Priceline Hotel: 4* NYC (Downtown-SoHo-Financial District) Tribeca Grand

[erinys]

Probably meeting a friend tonight who is staying in Harper's Ferry. Hotwire is offering 3* in Frederick - probably Holiday Inn Ft Detrick for $53 - we don't want to stay there. Our friend would probably like to go somewhere more interesting than Frederick, so thinking about Inner Harbor. Hotwire offers 3* for $65 - I'm guessing the Holiday Inn where we would prefer not to stay, but that's not definite.

If our friend wants to do Frederick, I was thinking of offering $50 for the 2.5 star in Frederick, which is likely Courtyard or another acceptable option.

If he wants to do the Inner Harbor, thinking about $70 for a 4 star. We really don't want to go much above $70, but will are willing to do other areas of Baltimore with reasonably regarded hotels, and will go down to a 3 star. I don't really care about the star rating as long as the result is free of mold and perfumy air fresheners

Does this seem reasonable? Do you have any strategy advice?

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Once your plans are more firm we will be in a better position to offer advice.

[erinys]

Thanks - yes, I'm still waiting for a decision on his part, but thank you for the welcome!

[erinys]

Well, he really did want to go somewhere more interesting, so thanks to the advice on the forums I got a 4* in NYC for $140. Will post that in the appropriate place.

[erinys]

I was trying to get MTW, and tried to follow this advice from another post, but didn't follow it very well:

"Select 4* MTW...

Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $130, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Selelct 4* MTW and re-bid zone2

Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone1...< I put 135>

Bid $145." <I put 140>

I SHOULD have put UES & UWS as my rebids since neither seem to have a 4* as of today, but since MTW was the 4th box, I stupidly selected the first box - downtown - as my zone 1 rebid, and whatever the 2nd box was for my zone 2.

For $140 it gave me Tribeca Grand, which seems like a lot of people haven't been able to get when they've wanted it.

It will be interesting to see what happens if we get snowed in and can't leave Sunday. Guess I'm bringing the laptop!

Oh - forgot - rooms lists for $361 on their site, $440 on Priceline pick your own hotel.

[thereuare]

You didn't bid correctly, as the above approach should have never given you an opportunity to win a hotel in this zone.

[erinys]

It took a little bit, but figured it out - had already edited my post explaining how I messed up before I saw yours. Maybe it'll help someone else, but this works out better than expected. Thanks for the info. I never would have even tried Priceline without this forum, so I'm very grateful for your help.

[erinys]

Just an update. Even though we discounted, they did not relegate us to the lowest quality room. Rather than the $361/night basic Superior king, we received the $461/night grand king without requesting it. The service was flawless, altough the room was not my cup of, oh, in this case, tartini.

We called for the car 45 minutes prior to our departure, but the receptionist failed to call the garage, so we had a 25 minute wait (in a major snowstorm with buses and taxis getting stuck). We received such a good deal we did not complain, but because we waited more than 10 minutes for the car a marvelously courteous gentleman at the desk took off the valet parking fee on his own accord. I was impressed, and 2 friends who visited us there wanted the link to betterbidding. Thank you for your existence and assistance. We'll be back, and correctly use the appropriate links in the future.