Using the 'Choose Your Own Hotel' option on PL

[norwegianwife]

Was wondering if anyone has ever used the available hotels in the 'Choose your own hotel' section as a guide on how to bid in the 'name your own price' section. For Example:

I am going to bid on a 4* in Berlin and if you select the 'Choose your hotel' option, Priceline will show you a selection of all star levels at a certain price. My question is, do you think the prices and properties are a good reflection of what inventory is available on Priceline? For example, in the East they have the Art 'otel for $82 a night. and in tiergarten they have the Art 'Otel and the Savoy for $84 and $87 respectively, if I choose name your own price and start around 55 or so, what are the chances I will get one of these properties?

Just curious if you ever base you bidding strategies on what Priceline shows in the 'choose your own hotel' section???

I will be a guinea pig and try it. But I am wondering what the odds are, not only in this city, but also others, of pre determining which hotels you will actually receive?

Just wanted to know if anyone else had thought of this and experimented with it?

[norwegianwife]

Hmmm, I did a search on Priceline for Hamburg for the dates that we have already won the Renaissance for $70. In the choose your own hotel section, there were only 2 hotels that were more expensive than the Renaissance. you could choose the Renaissance for $166, we won it for $70. They had the Le Meridien for $109 and the Novotel for $85. So, I guess my theory is pretty much out the window.

I just assumed that Priceline would give you the hotel in their inventory that was closest to your bid. So, by bidding the East in Berlin, I could get the Art 'Otel or the Westin for the same price, even though they are $70 apart in price in the 'choose your own hotel' section!

There has to be a rhyme and a reason to the way Priceline does things!!!!!!

Still an interesting thing to look at before placing your bid. Maybe after time we can notice some trends. Maybe not!!! Food for thought!

[GM Mike]

Here is the key concept you're missing: Not all hotels listed in "Choose Your Own" are available in the bidding section. The inventory is separate and determined by each hotel.

Sorry. :)

[norwegianwife]

Here is the key concept you're missing: Not all hotels listed in "Choose Your Own" are available in the bidding section. The inventory is separate and determined by each hotel.

Yes, I kind of figured that my theory didn't hold water when I did the search for Hamburg and the hotel we won for $70 could be bought for $166 in the 'choose your own' section and it wasn't even close to being the cheapest option. All of the hotels we have won in Europe so far have been in the 'Choose your own hotel' section with the exception of Prague, where the Movenpick was not listed.

Just thought I was on to something and wanted to see if anyone else had noticed patterns or trends!!!

[dahammer]

There has to be a rhyme and a reason to the way Priceline does things!!!!!!

GM Mike is correct, Priceline has ZERO inventory. Priceline serves as a "market maker" that matches up offers and bids. Hotels "offer" rooms at a specified price, customers submit "bids". If your bid matches the offer price, you get your room and if your bid is above the hotel's offer price, priceline really makes out and collects a tidy fee for its efforts. It has to pay Captain Kirk for his TV Spots!! :)

The Choose Your Own section is just like making an Expedia or Orbitz search

[Chris26WI]

Well, yes, don't put too much into the "choose your own hotel" option... I made the mistake myself, too, for a bid for Singapore lately. I was assuming that only these properties with displayed photo/logo, star classification and displayed price for "c.y.o.h." might come up in the "bid"-option... well, I was a little bit wrong, as I got a hotel in the bidding section which was at least listed in the "c.y.o.h." section but without price display.

Anyway, I think it's helpful to determine the stars' category for a stars' hotel in the bidding section.. as usually the star classifications "should" be the same for "c.y.o.h." and "bid". (So I still believe that the Inter-Continental Singapore might be a "3 star" in the bidding option - because it's listed as a 3 star in the "c.y.o.h.".. - though it should be officially a 4 or 5 star of course..).

[WillTravel]

I have read that Priceline obligates some customers (like Marriott) to provide a set number of rooms per month, with the option of providing more. Thus, you can sometimes get a Priceline room at a hotel that appears to be sold-out.

But I agree there's no connection between the choose-your-own price availability and the "standard" non-opaque Priceline hotel availability. Possibly there is some connection with vacation packages, but that is far from foolproof.

For Berlin, I again strongly suggest looking at the Accorhotels site (through the Betterbidding link). You can get hot Deals and summer specials right now at very competitive rates for Berlin.