: The V.J. is owned by Raffles which also owns the Swissotel in Berlin, which is the most-often-seen 5* in Berlin, so it's jost a little more circumstantial evidence that it's probably the V.J.)

[WillTravel]

Expedia lists the Park Hyatt as a 5*, although Expedia's ratings are often "relaxed".

[Welldone Rumproast]

WillTravel - come to think of it, if the Swissotel and the Westin Grand in Berlin are both rated 5* by Priceline, then your hunch may be right. I did stay at the Park Hyatt using a Hyatt award in '99, and it's very nice indeed. Very modern design with lots of blond wood used and with super-nice bathrooms (they use those huge "rainforest" shower heads).