Priceline Hotel: Bidding tips for Stockholm?

[Lemonhugger]

Has anyone tried and been successful with a either a HOTWIRE or PRICELINE bid for Stockholm in Sweden? On Priceline you have a choice of 4* or 3*.

I presume my strategy is s tad limited on PRICELINE. Any tips would be very welcome. My dates are 08/22/08 through 08/25/08 for 3 nights.

Thanks.

[Rhine-and-Roses]

When I saw your posting, I almost told you PRICELINE doesn't do Name Your Price in Stockholm, but I chacked, and they must recently have added that feature. I had checked just a couple of weeks ago.

I bid $101 for a 4 star in Stockholm. It was rejected. I then bid $85 for a 3*, again rejected, for August 9-11. That would normally be an accepted price in most European capitals in August. After all, the businesses and government largely close. For some reason, this does not appear to be the case in Stockholm. I got this message with both rejections:

Thank You for Naming Your Own Price

[thereuare]

HOTWIRE still does not currently offer any properties in this area.

If you'd like to give a PRICELINE a try let us know your maximum bid and we'll try to have a closer look and advise accordingly.

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

[Lemonhugger]

Hi

Thanks for your responses.

Rhine-and-Roses, I must admit to being a little surprised that Stockholm was available as a NYOP on Priceline, as I'm sure I checked a couple of months ago, and it was unavailable then. Stockholm businesses mustn't have summer holidays!

Thereuare, I hadn't checked on Hotwire, so thanks for pointing that out. I already bid $80 and $95 for a 4*, and $75 for a 3*. I'm hoping my max won't stretch beyond $120 p/n for a 4*, but I'm not sure if this is hopelessly optimistic! Stockholm is a tad expensive I believe?!

Any input will be gratefullyy received.

Many thanks once again.

[WillTravel]

I wouldn't count on $120, at all.

Try www.destination-stockholm.se although any 4* hotel, that is well-located, will likely be much more than $120. But with breakfast, and the Stockholm card, maybe it will still be a good deal.

Also try the Scandic chain - they often have summer deals.

[Lemonhugger]

Thanks for that WillTravel, I'll check both.

[thereuare]

Did anything turn up at the site WillTravel posted above?

What is your gameplan if you continue to be unsuccessful up to $120/nite?

[MadFlyer]

I have traveled with great frequency to Stockholm for many years and even lived there previously. While I have looked forward to it being available through PRICELINE, I know that it is a unique market and that must be taken into consideration. I would guess the lowest rate would come in around 10 to 20% above any Copenhagen win, but look forward to seeing someone post a first win here.

The cost per room sold for a hotel in Stockholm may be considered higher as most hotels include a very extensive breakfast at very high cost per guest and while they lowered the hotel tax to only 12% some years ago it is included in the quoted comparison rates. This is unlike many markets where a final hotel bill can raise considerably like in the United States. These breakfast buffets alone are usually sold for at least $25 per person for outside guests at 4* or lowest $12 at 3* hotel. The Rezidor Radisson Hotels have been the first to move away from including breakfast for each room and this is reflected in their lowest rates along with the common pre-paid no cancellation policies low rates now have.

Add the fact that all staff earn higher salaries on weekends along with high social taxes in Sweden on employers make selling rooms far below cost less appealing but rates do vary considerably.

Luxury hotels also can have a series of rooms that are offered at a much lower cost as they are similar to inside cabins on a cruise ship as they have no window and are built using compact living methods. This becomes a problem for the property as most winning bidders would not expect such a room to exist in a true luxury hotel. Scandic Anglais, Scandic Continental and Nordic Sea have this along with 3 star hotel Comfort for instance. These have proved quite popular for budget minded travelere who appreciate that they get all the services of the hotel at much lower rates.

That said, I always seem to find deals with a little planning. The standard of hotel rooms from 2* to 4* is very high by international standards and service at mid-range hotels will often exceed guests expectations, while luxury hotels may only meet them, if that.

Looking at your dates Nordic Sea is selling one of those inside bunk rooms for 720 SEK on their website ( http://www.nordicseahotel.se/en/ ) and I found it only for 490 SEK using my spanish version of www.Kayak.es which leads to a site called travelres. where you can then change it to English for booking. I have never used this website but it is a kayak link so I would trust it I guess.

I have also turned to apartment hotels on several occasions. The www.stayat.eu is again offering a summer offer of 3 nights for price of 2. No cleaning service on weekend and only for 3 night bookings. They are not central but the Kista one is on top of Stockholms largest shopping mall and only 20 minutes with metro to center and they have there is a bus direct from arlanda airport They have full kitchen and bath and are good standard. I have stayed there for 3 nights for only 1300 SEK or around $220.

