Priceline Hotel: 3* Copley or Downtown, maybe Cambridge?

[papyrifera]

What a great site! Thank You!

I've read extensively on your site tonight and have made my bids on savingsbarn.com. So far I've had no success but I'm on a very tight budget. I looked at the history of successful offers for 3* hotels in the Copley and Downtown areas and made the following bids for 7-6 to 7-9, which is the least expensive block of time for these hotels on Priceline and Hotwire (the preceding and following days list at a higher rate):

$50 Copley, $55 Copley + Brighton, $60 Copley + Medford, $65 Copley + Brighton + Medford

$50 Downtown, $55 Downtown + Brighton, $60 Downtown + Medford, $65 Downtown + Brighton + Medford

I'm considering adding Cambridge to the attempt but have seen higher winning bids there and am also wondering if anybody has used the subway to get to downtown Boston from Cambridge.

Do you have any suggestions for me other than getting a higher-paying job? *smile*

[vayla]

Hi papyrifera,

My husband and I were in Boston earlier in the month and stayed in the Back Bay and Copley Square. We got the 3* Hilton for $70 and the 3* Copley Square Hotel also for $70. We tried bidding lower, but couldn't get anything. We bid for a 2.5* starting in Cambridge (hoping for the Residence Inn or Courtyard) at $60 and then added Downtown and Copley at $5 increments and got upgraded to the 3* Hilton. The room we got at the Hilton was just fabulous. The room at the Copley Square hotel was just okay, but still a great deal. The location is good for restaurants and sightseeing. We took the subway as well and it works great for getting around and is easy to figure out. You can check out the MBTA website for schedules and maps.

It is a good idea to check the hotel websites to see if the hotel is booked up or not. When we were there many of the colleges were holding graduation ceremonies, so most of the hotels in Cambridge were booked solid. That way you don't waste your time bidding for something that is not even available.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

If budget is the primary concern i don't think you have anything to lose by trying the Cambridge zone... assuming you'd be happy with a hotel in that area. However, not sure if you're willing to go higher than $65 or not, but you do have additional re-bid zones and bidding oportunities available if you wanted to bid higher.

Boston's "T" is usally pretty good, but it does stop running (either at midnite or 1am-2am, i forget which) which may be a consideration if you're the type that likes to stay our late at nite (or the morning, as the case may be :) )

My guess, as a ballpark, is that you're probably looking at $80-$100 for the areas you have already bid.

Let us know how you'd lik to proceed and we'll advise accordingly.