Priceline Hotel: Where are the 3* hotels really?

[toppshelff]

First time poster. Great information in here. Thanks to all.

I'm trying to book a room in Calgary. I've been running up the price for 4* using the fact that only Downtown has 4* and the 4 other neighborhoods don't. The lessons in here have been very valuable.

The price is getting high, so decided to drop down to a 3* at a lower price again. Unfortunately, as I tick different regions (unticking previously ticked regions), all but one have 3* hotels in them, so I can only do 2 bids, then wait 24 hours, etc.

However, when I try to purchase a hotel using Priceline, not by bidding, it lists five 3* hotels, only in 2 of the 5 areas. This seems different than the bidding system suggests.

So, do I take a chance, include these other regions that don't have a puchase 3* hotel available, although the bidding system suggests there is one there?

Do they work from different inventories?

Does the fact that I can't purchase suggest they are sold out, and therefore not likely to be availble for bidding?

Any of you guys dealt with this before?

BTW, when I get my deal, I will post details.

[tilepusher]

Priceline's inventory for its opaque and retail sites are different; as Priceline itself warns you when you bid, you may win a hotel that is not listed on the retail site. If Priceline allows 3* bids in a given zone, then you should assume that there is a 3* hotel available in that zone. Don't assume that a hotel is sold out because it's not coming up on the retail site: you should use the hotel's website to check rates and availability.

If, after thoroughly researching a zone, you're fairly certain that your bid won't be accepted in that zone, you can try adding that zone to your bid, but understand that you're taking a risk. I would strongly recommend not doing it unless you really need the extra bids; if you can afford to wait 24 hours, then I would do that. What dates are you bidding for?

[toppshelff]

Thanks for the quick reply. Great information. Bidding for Oct. 24-29. Recognize that the 24th seems to be expensive, I'm also trying 25-29 and 26-29. I can be patient and wait 24 hours, just wanted to double-check if I have another loophole to speed things up.

[thereuare]

How high have you bid already for a 4* (and for which dates was that bid made)

How high have you bid for a 3* (and for which dates)

Your other questions regarding priceline's "name your own price" inventory vs. their "retail product" have already been answered above, but you can also see the related links in our PRICELINE FAQ if you'd like to see further discussion on this subject.