Priceline Hotel: 4* Miami (Airport MIA) Marriott Doral

[yazzy]

This is my first post as that was my first bid. Nervewracking!

I started with a bid of $75 for a 4* South Beach (February 2008) and used the strategy of adding zones without a 4*. Added Dadeland, Miami Gables, North Miami and Southwest Miami. Last bid there was $110.

Then I added Miami Beach and bid $115 and was not successful.

Will keep trying!

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

You can certainly be bidding more systematically than you have been.

What are the actual date(s) of your stay? What is your maximum bid?

[yazzy]

Dates of stay are Feb. 10 - 13, 2008.

My maximum is $150.

What do you suggest?

Thanks in advance.

[thereuare]

...used the strategy of adding zones without a 4*. Added Dadeland, Miami Gables, North Miami and Southwest Miami...

You do have 4 re-bid zones available in this zone when bidding 4 stars, but Coral Gables is NOT one of them... not sure if you're actually adding this property or if that was a typo, but if you're adding this zone on your 4 star bidding you can end up there. If you're unsure of the fourth re-bid zones see Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask the board any questions you may have or if you want to confirm your re-bid zones with the board.

If you have your four re-bid zones understood, i would try as follows up to your maximum bid:

Select 4* South Beach...

Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $125, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* Miami Beach...

Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $125, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* South Beach and Miami Beach...

Bid $130, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $135, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $145, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $150.

Any questions feel free to ask.

Good Luck and let us know how it goes

[yazzy]

Thanks for that. That was a typo on my part - what I was adding was Miami Lakes, not Coral Gables.

I see how that strategy works - very helpful.

I followed your suggestion to the letter but was not successful.

[thereuare]

I'm not surprised as i didn't think $150 would currently be enough.

Do you have an acceptable back-up reservation, want to lower your star rating, raise your maximum bid, or wait it out?

[yazzy]

3.5* South Beach

Dates: Feb 10, 2008 - Feb 13, 2008

Rate: $159

Amenities:

Boutique Hotel

Fitness Center

High-Speed Internet Access

Near Beach

Pool(s)

Tripadvisor Rating: 3.0

Thanks.

[yazzy]

We will be staying post cruise for 3 nights in Miami. We would prefer South Beach or Miami Beach 4*.

Would consider Coral Gables, Downtown, or North Miami Beach but prefer not to rent a car. Could we still easily get around, see the beaches etc. from these other locations?

Thanks.

[yazzy]

I added the last reply incorrectly....

I will consider the options.

[thereuare]

Please keep all posts for the same stay in the same thread.

The HOTWIRE hotel above has not yet been identified.

As far as 'getting around' with out a car, i think that will be hard to do in Miami. You could stay in South Beach and walk the area and hit the beach, but you won't be able to get much further out of South Beach, if you're looking to 'see the area'. I don't know much about Miami Beach, but the other areas you'll likely need to rent a car to get around.

[yazzy]

I tried the same pattern as above, except with the following bids: 135, 145, 155, 165, 175 - 135, 150, 160, 170, 185 - 185, 195, 205, 215, 225.

Still no luck. I guess there's a fairly high demand in that period of time.

[JNadrowski]

1. That time is high season so expect to pay more.

2. Get a car and park it in a public lot (about $10/day).

3. You might consider Sunny Isles (30 mins away) or Ft. Lauderdale (1 hr away) as it is generally cheaper.

4. You also might have better luck the closer we get to Feb.

[thereuare]

Since there is so much time before your stay, how about booking a cancellable back-up reservation at the Royal Palm for $258/nite. There is no booking fee, so about $25/nite more than you have already bid. This ensures a roof over your head for this trip and enables you to continue to try priceline in the weeks/months ahead.

You can also check LastMinuteTravel to see if there are any other offerings which are acceptable to you (they have some lower rated hotels at lower prices than the above)

Let us know if the above works for your needs.

[yazzy]

Thanks for your advice. I would have taken you up on that except - well I learned that I should try to avoid bidding when I am tired and haven't written everything out! The bottom line is that I mistakenly added Miami Airport on a rebid and successfully got a 4* in that area. Looks like a nice hotel which is close to the airport. Will use the price difference for cab fare or a car rental!

The bid was 175, 185, 195 -and 195 was successful. Net result:

Marriott Doral Golf Resort And Spa 4*

Miami Airport (MIA)

4400 Northwest 87th Avenue

Miami, Florida 33178

Feb 10 - 13, 2008

$195 x 3 nights + $15 travel insurance = $600

Taxes and Service Fees = $93.82

Total cost - $693.82 (includes $15 insurance).

Thanks again for the help.

Used the Savingsbarn link to PRICELINE.

[thereuare]

Sorry to hear of you mistaken added zone.

At least this is still a pretty good deal for this property, as hotel direct rates are $369/nite for these dates. Also, rental cars are generally inexpensive in Florida.

Thank you for sharing your winning bid with the board and for using the PRICELINE links at SavingsBarn.com to begin your bidding.

Enjoy your stay.