Priceline Hotel: Help needed with 4* from 10/17/09 to 10/24/09

[amoredessert]

Hi,

I'm new to the site. This is a great and informative website!

I've read many posts and understand the process but have been unsuccessful bidding. I'm looking for a 4* hotel from 10/17/09 to 10/24/09 in MTW, MTE, CPS or TS and add ESB if necessary. Max price, at this point, is $165 before tax. I've followed the below strategy from another post but was unsuccessful:

Select 4* MTE, MTW, TS, and CPS...

Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $130, if rejected closer browser and use our links to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* ESB...

Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $130, if rejected closer browser and use our links to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* MTE, MTW, TS, CPS and ESB...

Bid $135, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $145, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $155, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $160

I've read on another post that perhaps splitting the dates would help although I don't really understand this strategy. Would you please provide a strategy for splitting the dates? Ideally, I would like to be in a 4* hotel for all 7 nights but would be ok to move to another hotel.

Thanks.

[Pider]

I have been trying same Strategy for a couple of weeks, In Exactly the Same Zones (MTW, MTE, CPS, TS, ESB) for 10/08/09 to 10/15/09. I am up to $205 and still nothing.

My thinking is Hotels are not letting go of rooms at this time due to the New York Yankees Doing so well in Baseball.

October is post season baseball and there will probably be plenty of last minute fans flying in and paying anything for rooms.

Unfortunately I was hoping for $150-170 at one time as well. Its probably not going to happen.

[thereuare]

amoredessert,

Since you have FIVE re-bid zones at the 4* level (If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.) you can use the following strategy for your next round of bidding:

Select 4* MTE, MTW, TS, and CPS...

Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $130, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $135, if rejected closer browser and use our links to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* ESB...

Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $130, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $135, if rejected closer browser and use our links to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* MTE, MTW, TS, CPS and ESB...

Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $145, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $155, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $160, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $165

I would try the above for the following date combinations:

10/17/09-10/24/09

10/17/09-10/23/09

10/18/09-10/24/09

10/17/09-10/22/09

10/19/09-10/24/09

10/17/09-10/21/09

10/20/09-10/24/09

10/17/09-10/20/09

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.

Pider,

Fee free to start a NEW TOPIC if you'd like help with your own stay.

Thanks.

[amoredessert]

Thereuare, thanks for the reply. Just to make sure I understand your strategy...one of the dates you listed is "10/17-10/23". Does this mean bid using your suggested strategy for the period "10/17-10/23" and then another bid using the same strategy for 10/24 (since my stay is for 10/17 to 10/24)? You have listed "10/18-10/24" twice. Is the second "10/18-10/24" meant to be "10/19-10/24?"

Pider, thanks for the comment. I was wondering if there was something going on that week.

[thereuare]

You have listed "10/18-10/24" twice. Is the second "10/18-10/24" meant to be "10/19-10/24?"

Yes... and i've fixed above.

Does this mean bid using your suggested strategy for the period "10/17-10/23" and then another bid using the same strategy for 10/24 (since my stay is for 10/17 to 10/24)?

For the most part, yes. I think you understand, but to be clear (for you or anyone else following along) you wouldn't bid the solo nite of 10/23 unless you were first successful for the nites 10/17-10/23. (your checkout date is 10/24, correct?)

So the above goes thru the series of dates, trying to be successful for the greatest number of nites as possible. If you are successful, you'd then try for the balance of your stay, but we'll lkely have a look at current prices for the nites which remain and possibly tweak the strategy somewhat at that point in time.

Does that make it clearer?

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

[amoredessert]

Yes, that's clearer. Yes, checkout date is 10/24. I will try bidding again later today. Thank you.

[AaronJB]

Thank you for using the site's PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links and good luck on your bidding. Let us know how it goes or if you have further questions.

[amoredessert]

On 9/9/09 I bid:

- followed your strategy exactly for 10/17-10/24 dates.

- followed the 1st & 2nd parts of your strategy for 10/17-10/23 dates. I didn't bid the third part since I didn't want to bid any higher given that I'm breaking up my stay.

- followed the 1st part of your strategy but added ESB for 10/18-10/24 dates.

- gave up as it was getting late

After spending more time looking into the hotels I now want to bid on 3.5* hotels in ESB (1st choice) and MSG (2nd choice) as it doesn't seem realistic to get a 4* hotel under $200 (before taxes) from information gathered from this forum. I'm choosing ESB & MSG because the possible 3.5* hotels appeal more to me.

So, today I bid on 3.5* hotels as follows:

Select 3.5* ESB

Bid $90 - rejected

Bid $95 - rejected

Bid $100 - rejected

Bid $105 - rejected

Select 3.5* MSG

Bid $90 - rejected

Bid $95 - rejected

Bid $100 - rejected

Bid $105 - rejected

Select 3.5* ESB

Bid $115 - rejected

Bid $120 - rejected

Bid $125 - rejected

Bid $130 - rejected

Select 3.5* MSG

Bid $115 - rejected

Bid $120 - rejected

Bid $125 - rejected

Bid $130 - rejected

There are not a lot of wins on the calendar for my dates. Do you think there aren't that many members going to NYC for those dates or are rooms that difficult to get at low prices for those dates? Should I keep trying for 3.5* for ESB & MSG with max bid of $130 or split my dates? Any comments or advice would be appreciated. I do have a cancel-able back up hotel booked.

I've used your PRICELINE links for all my bids.

Thanks.

[thereuare]

For this complete stay I think you have a better chance at a 4* for $200 than you do a 3.5* for $130.

There often isn't that much of a different in price between 3.5* and 4* hotels in NYC, but more importantly, of the 'known' hotels reported to the board, there are only three 3.5* hotels reported to the board between these two zones, so just not a lot of hotels are being given the opportunity to accept your bid, imo.

Thanks for using our PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links.