If you lower your quality level, lower your price

[thereuare]

If your first bid is rejected and there are no re-bids available (RE-Bid Explanation), and you choose to lower your star quality level, it is usually recommended to lower your bid price as well.

Example: You bid $50 for a 4* hotel and it is rejected, and there are no re-bids available. If you decide to try again, willing to accept a 3* hotel, it is often advisable to lower your bid to a more appropriate level for 3* hotels.

Using extremes to prove this point, you bid $100 for a 5* hotel (imagine a Ritz Carlton), which gets rejected. You decide to try again, but for a 1* hotel (imagine a Motel 6). In this instance, it is obviously advisable to lower your bid to a level that is more appropriate for a 1* hotel. (this isn't as cleaer when switching from a 4* hotel to a 3* hotel, and MANY people often RAISE their bid when doing so, which is often the WRONG thing to do).

If you are unclear on any of this, please ask for assistance, somebody on the board will be happy to help.

[Phaelon56]

In support of this point, although it's probably already spelled out elsewhere, it's worth mentioning that rather than just adding 3* and lowering the bid price by an appropriate amount, it's sometimes beneficial to start an entirely new bid.

PL allows this....

Example:

I start a 4* bid and use up my free rebids, some of which are zones with 2 1/2* hotels or lower only. If I now add 3* I'm entitled to a new bid by adding that quality level but if I previously bid on the zones that COULD be used as free rebids when bidding on a 3* hotel... I've already used those up in my previous bidding.

I hope I am understanding and explaining this correctly but it's my belief that by starting over again fro scratch with 3* as my initial parameter, I have now opened up any and all free rebid zones that have nothing higher than 2 1/2*.

Thereuare - can you confirm that this is correct and actually buys you something in some areas where there are an adequate number of free rebids available?

[thereuare]

HereIAm :)

I think what you're saying is:

If you're trying for 4 star hotels and have 3 zones selected (one that you want, the other 2 being re-bid zones) and are rejected, and then lower your quality level, all 3 zones are automatically selected. In a case such as this, "YES", it pays to start an entirely new bid so that you still have the other <potential> re-bid zones available.

Are we saying the same thing?

If so, thanks for spelling it out for us.

[zbenye]

I concur, and will add that if you have the time and patience, you can significantly increase your rebid opportunities if you play with the combination of zones. The following are all acceptable bids, all placed for the same star level without being considered repeated bids:

Bid 1: zone A

Bid 2: zone B (new bid)

Bid 3: zones A+B (just add A to previous bid)

Bid 4: zone C (new bid)

Bid 5: zones A+C (just add A to previous bid)

Bid 6: zones B+C (new bid)

Bid 7: zones A+B+C (just add A to previous bid)

and so on if more zones are available. I believe the number of opportunities is 2^#zones-1, ie 1, 3, 7, 15, 31,...

The above assumes that B and C do not have your star level (or price level if aiming low), or that you are willing to stay at any of the three.

[Phaelon56]

Zbenye - that's a great strategy and one I hadn't thought of before. In many cases I'm staying in areas where it's desirable to stay in one particular zone only but in the case of cities like NYC, San Francisco and Chciago.... I have more flexibility. Your suggested procedure definitely opens up more opportunities for me - thanks!