Erica106 Posted December 21, 2007 Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 Hi. I'm new to priceline, and have done a lot of research on it, but am still confused and am hoping I can get some specific suggestions. My husband and I are looking to visit NYC 4/21/08-4/25/08 (check in on a monday, check out friday). Is it too early to bid? We are planners and want to have things settled in the next couple weeks, but will that hurt our chances of getting a deal? We are going for vacation and plan on doing typical tourist stuff, but would like a nice hotel (probably 4 stars, or maybe 3.5 (grand hyatt or westin or hilton as an example)). Questions:What areas are generally recommended for what we are going for? I was thinking MTE, MTW, UM-CPS, MTS or times square. Times square might be too noisy though. We are hoping not to spend more than $250 per night including taxes (how much are taxes/fees?), so what would my max bid be if i am not wanting more than 250/night total? Is this too early to book? Do you think this is achievable?I suppose i need help with a bidding "plan". I dont' really understand the re-bid thing even thoguh i've read the post A LOT of times lol. How soon after you bid does pricelien tell you if it is accepted?Any help is GREATLY appreciated!!p.s. I looked at Expedia for those dates to get a general sense, and the hotels i thoguht were 4 star ar elisted as 3 or 3.5 star, adn are between 350-500 per night. Also, my sister works at a hyatt and gets a family discount, so she found that for my dates she could get me a rate of $287 per night for weeknights, $237 for weekends, but i thought maybe i could do better on price, but that gave me a general sense as well as what we could bid... Link to comment
bbbb Posted December 21, 2007 Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 To find your free rebid areas you go to the bidding page (name your own price) and select the city you want. on the next page you check all of the areas in the city one by one looking at the options under these options you will see what star ratings are availabile in each zone,they will be the ones that are not gray any more. Make sure you only check one zone at a time or you will get false results during this test! Write the zones down and all of the stars that are available in each zone. If a zone does not have 4*,5*,or resort availabilty it is a safe rebid for 4*,5*,and resort rebiding. The 5* and resort availabilty are importain because you can be upgraded to 5* and resort areas if there are no 4* hotels availabile, causing you to win a hotel in a area you don't want to be in! Now when you find your rebid areas you start your bidding using the area you want to be in. If your bid is rejected add one of your free rebid areas and you will be able to bid again at a higher bid. When you check your rebid areas you can post them here if you want and some one that knows the ropes will be more then happy to make sure they are in fact rebid areas so you don't make a mistake your first few times. You aways want to recheck your rebid areas each day to make sure PL has not add a new star level to the city you are bidding. Link to comment
Erica106 Posted December 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 Thanks for the advice! I'm a little confused but I am going to try my best to do your test. Here is what I have (note, when i search NYC there are no 5 star or resort choices, is that correct?)4 star zones: Downtown, MTE, MTS, MTW, Times Square, UM-CPS3 star zones: Downtown, MTE, MTS, MTW, Times Square, UM-CPSI do not want to go any lower than 3 stars, and would prefer any location but downtown. Now what? I don't really understand the re-bid process. That will probably not become clear to me until I have to do it. So, for clarification, I will start out picking my 1st choice zone and star (MTE, 4 star), and make a bid (any suggestions?), see if it is accepted. If it is not accepted, what would I do next? Thanks! Link to comment
thereuare Posted December 21, 2007 Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 Welcome to BetterBidding!I think you're understanding more than you think you are.This is correct:4 star zones: Downtown, MTE, MTS, MTW, Times Square, UM-CPS3 star zones: Downtown, MTE, MTS, MTW, Times Square, UM-CPSHowever, if you repeat the process, but instead list each zone and the highest star rating available in each we'll be able to 'bring this home' for you and you'll have a full understanding of re-bidding.So try to repeat the process, but instread of listing as you have, list each zone and the highest star rating available in each, such as:MTE 4*MTW 4*etcetcetcWe'll then make sure you have it right, and then you'll be ready to give bidding a shot and we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
Erica106 Posted December 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 I hope this is what you mean:MTE--highest available 4*MTW--highest available 4 *MTS-highest available 4*UM-CPS-highest available 4*Times Square-highest available 4*Downtown-highest available 4*UWS-highest available 2.5*UES-highest available 2.5*What ist he best location for the typical tourist? MTE? What should a realistic price be this far out, and should I wait? What about that I will need to stay at 1 location for 4 nights? Is this do-able, and under $250 for those dates? Thanks so much for the help!!! Link to comment
