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Priceline Hotel: Noobie needs help w/ Bidding


aumonkey
By aumonkey,
in

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I've never bid on Priceline before tonight and reading lots of material on this forum. I'm trying to find a hotel in Orlando for 3/4-3/7. It's for my honeymoon so I tried for the Peabody. My FW has been wanting to go to SeaWorld for a while so I'm suprising her and we're going there one day while we're down there. Anyway, I bid $70 on the Universal Studios - Sea World 4* area after seeing the Peabody going for $75 and got denied. Then I rebid for $75 and added Sand Lake Corporate Park 4* and resort (added automatically.) And got denied again. And now I'm stuck on what to do. I don't mind getting one of the resorts in the Seaworld area but I would rather have the Peabody. So should I add another zone (which one?) and bid $80 or what do ya'll think.

P.S. I'm trying not to break the bank I just graduated and she's still in college.

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Hello aumonkey - you can use this free zones for rebid, if you're bidding for 4* or higher. If you decide to go for a 3* in SW/US zone, don't use the Maitland or Downtown Orlando zone.

Kissimmee

Downtown Orlando

Maitland

Orlando East

Sand Lake Corporate Park

West Disney Area

Winter Park

The best way to do this is to start bidding on resorts. When you're out of free zones. Close PL and start over again bidding on 4*. Please start your bidds with the savingsbarn.com link.

FYI. Some bidders has been uppgraded to the Renaissance resort when trying for the Peabody. There is a construction going on right now at the Renaissance. You better ask the resort about the staus about pool and restaurants.

Feel free to ask about advice if you don't get lucky. Good luck!

Henrik.

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Thanks for the help. I guess I'll have to go with a three star. I've bid up to $88 (about $300 total stay) and added 6 free zones and still denied. I forgot about the referal link the first time but I used it this morning when I started rebidding.

edit: When I did my first rebid this morning I added a new free zone, I didn't just start from scratch.

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To be honest, I would't give up this fast. If $88 is your maximum would I try that a few times during the week. But $88 it feels on the lower side for this time at Disney. But you never know. I don't know if the spring break has begun during your dates. Have you checked the rack rate for Peabody?

Ok, you can use this zones for 3*

Kissimmee

Orlando East

Sand Lake Corporate Park

West Disney Area

Winter Park

Please post your outcome on the board.

Henrik.

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I just checked on the peabody website and the lowest room they have then is $225. I bid at $75 because that's were others have gotten it. If I try say tomorrow at $88 would I have to add a new free-bid area because it hasn't been 72 hours? Thanks for your help, like I said I'm new to this.

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No problem, you don't have to wait 72 hours, it's only 24 hours now. Start at $75 and work your way to your maximum. If you see similar dates for last year on the board so go for it. I just don't know about the spring break issue here.

So when you can bid again start with the resort and use this free zones only.

Kissimmee

Downtown Orlando

Maitland

Orlando East

Sand Lake Corporate Park

West Disney Area

Winter Park

If no dice. Start over and select 4* with theese free zones only.

Kissimmee

Downtown Orlando

Maitland

Orlando East

Sand Lake Corporate Park

West Disney Area

Winter Park

If no dice. Start over and select 3* with theese free zones only. (If you decide to go for 3*)

Kissimmee

Orlando East

Sand Lake Corporate Park

West Disney Area

Winter Park

Good luck!

Henrik.

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yellowdog,

If aumonkey isn't familiar with re-bidding, and how to check re-bid zones before his/her purchase, what would happen if one of the zones above added a higher star rating this afternoon? (either thru a new hotel added to the inventory or a lower rated star hotel being upgraded) :)

aubmonkey, i'd highly recommend reading Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and learning how to check your re-bid zones before you bid so that you don't end up in an area you don't want to be in.

As well, is the Unversal-SW area the only zone you want to be in? Although you mention making a visit to Sea World during your stay, will you also be visiting Disney? Have you considered other nearby zones in order to increase your chances?

I also would not bid up to your limit for a 3* property... i'm seeng plenty of 3* hotels under your price range, enough that you could at least pick the one you want (for your honeymoon) rather than leave it up to chance.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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I am comfortable with how to find the free rebid zones. I just checked and the only one with a 4* is the Sea World one. That's not the only zone I'd stay in but I saw the 4* going for the price I was going to pay for a regular hotel and decided to try for it. We're going to Sea World and Busch Gardens but not Disney. I'll wait until tomorrow morning and try again.

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I am comfortable with how to find the free rebid zones
My comments above weren't directed at you specifically, but more just as an example as to why we dont' just tell people "bid $x, add zoneB, add zoneC" and rather say "add re-bid zone". Even though the original poster may understand re-bidding, future users may not (and months from now) there could be another user following the exact same strategy (when the re-bid zones may have changed). Ask me how i know :)
I just checked and the only one with a 4* is the Sea World one
You don't just need a zone that has 4* hotels, but one that doesn't offer any properties above 4* (so in other words, only offers hotels that are rated 3* and lower). One of the zones in this region doesn't offer 4* bidding, but does offer Resort level bidding (which is considered higher than 4*)... therefore this zone is not a re-bid zone.
I saw the 4* going for the price I was going to pay for a regular hotel and decided to try for it
Now that you have bid up to your maximum and that isn't currently available for your date, do you want to wait it out and hope it becomes available, book your alternate hotel, raise your maximum bid amount, or try to get a better higher rated hotel than your back-up in one of the other nearby zones.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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