jaxtobias Posted December 14, 2003 Report Share Posted December 14, 2003 Hi,I am very new at this but have been trying to watch boards to learn and get the best strategies. However, I have had no success in the last month trying for one night in January, starting out at $50. Today I tried the following again:Friday, Jan 2, one night3* FLL downtownFirst bid this zone at $65added Miramar for $72added Pompano for $76all rejected, not getting any counter offers eitherMy frustration lies in that I have seen successful (and much lower) winning bids (TOBB) for the exact same night in the zone I want; but if the hotels (trying for Emb. Suites or Marriott Marina) have supposedly not released rooms to Priceline, how are these being accepted? Do I just keep bidding higher each 72-hour "round"? Trip is only 3 weeks away and getting nervous. Thanks and sorry for ignorance! Link to comment
Randi66 Posted December 14, 2003 Report Share Posted December 14, 2003 Is your mind set on the downtown zone? Hotwire has a 3* at the Airport for 68. I think it might be the sheraton. Happy Travelling, Randi Link to comment
jaxtobias Posted December 14, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2003 Its for a pre-cruise night and trying to stay close to Port; second choice was 4* Beach zone (havent tried yet), then 3* Beach, but didnt want to get the Sheraton Yankee Clipper or Holiday Inn, unless desperate. Also, this is my first attempt at bidding for hotels, so Priceline seemed less intimidating! Thanks Link to comment
Randi66 Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 The airport is close to the port( but not as close as the beach). I think the sheraton has a free shuttle to the port as well( dont quote me on that though). If not, a taxi is around 10 bucks. I grew up in that area, so I am familar with it. Happy Travelling, Randi Link to comment
thereuare Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 Welcome to BetterBidding!First, have you booked a cancellable back-up? If so, where and how much?If you haven't booked a back-up yet... do it! It'll relieve some of the pressure and allow you to continue to bid this with a level head.If you're seeing others that have won for the exact same date in the exact same zone, there are 2 explanations for you now getting rejected:1) Those bids were placed earlier (days, weeks, months) when inventory is available and demand has now picked up, thus causing the hotels to pull their Priceline inventory (they may release inventory as check-in date approaches if the hotel feels that they will have excess inventory that they otherwise won't sell).2) Those bids were for multiple nites and you're only bidding for one nite. At certain times hotels may require multiple nite stays (or not allow check-in on a specific day of the week... often seen in Las Vegas where Saturday nite check-ins are hard to come by)Let me know the price of your maximum bid for each zone and we'll be happy to supply a bidding strategy to follow (as well as if you want to try the other zones now or not).BTW, i don't know why you would think that Priceline is less intimidating than Hotwire. With Priceline you have to choose a price to pay (and risk overpaying) while with Hotwire you are told the price and the amenities... the only decision you have to make is whether you want to buy what's offered. Hotwire is actually much less involved than Priceline. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
jaxtobias Posted December 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 Thanks - no I havent booked a backup yet - will do this week.As far as maximum bid for each zone, probably $80-85 for downtown & beach, $65 for airport - though I havent tried any other zones besides downtown yet, as that was my first choice, and was trying to hold out! But I can try those zones now as time is getting short. I have been bidding since mid-November, btw.Regarding Hotwire- to be honest I hadnt tried that yet, and only started with Priceline based on other posts that it was better/easier. Shame on me for assuming! :) I'll give a look! Thanks again! Link to comment
thereuare Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 Priceline is more popular simply because most of us prefer to try to save every last dollar and it's usually a little cheaper than Hotwire, but Hotwire is easier to use and also less risky in instances where there are "dud" hotels in a zone as it's easier to target (or avoid) properties based upon the amenities.A recent check on Hotwire doesn't show any inventory in the Downtown area for your date so i'm doubtful higher bids than what you already posted will be successful at this point, but this is how i would proceed:3* Downtown ZoneBid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $85If the above is rejected i'd next try:(close your current browser and start over with a completely new screen)4* Beach Zone(you have 4 re-bid zones when bidding 4* in this zone, feel free to cofirm your re-bid zones if you're unsure)Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $79, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $83, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $85If the above fails, you'll then have to decide if you'd prefer the Airport zone or the Beach zone (and 'risk' the Yankee Clipper which you said you were trying to avoid).Hotwire shows an Airport zone hotel for $65 which based upon the star rating and amenities shown i highly suspect is the Hilton. So you could probably do a little better than $65 in the Airport zone thru Priceline.One thing to note is that the zone boundaries with each service is not necessarily the same... most of the area covered is the same but the boundry lines are slightly different so you may want to double check the zones just to make sure you're ok with the entire area.Let us know if you have any questions regarding the above or if you move forward, how it goes. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
