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Priceline Hotel: London Hotel Help


kevin347
By kevin347,
in

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Hello,

 

I will be travelling to london and looking for a hotel for 4 days. Check in on April 8th to april 12th. I will be with my wife and 1 year old. I have some questions on how I should go about bidding on priceline. I am travelling from US and will be relying on public transportation. I will have 2-3 suitcases with me and some hand luggage.

 

1) Considering my situation is it a good idea to bid on priceline or go with hotewire or any other options? 

2) I was thinking of bidding in the area of Bloomsbury - Marble Arch since I figured I want to visit the usual london visitor spots like Tower bridge and Tower of London, London eye, Big Ben, House of parliament, Westminester abbey, Buckingham palace. Should I add any more areas which might be closer to these places? Am I correct in selecting the area? I haven't yet figured out how I am going to get to this area from LHR airport. 

3) I want to balance between budget and value so I don't want to pay outrageous at the same time, dont want to be stuck in a really bad hotel. If I were to go for 3* hotel, Is 70$ reasonable or too low? Looking for suggestions on how to go with bidding. 

4) If I bid on priceline w/e price I pay will it be in $ or pound? Will my credit card charge me for foregin transaction fees or priceline takes the cut? 

5) Is it good time to bid and book or wait? 

 

 

Thanks

 

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Welcome to BetterBidding!

Few comments to get started...

1) technically, PRICELINE only guarantees double occupancy, HOTWIRE guarantees occupancy for as many people that you include in your search. Usually this would not be an issue i would bring up given your child is one year old, but London (and much of Europe) is notoriously know for small rooms, and it's possible (especially at the lower star ratings) that the room you receive only has one bed and no room for Pak N Play, baby crib, etc.

With HOTWIRE you can search for 2adults/1child, this may (again, especially in Europe) increase the price. HOWEVER, HOTWIRE considers children to be aged 2-17, so given your child is 1 year old, you could search for 2adults/0children and still be within the proper terms of the HOTWIRE purchase.

So with the above noted, with PRICELINE you would be taking a bit of risk on the room size and if there will be space to accommodate your child... with HOTWIRE you could search for 2adults/1child and ensure occupancy, or even search for 2adults/0children and one you win a hotel call the hotel and let them know that you have a 1 year old to ensure proper accommodations, if the hotel states that there would be an issue based upon the room type booked, then you can call HOTWIRE and try to have them resolve it since you did search within their terms (HOTWIRE will likely call the hotel and try to resolve OR likely offer a refund, so this is something you would want to do immediately after purchase so that if you need to find alternate accommodations you're not doing so in the lobby of the hotel :) )

2) if your budget allows i would suggest trying to go for a 4* hotel. Star rating in Europe are a bit more generous then their US counterparts and a 3* hotel in London may be equivalent to a 2* or 2.5* property here in the States. You will also likely find better value in the 4* hotels, imo.

3) we can comment further on pricing which we know which service (based upon the occupancy issues above) you decide to go with as well as your star rating preferences (also based upon the comments above)

4) both PRICELINE and HOTWIRE let you choose what currency you want to pay in

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 based upon the information above and we'll take it from there.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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I have had always better luck with PRICELINE in terms of price and with calling them and requesting for double bed etc, I am not sure how different could it be with Europe though. But I am leaning towards Price.line. Hot.wire is almost 100$ for 2 to 2.5 star in that area which is little high. I am willing to go to 4* but how much budget would I have to increase ?

I do have a discounted price at Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel (Bath Road  Hounslow  England  TW6 2AQ  United Kingdom) available for 60$ a night but I am not too sure if it would be too far in terms of travel to tourist places. 

 

Is it good time to book now?

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I haven't yet figured out how I am going to get to this area from LHR airport.

 

CLICK HERE  for info on the public transport options from LHR.  There is the regular "tube" - the Piccadilly Line, and a Heathrow Express train.  A map on the link will let you see which might work better depending upon the location of your hotel.  About an hour.  The tube would be less expensive than the  train.

 

I haven't been there recently, but www.rome2rio.com suggests a cab to the general Bloomsbury area would be $80 to $100 and about a 1/2 hour.

