Priceline Hotel: 4* Seattle (Downtown-Pike Place) Westin

[fatboydave]

WIll be in Seattle one night September 2 and will be leaving on the Clipper in the morning of the 3rd. Reviewed the calender and would like to get either the Westin, Sheraton or similar but since I have never used either Hotwire or Priceline bidding I seek the sage advice of this board. I know I need the Downtown area and should ask for the 4 star level. ANy other suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Looking to pay less than $100 as I see Westin at $65 for 2 bidders on my date and one day before or after. 2 adults.

[yellowdog]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

You can't target a specific hotel on PRICELINE. You need to be willing to stay at any 4* (or higher) within the zone you're bidding at.

If you're trying to target a specific property then HOTWIRE can often be a better option if you're successfully able to identify it based upon the star rating and amenities shown before your purchase... the trade-off is that HOTWIRE usually costs a little more than PRICELINE, so you need to decide what is most important to you for a given stay, the lowest possible price OR the ability to take an educated guess as to the property you may receive.

Post your thoughts and we'll go from there.

Yellowdog.

[tilepusher]

I assume that you know how Priceline works (if you don't, read Priceline's information for first time users). Have you read this post about Priceline Rebidding? Make sure that you understand this technique, as it is the cornerstone of Priceline bidding strategy.

If you decide to go with Priceline for this trip, you'll want to start by bidding for a 4* hotel in the Seattle Downtown - Pike Place zone. Since this is your first time, I would like you to list your rebid zones here before we proceed.

[fatboydave]

I assume that you know how Priceline works (if you don't, read Priceline's information for first time users). Have you read this post about Priceline Rebidding? Make sure that you understand this technique, as it is the cornerstone of Priceline bidding strategy.

If you decide to go with Priceline for this trip, you'll want to start by bidding for a 4* hotel in the Seattle Downtown - Pike Place zone. Since this is your first time, I would like you to list your rebid zones here before we proceed.

Second bid zone would be Seattle Center-Space Needle. All suggestions are really appreciated.

[fatboydave]

Second bid zone would be Seattle Center-Space Needle. All suggestions are really appreciated.

Willing to Stay at any of the 4* I've seen reported here in both zones. But the Downtown area would be better location. Seattle Center would not be a problem.

[tilepusher]

Sorry, that's not what I meant. "Rebid zone" refers to those zones that have only hotels of lower star level than what you're bidding for (i.e. the one's we'll use to gain extra bids using the method described in Priceline Rebidding Explained -- you did read that, right?). Once you've listed them, we'll come up with a bidding strategy.

[fatboydave]

Sorry, that's not what I meant. "Rebid zone" refers to those zones that have only hotels of lower star level than what you're bidding for (i.e. the one's we'll use to gain extra bids using the method described in Priceline Rebidding Explained -- you did read that, right?). Once you've listed them, we'll come up with a bidding strategy.

Seattle Center-Space Needle is the second zone I would consider since it does not have any hotels higher than the 3* category. No 3.5 or 4* in that zone. Start with downtown and have Seattle Center-Space Needle as second option.

[tilepusher]

Correct -- Seattle Center is one of your rebid zones for a 4* bid since the maximum star-level available in this zone is 3*. But there are several more such zones and I'd like you to find them all before we proceed. Keep in mind that we're not looking at these zones as alternative options for you to stay; we're going to use these zones in your bidding because you won't be able to get a 4* hotel in them but, by adding them to your bids, they will allow you to make additional bids for a 4* hotel in Downtown - Pike Place without having to wait 24 hours between bids.

If you're having difficulty with the concepts in Priceline Bidding Explained, let us know and we'll do our best to clarify them.

[fatboydave]

Appreciate the patience. Still learning. I would add Seattle Center-Space Needle, Seattle Airport, Lake Union, Bothel and Lynnwood. None of these have 3.5* or higher.

[tilepusher]

Correct -- those are all rebid zones for a 3.5* bid -- but there are even more.

For your bid, we're going to stick to 4* bidding. Your preference is for the Sheraton, Westin, or similar, and I believe that in this case, a 4* will not cost much more than a 3.5*. I see no good reason to compromise here. Start a bid for this hotel on Priceline (using the Priceline link, of course) and look at each zone one at a time (make sure that only the zone you want to look at is checked). Note the maximum star-level for each zone; you should get the following results:

Bellevue-Redmond: 4*

Bothell: 3*

Lake Union: 3*

Lynnwood-Edmonds: 3*

Mukilteo-South Everett: 3*

North Everett: 2.5*

Renton-Kent: 3*

Seattle Airport: 3*

Seattle Center-Space Needle: 3*

Seattle Downtown-Pike Place: 4*

University of Washington-Northgate: 3.5*

(I know I've just given you the results, but please try this technique yourself -- it will help you greatly for future bids) Therefore, every zone except Bellevue-Redmond is a rebid zone for a 4* bid in Seattle Downtown-Pike Place. Now we're ready to get that hotel:

Bid $65 for a 4* hotel in Downtown-Pike Place.

If rejected, add a rebid zone and bid $70.

If rejected, add a rebid zone and bid $75.

If rejected, add a rebid zone and bid $80.

If rejected, add a rebid zone and bid $85.

If rejected, add a rebid zone and bid $90.

Let us know the results.

(p.s. The Westin came up on Hotwire when I searched yesterday, but is gone now. The 4* hotel that's coming up now is neither the Westin nor the Sheraton. I have a feeling that it may be prudent to hold off this bid until one of them comes back on Hotwire. But I could be wrong -- I'll leave the decision to you whether to bid now or wait)

[fatboydave]

Thanks for the help. I'm learning a lot. What was it that gave you the idea that the Westin was on Hotwire? Comparing the amenities? DO the Tripadvisor reviews give you some insight?

[AaronJB]

While HOTWIRE may be slightly more expensive, there are clues - such as the amenities and if the listing is showing a tripadvisor rating - that allows one to make an "educated guess" as to which property the listing may be. For someone who is more flexible on which hotel they stay on, PRICELINE is a great choice. HOTWIRE may be more, but it may worth a little more for someone to have an idea of what they're getting.

[tilepusher]

Both -- the Washington Hotwire hotel list on this site has a list of reported hotels with the amenities that were reported with it. The listed amenities and TA information were both a match for the Westin. Going by the TA info, the 4* hotel currently listed on Hotwire appears to be the Hotel Vintage Park.

I should also mention that the 3.5* hotel (for $88; amenities: smoke free, fitness, pool, restaurant, high-speed internet) on Hotwire is a match for the Renaissance. It could be available on Priceline for about $65 (but you might end up at one of the Silver Cloud Hotels). I still recommend that you bid for a 4* first; it's just a question of how high you want to bid before trying for a 3.5*. I would bid to at least $80 for a 4* first before considering other options.

[tilepusher]

The Westin is coming up again on HOTWIRE (amenities: fitness, pool, restaurant, business, high-speed internet, 3.5 TA rating with 320+ reviews), so I'd give the 4* bid the green light. I'd bid up to $90, but I don't think you'll have to go that high.

[fatboydave]

Ended up with the Westin for $80 on my first PRICELINE experience. Started at $65 for 4* and added zones until accepted. Thanks for the help.

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success. :)

Great deal on this property, and glad that you were able to get the hotel you were looking for.

Thank you for sharing your win with the board and please use the site's PRICELINE or HOTWIRE links to start your purchases.

Enjoy your stay.