Priceline Hotel: 2.5*+ 5/20-5/28

[swimfan]

Willing to go as high as 150, I'd like to get 3 or 4* if possible but would be fine with a 2.5*. I will be working near times square and don't care about tourist stuff.

Since this is 8 days, would it be better to split up the bidding?

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Exactly which zone(s) are you willing to bid ("Time Square" is not a zone as defined by Priceline)

Let us know and we'll advise accordingly.

[swimfan]

I'm willing to bid any zone in manhattan. Also, I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask but what's the deal with rebidding? It doesn't seem like priceline stops me from trying the same bid repeatedly if I reopen the browser window and I don't get any warning about duplicate bids. Does it just automatically fail the bid if you've done the same one within a 24 hour period?

[thereuare]

You don't get the duplicate bid message until after you <try to> submit the bid... you then get a message stating that it's a duplicate bid.

Since it sounds as if you've already tried bidding, what bids have you tried which were rejected?

[swimfan]

I have tried from $100 to $150 in $10 increments for 3/4* and $90 for 2.5*. My very first bid attempt was for 3* and 4* for $100 in all the areas available in NYC. I kept trying and I never received a duplicate bid message, only that the site couldn't accept the of $amt and to try again. I've also tried going to 5/27 instead of 5/28 with no luck.

[thereuare]

Couldn't accept the dollar amount?

Is that exactly what it said?

Where you bidding from a screen that said "we weren't able to find a hotel at $100, but if you increase you bid to $xxx we will be able to find you a room"?

[swimfan]

I was bidding from the regular bid screen. I closed and reopened the browser window to get to the site and each time I've gotten "We're sorry, but we can't accept your offer of $110 for a hotel room in the New York City area. Your credit card has not been charged for Request Number" and to try again right now by changing one or more items. The dollar amount was whatever I had bid that time.

[swimfan]

Just an update. I waited another day and tried $150 for a 2.5* in every manhattan location and had no luck. Hotwire.com had (and I assume still has) rooms for 160 at the paramount. I've heard bad things about that particular hotel despite it's 3 star rating, but it looks like either this a bad time to bid or May is a real bad time to travel.