Priceline Hotel: Washington DC 10/6 - 10/9 Bidding Help

[Poitier]

Hi! I am new to PRICELINE, but I have booked hotels through HOTWIRE before.

At the moment I am looking for a hotel in Washington DC from October 6 until October 9. I know I am quite early with this but any help in finding the right strategy to get a good hotel for a nice price would be appreciated!

Right now the selection of hotels on HOTWIRE for that time period is not very attractive, I think. What I am looking for is the following:

- 3.5* or higher

- good location for sightseeing

- nice area

- willing to pay around $100 p/n.

- just 1 room for 2 adults

It will be my first time in Washington DC so I am not sure what a good area would be with regards to sightseeing and which is also nice and safe enough in the evening. Any suggestions on that would also be very much appreciated! From what I can see, White House/Downtown and Capitol Hill should be ok but other areas might be good as well.

My other main question is what would be the right strategy now. Would it be likely that the hotel availability on Hotwire will improve? And if I would go and try PRICELINE, what is the best bidding strategy to use? Do you think that I should be able to find something for $100 or less per night?

Thank you very much for any information you can give me!

[thereuare]

Please follow-up your previous Hotwire London thread with the informatin requested (and/or the results of whatever you ended up doing for that stay if was a trip in the past)... then bump this thread and we'll have a look at the above.

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

[Poitier]

Thank you for your reply. I indicated in the London thread that we eventually decided to skip the intended journey to London, so I did not use the Hotwire hotel.

This time we will definitely go to DC, so any help will be very welcome!

Thank you for your efforts.

[thereuare]

In addition to the Whilte House and Convention zones, many users also select the Dupont Circle zone, but you should check to see if this would be work for your needs.

As far as when to bid, see the related link in our PRICELINE FAQ. Current, rates are high for these dates, and there is no telling if they will come down between now and your stay OR if they will continue even higher. Washington DC is a very "event driven" hotel market and anytime there are large political events or large rallys in town hotel rates spike... when events are slow hotel rates can get inexpensive.

PRICELINE is usually a little cheaper than HOTWIRE, but hotwire gives you the advantage of knowing the amenities beforehand, which also gives you a cahcne to try and figure out the hotel being offered as well as its location, whereas PRICELINE is a 'roll of the dice' which hotel at the star level you bid in the zone you will get.

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

Let us know when/how you'd like to proceed and we'll advise accordingly.

[Poitier]

Thank you very much for your reply. I have looked at the information in the FAQ. As my travel dates are fixed, I think I will start to bid on PRICELINE while keeping an eye on the offers on HOTWIRE and possibly booking a refundable reservation elsewhere.

Could you give any indication what would be a good bidding range on Priceline? On the forum I have seen bids accepted of around 70-80$ for a 3.5 or 4 star hotel so would that be a good starting point?

I will use the links to go to PRICELINE and HOTWIRE.

[thereuare]

Which zones are you willing to accept? Are you willing to pay more for a 4* vs. a 3.5* or is your goal the least expensive 3.5* or better for this stay? At this point in time, what is your maximum bid?

Let us know the aboev adn we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow.

Thanks for using our PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links :)

PS- use our BetterChecker and MAPS and HOTELS.com to assist in your back-up reservation

[Poitier]

Regarding your questions:

* I'd be willing to accept the following zones:

- White House/Downtown

- Convention Ctr/Capitol Hill

- Dupont Circle/Woodley Park

* I would be willing to pay somewhat more for a 4 star but I would be quite happy with a 3.5 star as well.

* At the moment the maximum I would be willing to bid for a 3.5+ star hotel in one of those areas is about 100-110$ per night incl. taxes/fees. Do you think this is an unrealistic amount?

Thanks again for your help.

[AaronJB]

Based on the prices I'm seeing, I think you should start lower, but you may end up having to work your way up to 100-110 plus taxes and fees.

