Priceline Hotel: 4* needed for 8/1 - 8/5

[Westfalia]

Hi,

this is my first time using Priceline (and first time visiting Boston) and I would welcome some coaching.

I need a room for 4 nights from Friday, August 1 checking out on Tuesday August 5. We're driving into Boston from Old Sturbridge Village late Friday afternoon and we're flying out of Logan early on the 6th.

There are three of us - me and my two kids. (One Priceline room can accomodate one adult and two kids, right?)

I would like the most modern hotel I can find with pool access (either in the hotel or at a health club) that is walkable to a T station.

I am thinking about going for the Westin Waterfront. This looks like the only hotel in Zone 1. Would I only need to bid Zone 1, 4 star? Or what would be the strategy for getting this hotel? Any idea what price this hotel is going for? I will have a car so I have to factor in the cost of parking. I am open to parking at a neighboring, public lot if it is convenient.

My first choice would have been the Intercontinental, however, there are several four star hotels in this zone (Zone 6) that are unacceptable to me (specifically, the Omni, Millennium, Hilton Financial). The Zero Nine, Hyatt Financial, and Onyx, would be acceptable -- but I don't get to pick do i...

I also wouldn't mind staying at the Hotel Marlowe in Cambridge but I wouldn't want to risk getting the Meridian.

I don't feel the need to be in Copley Square; we won't be visiting any shopping malls on our trip. We're planning to visit the Aquarium, Science Museum, Children's Museum, ICA, and Plimouth Plantation and Cambridge.

I suppose my other alternative is booking the 4 star hotel in Cambridge through Hotwire at $172 per night. Could that be the Royal Sonesta? My understanding is that there is a parking lot at the mall across the street that offers inexpensive parking.

Finally, I'm assuming that now is the right time to book a hotel? Do prices generally go up as the date gets closer?

Thanks for your help!

[Westfalia]

Hi,

I just noticed these two hotels come up on Hotwire. Any ideas which hotels these might be?:

Dates: 8/1 - 8/3 4* Hotel Waterfront/South Boston $145 per night. Symbols: Non-smoking, fitness, pool, restaurant, business center, internet.

Dates: 8/1 - 8/5 4* Hotel Cambridge $172 per night. Symbols: Fitness, pool, restaurant, business center, internet, spa.

Thanks!

[thereuare]

There are three of us - me and my two kids. (One Priceline room can accomodate one adult and two kids, right?)

PRICELINE only guarantees double occupancy, after that its at the descretion of the hotel. So it's a risk to use PRICELINE for more than double occupancy (some choose to take this risk) OR you can use HOTWIRE wich allows you to search for up to quad occupancy.

I would like the most modern hotel I can find with pool access (either in the hotel or at a health club) that is walkable to a T station.

You can't guarantee a pool, or near a T-stop with PRICELINE... again, HOTWIRE may be a better option since they will show you before your purchase if the hotel offers a pool or not, and you can try to ID the property beforehand to take a a guess as the location, thereby determing if it's near a T stop.

I am thinking about going for the Westin Waterfront. This looks like the only hotel in Zone 1.... Or what would be the strategy for getting this hotel?

Regarding this being the only 4* hotel in the zone, see the comments at the top of the Priceline Hotel List. You can't bid on a specific property, so you would be subject to any 4* hotel in the zone.

Dates: 8/1 - 8/3 4* Hotel Waterfront/South Boston $145 per night. Symbols: Non-smoking, fitness, pool, restaurant, business center, internet.

Dates: 8/1 - 8/5 4* Hotel Cambridge $172 per night. Symbols: Fitness, pool, restaurant, business center, internet, spa.

The Waterfront property has not yet been identified, but in was recently researching a hotel in Boston and i believe this is the Westn Waterfront, although it's unconfirmed with a report.

For the Cambridge property, are you searching for triple occupancy (1adult/2children) as i don't see this property offered when searching HOTWIRE for triple occupancy.

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

[Westfalia]

:) Hi, Just wanted to give an update. I've been bidding in the #1 Boston waterfront/convention center zone following the strategy of adding outlying areas that don't have 4* and I haven't been successful yet. I've bid up to $126 for the dates in early August...

[Westfalia]

Just FYI, I bid again today for 4* Boston Waterfront (always using www.betterbidding.com's PRICELINE link). I started at $115 and added each of the 3 zones that do not offer 4* - I went up to $131 and was not successful...

HOTWIRE is offering this hotel for $142 per night. I thought I might be able to get a better deal on PRICELINE, but now I'm not so sure...

I'll try again tomorrow.

[thereuare]

You still have another $10 to go before the HOTWIRE rate will be better than the PRICELINE rate... if you choose to continue to bid higher, i'd use smaller increases ($3) between each bid since you're getting so close to the HOTWIRE rate.

Good luck and keep us updated.

[Westfalia]

Still no success this evening. :) I used the betterbidding PRICELINE link everytime and started bidding for 4* Copley at $85 and went all the way to $136 and no success. I even added the Waterfront district. I'm getting weary.

Two questions:

1) what's the going rate for 4* Copley for early August right now?

2) If the cheapest rate on a 4* Copley for my dates is $185, does that mean that's the bid that would get accepted on priceline?

I guess what i'm getting at is, should I just throw in the towel and buy a room on HOTWIRE?

thx

[thereuare]

If the cheapest rate on a 4* Copley for my dates is $185, does that mean that's the bid that would get accepted on PRICELINE?

No, PRICELINE would usually be a little less than HOTWIRE.

I guess what i'm getting at is, should I just throw in the towel and buy a room on HOTWIRE?

The rate on the Westin Website is $195/nite for these dates (if you book all 4 nites together)... so you have to weigh the savings of paying the current HOTWIRE rate. (which still seems like a decent discount)

Is SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID an option, either trying for 8/1-8/4 and then the last nite near the airport OR 8/1-8/3 in the Waterfront area and then 8/3-8/5 more 'downtown'?

Since you're no considering the Copley area, were you just looking at the Waterfront area in order to save some money?

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

[Westfalia]

Just fyi, I bid up to $140 for a 4* room in the Waterfront area (going rate on Hotwire for 4* Waterfront hotel (Westin) is $142) and I bid up to $160 for a 4* room in the Copley area. Neither attempts were successful. I used the better bidding PRICELINE links.

[thereuare]

Is SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID an option, either trying for 8/1-8/4 and then the last nite near the airport OR 8/1-8/3 in the Waterfront area and then 8/3-8/5 more 'downtown'?

If you're willing to bid $140 on PRICELINE... are you not ready to purchase the $142/nite rate on HOTWIRE?

Thanks for using our PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links.