 

If the two suitcases are reasonably light carry-on size roller bags and you've got some sort of carry/sling for the 1-year-old, you probably could manage the tube.  But you'd work at it.  Escalators/elevators if you are lucky, stairs if you are not.  

 

Romelle

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I'd recommend staying 'downtown', especially when traveling with a baby as you will inevitable forget something back at the hotel, forget snacks, diapers, etc. and it will be more convenient to get back to the hotel to get what you need, as well as be able to take a break and rest during the day.

Airport hotels are almost always cheaper then staying directly in the city, but when you factor in transportation costs, as well as how much of your (limited) vacation time will be spent commuting, and the convenience factor, i think the extra expense of staying downtown is worth it... especially when comparing rates for your dates, which are not that high.

For example you can likely get a centrally located 4* hotel in the Westminster zone for $100-$110/nite.

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 how you'd like to proceed and we will advise accordingly.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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I definitely concur with thereuare as to staying downtown.  The main tourist things are in a fairly compact area there.  You may even find you'll be able to walk to/from and between some of them.

 

Try searching on something like "london top ten attractions" and look at the map of them.  Then compare this to a PRICELINE zone map and figure out the zones that seem to be the best fit.

 

If you do the tube for getting from the airport to your hotel, that will be the toughest run.  But then, without all the luggage, I think you'll find using the tube very easy.  Do look at getting an "Oyster Card" .  One quick swipe rather than buying tickets for each move and fumbling with foreign money.  Or see if they have any version of an "all you can ride for x days" tourist ticket.  

 

On the other hand, the big black cabs are fairly reasonable when just moving about within the core area of London.  You can play with THIS to get an idea.  

 

I like one of those Hop-On Hop-Off buses to get an overview of a new city.  The various ones are reviewed on www.tripadvisor.com.

 

Romelle

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Thanks to both of you. therefore when you say downtown you mean the Westminster - Houses of Parliament - Victoria area? That area seems to be the closest for the places I want to visit. Although I wanted to take a day trip to cotswolds and that tour may or may not start from central london. And also wanted to go to windser castle but that might be too far and might have to drop it because of time/budget concerns. 

So let me make this clear, do you think if I go for 4*, I will get bigger bed/crib for sure compared to 3* or my chances are better that way? I wanted to stay in the range of 70$ if possible. London seems like an expensive place. I tried to price a cab ride from LHR to some randon central london hotel in Westminster - Houses of Parliament - Victoria area and it almost comes to 40 to 50 pounds one way. Is tube an option with 3-4 suitcases and with child in a stroller? 

 

I also forgot to ask do hotels in Europe hold your luggage after checkout? My onward flight from London is around 9PM and the checkout is usually in the afternoon. 

 

Thanks

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The tube stations vary, and I don't remember the specifics.  But you could easily be faced with three flights of stairs, a turnstile, and a pretty good gap from platform to train.  Escalators.  Occasionally an elevator, but don't count on it.   Lots and lots of people, crowded,  rushing in all directions.  Walking on the opposite side of the ways, since they walk as they drive.  

 

Have you ridden the subways in some other major city?  

 

I'm a retired grandmother, and I get around such situations with a fairly light backpack plus a small shoulder bag.  You could manage a 21-22" roller with maybe a small hand luggage firmly attached to it, baby in a sling.  With two people, I can't count enough hands for 3-4 suitcases and a stroller??  

 

I've never used THIS SHUTTLE SERVICE but you might investigate it and see if it, or something similar, could work for you.  If you can get luggage and baby to hotel this way, then your jaunting about town can be done with just baby, stroller and diaper bag.  

 

Hotel checkout is usually more like 11am, unless you ask for and are granted a late check-out.  However I've never run into one that isn't willing to hold luggage.

 

London is indeed expensive, but your dates are on the lower end of the range.  It is an amazing city though.  Definitely worth spending a bit more and being very central so you can maximize your tourist time there.  

 

If you go hunting for grocery stores to have an inexpensive meal or two, I finally figured out they often are in the basements of large department stores.  

 

Romelle

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Is tube an option with 3-4 suitcases and with child in a stroller?

Not a chance, imo. Assuming 4 suitcases you would need each adult to roll two of them, leaving no hands free to push the baby stroller... not to mention the stairs you are likely to encounter, as discussed above by Romelle.

