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Priceline Hotel: 4* Los Angeles (Airport LAX) Sheraton Gateway


troutguy
By troutguy,
in

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Ok, I am Newbie to both this board and Priceline. I have done a good deal of reading about bidding and about what people were able to bid to get successful bids in place with P/L.

I noticed that someone was able to bid $52 for 2.5* on 12/18/07 for P/L. The person won and was placed at the Holiday Inn in Santa Monica.

Needless to say I tried to do something similar. My dates that I am working with are 2/3/08 - 2/6/08. I put a bid in at $55 and got rejected. I then included Lawndale and counteroffered by increasing my bid to $60. Again I was rejected.

If there is a better technique that I am not using, I am all ears. Any help would be appreciated.

I do hope that this is the right place to put this topic. If it is not I apologize.

Thanks

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Welcome to BetterBidding, troutguy. I'm the one who won the Holiday Inn Santa Monica for $52 in December.

That $52 win you saw isn't typical. Usually it takes more like $75-100.

I think the Holiday Inn lowered their Priceline rate during the slow weeks before Christmas. For your dates the Holiday Inn is $209....higher than when I won it at $52.

By all means try the $50's and $60's because you never know and you've got time. But probably it will take more than that.

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Thank you Colfax for your reply.

I forgot to add that I was trying to get 1 room for 2 people (and a baby, but they don't need to know this). Anyway I don't know if this would explain the difference in price that you were able to achieve vs. my bid which were not excepted.

I guess it is just a game to get us to spend more money!

Any other information would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Troutguy

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All priceline bids are for double occupancy, so there was no difference in the bids between single, double, or triple occupancy.

The explanation Colfax gave (higher rates for your dates) is more likely the reason for your rejected bids.

Do you have a maximum bid for this stay? Any back-up plan if priceline shouldn't come thru for you? (if so, where and how much)

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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If 3* doesn't work at $80 some alternatives within your budget include 2.5* in Santa Monica or 3* at the Airport. Are there any other areas you'd be willing to stay besides Santa Monica?

When you enter your dates on HOTWIRE do you see anything within your budget in Santa Monica? If you see possibilities post the icons and someone will try to identify the hotel. You have to enter "Santa Monica" as your destination. If you enter "Los Angeles" Hotwire doesn't show Santa Monica hotels.

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I just went reread my Holiday Inn thread from December and I see the Holiday Inn was $199 the night I won for $52. Not much different from the $209 rate for your nights. Even so I think that $52 was a temporary promotional rate before Christmas and you shouldn't base your expectations on that one report.

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My max bid will probably be $75-$80. I plan on rebidding in the next few days (considering I started at $55 and then $60). Is this the right way to do this with P/L?

Why wait between bids? I would be bidding more frequently but 'backtracking' a bid using the one re-bid zone that you have.

For example, let's say you wait a 4 days to bid, but in the interim a $65 rate became available for this property... you'd then be overbidding for it because you're assuming your previous $65 would still be rejected. When you're ready to bid again we can clarify further.

I'd also find a suitable back-up (use our BetterChecker to assist in your rate search. For example (again), let's say the Holiday Inn at $2xx is the only option available (it isn't, but let's make that assumption)... you'd obviously want to raise your maximum bid from $80 since your next best alternative is $200+. If you know your next best deal, it's much easier to determine your maximum bid for your actual dates.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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I have a few questions....

Colfax in your post you stated

"If 3* doesn't work at $80 some alternatives within your budget include 2.5* in Santa Monica or 3* at the Airport. Are there any other areas you'd be willing to stay besides Santa Monica?"

My P/L request was for 2.5* in Santa Monica/Marina del Rey for $55 (which was rejected), and then, like you, I rebid at $60 using Lawndale to help me out (that too was rejected). I did not make a request with at 3* rating. Is it possible that one of the 3* hotels would except my bid? or if I open it up to 3* is there a better chance that a 2.5* hotel would bite?

Next question is this...

Should I also use Hotwire to try to get a place? If so why? Is it any different than P/L?

I am trying to stay near the Santa Monica/Marina del Rey area because my sister lives in Venice and my wife and baby are just going to be spending a couple of days with her in and around Santa Monica (like hanging our at 3rd St. and the beach). We have been before and really like the area (we are not looking to do any touristy things on this trip).

Thereuare I have a couple of questions for you too...

I plan on bidding every day for the next few days. Is there a way to do more than two bids a day? If so how?

