Priceline Hotel: Hong Kong (Tsim Sha Tsui) advice please?

[AmbaGambla]

Hi

I'm off to Hong Kong, and will be there 8-12th June. I apparently want to stay in Tsim Sha Tsui (because I'm not there long, and this is apparently central), and would like the best room possible (obviously!) but for a bargainous price!

I can get a standard hotel for about

[Romelle]

Have you checked the Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins (just above on the page) yet? Or alternatively, used the Search on your city at the top of the page? Either of those will give you a quick way to see what others have reported winning, and may give you an idea of your likelihood of doing something similar.

Also, you can put your dates and city in Hotwire (above left hand side) and see what they are offering. Often one can do a little better on Priceline.

Of course the easy way to see if a lowball bid will work on Priceline is to just try it. Maybe try $55. And then try your $60 tomorrow. If nothing happens, you can then work your way on up as far as your budget will permit. You can first bid the 5* and then add the 4* in the same bidding session.

If you get counter-offers, it usually is a good idea to just ignore them and continue your working your way up.

Romelle

[tiesto]

Hi,

I did a bid on TST a couple of weeks ago.

Received The Mira (5*) recently renovated for about 90pounds(135US$) excl tax I paid like 415pounds incl tax for 4nights.

However this was only 20pounds per night cheaper than offered on their site. They have lowered the prices, so first google The Mira and check their prices. I think it`s now 1200HK$ excl tax

Asiatravel has some nice hotels so check them as well for references.

I think you can have The Mira much cheaper now on PL. Just start with 60pounds/75US$ and add 5 each time for a 5*.

Or start with 30pounds/50US$ for 4* because I won a 4*hotel( The Kowloon) in 2005 for only 50euros incl tax and I didnot like the hotel.

If you are really price orientated take a look at "Butterlfy on the Prat" a boutique 4* with prices from 500HK$ which is 40-50pounds depending on exchange rates.

But Always check out travel/ hotel websites before you bid on PL so you can limit yourself

[AmbaGambla]

Thanks for your advice. Plenty to be working with there!

I thought if you made a bid, you couldn't just change the price and re-bid?

If I can get 5* for

[AmbaGambla]

Should I use Priceline UK, or USA?

[AmbaGambla]

Well, an update....

Decided to try high quality, and I started low money! (i thought I'd push my luck a bit!)

5*

[AmbaGambla]

Update:

[Romelle]

When you got that "add 15 pounds to rebid" at the 70 pound point, the only thing you know for sure is there is something available between 70 and 85. And now you know it is between 75 and 85. You can creep up one or two pounds a day now if you want, just to make sure you don't overbid much. You do still have time to approach this slowly.

And of course there still is the 4*s to approach. You might start another run with them, started much lower of course, so you satisfy yourself you didn't miss anything.

Nice work so far, and thanks for the detailed reporting. Other bidders will appreciate that.

Thinking of trying higher, but then might the price come down lower closer to the tim?

(staying 8-12 June)

You really never know. It is a matter of how daring you care to be. And it helps one's nerve if they have a cancelable back-up reservation safely tucked away.

I read of someone doing a driving trip around the US. Each night he would bid for the next night's hotel in sort of a ring around the various cities within driving distance in the direction he wanted to go. He claimed he had always been able to find a bed.

Romelle

[XT600]

Be careful with priceline in HK!!

There are many 5* hotels which have got their stars some years ago and not worth it anymore!

As somebody already said here: prices went down due to low demand and low economy in HK recently.

I'd check what "quality hotels" websites offer. My favourite is http://www.asiatravel.com/index.html

e.g. for your four nights the Panorama by Rhombus is 977 HKD incl. tax (ca. 88 GBP) which I find a great deal for waterfron Victoria Harbour close to Starferry to Central or Wanchai!!

or Butterfly On Prat Best Deal! Stay 3 nights Pay 2 nights

Check it out!!