I did try something similar in Paris, but we had two large suitcases and a baby in a stroller, and we managed, but we caught an untimely heat wave in Paris so i was dripping with sweat by the time we reached the hotel, and it required a bit of coordination making a few trips up/down each time we hit a stairway as i would need to take up one bag, come back for the next, repeat with the baby stroller.

Will you survive if you do it, yes i'm sure you will (although not sure how you will mange with 4 suitcases as per above), but it may also be a decision you regret. With one bag per adult and no children in tow i would do it again (or if the children can carry/roll their own bags)... but i wouldn't with a baby in tow and/or with more bags than people who are capable of being in charge of one.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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... do you think if I go for 4*, I will get bigger bed/crib for sure compared to 3* or my chances are better that way?

I'm sure there are 3* hotels with larger room than some 4* hotels, and 4* hotels with larger rooms than some 3* hotels... but generally speaking i think you will find the accommodations more comfortable (in all aspects, including room size), and the level of service more accommodating (in trying to help you get a room that will meet your needs), at a higher rated property... but that doesn't mean that you'll for sure have a good stay at a 4* hotel nor does it guarantee a bad stay at a 3* hotel.

With the assistance you've been receiving i hope you will use the requested PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links for your purchases this time around.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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Do you have a strategy in mind I should use, price starting points etc?

What star rating and zones have you decided upon?

Should I start now or wait till March?

Your budget is at the low end of the generally accepted bid range so i don't see much downside in starting now, as if you do get a bid accepted, you would not likely see a substantial price drop from these levels... yet prices could possibly increase from here.

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.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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wanted to start with 4* and then go to 3* if I dont get anything in the price range. Wanted to stay below 90.  Do you think any of these area would be suitable for me?

Bloomsbury - Marble Arch - Kings Cross Station & British Museum

Mayfair - Soho

Westminster - Houses of Parliament - Victoria

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Kevin,

 

There is a member here with the screen name vanpoodle.  Although I haven't seen her on recently, she is probably the most knowledgeable about London.

 

One of her posts (#9) is in this thread:

London Hotel Zone Information

 

You might find her discussion about zones interesting.  

 

To your list, she adds quite a few.  If you can find a hotel in the more central zones you might not want to go to the more outer ones on the list, but you can at least take a look at them.  You can zoom in on the Priceline zone maps.  When you get in further, you can see the little symbol that indicates a tube station.  A red circle with a blue bar across it.  You can get an idea just how far you might have to walk to reach one of the stations.  The stations tend to be closer together in the more central zones.  

 

If you click on her name you can also read some of her other posts.  

 

Although a couple of times I've landed the Copthorne she mentions as some place to avoid, and have been happy with it.  You can read the reviews both here and on www.tripadvisor.com and decide for yourself if the things to which people object would be problematic for you.

 

Also, on Priceline some of the zones have more information about the attractions in them.  If it is available, it is listed under the zone map when you click on "detail map" of a particular zone.  

 

And while I'm at it, if you don't have some already, it would be well worth your time to pick up some London travel guides at your local library or bookstore.  Lots of good ones, but my personal buy-and-carry-with-me favorite is Lonely Planet.  Great maps and directions, yet concise and lightweight.  

 

But to actually answer your question about the zones you've listed - yes, I think all of them would be suitable for your family.  And you might consider some more after you've done some more research.

 

Romelle

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Bloomsbury - Marble Arch - Kings Cross Station & British Museum

Mayfair - Soho

Westminster - Houses of Parliament - Victoria

Based upon the zone information above please confirm this list, if there is anything you want to add/subtract, and we will advise of a strategy to follow.

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.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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CLICK HERE for a London walk that takes you past Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, The Mall, Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.  It takes about two hours of casual walking, and starts and ends at the Westminster underground station.  There are lots of others of these, covering other tourist attractions.  This is just one example.  

 

Romelle

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Ok so I am thinking of adding few more zones apart from original list so final zones I am thinking is : 

Bloomsbury - Marble Arch - Kings Cross Station & British Museum

Mayfair - Soho

Westminster - Houses of Parliament - Victoria

Knightsbridge - Harrods

Kensington - Earl's Court

Notting Hill - Paddington Station Area

 

Thinking of starting with 4* and go from there. 

