Priceline Hotel: 4* Toronto (downtown)

[mtlgirl]

Is it too early to book for June? Are prices better when booked far in advance or last minute?

(thank you for your response byeloe)

[thereuare]

See this thread for varying thoughts on the subject: SHOULD I BOOK EARLY OR LATE

If your plans are firm there is no harm in bidding early, as long as yo don't overbid.

If you let us know your maximum bid we'll outline a strategy for you to follow.

[mtlgirl]

thanks for the link, it was helpful.

i have already tried $50 and $55, both of which were rejected for a 4* hotel in downtown toronto

my maximum bid, based on previous postings, would be $65

the last time i used priceline, i got the hilton [a 4* hotel downtown, dec 4, 2005] for $65, and that was booked only two days in advance!

my plans for june are pretty firm, but since there seems to be no real advantage in booking early, perhaps i will wait and see what kinds of bids are being accepted in the meanwhile...

also, i would prefer a hotel in north york (over downtown), but am worried that if i bid for the north-york/vaughen area that i could end up in vaughen....and so i think it is just "safer" to bid for the downtown hotels, where all of the 4* hotels are acceptable, and still not too far from north york....does anyone have any tricks for getting a 3.5-4* in north york???

[thereuare]

Have you looked at Hotwire, which has a "North York" zone?

[mtlgirl]

I checked out hotwire and there is a 2.5* in North York for $61...I don't think I would take anything below 3.5* though. I am not really familiar with hotwire, perhaps i will keep checking that site to see if anything else comes up in the North York area with a higher star rating. Thanks for the suggestion.

[thereuare]

my plans for june are pretty firm, but since there seems to be no real advantage in booking early

Just an FYI, there are a few advantages to bidding early (among the other pros/cons)....

-hotels can be added/removed, increasing/decreasing the number of re-bid opportunities

-zone boundaries can change, making a zone that is 'fine' today no longer appropriate for your needs

-a hotel that would accept, let's say a $65 bid today, may fill up and longer accept such a bid as your date draws closer

[new]

HI Mtlgirl,

I too am trying to get ( actually 2 ) rooms in Toronto for the nights of May 5, 6, and 7. I have repeatedly tried bids higher than thoses I have seen accepted ( but for closer to the dates desired) and my bids have always been rejected. So I am now convinced that it must be better to wait until you are a bit closer to the desired time that you want the rooms. I'm looking for 3 stars in downtown Toronto and I see on this form that they are going for between 40 and 50 a night. While it is tempting to raise the bid I'm thinking that if I'm patient enough eventually I'll strike a winner.

[mtlgirl]

i agree. while there are some advantages in booking early, it seems that in some cases the hotels simply aren't available so early in advance. i plan to wait at least another month before trying again.

good luck!