If you stay a little outside the center you can buy a 3 day travelcard for 200 SEK at any metro station or the 3 day Stockholm Card for 580 SEK pp that included museum entrances along with the travelcard. They work for 3, 24 hour periods from first stamp on them.

[besj]

I have traveled with great frequency to Stockholm for many years and even lived there previously. While I have looked forward to it being available through PRICELINE, I know that it is a unique market and that must be taken into consideration. I would guess the lowest rate would come in around 10 to 20% above any Copenhagen win, but look forward to seeing someone post a first win here.

Being a Swedish citizen and resident myself I can only suggest that the writings by MadFlyer (all of them, not just the quote) are correct (at least according to my experiences).

The only thing I would add is that Scandic Hotels (www.scandic.se) tend to have very good offers in the summer which probaby are better than bidding on PRICELINE.

[Lemonhugger]

Thereuare, am sorry for not getting back to you, have had the most horrendous few weeks where an uncomplicated, straightforward eye operation went wrong, leaving me with temporary blindness in one eye - infection set in post op! Happily, I'm on the mend and have regained about 75% of my vision back, which means I am still going to Sweden on said dates!

Madflyer, Besi, thank you so much for your input, I didn't want you to feel that it went unappreciated! Thankyou. I am about to check out a few of your suggestions, so I will of course let you know what I decide on.

Many thanks

[thereuare]

Glad to hear you're doing better and on the mend... you seem in good spirits (as much as i can tell from your written word :) )

[Lemonhugger]

Many thanks thereuare. I have my good days (and the occasional down days!) but I'm a half glass full kinda guy...hopefully! Not spending too much time on the internet just yet, want to put as little strain on my eye as possible. My travelling partner has taken the bull by the horns for Stockholm, and found a '3 nights for the price of 2' deal at the Best Western Kom hotel. So PRICELINE will probably next be required for Prague or Cologne (soon hopefully!).

Thanks once again.

[DoriBird]

I looked for a reasonably priced hotel in Stockholm for HOURS and was also denied on Priceline. However, I found a room at the Hotel Prince Philip, suppposedly a short train ride from the city center, for $165 and I will be checking in on Wednesday, August 17. If you want I can log on after checkin and tell you how it is.

[Lemonhugger]

Thanks DoriBird, have PM'ed you about it.

[XT600]

Experience from a European:

Basically Stockholm - all Skandinavia from Denmark north up - is EXPENSIVE!! due to low competition (not yet any cheap chain hotel), high cost (very high cost of living (taxes, heating, insurances), labour cost - no cheap workers available) and high demand for business (companies are willing to pay more than private "priceline" customers!!

AND: the European Hotelmarket ISNOT like in the US: hotels are supposed to be in city downtown, not next to incoming roads or highway exits. Many hotels on country side are privately owned, small (only 20 rooms) and don't belong to any (francise-)chain. Overbooking or "pricegames" like priceline uses to press prices down are not possible and not even needed (no overcapacity). Standards of rating arenot comparable. The rating system is voluntary and every hotel can rate themself as 5* withou consquences. The offical ratings is expensive and need to be renewed every 2 years, in some countries like Austria there is no standard or law at all, in Italy the *s tell you about the size of the room or bathtub :)

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I could tell you stories about my negotiations with northern Italian small hotels, who sell their rooms per person and add 70% if there is only 1 person in the room, they have mandatory halfboard which you might like for the first 2 nights but for 2 weeks you might try some other restaurants or not every evening eat 4 courses and a bottle of wine :) They insist in their halfboard offer as they have so many customers around the year and need to no priceline to sell their rooms

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Prices for Stockholm might be low on weekends out of season and if there is no fair. All other times the official rates for a US-style 3* Hotel (no A/C but heating and breakfast included) easily $250. Same as in Helsinki (FIN).

I work for a Finnish company (yes "THE one and only") and our company rates in Helsinki for very basic hotels start for weekdays around $140, the better and more trendy hotels could be $160 which is our limit. Of course the later "rooms" in the "Boutique" Hotels are usually booked when we need a room for the day after tomorrow and we need to stay in Holiday Inn (which is TOP Notch in Finland, believe me!!)

My tip for european hotel searches: check the priceline subsidary www.bookings.com They have very reasonably price but nice hotels and apartments. Or check hrs.de (switch to english right top)

Good luck

P.S.: Note that the cheapest rooms Hotels in Sweden are WITHOUT Window!!