[thereuare]

I would be willing to pay somewhat more for a 4 star but I would be quite happy with a 3.5 star as well.

This doesn't really tell us how you'd like to bid... do you want to first try for a 4* hotel or the lowest possible 3.5* or better? If you want to first try for a 4*, how high do you want to bid before lowering your star rating to 3.5*? (and how do you want to bid at the 3.5* level)

Let us know the above and we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow.

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

[Poitier]

Ok, I guess that since I would probably also be really happy with a 3.5 star hotel, I would like to go for the cheapest hotel with at least 3.5 stars. Obviously, for the same price I would prefer a 4 star so if there is a way to first try to get a 4 star that would be great.

[thereuare]

When you select a star rating it is the minimum that you are willing to accept... so if you bid for a 3.5* hotel, PRICELINE will always check for a higher star rating hotel at that price first and upgrade you if possible.

Prices currently look a little on the high side for these dates, but you have plenty of time so i would give it a try as follows:

At the 3.5* level you have THREE re-bid zones. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.

Select 3.5* White House...

Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $70, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $75, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* Convention Center...

Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $70, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $75, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* Dupont Circle...

Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $70, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $75, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* White House and Convention Center...

Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $95, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* White House and Dupont Circle...

Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $95, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* White House and Convention Center and Dupont...

Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $115

I noticed after the fact that you were using $110 as a maximum "all-in" price but i continued to post because at the moment i think you'll need to go at least as high as the above, but if i'm wrong, you'll still be accepted at a lower level if you follow the strategy posted. If the above is more than you wish to spend you can still follow the above and stop at whatever price you'd like.

Any questions feel free to ask.

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

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[Poitier]

That looks amazing, I'll definitely give it a try! Thank you very much and I will report my results.

[Poitier]

I have tried the strategy but unfortunately couldn't get a bid accepted (so you indeed were right). I have followed your procedure up until the $95 and then tried the three areas with 4* hotels up until $105. I did this because I saw in the hotel list that there are a few 3.5* hotels in the Dupont area that have somewhat worse reviews (more specifically: the Hiltons) and I wanted to avoid getting those now for $95 or more a night, since we are still quite some time away from the dates of the trip and I could try again later.

I feel that at this point I should maybe try to get a decent hotel that could be cancelled and try the priceline strategy again in a few days. Do you have any other advice at this point?

Thanks again for all your help.

[thereuare]

Booking a cancellable back-up and continue to monitor rates/try PRICELINE and HOTWIRE is a good gameplan.

You can use our BetterChecker for help in finding a suitable back-up, as well as Maps and Hotels.com may be able to help you find something outside the city limits which is near a metro station (most, but not all, of the hotels there are refundable without penalty but be sure to check the cancellations terms during the check-out pricess)

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

Keep us update and let us know if we can be of further help.

[Poitier]

So far no luck unfortunately. I have booked the cancellable Red Roof Inn Downtown for about $100 a night. It's basic but reviews are OK so it would not be a disaster if we would end up there. However, I am not worried that there won't be an alternative at some point on Hotwire or Priceline.

I have taken a further look at the Priceline Hotel List on your forum. Based on that list and on the accepted bids in DC over the last half a year or so, I also would not mind to include the following in my bidding:

- White House/Downtown 3 star + Convention Center/Capitol Hill 3 star (both at this moment I would bid up until $80-$85 excl. tax)

- Georgetown/Foggy Bottom 3.5 star or higher (up until $85 excl. tax)

Would there be an efficient way to include this in the bidding strategy you suggested earlier?

Thanks a lot for all your help.

[thereuare]

Two questions in order to suggest a strategy for these alternate zones and star ratings:

1) keep in mind that when you bid 3* in the White House or Convention Center zones that is the minimum star rating that you are willing to acccept... you also need to be comfortable with any 3.5* hotels in these zones as well (and i'm assuming you're comfortable with the 4* hotels as well since you're bidding them above)

2) you listed the 3* White House or Convention Center bidding above the 3.5* Georgetown bidding... is your preference order or just the way you happened to list them? It would be easier to bid for the 3.5* Georgetown zone first, then if rejected try for a 3* or better in the WH and CC zones... but it can be done the other way too if that is your preference

Let us know and we'll advise accordingly.

