Priceline Hotel: 4* Virginia Beach (Virginia Beach-Pembroke) Founders Inn

[adelaide98]

Hello,

I'm looking for a hotel in Virgina Beach for the night of Saturday Aug 1.

My preference is for an oceanfront 3* hotel, but I will consider the Pembroke Area if oceanfront not working out.

I used the hotwire and PRICELINE links to get to those sites. :)

Bidding strategy:

$80 for 3* only, Virginia Beach Area, rejected

$85, with addition of Chesapeake- Bowers Hill, rejected

$90, with addition of Norfolk Naval Base- Tidewater, rejected.

I chose to start at $80 b/c the "median retail price" for a 3* hotel in the area is $126, according to Priceline (but I think that actually sounds low). I have not seen very many successes on Hotwire or Priceline for oceanfront hotels for July 2009.

I also checked Travelocity.com. They list no availability for any oceanfront hotels, except for a Seagull Motel, which has 2.5* ($199) and does not seem to be offered by Priceline or Hotwire (according to the Hotel Lists).

Here's my question: If all the oceanfront hotels seem to be gone according to another site like Travelocity, then is it futile to hope I will get one through Priceline? If so, I will be quicker to move onto Pembroke and/or just get a hotel through Hotwire (starting at $141 for a 2* hotel at the seaside... can't even figure out what it is is has pool and restaurant...but I guess that's a hotwire question).

A second question: If a 2.5* hotel on Travelocity is actually $199, and I'm supposed to be saving "up to 50%" by using Priceline, then perhaps I'm bidding way too low? (I was guided by the median retail price given by Priceline as above).

Thanks for your insight, if you have any. I will keep posting my updates.

Andrea

[thereuare]

The only way to see "true" demand (and sold-out conditions) is directly at the hotel websites... if you go to the hotel websites (use our BetterChecker to assist in yoru search) is there availability?

If not, i suspect one problem may be that you're looking for a solo Saturday nite during the 'season'... many hotels may require a 2 nite minimum stay, since that is what mosts guests are seeking, and once they sell a lone Saturday nite it becomes tougher to fill that same room for just Friday nite. When you search hotel direct rates, i'd also check 7/31-8/2 to see if this may be a minimum stay issue, at which point hotels may relax this requirement as they get closer to check-in dates.

Thanks for using our PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links.

Let us know regarding the sold-out status as per above and we'll take it from there.

[adelaide98]

Thanks very much for your reply. That was a good suggestion to look directly on the hotel site, and good insight as to the 2 night vs. 1 night difference.

Your Better Checker is also very nice and easy to use. Thanks! I searched all the 3* and up hotels for both 7/31-8/2 and 8/1-8/2

The holiday inn/express and wyndham were booked for both scenarios.

The doubletree and the hilton were available for the two night stay, but not for the one night stay.

So I'm thinking that I may be best off with one of the Pembroke hotels....

Thanks again,

Andrea

[AaronJB]

HOTWIRE has a Virginia Beach Seaside hotel available, but it's a 2* for $141.

Using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links are greatly appreciated.

[thereuare]

So I'm thinking that I may be best off with one of the Pembroke hotels....

If you need help with a bidding strategy let us know your desired star rating and maximum bid and we'll offer a strategy to follow.

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

Keep us updated as to your progress and whatever you ulitmatley do for this stay.

[adelaide98]

Today, I tried again.

I am now looking in the VA Beach Pembroke Area (instead of seaside).

Also, I decided to change my travel dates to 7/31-8/2 (might as well travel in the evening and avoid the Sat AM beach traffic! :).

I used the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links at the top of this page to start my searches.

I started at $50/night 4*, and rebid by increasing by $5 increments until I had used up all my rebids and was at $85 --> rejected.

Then I started again at $60/night for 3.5* and up, and rebid by increasing by $5 increments until I used up all my rebids, was again at $85 --> rejected.

I guess there are a lot of people going to the beach this summer! Still, I think it was a reasonable try, given that there were other recent wins for $65 (not so last minute as me though)

I will try again tomorrow, but tomorrow if I'm unsuccessful, I'll stop and get the Hotwire deal of 3.5* hotel for $99 if it's still available (I think it's the Founders Inn and Spa).

If you have any further comments as to my bidding strategy, I'm all ears. :)

Thanks very much for this forum.

[AaronJB]

The Founders Inn & Spa is $104 on these dates (25% off sale) on Expedia + coupon code 10JUL takes another $10 off each night = $94.

Please use the site's Expedia.com link if this is of interest.

[adelaide98]

There is an end to this story...

Using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links provided from this site,

I looked for the deal from Expedia, but did not see anything about 25% off. With the coupon the rate was $129/night (even when I actually logged into Expedia). On Travelocity, the rate was $149, and on Hotwire the rate had gone up from $99 to $113.

So I started bidding on PRICELINE, 4* hotels, 7/31-8/2 and tried $70, $75, $80, $90 (I jumped up $10 even though I didn't need to because I was getting bored.)

I got it at $90, 7/31/09 to 8/2/09 Founders Inn and Spa, VA Beach.

Could I have gotten it at $85?? We'll never know! Okay, not so important, huh? :) Just ironic, or something.

I'm happy with my purchase, and I look forward to my stay.

Thanks to everyone on this board for their help. To new people: the more you do this, the more comfortable you get with it. :)

[AaronJB]

Congratulations on your success and thank you for sharing your results with the board.

Glad to see you were able to get a wonderful deal for this hotel, and that you are pleased with the results.

Thanks for using the site's PRICELINE link to start your purchase.

Enjoy your stay.