Priceline Hotel: 3* Miami Downtown Doubletree $42

[like2cruise]

:) I have read and read this site, finalized my cruise travel plans and I am ready to make my first bid. I have plenty of time so I am not too worried. I want to be sure to give this site credit, but how do I do that if the PRICELINE link is down? Is there another way to do that. Also from what I have read I should post the answers to the form for bidding help even though I have gotten some help from thereuare and grouchy which I appreciated alot!

So here it goes!

1) Miami

2) Downtown

3) 11/15/03

4) 11/16/03

5) 4

6) 3 star-hoping for Hyatt

7) Hyatt $100.00. Doubletree $170.00, Sheraton $161.00, Mariott $189.00

8) Travelweb and hotel home pages

9) 2 rebid zones-Southwest MIA and North MIA as there are no 3 star zones there

10) $35.00-$40.00 (Happy dance is $27.00 for the Hyatt :)

11) yes

12) yes

13) yes

Thanks to anyone that can help!

[thereuare]

Thanks for supplying all that info, but we're not that formal here :)

This whole process should be fun so we try to keep it a little more "free form".

I assume you know about RE-BIDS of which you have two when bidding 3 star in the Miami Downtown area.

This is how i would proceed:

Miami Downtown 3*

bid $27, if rejected

add re-bid zone and bid $34, if rejected

add re-bid zone and bid $40

If you really want the Hyatt i think you're best shot is with the first $27 bid... the next two bids are more likely to land you the Sheraton (both are fine hotels). If you'd really like the Hyatt, you could stop after your first bid and just try again in a week since you have plenty of time (i'm neither recommending nor discouraging you from doing this, just want you to know your options, if you really had your heart set on the Hyatt).

For the time being, until we resolve things on our end, don't worry about using our link. Your desire and willingness to do so is thanks enough!!

Let us know how it goes and if you have any questions regarding the above.

Congratulations for finalizing your cruise plans.

[like2cruise]

No luck! My bid was refused :) But I am surprised how fast my heart was beating as I waited for the answer. We have stayed at both the Sheraton and Hyatt, but the Hyatt is my daughter's favorite hotel...so I guess I will wait and try again in a week since I have until November. I saw someone got the Sheraton today. I may go ahead and book the Hyatt for $100.00 a night...just in case as a back up :)

Thanks thereuare!!!!!!

[thereuare]

I'm assuming you stopped after your first $27 bid... or were you rejected up to $40?

[like2cruise]

I stopped at the $27.00 bid since I am really hoping for the Hyatt. I am guessing I am too early to snag such a great deal. But I am new to this and so it is just a guess :)

Thanks for following my posts!

[like2cruise]

:) Just wanted to update you on my bidding tonight. I started with my original $27.00 for 4 rooms in downtown Miami for 11/15/03 for one night pre-cruise, rebid at $31.00 adding Southwest Miami, then rebid again at $34.00 adding North Miami and all rejected. I will keep trying :) I saw someone got the Hyatt for $38.00 but her dates were alot closer than mine!!

When I re-read Thereuare's advice I realize he recommended $27.00, $34.00 and $40.00 so I will wait 3 days and try again! Thanks for any and all help!

[thereuare]

L2C,

Once you hit $34, i think you start to add other possibilities that you may get besides the Hyatt (like the Sheraton, as one possibility). Also, the poster above that was accepted at $38 was rejected at $27, so there is a chance that the Hyatt may have raised their Priceline rate, but at this point we don't know for sure.

Also, there is a previous poster HERE who had difficulty with getting 4 rooms at once when they were trying for the Hyatt. They ultimately changed their strategy, but there is also a slight possibility that this hotel may require higher bids to accept for 4 rooms. No way of knowing if this is the case, or if it's just too early for them to have given priceline availablity for your dates, but just something that i had remember from the previous post, so thought i'd mention it.

[like2cruise]

Hi Thereuare!

Here is my update :) I started at $34.00, went to $38.00 and then to $40.00 by adding zones with only 2.5 star areas and they did not accept any of my bids. I am going to book the Hyatt at $120.00 since the promotional rate of $100.00 is not offered anymore...just in case and try again in a while. I will keep you posted. Thanks again for your help and interest!

[thereuare]

Be patient and don't get discouraged with this one.... it may take some persistence on your part since your dates aren't until November.

One day you'll be going thru the bidding routine, 'knowing' that you'll once again be rejected, but instead you'll get the surprise of "Congratulations, we've found you a hotel" screen.

[like2cruise]

Thereuare!!

Well I was helping my friend who is on the same cruise bid for the first time with Priceline by everything you had taught me. Since my bid of $40.00 was turned down she bid $42.00 for a 3 star in Miami and it was accepted for 2 rooms. Unfortunately since I just bid last night I have to wait 48 more hours in hopes of getting 4 rooms at the Doubletree so we can stay with them. We were both excited and had fun!!!! Does she need to do anything else like call and confirm? Thanks! I will be watching the clock.

[thereuare]

Maybe you could encourage him/her to post here too?

I usually call the hotel after a winning bid and put in a bed type request (King or 2 beds) and smoking / non-smoking preference.

This accomplishes 2 things:

1) it puts my preference in their computers

2) it verifies that the hotel has my reservation

[like2cruise]

Thereuare-a quick question...can I put in the husbands names since I was using the wives names and use a different credit card to bid????

[thereuare]

So you don't have to wait the 72 hours?... not likely, as Priceline puts a cookie on your computer which has your bidding info and keeps track of the 72 hours.

However, if you have a different computer, it <usually> goes thru with a different credit card and email address (although there have been a few reports of this not working).

Technically this is legit because it's a different person and therefore a different account.

[like2cruise]

We did it! I had one of my friends traveling in my group do the bidding from her computer with her address and credit card. We got the Doubletree for $42.00 a night for 4 rooms plus taxes which added about 6 dollars. Our other group of friends got 2 rooms for the same price as well. We have not stayed at the Doubletree so it will be a new experience. I am sure we could of got the Hyatt if we would of waited, but some people in our group like to get te plans confirmed and now we are all for sure in the same hotel. Thank you Thereuare for all your help...you were great! Especially for the quick replies and sharing your experience! I will be back :)

[thereuare]

Glad it all worked out for you!

Hopefully your friends will now be visitors of this board as well.

Now if only November could get here sooner :)

Have a great cruise!

[like2cruise]

Hi!

Just for the record I called Doubletree and put in my request for a non-smoking room with double beds since there are 3 in our party and I had no problems at all. I also went into their website and saw that my request was immediately noted. This is such a great money saving service you help provide. Thanks again...soon I will be looking to do the same thing again for our cruise in March out of Fort Lauderdale!

[thereuare]

Just for the record I called Doubletree and put in my request for a non-smoking room with double beds since there are 3 in our party and I had no problems at all.  I also went into their website and saw that my request  was immediately noted.

In this area i wouldn't expect any problems or troubles.

Let us know how we can help with your upcoming Ft. Lauderdale trip... and thanks in advance for using the links at the top of the page to place your bids.