Priceline Hotel: Bidding Advice Please

[Kimni]

I would like to bid on a Resort in the Orlando, Universal Drive Area. My Resort choices appear to be Renaissance or JW Marriott. The regular Priceline rates are listed as $139 for Renaissance and $329 per night for JW Marriott. I'm afraid I'll end up with the Renaissance since I haven't seen any current JW Marriott wins. The Renaissance is under construction and I'd prefer not to get this hotel. Is there anything I can do to better my chances at landing the Marriott. My stay is for the first week Oct 2006. Thanks.

[byeloe]

There is nothing you can do to target a particular hotel. If you bid higher trying to avoid a particular hotel(or target a different one) you risk a serious overbid and ending up paying extra for the hotel you are trying to avoid

[thereuare]

My stay is for the first week Oct 2006

What are the actual date(s) of your stay?

[Kimni]

My dates of stay are 10/3-10/10. If I bid, say $150 - could they put me in the Renaissance? Their regular rates are currently at $139 for that week. It doesn't seem right for Priceline to put a customer in a hotel with a rate higher than the hotel's actual rate. How do they get away with that? Thanks

[thereuare]

Priceline has a best rate guarantee so you would be able to make a claim for the difference, but remember, you name the price, all priceline is doing is seeing if a hotel is available at the price you named.

Have you tried HOTWIRE or EasyClickTravel, where you probably use techniques to be reasonably confident you won't end up at a hotel you are trying to avoid.