nita Posted August 30, 2009 Report Posted August 30, 2009 Hi, I have been trying to bid for a while; trying everything possible as far as my limited knowledge of the priceline system goes (I'm a newbie ;-) but haven't been able to succeed yet. I have booked a back-up hotel in Washington DC with cancellation option as I am hoping I will succeed with Priceline. Wondering if someone can please help me. Should I have more patience and wait till nearer to the date or keep on trying? During all my different attempts (started about a month ago) I have started at $60 and bid to a maximum of $140 with everything inbetween. Looking at prices asked on the dates requested; they seem very high to me? 1) Washington DC - White house-downtown / 4 star 2) bid white house-downtown added convention center-capitol hill, then added dupont circle-wooley park, then added george town - foggy bottom, added 3 1/2 star, and the two free bids of DC Subs. and Mt. Vernon 3) Date of Hotel Checkin: 10/18/09 4) Date of Hotel Checkout: 10/21/09 5) Number of rooms needed: 2 6) Hotel Quality Level: 4 star or else 3 1/2 star 7) Lowest available rates: Renaisance Mayflower $359, JW Marriott $399, Grand Hyatt $449-379, Marriott Metro Center $399, Hyatt regency $369, Omni Shoreham $299, Palomar $340, 8) Source website(s) of lowest available rates: hotel websites 9) Free re-bidding zones: Dc suburbs - Mt vernon (for the 3 1/2* bids and 4* bids) as well as Bethesda - Crystal City and Silverspring for just the 4* bids. 10) Maximum willing to bid $130 THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP !!!
thereuare Posted August 30, 2009 Report Posted August 30, 2009 Welcome to BetterBidding!Some of the zones you have added to your bidding have 3.5* and 4* hotels... are you willing to accept these zones in addition to the White House-Downtown zone? Exactly which zones are you willing to accept at each star level?Is your maximum bid $130 or $140? Where and how much is your back-up reservation?Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
nita Posted August 30, 2009 Author Report Posted August 30, 2009 Thanks for the reply: I am willing to go to a max of $140 for both the 4* and 3,5* hotels. I think we're petty flexible where it comes to which zone to choose as long as long as there is easy access to transportation to the sights in the city. So I think - white house-downtown, convention center-capitol hill, dupont circle-wooley park and george town - foggy bottom are within that criteria (please correct me if I'm wrong). Thanks again....My back-up reservation is for the Georgetown suites - $435.00 USD (2bedr. suite)
thereuare Posted August 30, 2009 Report Posted August 30, 2009 It's impossible to know exactly how far you will be from the Metro, but generally speaking i would check the Georgetown area for which metro access can get a little spotty in some parts of the zone. For instance, even your back-up of the Geogetown Suites, the metro doesn't look to be that close.You can go to MAPS and HOTELS.com to look at a map and compare them to PRICELINE's zones... if you zoom in/out on the Maps and Hotels map you can see the location of nearby metro stops.Once you confirm the zones let us know how you'd like to proceed and we'll advise accordingly.Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
nita Posted August 30, 2009 Author Report Posted August 30, 2009 Thank you! Okay, I think then it is probably wise to leave Georgetown and Foggy Bottom out of the bidding zones, which will leave us with: white house-downtown - convention center-capitol hill, and dupont circle-wooley park for either a 4* or 3,5* hotel / 2 rooms from 10/18 - 10/21. Start new bid with white house-downtown $125 for 4* and if rejected add a zone + $5?
nita Posted August 30, 2009 Author Report Posted August 30, 2009 I just tried bidding again without luck I'm afraid :) This is what I did taking it a notch higher than I really wanted bidding up to $155: bid 1: White House / Downtown - 4* - $125 bid 2: added Dupont Circle / Wooldley Park - 4* - $125 bid 3: added CC / CH - 4* - $125 bid 4: added Bethesda - 4* - $130 bid 5: added Crystal City - 4* - $140 bid 6: added DC Subs - 4* - $145 bid 7: added Mt. Vernon - 4* $150 bid 8: added Silver Spring - 4* $155 Thought I would might be in luck and get the Omni Shoreham as their lowest available rate was $299 according to hotel website. Expedia.com offered room there at $248
thereuare Posted August 31, 2009 Report Posted August 31, 2009 Did you only try bidding for a 4* property and not for 3.5*? What are your current thoughts? Have you looked closer at the location of your back-up hotel and does that work for your 'close to metro' needs?Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
nita Posted August 31, 2009 Author Report Posted August 31, 2009 Did you only try bidding for a 4* property and not for 3.5*? What are your current thoughts? Have you looked closer at the location of your back-up hotel and does that work for your 'close to metro' needs?I did bid for only a 4* property. If I can I would like to cancel the back-up property but not untill I have a replacement. If I cannot find a hotel, I'm afraid it will have to do.
thereuare Posted September 1, 2009 Report Posted September 1, 2009 If your back-up isn't as ideal as you previously thougtht, how about increasing your PRICELINE bidding a little closer to the rate of your back-up? I suspect you'll be success for a 4* hotel at $200 or under... or if you're willing to spend that much or a few dollars more you could could consider HOTWIRE which has 2rooms in the Dupont Circle zone for $224/nite (Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Internet, Business) and a fantastic Tripadvisor rating of 4.5/5.0 which would make it a match for the Hotel Palomar and that would be my best guess for this one.Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
nita Posted September 1, 2009 Author Report Posted September 1, 2009 Thought I would give it another try today: bid 1: Dupont Circle / Wooldley Park - 4* - $160 bid 2: added White House / Downtown - 4* - $170 bid 3: added Mt Vernon - 4* - $175 bid 4: added DC Subs - 4* - $180 bid 5: added Bethesda - 4* - $185 bid 6: added Crystal City - 4* - $190 bid 7: added Silver Spring - 4* $195 NOT ACCEPTED I closed browser and started again, this time checking the 3 1/2* bid 1: White House / Downtown - 3 1/2* - $175 I got a counteroffer from Priceline to increase offer with $25: declined. Started again: bid 1: White House / Downtown + Dc Subs - 3 1/2* - $185 bid 2: added Mt. Vernon - 3 1/2* - $190 and got ACCEPTED! The hotel I got is the Hotel Rouge (Kimpton Hotel) 2 rooms - Oct. 18 -21
yellowdog Posted September 1, 2009 Report Posted September 1, 2009 Thank you for sharing your result with the board!Enjoy your stay.Please use the site's HOTWIRE and PRICELINE links to start future purchases.Yellowdog.
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