Priceline Hotel: NEVER bidded on a hotel yet. How does it work????

[Sapphire695]

Hi! Sorry if my questions sound stupid or have been asked a thousand times before. I'm a total first timer with bidding on hotels. I travel to the Santa Monica, CA area 1-2 times a year and as the hotels prices in that area keep going up every year, it's just getting a little too pricey. Can anyone tell me how to bid or what's the best way? I'm looking to go on June 7th - 13th 2008. I like hotels such as the Ocean View Hotel (fomerly the Best West O.V), Doubletree and a few other right around the beach area. I'm not looking to stay in 4-5 star hotels, so I scale it down a little, but I don't like "motels", though. With priceline, when you bid you don't know what your bidding on, do you? If I specify Santa Monica as my area and I place a bid could it be a bid for a hotel that is actually outside of Santa Monica, or not in the specific area of S.M. that I want? Or do they give you the option of actually seeing what you're bidding on before you commit to it?

Thanks for any help! :)

[Jason's Storm]

First I would look around to see what the average rate for a 2.5* or 3* in the area you are looking at on the board. Decide what the maximum you are willing to bid in that area. Look around Priceline's maps to see what area's are "free re-bid" areas (areas that have less stars than you are looking for) And start bidding. If the average going rate is $50, start at $40 and go up in increment of say $5 if your max is $65 (not including taxes and fees). People are always willing to help, so feel free to ask.

~JS:)

[Colfax]

Welcome to BetterBidding, Sapphire695.

If I specify Santa Monica as my area and I place a bid could it be a bid for a hotel that is actually outside of Santa Monica, or not in the specific area of S.M. that I want? Or do they give you the option of actually seeing what you're bidding on before you commit to it?

Priceline doesn't have a "Santa Monica" zone. It's a "Santa Monica-Marina del Rey" zone and you could win a hotel in Santa Monica OR Marina del Rey. You can view the zone's exact boundaries on Priceline's LA bid page.

If you ONLY want Santa Monica HOTWIRE might work better for you, as you can usually predict in advance which hotel you'll get from the amenity icons. When you enter your dates on Hotwire do you see any hotels within your budget? If you'll post the amenity icons someone will try to identify the hotels.

(When shopping for Santa Monica hotels on HOTWIRE you have to enter "Santa Monica" as your destination. They don't always show up when you enter "Los Angeles".)

[Sapphire695]

Hi Colfax! These are the icons listed on a hotel that looks like it's in Santa Monica.:

<broken link removed>

Do you think it could be the Holiday Inn right across the street from the pier? I noticed the one icon says "beachfront", but could that mean within a half mile or so from beach or would it mean no more than a block from the beach?

[Colfax]

The link you posted doesn't work for me, Sapphire695. Can you write out the names of all the icons you see on HOTWIRE, along with the quality rating, please?

For example:

"3.5* hotel for $130 with icons: Laundry, Highspeed Internet, Restaurant".

[Sapphire695]

It's a 3* hotel for $159.00 listed as "Santa Monica - Marina Del Rey" with 2 icons: Beachfront & Pool

Thanks for your help!

[thereuare]

This property has not yet been identified and i don't think we'll be able to add much insight with just those two amenities shown.

If you're willing to take a chance and split your stay, you may want to see if the same property is offered for the first (or last) nite of your stay and then again for the balance of your stay... if so you could purchase the first nite to 'look behind the curtain'. If you're happy with the results purchase the remaining nites... if not, make alternate plans for the balance of your stay.

If you do split the purchase as described above please use our HOTWIRE link for each purhchase (ie- click our link to make the first purchase, then if you're happy with the results, return here and click our HOTWIRE link again to begin the second purchase)

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

Let us know what you decide or if we can be of further help.

[Colfax]

While I don't know what that 3* hotel is I don't think it's the Holiday Inn Santa Monica because the HI isn't beachfront. It's a block from the beach and HOTWIRE has a different "Near Beach" icon that they use in situations like that.

[smartcookie]

While I don't know what that 3* hotel is I don't think it's the Holiday Inn Santa Monica because the HI isn't beachfront. It's a block from the beach and HOTWIRE has a different "Near Beach" icon that they use in situations like that.

It sounds like it's the Marriott Marina del Rey.