derekjanzen Posted February 2, 2004 Report Posted February 2, 2004 Hi! I'm a (potential) first time priceline/hotwire user and am responsible for booking a 4* southbeach miami hotel for febraury 19-21 for 3 couples (one room per couple). Checking the hotels we want directly on their websites, i'm noticing they are starting at about $200+/night. we're willing to pay around $125-$140/night for a room. Any advice for a successful bid? Thanks!!
thereuare Posted February 3, 2004 Report Posted February 3, 2004 Welcome to BetterBidding!The first thing you may want to do, if you haven't already, is give this a read as it gives a general overview of Priceline and Hotwire: I"VE NEVER USED PRICELINE OR HOTWIRE. Remember, once a hotel accepts your price, you own it, and no cancellaions/refunds are allowed. Make sure your friends (or whoever else you are bidding for) know and agree to the 'unknown' of using Priceline. (it's really not that big of a deal, but since you own it once accepted, it's a good idea to 'clear' it with the other parties involved)You should also familiarize yourself with re-bidding, which is explained here: PRICELINE TIP: RE-Bidding Explained. If you don't understand re-bidding, or want to confirm which zones are re-bid zones for your bids (which we encourage), feel free to ask.When bidding Resort quality, you have 8 re-bid zones (again, if you're not sure of them, please confirm them with us); when bidding 4* quality level, you have 5 re-bid zones.Be aware that some hotels in these areas charge resort fees, and these are not included in your bid price (they'll be billed separately at check-out)This is how i would proceed:Select Miami South Beach, 3 rooms from the drop-down menu, and...Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone and....Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone and....Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone and....Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone and....Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone and....Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone and....Bid $130, if rejected add re-bid zone and....Bid $135, if rejected add re-bid zone and....Bid $140.If that is rejected, close that browser and start an entirely new bid from scratch.Select 4* Miami South Beach, 3 rooms from the drop-down menu, and...Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone and....Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone and....Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone and....Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone and....Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone and....Bid $120.I used your upper range as a maximum for the Resort level and your lower range as your maximum for a 4*.If both of the above are rejected, report back and i'll make some adjustments as to how to proceed after 72 hours.Feel free to ask any questions you may have regarding the above strategy.Good Luck (and don't worry about your heart beating a little faster as you wait for a response... it's normal :) ) Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
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