Priceline Hotel: Rome Jan 2008

[Rhine-and-Roses]

I stumbled on your site a few days ago and LOVE it. I've used Priceline twice- once awful, once great.

I'm not completely sure I understand everything, but I would like to get a 4-5 star hotel in central Rome for the 18-20 January, 2008. I have no clue how to go about it, and am not sure how much to bid on Priceline, although I did see a $140 bid accepted a while back on the Intercontinental. This is our first trip to Rome and my spoiled daughter has to have a nice hotel in a good location.

Is there a place to write about discount airlines, too? I have found it is often cheaper to take big airlines than discount with all the extras now tacked on. (RyanAir was more expensive than Lufthansa for our upcoming Frankfurt-Rome trip!) I'd like to share that with people.

Thanks!

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

What is your maximum bid for this stay? Are you willing to pay more for a 5* vs. a 4* or are you looking for the least expenisve 4* or better property for these dates. Are you seeking double occupancy?

You can add your airfare comments to the OTHER DEALS >> Airfare section of the board.

[Rhine-and-Roses]

I would be willing to pay up to $140 for a 5 star in central Rome, less for a 4 star. Is the $140 reasonable at the current exchange rate, or should I just go ahead with the lower star and bid lower? It looks like postings are saying deals are not to be had in Rome the way they are in other cities. However, we are going in the dead of winter and there are no holidays I can see at that time.

[thereuare]

I think the issue isn't just the 'deal level', but that the zones are quite large... i assume you've looked at the Rome Central zone and are fine with a hotel anywhere within the shaded region?

[Rhine-and-Roses]

I guess I just assumed Central Rome would give general access to the tourist circuit. I just placed a Priceline bid of $140 for a four star and was rejected. I don't know if it's best to wait and try that same price again on a different day, or to go down to a 4 star. The dollar keeps dropping, so I am not sure if that will affect winning bids or not. Let me know what you think.

[WillTravel]

The Central Rome zone is pretty large, and you could easily get a hotel that wasn't very central. However, there will be public transport available everywhere in that zone, within a few blocks.

The dropping dollar is sure to make an impact on Priceline price points. You can get an idea by checking the direct hotel rates for the Intercontinental for your dates, for which the cheapest rate is 230 Euros, which is about $325 USD. Based on that, I think a $140 bid is most unlikely. My perception is that Rome is a very expensive city for hotels in Europe, although the time you are going is about the cheapest possible.

I suggest finding a cancellable backup reservation so you will have a realistic idea of where to begin bidding. Venere.com and Booking.com are good sites for Rome.

[LoneStar]

I personally would not go above $140 on a 4-star Rome bid -- especially in winter. Plug your dates into these 2 sites: sidestep.com and kayak.com. From there, you will find some excellent deals for winter in Rome from wholesalers like GTA Hotels and venere. You can limit yourself to 4-star or better (and, for tourist purposes, I'd look only in central Rome) and then research the cheapest ones on tripadvisor. Find a good price on a hotel that gets at least 4-stars on tripadvisor and you'll be very happy. Not worth the gamble on priceline above $140 (and might not be worth the risk above $110).

[Rhine-and-Roses]

This time I used your link to try to bid on a five star hotel in Rome. This is what I did, with no luck.

Bid $140 for 5 star in Rome Central- refused

Bid $140 the next day, also refused, but they came back with a five star offer in Central Rome at $286 per night.

Next day bid $145 for 5 star in Central Rome. Refused, but countered with $258.

I did not take that, but now I am understanding how this works. Saw they have no five stars in Vatican, so added Vatican and kept the 5 star, but offered $147. Refused. Saw that there are no 5 stars in west, so bid on a five star including west Rome at $150. Refused, and no counter offer.

Wait it out, or what? I was on the Intercontinental web site and it appears they have lots of room. They are offering non-refundable rooms at about $100 below their normal rate. I was also considering going with a four star.

I was thinking of making a cancelable reservation and just keeping at this everyday. I am also considering going to a 4 star hotel. Note that my last posting said I bid on a 4 star, but I meant 5 star.

[thereuare]

With those counter-offers you're probably looking close to the $200+ area based upon current availability.