Priceline Hotel: 4* San Diego (Downtown-Harbor Island) Marriott Gaslamp Quarter

[redgale]

Priceline/Hotwire newbie here, hoping to get some advice if possible! I am going to San Diego 8/13-8/16. I have been trying to follow the results posted on this forum and have been reading the tips posted here. Today I started the bidding process (exciting!) but wasn't successful.

I started with a bid for a 4* hotel in the San Diego Coastal area for $70. That was rejected so I added the San Diego & Harbor Island area and raised my bid to $75. Again, rejected. I then added the 3.5* level and put in a bid of $70. Again, rejected. I guess I shouldn't have bid so low in the beginning. When the 24 hours are up, I'll bid higher. Any suggestions for how much to bid? I've read the tips on how to bid a few times through and must admit I'm still feeling rather clueless. I am hoping to not spend more than about $85 per night.

I appreciate any help that can be given!

[silverbells]

The lowest bid I won with in the 4* category in San Diego Coastal was $91 (had tried several lower bids). The 4* Downtown/Harbor Island seems to have a lot lower winning bids and I won a 4* with $71 but I later saw people had won with even lower bids ($65 or so). My dates fall in/around your date range also. Good luck!

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

You can bid more systematically than you have been... are you familair with re-bidding? At the 4* level you have 12 re-bid zones... at the 3.5* level you have EIGHT re-bid zones. Please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask any questions you have and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board. If you're confused just post back and we'll break it down further for you, step by step.

Furthermore, for us to suggest a strategy to follow, let us know if you want to bid up to your limit at the 4* level before lowing and trying the 3.5* up to your limit OR if your goal is the least expensive 3.5* or better for this stay. Also, i assume that both the Coast and Downtown-Harbor Island zones are acceptable?

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

Let us know the above and we'll advise accordingly.

[redgale]

Thanks for the replies. I have read that Re-Bidding tips and am still a bit confused. The idea is that I can add another area that doesn't have 4* hotels in order to re-bid before the 24 hours is up? Still not completely clear on it. I don't know why I am having so much trouble understanding this! :)

I am willing to accept both the Coast and Downtown-Harbor Island. Since there are more options in the Downtown-Harbor Island area, I suppose it's better to start there. I would like to get the least expensive 3.5* or better for my trip. Would it make more sense to start bidding for a 4* in the Downtown area and then add the Coast with a slightly higher bid. If that gets rejected again, add the 3.5* and drop the price a bit? Or maybe I should then start over with a new bid and start with the 3.5* in Downtown and if that is rejected add the Coast and up my bid? That way I could get two bids for the 3.5*?

[redgale]

Follow-up after reading the Re-bidding Tips for the 4th or 5th time...

So I searched on Priceline's retail part of the site in different areas of San Diego by looking only in a specific area and viewing the hotels by star rating. In the very least, the Mission Valley area and North County Inland seem to only go up to 3.5*. So I can start bidding for a 4* in the Downtown Harbor and Coastal. If I am still unsuccessful, I would then add Mission Valley as an acceptable area but keep only bidding for 4*. That way, I can bid again.

My question: does the Bidding part of the site draw from the exact same list of hotels? Is it possible that there could be other properties on the list that are rated at 4*?

I'm sorry to be so bothersome! Everything is so clearly laid out in the posts here, I feel like I should be understanding this much better.

[Colfax]

In the very least, the Mission Valley area and North County Inland seem to only go up to 3.5*.

You're getting those zone names from Priceline's retail section, not "Name Your Own Price", and I think that is mixing you up as the zone names and boundaries aren't consistent between the two products. For example there's a La Jolla zone in the retail product but no La Jolla zone in NYOP. Same for North County Inland.

If you're planning to bid for a room via "Name Your Own Price" don't pay any attention to the zone names in Priceline's retail product, as they're irrelevant to your bid.

Thanks for the replies. I have read that Re-Bidding tips and am still a bit confused. The idea is that I can add another area that doesn't have 4* hotels in order to re-bid before the 24 hours is up? Still not completely clear on it. I don't know why I am having so much trouble understanding this!

A lot of people have trouble with the rebidding concept at first but after you've tried it a couple times you'll find it's easy. It sounds like you're getting it already. It's the #1 trick that helps you get the lowest price possible, so it's worth taking a little time to figure it out.

I would like to get the least expensive 3.5* or better for my trip.

Someone can give a strategy up to $85 for a 3.5* but you need to be able to ID your rebid zones to execute the strategy.

After reading thereuare's link can you identify your eight rebid zones for 3.5* in San Diego? If you want you can post the zone names and someone will confirm. If you don't have your rebid zones right you can end up in a part of town you didn't want. Ask if you have questions.

[thereuare]

So using the PRICELINE's NAME YOUR OWN PRICE (NOT the 'retail' section) if you look at the San Diego zones and click the first checkbox, look below and see the highest rating available in that zone and write it down.

Then UNCHECK the first zone, place a checkmark in the second zone and note the highest star rating available in that zone... and so-on and so-on, making sure that only one zone is checked each time you check the higher star rating available.

Does this make more sense now? Can you list the EIGHT re-bid zones that you currently have available at the 3.5* level?

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

[redgale]

Thanks for the help! I can't say how much I appreciate the assistance.

Eight re-bid options for 3.5*:

-El Cajon

-Escondido

-La Mesa

-Miramar

-National City

-Point Loma

-San Yssidro

-Sorrento Mesa

It also seems like there are four options for rebidding for exclusively a 4* because these zones do not list 4* properties (if I am figuring this out correctly):

-Del Mar

-Mission Valley

-North County Coastal

-Rancho Bernardo

I could also try rebidding with the eight areas listed above for a 4*, correct?

[Colfax]

You've got your free rebid zones right now, redgale.

:)

It's almost strategy time, but just to make sure we understand what you want, is this correct?

You want the least expensive 3.5* or higher in either Downtown Harbor-Island or Coastal zone, up to $85 maximum, before tax/fee.

OR

Do you want to bid up to $85 for a 4* hotel first, and then if that fails try for a 3.5* up to $85?

[redgale]

Woo-hoo, I'm sort of learning!

I would like the least expensive 3.5* or higher in Downtown Harbor-Island or Coastal zone.

[thereuare]

With your EIGHT re-bid zones i would try as follows:

Select 3.5* Coastal and Downtown...

Bid $50, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $55, if rejected add re-bid zone...

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 add re-bid zone...

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

Bid $83, 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.

[redgale]

I followed that strategy exactly and with my...6th re-bid I landed the Marriott San Diego Gaslamp Quarter (listed as a 4*) for $75 per night. Thanks to everyone for the help! I obviously could not have done it without this board. We will be right near Petco Park. Valet parking is $30/night, which is more than most of the hotels I checked out in the area, so I'm especially glad to have not gone to my maximum price!

So, to copy the proper format: 4* San Diego (Downtown-Harbor Island) Marriott San Diego Gaslamp Quarter - $75

[yellowdog]

Thank you for sharing your win with the board :)

Great to see that the board was helpful for your stay.

Have a nice stay.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE and PRICELINE links to start future purchases.

Yellowdog.