thereuare Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 I hope this is what you mean:Yup, exactly what i meant. So let's say you bid for a 4* in MTE and are rejected, you could then add UES or UWS as a re-bid since the highest star level <currently> offered in each of those zones is 2.5*. Do you see how you couldn't win a 4* hotel in either of those zones since there are no hotels which meet your minimum star rating requirement? Does this make more sense now?Always check your re-bid zones before each bidding 'cycle', as new hotels are added/removed all the time and hotels are also upgraded/downgraded frequently.What ist he best location for the typical tourist? MTE?Most Midtown locations work fairly well for the typcial tourist as the city is compact and mass transit is fairly inexpensive and readily available. Most are comfortable with MTE, MTW, UM/CPS, Times Square... and on difficult nites MTS as well.What should a realistic price be this far out, and should I wait? What about that I will need to stay at 1 location for 4 nights? Is this do-able, and under $250 for those dates?See the "bidding early or close to arrival" link in our PRICELINE FAQ. This is springtime in NYC which can get expensive, so $250 may be tough, but i would probably keep my limit at ~$200/nite right now in hopes of winning a lowball bid. If that's rejected you can increase your bid in about a month or so while you continue to try with a $200 limit.Regarding the discount you're able to get thru your sister, wouldn't it be $287/nite for the entire stay since all of your dates above are weeknite?If you'd like to try bidding i would include as many zones as possible since that will give you more bidding opportinities as well as help you get the best price by giving more hotels the ability to accept your bid. If you'd like to move forward let us know which zone(s) you're willing to accept and we'll suggest a strateg for you to follow.Any questions on the above feel free to ask. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
Erica106 Posted December 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2007 Again, Thank you SOOO much for the advice. It is great advice...however, my DH and I decided to wait another week before making any official plans, but I will post back here when I am ready to move ahead with my first priceline experience. Thanks again! Link to comment
Erica106 Posted January 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 My husband and I are ready for our first priceline experience! We just booked our flight yesterday. The dates are 4/21-4/25/08. We want to stay at the same hotel all nights. So, we are hoping for a 4* in MTE, MTW, UM-CPS, Times Square, MTS. We do not want to spend more than 250 per night including taxes. Is this possible? How should we proceed? THANKS! Link to comment
thereuare Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 Seasonally this is an expensive time in NYC, but i'd try as follows.At the 4* level you have two re-bid zones. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.Select 4* MTE...Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $160, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTW...Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $160, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* Times Square...Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $160, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* UM/CPS...Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $160, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTS...Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $160, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTE and MTW...Bid $165, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $170, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $175, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* Times Square and UM/CPS...Bid $165, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $170, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $175, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTS and MTE...Bid $165, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $170, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $175, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTE and Times Square...Bid $180, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $185, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $190, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTW and UM/CPS...Bid $180, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $185, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $190, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTS and MTW...Bid $180, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $185, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $190, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTE and UM/CPS...Bid $195, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $200, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $205, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* Times Square and MTW...Bid $195, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $200, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $205, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTS and Times Square...Bid $195, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $200, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $205, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTE and MTW and UM/CPS...Bid $210, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $215, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $220, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTE and MTS and Times Square...Bid $210, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $215, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $220, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTE and MTW and UM/CPS and Times Square...Bid $225, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $230, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $235, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTE and MTW and UM/CPS and MTS...Bid $225, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $230, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $235, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* MTE and MTW and UM/CPS and Times Square and MTS...Bid $240, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $245, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $250.Any questions feel free to ask.Good Luck and let us know how it goes. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
