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Priceline Hotel: 4* Santa Monica August 2015


AlanP
By AlanP,
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Any good guesses as to what hotel is being offered for the Express Deal of $406 per night for 5 four-star nights in Santa Monica starting Monday August 10?

 

Is it reasonable to assume that this same hotel would be the one I would get if I successfully bid on a 4-star hotel in that area at that time?

 

Thanks!

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If you recall, please follow-up your previous Priceline Hawaii thread with whatever you ended up doing for that trip.

Please remember to follow-up your threads with your wins/decisions as you make them (even if you don't ultimately use PRICELINE / HOTWIRE, cancel the trip, book direct, etc) as this help keep the board better organized and more useful for everyone... as well as being a courtesy to anyone who took the time to help with your travel plans.

 

Any good guesses as to what hotel is being offered for the Express Deal of $406 per night for 5 four-star nights in Santa Monica starting Monday August 10?

For help with this property please include the full list of amenities that PRICELINE EXPRESS associates with the offer. Are you willing to pay $400+ per nite for a room this trip?

 

Is it reasonable to assume that this same hotel would be the one I would get if I successfully bid on a 4-star hotel in that area at that time?

No, not necessarily, as each side of their service uses a different universe of hotels. There is a lot of overlap, but not all hotels that participate in the PRICELINE EXPRESS side of their service also participate in the bidding side of their service (and still a different universe of hotels for the 'retail' side of their service)

If bidding on PRICELINE what is your maximum bid per nite for this stay?

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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I wound up using frequent flier miles for free nights on that trip to Hawaii instead of buying or bidding on anything.   Bidding to win stays at the Makena Beach and Golf resorts has been among the best deal I've ever found anywhere though, thanks to you guys.   Highly recommend the property or fantastic value in Maui.  The pool is a bit plain, but otherwise its a fantastic property with great landscaping in a beautiful and quiet-ish ritzy part of Maui.   And nearest to Little Beach, which is our favorite!

Anyway, the $406 Express Deal I am trying to ID here is described as a 4-star property with pool in the Santa Monica neighborhood.  those are the only criteria producing the $406 Express option.

 

I'd like to stay in a 4 or 5 star property in Santa Monica for under $400 (before taxes and fees).  Is there any way to guess what the most likely properties are that I would be bidding on with that criteria....?

 

Thanks.!

 

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I wound up using frequent flier miles for free nights on that trip to Hawaii instead of buying or bidding on anything.

Nobody reading your Priceline Maui thread will know to look here to learn that you used miles for a hotel for that trip, please follow-up that thread with your decision so that the board remains well organized and most useful for everyone.

I'd like to stay in a 4 or 5 star property in Santa Monica for under $400 (before taxes and fees).  Is there any way to guess what the most likely properties are that I would be bidding on with that criteria....?

When bidding on PRICELINE you have to be able to accept any hotel in the zone at the star rating (or higher) that you bid. There is no information provided about the specific hotel that you would be bidding on, so there is no way to gain any insight as to which one it is that you may receive... for that insight/guess you would need to use PRICELINE EXPRESS (or HOTWIRE)

As for the PRICELINE EXPRESS property, i'm not seeing this offer when searching for your dates. The only 4* PRICELINE EXPRESS property i'm currently seeing is priced at $428/nite and has:

Indoor or Outdoor Pool, Restaurant, Free Internet, Fitness Center

You're seeing something different?

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'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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As for the PRICELINE EXPRESS property, i'm not seeing this offer when searching for your dates. The only 4* PRICELINE EXPRESS property i'm currently seeing is priced at $428/nite and has:

Indoor or Outdoor Pool, Restaurant, Free Internet, Fitness Center

I'm also seeing this listing. Is your check-out 8/15?

 

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.

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...the Express Deal of $406 per night for 5 four-star nights in Santa Monica starting Monday August 10?

Although i must have read this at least 3x i was incorrectly looking for a 5 nite stay of Aug 10-15, which is why i was seeing a different property and/or rate.

I when searching Aug 10-14 i see the same 4* property for $406/nite with:

Restaurant

Free Internet

Indoor or Outdoor Pool

Fitness Center

... best guess here would be the Le Meridien Delfina Santa Monica.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com should you decide to book a regular rate property.

Let us know what you decide and how it goes or if we can be of further help.

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

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OK. I AMm going to try and bid for a lower price than the express deal.

 

When I go to bid, I am given a distinction between 4.5* and 4* in Santa Monica for the Name Your Own price screen.

 

However, when I view the Express Deal screen and/or the List View Screen there are only 4* and 5* categories, no 4.5*.

 

How do I know which are falling into this strange 4.5* category for Naming My Own Price.....?  I'm not sure if I'm ok with the 4* or prefer to go with the 4.5* category for my bid.

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You're not using a sound bidding strategy... if you let us know your maximum bid at each star level we will suggest a strategy for you to follow. However, i will add that at current rates you'll likely need to be closer to $350 (rather than $250) to be successful for a 4* hotel in this zone.

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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My view is that I'd like to have narrowed the list of possibilities for both the 4* group and the suddenly new 4.5* group down before seriously bidding on either, which is why I started with such a low bid and asked for help trying to identify and understand the new 4.5* group I described above.

 

My maximum might be $350 for the 4.5* and $300 for the 4* group hypothetically, depending on the list of possibilities within each.  The Express Deal that initiated this thread is now down to $369, interestingly....

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I wound up using frequent flier miles for free nights on that trip to Hawaii instead of buying or bidding on anything.

