Priceline Hotel: Need Help in Bidding

[greentea23]

Hi,

I am new both here and Priceline.com. I have read thru many posts by other members and noticed alot of them are really confident in bidding just like they know which hotel they are bidding. I have spent hours looking thru the site and trying to find the topic that discuss about how to bid smart/correctly in PRICELINE. Is there such topic?

btw, I am trying to book a room on Aug 7 to Aug 12, either in Anaheim, CA or San Diego (Carlsbad).

Thanks.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Most people just ask for help... just as you have done :) However, to assist we'll need a bit more information:

-are you willing to accept a hotel in either Carlsbad or Anaheim... or are your plans yet undetermined and you haven't made a decision where you'd like to go?

-what is your maximum bid?

-what is the minimum star rating you're willing to accept

If you let us know the above we'll be in able to suggest a strategy for you to follow.

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

[greentea23]

- My plans is to visit Legoland and Disneyland, therefore the 2 best locations that I can choose are Carlsbad and Anaheim.

- Maximum $90

- Minimum star 3

Thanks.

[Colfax]

Legoland and Disneyland are about 60 miles apart. Do you want to split your stay, spending some nights near Disney and other nights near Legoland? Or did you want to stay at one hotel the whole time and drive?

[greentea23]

I did consider staying at the two locations for this vacation but I know that it is very difficult to get a 3 or 4 stars hotels in Carlsbad for my $90 budget. But I guess most of the time, our family will spend most of the time in San Diego.

Anyway, my choices are opened, as long as I can stay in any comfortable hotels near to Legoland or/and Disneyland.

[Colfax]

The Sheraton Resort is next to Legoland but you're right it will probably cost more than $90/night. Most families will find one day at Legoland enough, so maybe you could stay three or four nights in Anaheim, where hotels are less expensive, and one or two nights in Carlsbad/Legoland area, for more money. The average will still work out to be less than $90/night.

If you like that plan I'd suggest staying in Anaheim first; then try to get the Sheraton Carlsbad for Sunday and Monday, or just Monday, days when it's likely to be more affordable than over the weekend.

You can't do any PRICELINE bidding until you make up your mind which zones you want for which dates, so that will be your first step---deciding on your itinerary.

[greentea23]

I know there is a hotel zone list in the site but is there a way to narrow down the hotel of the zone we are bidding or to know which hotel we are bidding?

thanks.

[thereuare]

No, when using PRICELINE you can not target, or avoid, a specific hotel in the zone. You can receive any hotel at the star level (or higher) that you select.

If you want to take an educated guess at the property you may received then HOTWIRE is a better option as you can often use the amenity icons associated with the hotel you try to figure out which one it may be.

Let us know how you'd like to proceed.

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

[greentea23]

Please help with the following.

2.5-star hotel in Carlsbad

Non-smoking room

High speed internet

Pool

Can't find anything closed to the Hotwire hotel list.

[Colfax]

What dates is this for, greentea23?

[thereuare]

... and please follow-up your previous Priceline California thread with whatever you ended up doing for that stay.

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

[greentea23]

... and please follow-up your previous Priceline California thread with whatever you ended up doing for that stay.

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

Sorry I didn't follow-up with the previous post. I have changed the vacation dates.

My current post is a combine trip with that post. My plan is Nov 22 to 26 in San Diego / Carlsbad and Nov 26 to 28 in Anaheim / Orange County. I will post my results once I have booked my hotels. Thanks.

What dates is this for, greentea23?

Its Nov 22rd to 26th, it didn't give me much info to guess. And now I did the same search on the same dates again, it gives me a new result with a similar amenities 2.5 hotel ($65) and a tripadvisor rating.

Airport shuttle

Non-smoking

Pool

Business Center

High speed internet

3.5 out of 5 Tripadvisor rating

Thanks.

[thereuare]

I'm able to see each of the above appear depending upon whether i search HOTWIRE for 2adults/0children OR 2adults/2children (in case you're trying to have one appear over the other)

However, unfortunately neither has been reported to the board yet, although perhaps somebody who knows the area well may be able to take an educated guess.

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

Let us know whatever you ultimately decide to do and how it goes or if we can be of further help.

[Colfax]

And today I find a different hotel on HOTWIRE than you found yesterday. Checking for 3 adults (which guarantees two beds) Hotwire has a 2.5* for $69 with:

Smokefree rooms

Breakfast

Fitness

Pool

Laundry

Highspeed Internet.

And that's a match for La Quinta Carlsbad.

Checking for 2 adults instead of 3 a different hotel comes up and not enough information is offered for me to identify that one.

[greentea23]

Hi Colfax, can 2 adults and 2 kids gurantees me a 2 beds hotel room thru HOTWIRE? Thanks.

[Colfax]

Yes. I don't think it matters if you enter "3 adults" or " 2 adult, 1 child" or "2 adult, 2 child". Any of those will guarantee a room with two beds.

[WillTravel]

It should guarantee a room with two beds, but I'd still phone up the hotel and remind them.

I used this HOTWIRE method for this purpose once, and the hotel still had me booked into a one-queen room. The clerk was quite willing to change it, as they had space, but it could have been a problem if they didn't. The difference is that if you point this out to the hotel in advance, they have no leg to stand on if they refuse you later. If you arrive at a nearly full hotel, and haven't made these arrangements, you could get stuck with less bedding than you want.

[Bambie1]

I didn't know where to fit this in here but All i can seem to find is older threads on Disneyland.

I'm looking to stay in the disneyland Dec 7th-10th 2008

Then go to San Diego Ideally the gaslamp quarter on the night of the 10th then back to disneyland for the remainder of our stay from the 11th-15th 2008.

I would like to pay LESS than $50 per night in the disneyland area as i have seen on your site many people getting hotels even for 35 dollars -45 dollars.

I have bid 40 and they asked for a rebid of 12 dollars. I will attempt tonight on a different computer to big 45 dollars as it might go through.

My minimum star level in Disney is 3 stars and in San Diego 2.5 stars.

Any other ideas or suggestions?