jaxtobias Posted December 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 Thank you so much, this is great! I will try today! :) Link to comment
Randi66 Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 Hotwire shows an Airport zone hotel for $65 which based upon the star rating and amenities shown i highly suspect is the Hilton. So you could probably do a little better than $65 in the Airport zone thru Priceline.Thereuare,I thought the Hiton was no longer?? Isnt it the Wyndam now. I thought the same thing about trying on Priceline for what I saw in the airport zone on Hotwire. I went up to 70 on Priceline when Hotwire was showing 86 and I was still denied. I dont think priceline is getting a lot of rooms yet. Happy Travelling, Randi Link to comment
thereuare Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 You're right, make that the Wyndham. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
jaxtobias Posted December 16, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 thereuare-Sorry was going to retry yesterday, but my 72 hours from Sunday wasnt up yet! when you wrote:4* Beach Zone(you have 4 re-bid zones when bidding 4* in this zone, feel free to cofirm your re-bid zones if you're unsure)Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $79, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $83, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $85Just to confirm, the 4 other rebids zones were - Miramar, Pompano, Airport and Coral Springs, and I'm trying just for the Hyatt 66, correct? Would I use the same strategy for Hotwire? And is there a way to bid on the AmeriSuites 3.5* ONLY, or are you always subjected to higher zones too? THX! Link to comment
jaxtobias Posted December 16, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 sorry I meant 2.5* AmeriSuites downtown, not 3.5*! Link to comment
thereuare Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 You got the re-bid zones right! Be sure to check these each time before you bid since hotels can be added at any time (and once a 4* or higher hotel is added to one of these zones it no longer qualifies as a re-bid zone). By the same token, the Hyatt Pier 66 is the only known 4* hotel in that zone, so i'd be fairly certain that would be the hotel you received, but again, a hotel can be added or upgraded at any time (and somebody has to be the first to report the addition/change).Hotwire is different in that there is no bidding involved (which is what makes it simpler to use). Hotwire will only show you one hotel per star level in each zone along with the price; they won't disclose the name of the hotel but they will show you the star rating and amenities that the hotel offers. You should see what is shown to you and then compare both the star rating and the amenities to what is already known here: Florida Hotwire Hotel List (be sure to read beyond the first post as there are more Ft. Lauderdale hotels in subsequent replies)I know the Embassy Suites and the other hotels mentioned in this thread are listed in the above link and you can use the information there to figure out what hotels Hotwire is presenting to you. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
jaxtobias Posted December 18, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2003 I am THRILLEd to report I FINALLY got my first winning bid on Priceline due to thereuare's GREAT advice (for one night pre-cruise on 1/2/04)!! THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU! I've been trying for weeks to just get a 3* FLL downtown with no success. After trying once more today, I finally won the 4* Hyatt Pier 66 - more than I could have asked for!! :o Here's my strategy, as you suggested:3* Downtown ZoneBid $70, rejected, added MiramarBid $80, rejected, added PompanoBid $85, rejectedClosed my browser and started over with a completely new screen:4* Beach ZoneBid $75, rejected and added Pompano,Bid $79 and WON!Was also offered the $10 cashback rewardI bid through savingsbarn.com. :) Now I won't sleep for two straight weeks!! :) You are the greatest! Thank you so much!! Link to comment
thereuare Posted December 18, 2003 Report Share Posted December 18, 2003 That's FANTASTIC news!! I'm very happy for you!I've heard excellent things about this hotel.Enjoy your stay and have a great time on the cruise.Make sure the cash back reward isn't a subscription to a 'club' with the first month free. A few months back there was something similar and it ended up being a subscription to some travel service that automatically billed your credit card each month (don't know if this is the 'deal' offered to you or not, just make sure you read the terms of whatever the $10 Cash Back was for)PS- as this is your first Priceline win you'll soon see that you'll have a hard time keeping your mouth shut about the 'deal' you got... it happens to all of us! Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
Randi66 Posted December 18, 2003 Report Share Posted December 18, 2003 Congrats!!As you all know Ive been trying for a few weeks for Ft. Laud Beach. I dont think I ever went up to 79$ though and I probably never picked a 4*, although I would have been thrilled with it.Im happy with what I got and I'm relieved its over and done with( the obsessing over it) Happy Travelling, Randi Link to comment
jaxtobias Posted December 19, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2003 Thanks again to thereuare and randi66 for your help and encouragement - you're right i'm going to tell everyone now! :) You're also correct that that $10 cash back was connected to travel/entertainment discount deal - and I did decline because it was first month free then $7 month auto-billed - no thanks! Unfortunately I dont travel that much (would love to) - but didnt want another bill for stuff I probably wouldnt use.Have a great holiday and new year!! Happy traveling! Link to comment
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