Priceline Hotel: Question on setting the maximum bid for Maui resorts

[aprille]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum and have a question about bidding for resorts on priceline. I'm planning to bid for a resort level or minimum 3.5* hotel in Kaanapali - Lahaina area. From the forum it looks like the possible outcome would be one of the following: Sheraton, Hyatt, Westin, and Royal Lahaina, and winning bids range from $100-150/night. However, I also found online that the resort fees from each place vary quite a bit among these hotels. The resort fee is between $15 to $25 and parking is not necessarily included in the fee either (e.g., hyatt). Priceline also states that resort fee is extra, if that's the case, does this mean that if my winning bid is $150/night then adding the taxes on priceline and resort fee upon arrival I would be paying close to $200/night? If my budget is $150/night, which level should I start bidding at? If it is lower than 3.5* would I be better off getting it from hotwire or Expedia where I get to pick the specific hotel then? Thanks!

[yellowdog]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Hawaii is not my area but i'll get you started.

PRICELINE also states that resort fee is extra, if that's the case, does this mean that if my winning bid is $150/night then adding the taxes on PRICELINE and resort fee upon arrival I would be paying close to $200/night?

This is correct.

If my budget is $150/night, which level should I start bidding at?

Is this included tax, PRICELINE fee and maybe a resort/parking fee?

would I be better off getting it from hotwire or Expedia where I get to pick the specific hotel then?

You will have the same resort/parking/booking fee if going with Expedia or HOTWIRE

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.

Also please post your dates for the stay. It helps the board to determ the rates for your stay.

Hope this helps.

Yellowdog.

[aprille]

Thanks yellowdog.

I'm looking for Sept 10-15. I looked up online and found Sheraton resort fee is $26 and Hyatt seems to be lower at $15. I was hoping to get a room at $150-165/day with everything included (or $1000 for total of hotel and car rental for the duration), but I see now that I cannot get a resort level at that price at Kaanapali area. If I start my bid at 3.5*, how can I rebid again on the same day if I still want to stay in the same area?

[thereuare]

When bidding 3.5* in Maui you have TWO re-bid zones. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please see: Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask for help and/or confirm your re-bid zones before bidding. If you're confused by the previous link just let us know and we'll break it down further for you.

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