Is what I have already done called "backtracking"? Where I include and area that does not have any 2.5* hotels.

Thanks again!

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Should I also use Hotwire to try to get a place? If so why? Is it any different than P/L?
See this link: I've Never Used Priceline or Hotwire
Is what I have already done called "backtracking"?
No, i meant:

Day1 (numbers are just examples, not suggested bidding amounts):

Bid $60, if rejected bid $75.

Day2:

Bid $65, if rejected bid $85

Day 3:

Bid $70, if rejected bid $90.

Note that the first bid each day is lower than the last bid, incase any lower priced availability became available between the two bidding sessions.

You only have one re-bid zone at the 2.5* and 3* levels, so you can only bid twice per every 24 hours. However, (and not to encroach upon the question asked to Colfax), if you bid first for a 3* hotel you could then try for a 2.5* hotel... thereby bidding 4 times per bidding session.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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Thereuare-

Thank you for your help and ideas! I totally understand your bidding process now.

And the other point you made... "You only have one re-bid zone at the 2.5* and 3* levels, so you can only bid twice per every 24 hours. However, if you bid first for a 3* hotel you could then try for a 2.5* hotel... thereby bidding 4 times per bidding session."

Makes total sense now.

I will put these methods to use tomorrow.

One last question. Could I do this type of bidding with my info first (name, CC, address) and then if I don't get a bid accepted, could I have my wife try with her own info?

Thanks!

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My P/L request was for 2.5* in Santa Monica/Marina del Rey for $55 (which was rejected), and then, like you, I rebid at $60 using Lawndale to help me out (that too was rejected). I did not make a request with at 3* rating. Is it possible that one of the 3* hotels would except my bid? or if I open it up to 3* is there a better chance that a 2.5* hotel would bite?

With all the talk about the 3* Holiday Inn it slipped past me that you were bidding for a 2.5*. Sorry about that.

I don't know if parking fees are a consideration for you but I think all the 3* hotels in Santa Monica zone charge to park ($23/night at the Holiday Inn) while at the reported 2.5* hotels parking is free. If you don't want pay parking then only bid for a 2* or 2.5*. (Although your bid could still be upgraded to a 3* if a 3* has a lower Priceline rate.)

For your nights the 2.5* Courtyard Marine Del Rey is $220 and the 2.5* Marina Del Rey International is only $93 (a discounted rate from $110 for a 3-night stay). With that spread if you win something on Priceline it will probably be the MDR International.

Is that hotel allrite with you? If it is I'd suggest reserving the $93 rate (which is cancellable up to 24 hours before your stay) and keep bidding $60/$70 every day or two. With three weeks until your stay bidding $80 this early seems high to me.

HOTWIRE has a 3.5* for $159 (probably the Sheraton Delfina) and a 3* for $139 (probably the Best Western Marina Pacific in Venice). Both over your budget so Hotwire isn't much help here.

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Ok, another question here....

If I do 2 bids for 2.5* Hotels in Santa Monica/MDR and then another by adding Lawndale. Could I then add 3* Hotels and do 2 more bids? Or does P/L not allow this considering that I could be upgraded to a 3* if a 3* is willing to accept my bid?

Parking is not an issue for me, as I could park at a parking structures near the 3rd st. Promenade or on the street if we are not near the 3rd st. Promenade.

Thanks.

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OK, so over the last 2 days I have been on the losing end of the bids that I have placed with P/L.

They are as follows:

On Wednesday (Jan. 16th), I bid the following for 2.5* : $55, then included Lawndale and bid $62. My wife then bid $65 and $67 (with Lawndale). We did not realize that we could have started bidding with a 3* so we missed out on some bids there.

On Thursday (Jan. 17th), my bids were: 3* $60 then $65(with Lawndale). 2.5* $70, then $73(with Lawndale). With wife then bid, 3* $70 and then $75(with Lawndale). Then for the 2.5* we bid $75 and then $78(with Lawndale).

There you have it. I am slowly getting the hang of this process. Any more advice on my bidding strategy?

Thanks again.

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Troutguy,

Looks like there are too many 3* LAX options available to be able to tell which one Hotwire is going to give you. I looked on priceline and they quote 8 different 3*'s. It looks to me like the 4* LAX hotels are going almost as cheap on priceline as the 3*'s. I know your dates are closing in, but I would give the 4*'s a chance first. (you most likely will get the Sheraton Gateway, but you never know)

Good Luck.

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