Hotwire Hotel: 2.5* Seattle (Downtown - Pike Place) identification/other help

[ToddJ]

Travel Dates: Aug 7th, 1 night, 2 rooms (traveling with 2 adults, 4 children)

Prefer: Seattle Downtown, but ok with Lake Union. Something with Access to Pike Place.

Budget: Around $250.00

Hotwire listing:

2.5* hotel in Downtown - Pike Place

$116.00

Fitness, Restaurant, Laundry, High Speed Internet Access

3.5* hotel in Downtown - Pike Place

$169.00

No Smoking, Fitness, Pool, Restaurant, Business, Laundry, High Speed Internet

Any other ideas such as PRICELINE bids would be appreciated. I am fairly new to HOTWIRE / PRICELINE.

Thanks in advance. -Todd

[Colfax]

Welcome to BetterBidding, ToddJ.

Before hotel ID's I want to clarify something.

Budget: Around $250.00

Is that $250 for two rooms, or $250 for one room? If $250 for two rooms then the $169 hotel on Hotwire would be over your budget.

[ToddJ]

The 250 would be for 2 rooms. I might push that out if the 3.5* was quite a bit nicer, but am hoping I don't have to. I wasn't sure if I took these and tried Priceline that I might be able to get the price down.

[WillTravel]

The Springhill Suites has a conventional rate of $249 for a room with two doubles and a sofabed. You'd also get free breakfast. This room could fit six, although I don't know if it's technically allowed. How old are the children?

[tilepusher]

My best guesses for the Hotwire hotels are:

2.5*: Sixth Avenue Inn

3.5*: Silver Cloud Hotel Stadium

Are you familiar with the mechanics of Priceline bidding, and with the concept of Priceline re-bidding?

[ToddJ]

My best guesses for the Hotwire hotels are:

2.5*: Sixth Avenue Inn

3.5*: Silver Cloud Hotel Stadium

Are you familiar with the mechanics of Priceline bidding, and with the concept of Priceline re-bidding?

I am familiar with it. I have been reading the FAQ and other items on the forums. I think I am ready to try it out. :)

[ToddJ]

I will be using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to bid.

[Colfax]

$125 per room might be enough for a 4* Downtown. Or you can probably win a 3* Downtown for less than $125.

Which is your first choice---4* for more? or 3* for less?

[thereuare]

I'm no longer seeing the 2.5* on a current HOTWIRE search, but i agree with tilepusher's guess of the 3.5* being the Silver Cloud Inn Stadium (which gets excellent reviews)

If you do decide to try PRICELINE, do keep in mind that they only guarantee double occupancy. I would think you'd be ok with two rooms and hopefully get two beds in the room for at least one of them, but no guarantees, and this is a risk that you'd have to accept if going the PRICELINE route.

Let us know your thoughts and/or how it goes and we'll take it from there.

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

[ToddJ]

Lets try the Priceline route for a 3* Downtown and see what happens. Thanks to everyone for being so helpful. I did talk to the wife and she was actually ok with the 3.5* room if we don't have any success via priceline. This is kind of fun and could get addicting. :)

[tilepusher]

Oh, it definitely can become addicting!

You have five rebid zones for a 3* bid. I would try something like this:

3* DT bid $55

add a rebid zone and bid $60

add a rebid zone and bid $65

add a rebid zone and bid $70

add a rebid zone and bid $75

exit and start a new bid for 3* DT + last rebid zone and bid $80

add a rebid zone and bid $85

add a rebid zone and bid $90

add a rebid zone and bid $95

I'd stop here (maybe even sooner) for a 3* bid; if all of your bids are rejected, you'll have to decide whether you want to keep going or wait and hope for a better deal to come along. If you're going to go beyond $95, I'd hold out for a 4*.

[ToddJ]

I just got done trying the strategy above. Bids were not accepted on the 3* Looking at the strategy above, I continued my bidding on only the 4* hotels. I was able to rebid and got it up to $135 without success. I wanted to stop there for the moment and get opinions. Forget the $250 limit. I'm getting a hotel no matter what. :) I should have some rebids I can do on the 4* still tonight if that looks to be the best way to go. The only other option I have been looking at is Lake Union, but I don't know how easy it is to get to downtown and back again with 4 kids. Thanks again.

[thereuare]

I did talk to the wife and she was actually ok with the 3.5* room if we don't have any success via priceline

Unfortunately this property is no longer appearing on my own HOTWIRE search for your dates... maybe it will come back? :)

I'm getting a hotel no matter what.

Be sensible and realistic... but don't succumb to the "i have to win a hotel tonite" mentality as it will work towards your detriment.

You may want to find a cancellable back-up... Quickbook has a few budget hotels for a low price which are cancellable while you continue to search PRICELINE and HOTWIRE.

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