Priceline Hotel: San Juan Bidding Help

[emannths]

I'm new to the Priceline game, and I realize that in general it is best for people who have rather loose requirements for location, etc. However, it seems that the San Juan hotel list (assuming it is up to date) is rather manageable and predictable. I have a cancellable backup at the Radisson in San Juan for $193/night, but if I can snag a room at the Marriott or Caribe Hilton for less, that would be great (Condado Plaza would be fine too, but I gather it's not quite as nice as the other two). My concern is that because I can't specify the location within "San Juan," I may end up with a room in the Carolina/Isla Verde area (e.g., Intercontinental, El San Juan), which while not a deal-breaker, would certainly make me reconsider whether it's worth it to go with Priceline.

Based on what I've read here, it looks like bids are almost always accepted for the Hilton or Marriott before these other locations. Is this accurate? How uncertain is it that I wind up having a bit accepted at one of the other places?

Assuming I go ahead with this, what should my bidding strategy be? Start off at ~$75 and work my way up in $5 increments?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[thereuare]

You are correct, if you bid "San Juan" on Priceline you can easily end up in the Isla Verde section.

If you'd prefer to be able to target a specific hotel/area HOTWIRE may be a better option. On HOTWIRE there is currently a 3* showing for your dates, believed to be the Radisson, for $139/nite.

Let us know if you would rather go the HOTWIRE route (please use links in this thread if you do) or with priceline. If you decide to go with priceline we'll then have a closer look at your dates and suggest a strategy to follow (but it doesn't pay to research prices and a strategy for your dates if you're still just "thinking" about using their service).

Let us know your thoughts on the above or any questions that you may have.

[emannths]

Thanks for the response. Is the hotel list in this forum correct? If so, while I have a preference for the Condado area, a cheap room at a nice place in the Isla Verde area (e.g. Intercontinental) would be a fine consolation prize. It would just mean a couple longer cab rides (we're going to a wedding just west of the lagoon).

I've already booked plane tickets for this trip, so I'm ready to start bidding. It's high season, so the Caribe Hilton is going for no less that $340 a night on their website. All except for the Condado Plaza ($250) are going for over $300. What strategy would you recommend?

[thereuare]

Is the hotel list in this forum correct?

See the related link in our PRICELINE FAQ.

What is your maximum bid?

[emannths]

I'd be willing to bid up to about $175 a night. I did read the FAQ regarding the hotel list that states that it is as up to date as possible but not necessarily perfect. The main reason that I was inquiring was because I haven't seen wins for the Wyndham Condado Plaza or El San Juan posted here.

[thereuare]

They may not have been reported in awhile, but they have been reported.

Have you tried the SEARCH function of the board (all wins are painstaking kept in the same format, so that you can search for "condado" and "topic titles only" to see wins for the the Wyndham Condado Plaza since that would likely be the only thread with 'condado' in the topic title). Here is just one example of the El San Juan and here is one of the Wyndham Condado Plaza

The following likley won't be successful, but with plenty of time before your stay this is how i would begin:

At the Resort level you have two re-bid zones available. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.

Select Resort...

Bid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $85, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select Resort and re-bid zone2...

Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $110.

Any questions feel free to ask.

Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

[emannths]

Select Resort...

Bid $65, REJECTED add re-bid zone1 (Mayaguez - Isabela)...

Bid $85, REJECTED close browser and re-access priceline

Select Resort and re-bid zone2 (Dorado)...

Bid $100, REJECTED add re-bid zone1...

Bid $110. REJECTED

Is the strategy in these cases to go right back to it in 24 hours or wait a week or so, given that this trip isn't for a few months?

[thereuare]

I would continue bidding since the above bids were a bit low for these dates (and the strategy was prefaced by "The following likley won't be successful...")

As well, you're back-up is more expensive and for a lower quality hotel, so even if you get accepted higher than you have alrady bid, it will be a "win" since it would still be less expensive and a higher rated hotel than your back-up.

I would try the following on your next round of bidding:

Select Resort...

Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $120, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select Resort and re-bid zone2...

Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $130.

If the above is rejected then i would consider waiting a few weeks and then we'll update the strategy at that time based upon current rates.

[emannths]

via savingsbarn.com

Select Resort...

Bid $100, REJECTED, add re-bid zone1...

Bid $120, REJECTED close browser and re-access priceline via savingsbarn

Select Resort and re-bid zone2...

Bid $125, REJECTED add re-bid zone1...

Bid $130. REJECTED

I'll follow your advice and try again in a few weeks. I'll bump this thread then. Thanks for your guidance so far.