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

[Poitier]

1) Definitely comfortable with any 3.5* or higher in White House and Convention Center zones: I'd also be willing to pay more for such a hotel, say up until 105 dollars excl. tax at this moment. 3 star up until 85 dollars.

2) I'm not 100% sure what you mean but I'll try to answer as good as possible. My preference order is as follows:

- 3.5* or higher in White House or Convention Center areas or 4* in Dupont Circle (willing to pay up to 105 dollars excl. tax)

- 3.5 star in Dupont Circle (willing to pay up to 90 dollars exl. tax) - I don't want to bid as high as WH and Conv.Ctr. because there is a Hilton there that is being renovated and sold at quite a low price elsewhere as well

- 3.5 star or higher in Georgetown (willing to pay up to 85 dollars excl. tax)

- 3 star in White House or Convention Center areas (willing to pay up to 85 dollars excl. tax)

[thereuare]

- White House/Downtown 3 star + Convention Center/Capitol Hill 3 star (both at this moment I would bid up until $80-$85 excl. tax)

- Georgetown/Foggy Bottom 3.5 star or higher (up until $85 excl. tax)

I meant above that you listed the 3* options on top of the 3.5* options... did you want to bid in the order quoted above, or is it OK to try for a 3.5* in Georgetown first, before trying for a 3* in the Convention Center/Capitol Hill zone (and it appears from your post above that it's ok to try the 3.5* optinos first, then try the 3* options)

Assuming we're "on the same page" above, this is how i would proceed:

At the 3.5* level you have THREE re-bid zones.

Select 3.5* Georgetown...

Bid $60, if rejected add Dupont

Bid $65, if rejected add White House

Bid $70, if rejected add Convention Center

Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $85.

If the above is rejected close brower and use our link to re-access PRICELINE...

At the 3* level you hae ONE re-bid zone. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.

Select 3* White House...

Bid $70, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $75, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Convention Center...

Bid $70, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $75, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* White House and Convention Center...

Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $85

Any questions feel free to ask.

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

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[Poitier]

Thank you very much! In order to be able to bid a bit higher than $85 for 3.5* hotels in White House and Convention areas, could I add the following after having bid $85 for Georgetown, White House, Convention, Dupont and 3 rebid zones?

- Close/reopen browser and go back to priceline

- Choose White House, Convention, 3.5*, bid $90

- add 1st rebid zone, bid $95

- add 2nd rebid zone, bid $100

- add 3rd rebid zone, bid $105

- Close/reopen browser and go back to priceline

- Choose Dupont, 4*, bid $90

- add 1st rebid zone, bid $95

- add 2nd rebid zone, bid $100

- add 3rd rebid zone, bid $105

I am a bit worried that the first part won't work since I would then already have bid for a combination of White House and Convention at 3.5*. Or would this work? What is the best way to otherwise resolve it?

[thereuare]

I have followed your procedure up until the $95 and then tried the three areas with 4* hotels up until $105.

I understand on the maco level what you're trying to achieve, but not following the details 100% since i'm not sure what order your preferences lie. Why not follow the same strategy you used previously, as per your quote above, then if that is rejected, start with the 3.5* Georgetown strategy two posts above this one. (you'd close the browser after your 3.5* White House, Convention Center, Dupont Circle bidding... then re-access PRICELINE, and start with the Georgetown strategy above)

Is that inline with your objective?

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

[Poitier]

Still no luck unfortunately so I might have to stick with the prebooked alternative. If I should find something after all, I'll post it here. Thanks for all the help anyway!

[AaronJB]

Good luck, and keep us updated if you are successful bidding - you do have some time until this trip, so there's the chance that prices will improve soon.