Nobody reading your Priceline Maui thread will know to look here to learn that you used miles for a hotel for that trip, please follow-up that thread with your decision so that the board remains well organized and most useful for everyone.

2x

My view is that I'd like to have narrowed the list of possibilities for both the 4* group and the suddenly new 4.5* group down before seriously bidding on either....

How do you propose to do that, given my previous comments, which i've reiterated below:

 

...each side of their service uses a different universe of hotels. There is a lot of overlap, but not all hotels that participate in the PRICELINE EXPRESS side of their service also participate in the bidding side of their service (and still a different universe of hotels for the 'retail' side of their service)

At the 4.5* level Casa Del Mar and Shutters on The Beach would each be a possibility, but as per my comments above, this is hardly a conclusive list of possibilities and you could receive something else, or it's also possible that either/both of these properties don't participate on the bidding side of 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.

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

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I just bid $320 per night for the 4.5* Santa Monica hotel and Failed.

 

I know I can get a 4* PRICELINE EXPRESS Deal for $369 now, so I would probably not "Bid" at or above $320 for a 4* hotel, given the lower information rate available in bidding.

 

My view is that I'd like to have narrowed the list of possibilities for both the 4* group and the suddenly new 4.5* group down before seriously bidding on either....

How do you propose to do that, given my previous comments, which i've reiterated below:  I THOUGHT THIS BOARD COULD HELP WITH THAT.  I GUESS YOU ARE SAYING THAT 4.5* IS A COMPLETELY BLIND CRAP SHOOT NO MATTER WHAT  (WHICH IS FINE IF THOSE ARE THE FACTS).

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You can see all of the  4* properties in the zone at the lists which are linked at the bottom corner - Priceline Hotel List - or through the "Need Help?" link in the top corner. When you bid on a 4* you are bidding on potentially any 4* in the zone. There is no way to avoid or increase the odds of a particular property. No 4.5*'s have been reported to the board, but there is a discussion of a couple of the possibilities above.

 

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.

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I wound up using frequent flier miles for free nights on that trip to Hawaii instead of buying or bidding on anything.

Nobody reading your Priceline Maui thread will know to look here to learn that you used miles for a hotel for that trip, please follow-up that thread with your decision so that the board remains well organized and most useful for everyone.

3x

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

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Thanks for the help.

 

Can you help me understand why your are guessing those two properties at the 4.5* candidates?  I completely understand that it is not reliable, but I would like to gauge that basis for the guess.

 

If I felt reasonably confident that those were the two "most likely" chances, I'd be inclined to bid more aggressively.

Thanks. again.

 

Alan

 

P.S. - Finally figured out how to locate and close the old Hawaii thread.  Sorry.

 

 

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I am noticing that Hotwire has 4.5* rated hotels in Santa Monica whereas Priceline does not.

 

I'm pretty sure I know what you are going to say, but, is it safe to assume the 4.5* ratings in Hotwire (and star ratings generally) are equal for the same property between Hotwire and Priceline?

 

Hotlines 4.5* properties are: Shore Hotel, Fairmont, Mirimar

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but, is it safe to assume the 4.5* ratings in Hotwire (and star ratings generally) are equal for the same property between Hotwire and Priceline?

I'm sorry to say no. It's two different companies and they rate the hotels differently. In general is HOTWIRE a bit more generous with the ratings. So a 4.5* on HOTWIRE could be 4* on PRICELINE

 

If you need any help with an ID so please run a search using our BiddingHelper.com tool at the top of this page. Once the search is completed, use the EASY VIEW TAB and click the GREEN BUTTON next to this listing to view the complete set of amenities. Then copy and paste the amenities, as well as the price, in a reply to this thread and we will then have a look at this offer.

 

If I felt reasonably confident that those were the two "most likely" chances, I'd be inclined to bid more aggressively.

You're looking for guarantees/validations that we can't give you. The 4.5* hotels participates in the retail service but there's nothing that says that the same hotels will show up in the bidding service since it's two different services.  

 

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.

 

Yellowdog.

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So what is your back-up plan... or will you cancel this trip if unsuccessful bidding via PRICELINE?

Using our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com what is the best rate you're able to find at an acceptable property for these dates?

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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Being unable to catch a 4.5* up at $350, I will now consider the 4* options.   The 4* Express deal was at $369.  Will probably try for something in the low $300s.  (Maybe I will try 4.5* one last time at a higher 300 level first.)

 

I will probably just post once more at the conclusion of actually booking something rather than further distract everyone here with my drama along the way.

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Sometimes following difficult wins serves as a good reinforcement to others following along that the wins don't always come easy! ;)

You do have re-bid zones available at the 4* level so if you'd like help with a suggested bidding strategy let us know your maximum bid and we will advise accordingly.

Also, while i assume you are currently using the PRICELINE EXPRESS offer at $369 as a basis for your 4* bidding, that offer could disappear at any time, so that's not really a safe back-up plan (and if your bidding gets close to this amount you may want to just take the PRICELINE EXPRESS offer rather than wait it out)

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 ultimately ends up or how we can be of further help.

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

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My budget turned out to be $520 per night :-)

 

I actually bid on the 4.5* hotel all the way up to $535 and did not win.

 

I then concluded I could probably successfully bid a room at one of the 4* options for $350-375 or so (including the express deal at $375 right now).

 

Faced with a bidding option of $375 for the lowest end room at an uncertain property, or a $520 per night "AAA Rate" option at Starwood's Le Meridien Delfina  for a full Ocean view room with a balcony (and including FREE valet parking), I splurged and bought the $520 sure thing.

 

Thanks for all your help! 

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