Priceline Hotel: 4* Berlin - Bidding strategy

[ezed]

This will be our 1st visit to Berlin and we'll be tourists (1 senior couple and 1 senior , 2 rooms) in the city for 7 nites starting 4 Oct. We are looking for a central location. I think this means "Tiergarten" and "East" zones, but I would like suggestions as to the best PL zone for us. We will have the 7-day train/bus passes.

We do have a backup hotel, the Park Inn on Alaexanderplatz 7 (located in PL East zone), at euro 102/nite (breakfast and tax included).

I have looked at the PL hotel list here and put the few 4* in the list on a Google "mashup" at http://no_screenshots_please.com/2o5l3b . I worry that we might get a "far out" hotel such as Park Plaza Berlin, way east in East zone.

So, I would appreciate any suggestions on location and bidding strategy for a 4* in central location.

Thanks again for such a helpful service.

[thereuare]

I worry that we might get a "far out" hotel such as Park Plaza Berlin, way east in East zone.

If you can't accept a hotel anywhere in the zone then i wouldn't bid that zone.

[WillTravel]

See my other posts on this forum about the good deals you can get with Accorhotels.com and other web sites, in Berlin particularly. Berlin Priceline zones just aren't that great, in my opinion. You are taking a big risk, with the East zone, in my opinion of getting a way-out hotel, even with bidding for a 4*. The HOTWIRE zones are somewhat better. It's not at all rare to get a very good Berlin hotel for 70 Euros or less, tax-inclusive, so consider whether Priceline is really a good deal in this instance.

[rapazfreiburg]

Also, if you do want to have breakfast at the hotel, your rate of EUR102 with breakfast being included is a very decent rate, I think. The Park Inn at Alexanderplatz has, due to its location, excellent transport connections.

[ezed]

Thanks to all for the useful info. We'll check out the booking sites mentioned .

And book thru Savingsbarn.

[WillTravel]

Note that for the Park Inn for your dates, Hotel Club has a rate of 92 Euros including breakfast for a double room. (I think there's a BetterBidding link to this also.) The drawback is that it's prepaid, but cancellable up to a certain point for a 15 Euro fee.

For a first-time sightseeing visit, I would consider the area around and between the Melia Berlin and the Westin Grand and the Radisson SAS to be ideal.

Note that the Park Plaza for your dates has a prepaid rate of 58 Euros per night, so I think you are right to be concerned about getting it on a bid.

[ezed]

Thanks for the tips, including that for HotelClub.com . I'm not comfortable with the prepaid part on this booking agent, although I see that it's part of Cendant. But I will keep it in mind . I checked the forums for Hotelclub.com and found a few mixed comments. I wonder what recent experience has been withHotelClub.com. Also, I didn't see any way of using them thru SavingsBarn.

[thereuare]

For non-Priceline purchases please check out own SUPPORT PAGE (link found on the top right of every page of the forum)

We don't have a link to HotelClub, but if the community has an interest in it we will apply for a link.

[WillTravel]

Whenever I have a third-party booking, if I am at all concerned about it, I contact the hotel for confirmation that they've received it - whether it's Priceline, Hotwire, Expedia, HotelClub, or whatever. Once the hotel has agreed that you have a reservation, you are all set, in my opinion.

Most of the problems I have read with HotelClub or any other third-party site relate to the hotel claiming that it never received a reservation. So I think most of the problems are due to the specific hotels being uncooperative or negligent (by not reading and recording their emails or faxes with the bookings).

[ezed]

Thanks for the comments and ideas. I'll reconsider the HotelClub plan .