Priceline Hotel: Prague and Vienna

[cruiseshmooz]

I am not an experienced bidder, but I have been trying to get a 5* for Prague (east), Oct. 1-8 and a 4* or 5* for Vienna centre Oct. 13-22.

For Prague, I bid $60,$65,$70 and $75

For Vienna, I bid $105,$110 and $115

All were rejected. Yet according to posters, these bids seem to be within the norm.

Two questions: Do you think my problem is that these are for a week or longer?

Do you think it is too early for October?

I don't understand why I am batting zero!

HELP!!!

Thanks to all who answer my questions!

[thereuare]

Please only post one stay per thread... we'll use this thread for your 5* for Prague (east), Oct. 1-8 stay... please start a NEW TOPIC for your other stay.

For Prague, what is the best rate you're able to find at a 5* hotel thru conveintional booking channels for these dates?

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

[cruiseshmooz]

I did some research!

For Prague:

On Priceline.com, they offer the Marriott at US$165. Checking it out, I discovered that up until Sept., they offer it at US$75. That is a big difference. And that is probably why posters travelling sooner are getting such wonderful deals.

From your experience, will the October prices drop? Is it just too far out in time? Or is it a more expensive time to travel in general? I find it hard to believe that October is more expensive than May or June.

Thanks, thereuare, for your reply. Hope you will help me solve this issue. Also, I would like to know if booking one week or longer creates a problem. I notice that many winning bids are for 2-3 day weekends.

I look forward to booking through your website.....successfully!!!!

[thereuare]

I don't know enough about the seasonality factors of Prague but here is what i observe/think based upon the info you provided above...

I can't say if rates jump in September because they haven't been adjusted yet for supply/demand factors OR if things seasonally pick up in Prague around this timeframe and therefore rates are higher for these dates across the board.

In looking at historical prices (enter "Prague East" in the QUICK SEARCH BOX at the top of the board inside the blue banner, w/o the quotes) and it appears that the historically Fall winning bids took about $91, so i would assume tht is likely the ballpark you'll be looking at (depending upon demand for your own dates). With this noted, the global economy is having a tough time right now, so it's possible rates me a little cheaper than in the previous year or two.

I would be prepared to pay upwards of $91+ but given the current economy probably wouldn't do so at this time. I would continue lowball offers, for the next few months. If SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID is an option, i'd also try a few subset of your dates as well to see if you can get a partial win at a lowball rate... then be willing to 'fill-in' or pay up for the remaining dates.

Longer stays certainly dont' improve your chances, but they're not unheard of, and we're seeing LOTS of extended stays (9+ nites) in many cities (NYC especially), as occupancy levels are low and therefore it is less likely that you encounter a 'difficult nite' during your stay where there is a rate jump or no availability at a given hotel. There is more info on this subject in the SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID thread also linked above.

Feel free to ask questions regarding any of my commetns above.

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

[cruiseshmooz]

Thank you for all the helpful info including Splitting the Bid. I don't think I want to chance getting 2 different hotels. I will wait a bit and try( through your channels!)again in a while.

[thereuare]

Keep us updated.

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

[cruiseshmooz]

Keep us updated.

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

Well, I got an e-mail notice from Priceline to bid again, ( so I figured What the heck!). I did it through your link. I added $1 to make it $77 for a 5*, and, guess what? Rejected again!

[amirbc]

Just got the Hilton Prague 5 stars hotel for 4 nights in April for 80 $ per night

[cruiseshmooz]

Amirbc, I don't understand it. I just checked out the Hilton website. The Hilton Old town is the same price April and October. The other Hilton is actually less expensive in October.

Then, why are you accepted and not me???

[cruiseshmooz]

I just tried $90 and was rejected.

Enjoy the Hilton!