Erica106 Posted January 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 Hi, thank you so much for the thought out response. I tried everything the way you said until the last section. I only bid up to $235, b/c with taxes, this was pushing our budget. I got rejected for everything! Could this be because I am bidding too far in advance (we are going 4/21/08) or because it is for four nights in a row? What do you think about splitting up time and doing 2 nights at 1 hotel and 2 at another? How low do you think we could win with that?Guess i'm frustrated b/c I spent an hour and a half doing this and wound up with zilch. oh well. I'd appreciate any advice! Link to comment
thereuare Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 Could this be because I am bidding too far in advance (we are going 4/21/08) or because it is for four nights in a row? What do you think about splitting up time and doing 2 nights at 1 hotel and 2 at another?As stated at the beginning of the suggested strategy:Seasonally this is an expensive time in NYC...Hotels use the "opaque providers" to sell excess inventory... that is, rooms they don't anticipate to sell on their own. Given the strong seasonal period, there is little reason for a hotel to offer deeply discounted prices to the opaque providers if there is a strong chance they can sell that room on their own (at much higher prices). You may see lower prices as your approach your check-in date if hotels don't see bookings come in as strong as they anticipate or if they get a larger than expected number of cancellations. However, the reverse is also true... if booking remain strong, or come in better than expected, you can see hotel rates go even higher.This far ahead of your stay i wouldn't panic and i would continue to stick with the same strategy up toyour limit. Splitting your stay could help, but i woudln't do so at this point in time nearly 4 months ahead of your check-in date. However, i would find a cancellable back-up to 'protect' yourself in case prices go up (instead of down). I did find the Excelsior thru GTA Hotels for $242/nite if that interests you, but make sure it's fully refundable as GTA Hotels states that "the vast majority of their hotels are cancellable without penalty, but each hotel has their own policy, and actual terms will be shown to you during the check-out process". Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
Erica106 Posted January 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 Thank you. I'm going to take your advice and keep trying my luck with priceline (it has blocked me though until tongiht b/c of the 24 hr rule) for at least the next few weeks, and we will choose a backup. Where should I go to find a decent 3.5 or 4 star hotel backup that is reasonably priced that will allow cancelations?I'll keep the board posted on the priceline situation. I think we will wait until Feb. also before trying to split. Link to comment
Norwaygirl Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 I like Quickbook, they have some hotels that you can cancel. It's easy to book and cancel via their webpage. Link to comment
thereuare Posted January 5, 2008 Report Share Posted January 5, 2008 Quikbook is very good as it GTA Hotels (as explained above most, but not all, hotels thru them are cancellable)EasyClickTravel and LastMinuteTravel often have great rates and used to be cancellable, but have recently instituded a $25 cancellation fee. :) Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
Erica106 Posted January 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2008 Well, tried all the steps again, went up to $240 this time around and still got rejected from everything in all suggested zones. Should I let a few days pass before trying again? Maybe a week? Link to comment
thereuare Posted January 5, 2008 Report Share Posted January 5, 2008 A week sounds reasonable at this point given the amount of time before your stay. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
Erica106 Posted January 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 Just wanted to update and see if anyone could offer any further advice. Its been a few weeks ago and I bid up to $250 every 3-4 days with no luck. So, using my sister's employee discount at the Hyatt (which gets us a rate of $287 for the nights of April 23 and April 24, not great, but better than the web rates on their site). It is our "backup" for now, as it is okay to cancel with no penalty until 24 hours before. So, I think we are going to try "splitting our bid" this way--I'm going to try priceline for the nights of 4/20 OR 4/21 (we have flexibility) through the night of 4/22. So, since our Hyatt stay (should we choose to stay with that which we probably will) totals a little over $620 including tax, that leaves us about $580 for the rest of our hotel budget. I think we should be able to find a priceline deal for 4 star in any area except downtown for 2 or 3 nights. What do you think? What should I start the bid at?Thanks again for the help, you have been great! Link to comment
