Priceline Hotel: Montreal 9/9 - 9/13

[TerryP]

Hi there. I am bidding on Priceline for a 3* hotel in Montreal (downtown) from Sept 9 - Sept 13 (4 nights). So far I have bid $50US, $53US, $55US, and again $55US with no luck. I'm wondering if I should go higher or stick around the $55US mark for a while? I have done some research and found the following for 3* rates for my dates:

Novotel - 130 US

Delta - 175 US

Holiday Inn Select - 140 US

Hyatt - sold out

Appreciate any advice. Thanks.

[thereuare]

I think you're going to have to raise your maximum bid.

Do you have a back-up reservation? (if so, where and how much)

[TerryP]

I don't have a backup reservation at this time. I will get on that though. I have stayed before at a very basic little hotel called Hotel St Andre that I can usually get for $110 CAN.

I have no problem raising my max bid - I was expecting to pay at least $60 US. Do you have any recommendation as to what I should raise my bid to?

Thanks.

[thereuare]

I would think that you could be successful under $75 or so... but let us knowyour maximum and we will suggest a strategy to follow, one which goes up to your maximum but also makes sure you don't overbid.

Please keep your figures in US dollars so it's easier to follow.

[TerryP]

My max is $80 US.

[thereuare]

I think there is a chance you could ge ta 4* hotel for your maximum bid... would you want to try for that first or would you prefer a 3* property for a little less?

[TerryP]

I would prefer to go for a 3* for less. Tonight I tried $60 US for a 3* and was again unsuccessful.

Thanks.

[thereuare]

As you don't have any re-bid zones at the 3* level there's not much you can do other than increase by $5 each day for the next few days, but i'll add the following....

Since you'll be increase your bid in the next 24 hours, once your 3* bid fails i would try bidding 4* for $5 more.

So once 3* $60 fails, you could then bid:

Select 4* Downtown and a re-bid zone...

Bid $65.

The above is allowed since you're no longer bidding 'just' Downtown, with the above you're also adding a re-bid zone. If the 4* fails then the following day you could try:

So once 3* $65 fails, you could then bid:

Select 4* Downtown and a re-bid zone...

Bid $70.

And so-on....

Make sense?

[TerryP]

Yes I understand. Since I had just bid 3* at $60 about an hour ago I just tried 4* at $65. Still unsuccessful.

Tomorrow night I will try 3* at $65 and then 4* at $70 (by adding a rebid zone).

If that doesn't work then on Wednesday night I'll try 3* at $70 and then 4* at $75.

Hopefully I'll be successful by then. I will post what happens. Thanks.

[TerryP]

Hi there. I have been unsuccessful at $80 USD for a 3*. I find this odd because I have postings where people got hotels for August for less (and August should be a more expensive time than September). Do you think this is because I choose a Saturday night for my first night's stay? Also do you think I should continue trying to bid in hopes that more inventory gets added to Priceline? Does this happen since the check-in date is more than a month away?

Thanks,

Terry

[thereuare]

How high are you willing to bid?

I suspect you're not too far off as HOTWIRE has a 4* hotel for $102/nite.

[TerryP]

Well I have a B&B booked for $70 a night. But I would prefer a 3* hotel. I'm not going much above the $80. Probably not at all.