Priceline Hotel: Possible to get $50 Downtown Seattle???

[Deinoki]

Is it possible to get something for $50 or less in the downtown Seattle area (Pike or Space Needle)??? If so, what are the likely winners? The dates I'm looking for are 11/28-12/01 or 12/07-12/10.

Thanks!

[Colfax]

Welcome to BetterBidding, Deinoki.

Last April I won the 2* Sixth Avenue Inn for $50 and the 1* Travelodge Space Needle for $51 after slightly lower bids were rejected. So $50ish is possible, especially in the slower winter months. If you win something probably it will be a 2.5* or 2* hotel. $50 would be low for a 3* but it doesn't cost anything to try. I'd avoid 1* bidding at this point.

You can check the Priceline Hotel List to see which hotels have been reported.

A couple questions to help us formulate a strategy:

1) Will you have a car, so that you'll be trying to avoid hotels with high parking charges?

2) How many in your party? Priceline guarantees double occupancy which could be a room with one double bed. Will one bed be enough for you?

3) You've given two different sets of dates. Are you trying to book both sets? Or is it either/or and you'll book the dates with better hotel rates?

4) Do you have any preference between Pike Place and Space Needle? Or do you want the least expensive 2*/2.5*/3* that's available in either zone?

[Deinoki]

Thanks for the reply, Colfax. To answer your questions...

1) I will not have a car.

2) Party of 2, so one bed is enough.

3) Dates are now 11/28-12/01. My second dates ran into a scheduling conflict.

4) All things equal, I would prefer Pike Place. But Space Needle is perfectly acceptable.

I looked at the hotel list, however it has a 2003 date. Is there a more current list somewhere? I will look into the Sixth Avenue suggestion you made. What was your impression of this hotel?

Thanks again for your help!

Cheers,

Deinoki

[Colfax]

"No car" and "One bed is enough" are good answers. No complications on those fronts.

The Hotel List is dated 2003 because that's when it was started. As new hotels are reported or when a hotel's rating changes the Hotel List is updated as soon as we hear about it. The Hotel List is current then, as far as we know, despite the 2003 date (which doesn't change during edits).

As for Sixth Avenue Inn, it's one of the better budget hotels in Downtown Seattle, imo. Most of the cheaper hotels in Downtown Seattle are in the Space Needle area. Sixth Avenue Inn is much closer to Pike Place; in fact it's kattycorner from the popular 4* Westin. I suggest you read the reviews on TripAdvisor to get a feel for the Sixth Avenue. With a $50 budget you can't be too fussy though. If you win the Sixth Avenue I think that would be a good outcome.

Here's where things get a little sticky...

Even though Sixth Avenue Inn isn't near Space Needle, the way Priceline defines its Seattle zones Sixth Avenue Inn is in the Space Needle zone, not Pike Place zone. When bidding Space Needle zone it's possible you might win a different 2* hotel than Sixth Avenue too, someplace that really is near Space Needle, or Queen Anne. It sounds like you're flexible enough to accept those scenarios and I don't think any of the known 2* hotels in Space Needle zone would be a disaster. It's the 1* you want to avoid.

So here's my suggestion:

1) First bid $50 for a 3* in Pike Place. It probably won't be accepted.

2) Close your browser, reaccess Priceline, and bid $42 for 2* in Space Needle zone. The reason I skipped over 2.5* and went right to 2* is because you prefer Pike Place area and all reported 2.5* hotels in the Space Needle zone are actually near the Space Needle. Bidding 2* in Space Needle you at least have a chance of winning a hotel near Pike Place, namely the Sixth Avenue. If a 2.5* hotel has a lower Priceline rate than the 2* your bid will be upgraded.

3) If rejected add Pike Place and bid $45.

4) If rejected add Lake Union zone and bid $50. I know you don't want to stay in Lake Union, but Lake Union zone consistently costs more than $50 so you can safely use it as if it was a free rebid zone. You won't win a hotel in Lake Union.

Please start your bids with this PRICELINE link.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[tilepusher]

How strict is your $50 limit? I recommend that you stick to 2.5* or higher and be willing to spend a little more. Rates at many of the downtown hotels are so low for that weekend that $55 will probably be enough; I'd be very surprised if $60 wasn't enough. The problem with bidding for a 2* is that there are a number of unreported 2* hotels in the Seattle Center zone (Eighth Avenue Inn, Ramada) that get a lot of bad reviews (I must admit that, unlike Colfax, I've never stayed at any of the 2* hotels in Seattle). Bidding at the 2.5* level is a lot safer, and I think you'll get better value for the money you spend.

My suggestion:

Bid $50 for 3* Pike Place. Add a rebid zone (Everett or North Everett -- but verify first!) and bid $55.

If those bids fail, exit and start a new bid of $45 for 2.5* Seattle Center. Add Pike Place and bid $50. Add your rebid zone (Everett) and bid $55.

[Deinoki]

Colfax, tilepusher... Thanks for the advice! Very detailed and well explained, exactly what I was looking for. Now I just have to finalize my travel plans and test out your strategies. I will post my results.

Cheers,

Deinoki