thereuare Posted January 20, 2008 Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 A week sounds reasonable at this point given the amount of time before your stayI bid up to $250 every 3-4 days with no luckWhile there is no harm in bidding, the reason why we suggest a week at a time is to make sure you don't get frustrated with the bidding process. You have probably bid thru two "bidding cycles" since your last post and are now probably discouraged. :)While this is a busy (and therefore expensive) time in NYC, I think it's a little early to throw in the towel and commit to SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID with a non-refundable.Quikbook at the Wellington Hotel for $199/nite and is refundable (far from my favorite hotel but the price is good). They also have the Eastgate Tower, which is within walking distance to the Grand Hyatt, for $289/nite (refundable)... $261/nite for a non-refundable... the review are very good As i noted above i would book the refundable rate to make sure you have a roof over your head for this stay and still leave your options open to continue to bid for your complete stay. I suspect having reservations for each nite of your stay will also reduce some of the anxiety of bidding. Please use our Quickbook link if you go with one of the above.Let us know your thoughts on the above and we'll take it from there. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
Erica106 Posted January 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 Thanks for the advice on not giving up yet and about booking a refundable hotel just in case. I think we will definitely look iinto those hotels you mentioned through the link. As far as bidding goes, do you think $250 just isn't a realistic maximum? or is just too far out? My husband likes to have things planned well in advance so he is getting nervous,b ut I am trying to reassure him that we'll get what we want if we just keep trying and wait it out. our MAX hotel budget, including tax, is $1200, for either 4 or 5 nights (if we can get 5 nights for under that budget, then we'll do it). I know that time of year is expensive though! Link to comment
thereuare Posted January 20, 2008 Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 As far as bidding goes, do you think $250 just isn't a realistic maximum? or is just too far out?It is rare on the board to see $250 not be enough for NYC, but there are a few occaisions where it's just not enough. My guess is that you'll see more availability open up in the coming weeks/months.My husband likes to have things planned well in advance so he is getting nervousWhich is why you book the employee rate at the Hyatt for two nites and then book two nites at one of the cancellable options above.... those are your plans and your husband will sleep easier and not worry about this trip. Meanwhile, you should continue to try to better your accomodations... one day you'll let him know that you've succeeded and that you've gotten 4* accomodations for each leg of your stay or a new hotel where you won't have to change properties. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
Erica106 Posted January 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2008 Sounds like a plan. Thanks again, I'll keep this updated as I progress... Link to comment
Erica106 Posted January 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 Thinking about booking a hotwire deal. What is your opinion of hotwire vs. priceline? Link to comment
thereuare Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 What is the HOTWIRE hotel you're thinking of booking? (dates, zone, star rating, amenities, price)Please remember to use our HOTWIRE link. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
Erica106 Posted January 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 What is the HOTWIRE hotel you're thinking of booking? (dates, zone, star rating, amenities, price)Please remember to use our HOTWIRE link.Sorry it took me so long to reply. I'm having trouble accessing Hotwire right now for some reason, but it was a 4 star hotel, appeared to be (after checking the list on this site), the millenium UN for $252/night 4/21-4/23. I haven't made a priceline bid in about a week. I"m getting nervous that we won't find a 4 star within our budget, and I do not really want to go down to a 3 star. Are there any 3 star hotels you can recommend that are similar to some of the 4 stars? (we're looking I guess for clean, comfortable rooms, private bath, room service, good customer service, as this is our anniversary trip). I'll keep trying (not sure how much longer we can wait..)but we are very close to giving up on NYC entirely and doing something different that gives us more for the money. Am I just being too anxious and will we find something within our budget eventually (maybe even a 4 star)? Link to comment
thereuare Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 Am I just being too anxious and will we find something within our budget eventually (maybe even a 4 star)?What about the options discussed in THIS POST above? I think if you did that you'd feel a lot more comfortable with your plans and not as anxious.By not booking a cancellable back-up, rates can go higher while you watch, and you could be left with everything out of your price range. As stated previously, if you lock-in something acceptable, and cancellable, your mind will be a lot more at ease and you'll know exactly what it is that you're trying to beat. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
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