Priceline Hotel: Help landing the Courtyard Marriott (Toronto DT North)

[sosodeformed]

Hi everyone. I am looking to book the dates June 25-July 1 in Toronto and I really, really want to book The Courtyard at 475 Yonge Street. I see this is a popular hotel that many people bidding for 3* in DT Toronto North - Yorkville seem to land on. I am really scared of adding in a zone I mistakenly thought didn't have any 3* hotels in it, but then one popping up and me getting stuck with a place way outside of my desired area. So far from my searches (I have used the BetterBidding Priceline map) I'm seeing these zones as safe to add:

 

Brampton

Burlington

Toronto East

North York East

Scarborough-Pickering

 

Also when I use Maps and Hotels, it shows the Courtyard and surrounding 3* hotels for 200+! I have never seen anyone's winning bid for the Courtyard come out to more than 80 dollars or so. I really do not want to pay over 100 a night for this place. Do you think it's possible, and does anyone have anymore tips on what I can do to land this hotel? Should I begin my bidding at $60? Are those zones I listed safe to add? I will be bidding on Friday, thanks everyone for your help! Of course I will be using your Priceline link.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

...I really, really want to book The Courtyard at 475 Yonge Street.

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.

I am really scared of adding in a zone I mistakenly thought didn't have any 3* hotels in it...

The zones above are NOT your re-bid zones. The only method that should be used to determine your re-bid zones is outlined here: Priceline Re-Bidding Explained

Please read the link above and see if you can determine the TWO re-bid zones you have at the 3* level using the method outlined there. If you have read the previous thread and are still confused just post back and we'll break it down further for you.

 

... when I use Maps and Hotels, it shows the Courtyard and surrounding 3* hotels for 200+! I have never seen anyone's winning bid for the Courtyard come out to more than 80 dollars or so. I really do not want to pay over 100 a night for this place.

Rates are date specific and you can't always replicate another user's win when their dates are different then your own (and when rates for your dates are higher than usual, which may be the case here).

I will be bidding on Friday, thanks everyone for your help! Of course I will be using your Priceline link.

Let's start with confirming your re-bid zones and if you're willing to accept any 3* hotel or higher in the zone(s) that you bid, we'll then take a look at rates closer to Friday so that we know the strategy is based upon the most recent information. If your plans are firm... why wait until Friday to bid?

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

[sosodeformed]

Thanks for your reply! I am waiting until Friday because I get paid on Friday. I do realize I might land on ANY hotel within the 3* category within Downtown Toronto North - Yorkville. I guess I should have made this all more clear. I have been researching for over a week and I am ready to go in here. I have also found the correct way to find which zones do not have 3* hotels in them, using the Priceline site on the Name Your Price page. It would appear the only zones with hotels 2.5* or less are Toronto East and Toronto West. I just went ahead and checked out that Priceline Re-Bidding Explained link as well. Aside from adding in those two zones, would I also be able to change my star rating up to 3.5* (not 4 since I do not want to land on a 4* hotel in Toronto DT North) and be safe? Thanks for your help and if you have any more tips I am happy to hear them.

[thereuare]

It would appear the only zones with hotels 2.5* or less are Toronto East and Toronto West.

Correct... but always double check your re-bid zones just before bidding to make sure that nothing has changed since you last looked (as star ratings avaialble within each zone can change at any time)

Aside from adding in those two zones, would I also be able to change my star rating up to 3.5* (not 4 since I do not want to land on a 4* hotel in Toronto DT North) and be safe?

I'm not sure what you're asking... what is it that you're trying to accomplish?? When bidding on PRICELINE the star rating you select is the minimum that you're willing to accept and PRICELINE can always upgrade you to a higher rated hotel (yes, you can bid on a 3* and receive a 4* if one is available at the price you bid).

Once you're ready to move forward let us know what star rating you'd like to try for first, and your maximum bid, and we'll take it from there.

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

[sosodeformed]

Hello, so sorry about that confusing part. I had assumed no 3.5* hotels within the Downtown Toronto North - Yorkville area existed, so I'd be able to add 3.5* into the mix but still be able to land The Courtyard. But Price.line is saying there is a 3.5* hotel available in that zone so I won't be changing my star rating at all then. But you're saying even if I begin my bid at 3* and keep it at 3* with only changing my zone parameters, Price.line could still place me in a 4* hotel within my desired zone, if they accept my price? I wasn't aware of that but at any rate, I'd like my highest bid to be $85. I'd like to start at 3*. Thanks again for your help.

[AaronJB]

If you can select it during the bidding process, there are potential hotels there (including 3.5* Toronto North-Yorkville.) If you are looking at the hotel list on Betterbidding, as noted at the top of the list, those lists only provide the hotels that have been reported to the board.

 

There is no way to guarantee a particular property, but if you wanted to potentially try for the Courtyard (knowing that you could get ANY hotel at the star rating chosen in the zone chosen), that was last reported to the board at the 3* level in the North-Yorkville zone. You can possibly get upgraded if you bid 3*.

 

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

[sosodeformed]

I can select it during the bidding process so there is definitely a 3.5* star hotel within that zone. I will begin my bidding at the 3* level, adding in the two zones with 2.5* hotels or less. If that fails, I'll up my rating to 3.5* and add in Toronto Southwest. I am aiming for the Courtyard but I would not mind at all landing the Chelsea Eaton Hotel. Thank you for all your help and when I book on Friday I will post my results in a new post.

[thereuare]

If you need help with a bidding strategy let us know.

... and please remember to start your bids with the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board.

Thank you... and good luck with your bidding!