Priceline Hotel: 5* Las Vegas (Strip) Venetian

[browneyeddaisy]

Thank you for posting on this friendly site. I just got my head bitten off on TOBB about something so innocuous and benign.

We are also interested in booking the Venetian although for July 2-5 this year for our wedding anniversary. Please share anything - sound like you and probably most of the mbr's here are way smarter than me in getting better deals.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Are you familiar with RE-Bidding?

I took a look and expected rates to be very high due the holiday and it being a weekend... but it wasn't too bad ($195).

I would start bidding now trying to lowball rates and go as high as $120 (possibly $140 if you really want to try to pin this down). Plenty of re-bid zones available but if you need more specific help than that than just ask.

Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

[StSebastian]

You're definately not going to get $99 rates for that holiday weekend. If I really wanted to stay there and it was that holiday weekend, I'd go to $140 without thinking twice.

For something this important (versus just going out to Vegas for the weekend) I'd go higher than normal to make sure I got the place I wanted.

[browneyeddaisy]

Thanks!!! I won the bid for Venetian at $150/night for 07/1-07/4/04. I probably could have gotten it at $140 if I didn't get impatient. I did what you suggested by reading the re-bidding tips. I started with $120 and was rejected twice after adding the 1-2 zones then changed it to $140 after adding a 3rd zone and got rejected once. What I should have done was do $140 again after the 1st rejection and add another zone. But I'm very happy with this deal. Thanks a bunch!

Priceline like hotwire has this new ( new to me) vacation package icon on the top mid-center. I priced hotwire/priceline vacation packages for the above dates and it basically amounts to approx $200/night at the V.

BTW, do you have any suggestion on how to dispute something w/ priceline? they just double charged us on the same rental car we had for 1 wk - called customer service and they mentioned the no-refund policy. any suggestions? i'm still wide awake 'coz of jet lag - just been to the west coast last wk so i hope above makes sense.

We are mbrs of the oldest timeshare group on the web ( tug2.net) and I will definitely mention this site as well SavingsBarn.com

i should be putting my Badger logo here soon.

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your win!... glad it worked out for you.

Adding a re-bid zone and bidding the same amount doesn't accomplish anything so i don't think trying a 2nd time and $140 would have been successful. It also might have helped (if i read correctly) that you changed your dates to not include the nite of July 4.

Thanks in advance for mentioning us to Tug users... we can use all the help we can get in spreading the word about BetterBidding!

Enjoy your stay at the V and Happy Anniversary.

[bbbb]

Are you sure it was priceline that charged you twice or did the car rental company charge you the second time?If it was priceline just save your self some time and call your creditcard company and dispute it.They will see right away what happened by the same total twice,end of story.

[thereuare]

Ooops, sorry, forgot to answer about the Priceline dispute, but if bbbb guessed the scenario right in that Priceline charged you once and the car rental company charged you once... then it's good advice to just dispute with your credit card company.

[browneyeddaisy]

FYI ...Shoulda,coulda...Hotwire is offering a 5*at $171/night for the above dates. It doesn't give out names like it used to but a good guess is it's the V, Bellagio would be even better. If I did the H's double the diff deal, I would have had the V or Bllgio at $129/night that holiday weekend for an xcellent deal.

Hopefully somebody can benefit from this info...

As to the double charge on the rental car, Priceline did it. I'll try to dispute with the credit card but how useful is going to Priceline CSR? Should I ask for a supervisor or write a letter w/ official letetrhead.

Thanks. I should be better at this next time. How is PL or HT in hotels abroad , i.e. Costa Rica? I know this is a diff thread, sorry.

[thereuare]

I don't understand how Hotwire's 5* hotel at $171 would have benefited you given that you bought it at $150... did you see it elsewhere for under $171 that you could use the Double the Difference Guarantee?

If Priceline charged you twice for one purchase than i would email them to try to settle it as they should be able to clear it up quicker than getting your credit card company involved... after all it's easy to see two charges with the same confirmation number next to them. If it became too much of an ordeal (as it may very well since Priceline's customer service is less than stellar) than i would just challenge the charge with my credit card company.

[browneyeddaisy]

Thereuare. could you delete my last entry altogether re: a better rate than $150/night? I was booking another thing for work travel ( gov't rate travel) and got mixed up with my personal travel rate booking.

I'm including my bid info for the V per your missive under gen info:

PRICELINE:

Topic Title: 5*, Las Vegas, Venetian

Topic Description: 7/01-7/04 $150/night

Post: $120 rejected twice after adding a 2nd zone, $140 rejected once

booked 4/12

Offer Price: $150.00

Number of Rooms: 1

Number of Nights: 3

Travel Insurance: $15.00

Subtotal: $465.00

Taxes & Service Fees:

$57.42

Total Charges: $522.42

Check-In Date: Thursday, July 1, 2004

Check-Out Date: Sunday, July 4, 2004

Is above TMI ( too much info) or is this how you want the info posted?

Thanks again.

[browneyeddaisy]

HOW TO UPGRADE?

Now that I've gotten the Venetian Suite ( standard room suite at the V w/ or w/o guaranteed view) I want to attempt to upgrade . Any suggestions on how to upgrade to the V's New Tower - Venezia concierge suites w/ guaranteed view(sep elevator/sep checkin/top4story)- I received this suite info on the V site - the V site this site has a cute callback feature under reservations - where you put your callback number and they call you right away for reservations...

Sorry if this is a newbie question again - I scanned all threads and could not find this one...

[thereuare]

I don't think you'll be able to upgrade your Priceline room.

But this is Vegas, so a $20 tip at check-in may help.

[bturner13]

Oh! 4th of July weekend in Vegas!! Now that's a $50 Tip, I'm sure. Since this is a special occasion do tell the check-in staff this and ask for some special considerations as you hand over the $50 bill! Dress nicely and have a big smile! :)