Priceline Hotel: 4* DC (White House-Downtown) Loews Madison

[S. Spade]

Just spent quite a few long hours trying to get a decent price on a 2 night stay, Sunday and Monday Oct 22nd and 23rd, checking out on the morning of the 24th.

Tried 4 stars, prices $50 to $100 in the White House, Convention Centre, and Dupont Circle areas, then later repeated it all with 3 stars, and still no luck. Even tried 2.5 stars in all those areas, prices up to $77, still no luck.

This all seems quite a bit higher than all the recent posted successes. Which got me wondering if this is some special time I'm unaware of (I'm Canadian). We didn't have any troubles at all getting a good deal the week before in Baltimore.

Want to do the tourist thing for a couple of days, so access to transit is a must. We'll have our car, but don't really want to drive everywhere. And would prefer not to have 45 minute transit rides everywhere as well, of course.

I understand the fact that one day is Sunday, the other Monday might affect things, but bidding separately seems dicey for such a short trip. Spending hours moving hotels when we've only got two days seems a waste, as well as not knowing if we'll get the second day after committing to the first day, etc.

Any general thoughts/advice appreciated.

[thereuare]

We didn't have any troubles at all getting a good deal the week before in Baltimore

I'm assuming you won a 'good deal' on Priceline? If so, please help others by sharing your previous successful bid with the board, we'll then try to answer your question(s) above.

[S. Spade]

Ok, didn't think that was relevant, it was 3 months ago, and before I even found this site.

3-star

Baltimore Wyndham Inner Harbor

October 12, 2006

$65

[thereuare]

Nobody looking for Baltimore hotel information will know to look here to learn about your win at the above hotel... please post your win in the Priceline Maryland section of the board.

Thanks.

[S. Spade]

Well yeah, that's because I was asking about Washington, not Baltimore. :)

Posted. http://www.betterbidding.com/show.php/showtopic/28602

[thereuare]

Washington DC is another one of those cities where there is almost always something going on... political meetings, conventions, tourists, etc. This is especially true during weekdays (rather than weekends) when 'business' is usually held. When rates thru 'conventional means' are high, it will typically take a higher than usual bid to get accepted as well.

Looking in particular at your dates, i checked two hotels (4 star properties) and found both of them to have rates over $300/nite... which is higher than when we typically see these hotels accept at sub-$100 bids.

Is $100 your maximum bid? Do you have a back-up reservation anywhere?

[S. Spade]

No backup reservation anywhere. Worst case we can drive a while and find some motel 6 etc.

I wasn't too surprised when the 4*'s were refusing sub $100, but it was when the 2.5*'s were also refusing at $80 levels as well.

I guess we can branch out a bit region wise, is there anywhere we should avoid because it's not on the transit lines?

And yes, don't really want to go over $100. Even that's way more than we usually spend on a hotel, we're plain folks. :)

[S. Spade]

Update. After trying every single 4* up to $100 one more time, thought we'd try the first night only. After bidding $72, was told we should try again immediately for only $22 more. Did so, and got a hotel that no one seems to have had before:

The Madison, A Loews Hotel

4* (White House - Downtown)

Sun, Oct 22, 2006

$94

Immediately tried the Add A Night, but it refused. Had my hopes up there, guess that was unrealistic when it had previously turned down $100.

So, we thought that tomorrow we'd give them a call and see what they want for adding another night. Give 'em a chance to show off that world famous service.

Otherwise, we'll be hunting for another place for the 2nd night.