 

On PRICELINE EXPRESS deals I am seeing Kensington - Earl's Court Area Hotel 4* at 107$ per night. 

Westminster - Houses of Parliament - Victoria Area Hotel - 118$

Notting Hill - Paddington Station Area Hotel - 122$

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Is $90 your maximum bid? I did go up to $95 to increase your chances and/or in case you were willing to bid higher for a 4* hotel, but you can of course stop at whatever amount you're comfortable with for a 4* hotel for this stay.

When bidding 4* in London you have TWO 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.

Select 4* Knightsbridge, Mayfair, Westminter...

Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $63, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $65, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE...

Select 4* Bloomsbury, Kensington, Notting Hill...

Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $63, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $65, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE...

Select 4* Bloomsbury, Mayfair, Notting Hill...

Bid $68, if rejected add re-bid zone...

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

Bid $73, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE...

Select 4* Westminter, Knightsbridge, Kensington...

Bid $68, if rejected add re-bid zone...

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

Bid $73, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE...

Select 4* Bloomsbury, Mayfair, Westminter, Knightsbridge, Kensington...

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

Bid $78, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $80, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE...

Select 4* Bloomsbury, Mayfair, Westminter, Knightsbridge, Notting Hill...

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

Bid $78, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $80, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE...

Select 4* Kensington, Notting Hill, Bloomsbury, Mayfair, Westminter...

Bid $83, if rejected add re-bid zone...

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

Bid $88, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE...

Select 4* Kensington, Notting Hill, Bloomsbury, Mayfair, Knightsbridge...

Bid $83, if rejected add re-bid zone...

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

Bid $88, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE...

Select 4* Bloomsbury, Mayfair, Westminter, Knightsbridge, Kensington, Notting Hill...

Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $93, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $95

Any questions feel free to ask.

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.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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OK I guess it must have been a while since I have placed a bid on the hotel but I thought I would just start with 1 zone I like and then keep adding the other 5 zones I am ok with along with re-bidding zones which are two and can bid like that. I think your approach you are starting with combination of 3 zones I am ok with and then change that combination every time? So why start with combination of 3? 

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The way thereuare has it set up, you check each bid level in each zone.

 

If you just start bidding and adding zones, you risk overbidding.

 

An example:

Bid A at $100.  Nada.

Add B and bid A+B at  $110.  You win B.

But B could have been won at $100.

 

So you overbid $10.

 

It does take more time to do the more involved sequence, but you will be sure you didn't miss some good deal at the best price.

 

The other thing always good to do is know exactly what your fallback is.  Currently I see a 4* on Hotwire at $115, and a 4* on PRICELINE EXPRESS at $107.  3*s are a little less, but I also think the European 4*s are worth stretching for, if possible.  One of the Hot.wire 4*s was even a condo.  Although the condo wasn't as well rated as the other offers, the "kitchenette" can be a good thing, and sometimes the condos offer a little more square footage.  If you get into considering PE or HW, it often is possible for the moderators here to make an educated guess as to what you might get.

 

PL bidding tends to result is slightly lower prices than either PE or HW, so the rates I mentioned above are also an indication your bidding might be successful within the $90 or $95 max.  

 

Romelle

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Thanks for explaining. Thanks thereuare for laying out the plan for me. I definitely need to look for fall backs as well. Priceline is adding lot of taxes. At bid of 73, after tax is almost coming to close to 90 to 95$. When I stated my budget I wanted to stay close to or below 100$ including taxes but seems like that might be unrealistic. I might end up increasing my budget eventually I guess but it's hard. I will keep trying and then might start considering PE or Hotwire too or lower the star rating. I just got a coupon from Priceline for 10% discount on Express deals. 

Should I also add Regents park and City - Tower bridge area? I discarded those because of one area being little north and one too west. Journey from airport might be little longer. 

 

Also any guess on which hotel is this in PE deal? 

3 Star Hotel Regents Park - Baker Street - Camden Market Area
What You'll Love :
Free Internet  Condo
Choose Bed
STUDIO
Book$84 /night

$92 per night Nonsmoking Standard Studio

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