Priceline Hotel: 3* London (Kensington) Holiday Inn Forum South

[WillTravel]

Bid through SavingsBarn.com

Your Offer Price: $64.00

Number of Rooms: 1

Number of Nights: 2

Subtotal: $128.00

Taxes & Service Fees:

$30.01

Total Charges: $158.01

Holiday Inn London Kensington South

Check-In Date: Friday, July 23, 2004

Check-Out Date: Sunday, July 25, 2004

Kensington - Earls Court - Knightsbridge

97 Cromwell Road

London, United Kingdom

44 20 7370 5757

Hotel web site: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/h.../hd/lonhi?irs=y

Lowest rate available: 70 pounds/night total: advance, nonrefundable purchase

When converted to pounds, my total payment is about 83 pounds for the two nights, so a substantial savings over 140 pounds.

Note that there are at least two Holiday Inns in Kensington, which is why I included the address. Priceline calls this one the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum, and it's across the street from another one at 100 Cromwell Road.

Within the past few days, numerous bids for numerous zones have failed and I received numerous counteroffers.

But to cut to the chase: A few days ago, I was counteroffered $71 for 3* Kensington (I think I started with $56). Working with other zones (Bloomsbury and Mayfair), I bid up to $63 and did not succeed.

I then contemplated whether I should wait longer, since I have 5 months. I investigated what the dollar (Canadian in my case) was likely to do against the pound - the verdict is that it will fall. So I figured I had nothing to lose by bidding this far out.

Today I opened with a bid of $64 and succeeded. Now, of course, I wonder if I should have tried with lower bids all over again, but I can't complain. $64, as of today's exchange rates, is equal to 34 pounds. I doubt that Priceline will offer much better deals than this in the next few months - when exchange rates are considered this deal is comparable in price to the deals people got last summer.

Mostly positive reviews: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g1...on_England.html

I've never stayed in Kensington, but this time I am returning through Heathrow, so the location is convenient. Plus, there are some concerts I might attend in the area. This hotel is very close to the Gloucester Road tube stop, on the Piccadilly line.

[thereuare]

Glad to see you picking these days up as they present themselves (or as you hunt them out for that matter!)

... and thanks for the support!! :)

[WillTravel]

I checked my bid acceptance once again today from my profile and this hotel has been rerated to a 4* hotel.

I have this added text "Congratulations, you got your price of $64 for a hotel room, and we've upgraded your hotel quality level to a 4-star hotel!"

I did not have that upgrade message a few months ago when I bid nor in the few times I checked it since then. Expedia says this is 4* also.

It's slightly hilarious given my usual style of travel that I now have 4* hotels in every city for my European trip (in 5 weeks, 1 day, but who's counting).