[thereuare]

Amirbc,

Can you please add the details of your win to the board as a NEW TOPIC, including the actual dates of your stay, so that your win will appear in the Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins and help other users. Nobody would know to look in this thread to see a win for Prague in April.

cruiseshmooz,

Rates are date specific, and as Amirbc didn't include the dates of his/her stay, we don't really know if rates are the same for their dates as your own stay. Assuming they are the same, remember that hotels use the opaque providers to help sell inventory they don't believe they will otherwise be able to sell themselves. Put yourself in a hotel revenue manager's shoes and let's say you have 100 vacant rooms for a given date next month (April)... you have little time to fill all of those yourself, so you may give some deeply discounted inventory to the opaque suppliers to help monetize those rooms. Now let's say you have even more rooms (150+) for dates in October, there may be a low probability of you filling them all, but you're in no hurry to discount them too deeply since you have 6+ months to try to fill them... you may get a tour group or conference interested in staying at your hotel within those 6 months, so you'd rather hold off trying to fill those rooms at too deep a discount in hopes of filling them on your own at a much higher price.

Does that make sense?

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

[cruiseshmooz]

Thank you, thereuare, for taking time out to write such a good explanation.

I phoned the Marriott, 1-800 line today and was told that there is an event during my dates in Vienna. So, that may be difficult to get. I will go up another $5 tomorrow, for both Prague and Vienna and see what happens. Meanwhile, I am holding a room in a small hotel in Vienna and looking for one in Prague, just to cover.

[cruiseshmooz]

Latest update: Today I bid 5*, $95 and was rejected. I finally did get an offer, to raise it by $22. That makes it $117 and if I add the tax it will be $131.68. Don't you think that is too high? If I prepay I can get a 5* for very little morestraight from the hotel website (and get points!)

[thereuare]

Are we looking at the same thing??

I'm showing the pre-pay rate at the Prague Marriott for 10/1-10/8 for $215/nite. (or are you looking at the rate at the "executive apartments")

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

[cruiseshmooz]

At today's conversion rates, prepaid, one of the Hiltons is 159.70, the Sheraton is 149.75 and the Marriot Exec Apts is 143.75, all including taxes.

The Old Town Hilton and the Marriott are more expensive. Do you think the Marriott is so much better than the others?

[thereuare]

I don't know if the Marriott is better than the others (the reviews are certainly very good though) but that was the only one you previously mentioned, and my point in asking was that i though you were stating that you could get the Marriott for the same price as your PRICELINE win. (which i didn't see to be the case)

Just because PRICELINE counteroffered at $117 doesn't mean that is how much it will take... it could take $96 or it could take $117, in this instance if you're successful at the low end ($96) that's another 20% savings which perhaps would make this worth it to you. While $20 isn't much on a daily or percentage basis, it does add up over 8 days ($160 US) which can probably buy a nice meal or two while on vacation, but it comes down to how much you feel you need to save to give up choosing the specific hotel you stay in.

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

[cruiseshmooz]

I have been slowly upping the price. Each time I get the same message. Increase by$22!!!So, at $95, they asked for an extra $22 and now at $107, they still ask for $22. I give up!

[Romelle]

$22 is sort of a magic number. It is seen a LOT on those offers. And that stunt of keeping it at the $22 while you actually increase your bid is a psychological ploy. Ignore it, and keep inching up.

Or maybe wait a while (even a couple of months), and start all over at a lower level and inch up again. Your dates are far enough out that hotel overstock really might just not be given to Priceline yet.

The important thing right now is not to get too high. You can always go higher, but once you've won - game over!

Sometimes, I actually lower my bid when I get that $22 offer. And keep lowering until I don't get it anymore. Then I in my mind add $22 to my last bid, and it sort of gives me an idea of what might actually work.

And do remember the Euro/Dollar relationship is changing as you are bidding. That can make things different from day to day.

Romelle

[cruiseshmooz]

Thanks, Romelle, for the encouragement!

We are now looking for a 4* hotel, to reserve without prepaying, just to cover. Then we will wait, because it is getting ridiculous.

[cruiseshmooz]

Is it your experience that Priceline adds new cities and new hotels from time to time?

[AaronJB]

Yes. New hotels appear reasonably often.