Priceline Hotel: Help with 3.5* San Juan hotel - 2/5/15-2/10/15

[mitchmcc]

Hi

 

I'm new to Priceline so looking for a little help with an upcoming trip. Looking for a 3.5* with pool, in San Juan from 2/5 to 2/10. There is a PRICELINE EXPRESS deal posted for $135 which is a bit more than I want to pay especially when you add in the extra fees. Looking around I've seen winning bids in the $90s but so far I've bid $90 and $95 and been rejected. If I was close to a winning bid wouldn't I have received a counter offer? Would I have a better chance as the date gets closer?

 

Thanks for your help

Mitch

 

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Rates are date specific so you can't always replicate the same rates as others... especially when your dates are different then when others have won for less. As well, yours is a multi-nite stay vs. the one/two nites we often seen in this area for pre/post-cruise stays... so there is more opportunity for one of the dates of your stay to be higher than usual, which would result in a higher than usual bid price needed.

Using our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com i'm seeing 3.5* hotels starting at $189/nite (Doubletree San Juan)... so $135/nite doesn't seem like too bad of a deal, but there is no telling if rates will get better/worse if you decide to wait until close to your stay (if hotels gets more reservations/fewer cancellations than expected then rates will rise... if they get fewer reservations/more cancellations then rates may drop)

If you do decide to wait you can combine two of our sister sites to your advantage:

1. Use RefundableRates.com to book something that is acceptable and refundable up until a few nites before your stay

2. create alerts at RateDrop which will monitor HOTWIRE, PRICELINE EXPRESS, and regular rate hotels for your dates and send you an email should the price drop to your 'buy point' (at which point you can take the offer OR use it to 'know' a good time to try your bid again on PRICELINE)

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

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

[mitchmcc]

Hi

 

Thanks for the advice. I did check out Refundable.Rates but the backup hotel I had in mind was $20 less on Expe.dia and that can be cancelled for the next three weeks (At Wind Chimes Boutique Hotel). I will sign up for Rate.Drop and I think I'll just keep inching up on my Priceline bid for the next couple of weeks. If that doesn't work I can go with my backup at $135 or the Priceless express deal at $135 if that doesn't change. I will use your link if booking through Price.line.

 

Best

Mitch

[thereuare]

Please use our Expedia link for your back-up hotel if that is the one that you book.

What is your back-up hotel and for how much?

[mitchmcc]

Back up plan is At Wind Chimes Hotel for $135. This is plan C though, only if the 3* for $135 is not available when I book.

 

 

[thereuare]

Keep us updated on your progress and what you ultimately decide.

Note that the same rate for At Wind Chimes Hotel is available thru the the HOTELS.com tab at mapsandhotels or thru our Hotels.com link.

Good luck!