Priceline Hotel: 2* Seattle (Bellevue-Redmond) Extended StayAmerica

[CycleGirl]

Bid price $56

Taxes and Service Fees $15.55

Total Charges: $71.55

My goal was a room for <$61 before taxes. Low price was my priority.

I really wanted a room in Lake Union or UW / Northgate but was willing to move outward if needed.

Started with 3* and used free rebid zones (Everett, Bothell, etc.) for $45, $55, $61 . I didn't expect to get a 3*, but these bids have to be done first.

Bids

2.5* UW/Northgate $48 FAIL

2.5* UW/Northgate + Lake Union $55 FAIL

2.5* UW/Northgate + Lake Union + Everett $61 FAIL (Everett was the only free rebid for 2.5 stars)

2* UW/Northgate $42 FAIL

2* UW/Northgate + Lake Union $46 FAIL

2* UW/Northgate + Lake Union + Downtown $50 FAIL

2* UW/Northgate + Lake Union + Downtown + Bellevue $56 SUCCESS

The Internet price for the Extended StayAmerica Seattle-Bellevue is $129.99, so I guess that this is a pretty good price. However, I didn't really get the ideal area I wanted and I didn't sneak up on the price for the area I ended up with. It's possible that the room I got might have been offered for cheaper than I got it for.

Is there a way that I could have known that the cheapest property in an acceptable area was in Bellevue?

How did I do? Any advice for better bidding in the future?

CycleGirl

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Congratulations on your win and thank you for sharing it with the board.

I think you did ok from the standpoint that you got a $130 hotel room for just $56, but i don't really understand why you added Bellevue to the end of your bidding when you never bid that area before and i think you could have bid more systematically.

Any advice for better bidding in the future?

Ask for help before bidding :)

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

Enjoy your stay.

[CycleGirl]

..., but i don't really understand why you added Bellevue to the end of your bidding when you never bid that area before and i think you could have bid more systematically.

I had really hoped that the $50 bid would succeed. When it didn't, I needed to either add an area or wait 24 hours since there were no "free rebid" areas at the 2* level. I added Bellevue, because I figured that I could live with the 15 minute drive. Also, of all the areas that I could have added (Bothell, Lynnwood, or Airport), I expected Bellevue to be the most expensive and therefore the least likely to give me a room rather than my preferred zone.

Was there another bidding option that I'm not aware of?

CycleGirl

[tilepusher]

When you decide to expand your search to other zones, it's often a good idea to start a new bid, just as you did when you decided to lower the minimum quality level of your bids. For example, a better strategy in your case would have been something like this:

2* UW $42

(exit and start new bid)

2* Lake Union $42

2* Lake Union + UW $46

(exit and start new bid)

2* DT $42

2* DT + UW $46

2* DT + UW + Lake Union $50

(exit and start new bid)

2* Bellevue $42

2* Bellevue + UW $46

2* Bellevue + UW + Lake Union $50

2* Bellevue + UW + Lake Union + DT $56

This would have allowed you to bid up from $42 in all four zones. This strategy obviously takes extra time and effort, and you have to decide whether the advantages are worth it.

[CycleGirl]

:) the light has come on now.

tilepusher,

Thanks for explaining. I didn't realize that I could start a new bid with each new area.

Also, I appreciate the way that your method moves from the more desirable prices and areas to the less desirable prices and areas, thereby getting the best value. I will use it from now on.

Thank you!

CycleGirl