dancerprincess Posted October 2, 2009 Report Posted October 2, 2009 Hey everyone... I'm visiting NYC next weekend and was wondering if you can give me some guidance on how I should bid on priceline.Dates: Fri-Mon 10/9-10/12Stars: 3.5* to 4*Areas: 10-TS, 9-MTW, 2-CPS, 8-MTE (in my best guess order of preference)We are shooting to spend no more than $200 a night, but preferably less! I know we're getting down the wire, but hopefully we can still find a deal... Do you have any guidance for us? I'm not thrilled about the idea of switching hotels, but would I have better luck if I split up the nights in my bidding (i.e. Fri-Sun, and Sun-Mon)?Any guidance you could give would be appreciated!
thereuare Posted October 2, 2009 Report Posted October 2, 2009 Welcome to BetterBidding!Based upon current rates i'm not sure if $200 will be enough for a 4* hotel in these zones for your dates. To give it a try (nothing to lose) i assume your goal is the least expensive 4* or better in any of the zone above? (vs. willing to spend more to be in the TS zone vs. the MTE zone)Let us know 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
dancerprincess Posted October 2, 2009 Author Report Posted October 2, 2009 So I'm really not uber-familiar with the "zones" - just going off of some basics I know of NYC and feedback on your site (which is great btw!). My weekend will likely consist of lots of shopping (lots :) ), a show on Sat nite, morning jogs - but not too much of the touristy landmark stuff. So if the 4 zones I listed will all be good for my agenda - then we can consider them equal. Let me know if you'd advise any of the four areas over another.Otherwise, I think yes, least expensive 4* or better would be my first choice.$200/night is our budget. I know taxes/fees are going to put me over that so shooting to stay in the vicinity. A little over won't kill us.
thereuare Posted October 2, 2009 Report Posted October 2, 2009 Please use the standard font and colors for your posts as it makes them easier to read (unless you're trying to emphasize something then just highlight that snipet)At the 4* level you have FIVE re-bid zones. 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.(NOTE: 're-bid zone1' is not the same as priceline's Zone1, 're-bid zone2' is not the same as priceline's Zone2, etc, etc)Select 4* MTE, MTW, CPS and TS...Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone1...Bid $130, if rejected add re-bid zone2...Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone3...Bid $145, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINESelect 4* MTE, MTW, CPS and TS and re-bid zone4...Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone1...Bid $155, if rejected add re-bid zone2...Bid $160, if rejected add re-bid zone3...Bid $165, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINESelect 4* MTE, MTW, CPS and TS and re-bid zone5...Bid $170, if rejected add re-bid zone1...Bid $175, if rejected add re-bid zone2...Bid $180, if rejected add re-bid zone3...Bid $185, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINESelect 4* MTE, MTW, CPS and TS and re-bid zone4 and re-bid zone5...Bid $190, if rejected add re-bid zone1...Bid $195, if rejected add re-bid zone2...Bid $200Any 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. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
dancerprincess Posted October 2, 2009 Author Report Posted October 2, 2009 So I think I get the re-bidding concept and adding additional zones that have a lower maximum star level than the star level I'm choosing... So doing a quick lookup in PL, you want me to add in Brooklyn, Chelsea, LI, MSG and UES as my re-bid zones - since they all max out at 3 or 3.5 stars?
thereuare Posted October 2, 2009 Report Posted October 2, 2009 Yes, you got it!Just remember:1) always re-confirm your re-bid zones just before bidding2) if you change your star level (ie- you later switch and try for a 3.5* hotel) then you need a new bidding strategy since many of the current re-bid zones no longer qualifyPlease remember to use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your bidding/purchases.Good luck and let us know how it goes. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
dancerprincess Posted October 2, 2009 Author Report Posted October 2, 2009 Hi there... I completed the following bids (using the PRICELINE links from your site) and was denied on all. Other ideas for me? If I wanted to go up to $225 a night for a 3.5-4 star in CPS, MTE, MTW or TS, how would you suggest going about it with my bids now that I've used up the combinations below? I think I might only have two combinations of areas left to try before I have to wait 24 hrs - unless you have other ideas for me... Thanks!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~4 stars, $120, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS4 stars, $130, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: CH)4 stars, $140, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: CH, BR)4 stars, $145, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: CH, BR, LI)- Closed Browser -4 stars, $150, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: UES)4 stars, $155, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: UES, CH)4 stars, $160, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: UES, CH, BR)4 stars, $165, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: UES, CH, BR, LI)- Closed Browser -4 stars, $170, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: MSG)4 stars, $175, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: MSG, CH)4 stars, $180, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: MSG, CH, BR)4 stars, $185, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: MSG, CH, BR, LI)- Closed Browser -4 stars, $190, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: UES, MSG)4 stars, $200, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: UES, MSG, CH)4 stars, $210, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: UES, MSG, CH, BR)- Closed Browser -3.5 stars, $180, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS3.5 stars, $201, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: CH)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Combinations I think I have left to try for a 3.5 star:CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: CH, LI)CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: CH, LI, UES)
dancerprincess Posted October 2, 2009 Author Report Posted October 2, 2009 Ok, I went ahead and tried the last two combinations I could think of at the 3.5 star level and got denied there too... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~3.5 stars, $216, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: CH, LI)3.5 stars, $226, CPS, MTE, MTW, TS (rebid zones: CH, LI, UES)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Where do you suggest I go from here? Looking at some of the recent wins, I thought ~$225 would do the trick. :) Are these my options?...1) Try a 3 star? And if I do, I don't have any rebid zones right? So I need to get it right on the first try or wait 24 hrs?2) Up my bid for the 3.5 star? What do you think is a realistic next bid if I got denied at $226? Still think I need to wait 24 hrs at this point right?3) Expand to other zones (which I'm not crazy about) - what's the next one you'd recommend?4) Break up my stay into separate bids? (Fri-Sun and Sun-Mon)
thereuare Posted October 2, 2009 Report Posted October 2, 2009 One week before your stay is not a LOT of time, but it is some time, so i wouldn't feel 'pressured' to win today (as it appears you are getting a bit panicked :) )1) Try a 3 star? And if I do, I don't have any rebid zones right? So I need to get it right on the first try or wait 24 hrs?At the 3* level you're correct that you don't have any re-bid zones available, but since you're bidding multiple zones, you can bid/add them strategically in order to get multiple bidding opoprtunities. If you decide this is the route yo'd like to take we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow.2) Up my bid for the 3.5 star? What do you think is a realistic next bid if I got denied at $226? Still think I need to wait 24 hrs at this point right?I'm guestimating a 3.5* or 4* at this moment is going to be ~$250-$275. (but don't bid that amount off the bat, still always work your way up from lower levels)3) Expand to other zones (which I'm not crazy about) - what's the next one you'd recommend?My question when i saw your 3.5* bids above (which you could also bid more strategically by combining zones systemactially) is what about the midtown zones which contain 3.5* properties such as MSG and/or ESB (and what about adding ESB to your 4* bidding?) These two zones are still centrally located, and if for some reason not ideal for your needs (which i suspect they'll be just fine), it would be only a minor difference than the other midtown zones... certainly not enough, imo, to continuing bidding higher and higher without considering these other areas.4) Break up my stay into separate bids? (Fri-Sun and Sun-Mon)I do think you could be successful at amounts you have already bid for the Sunday nite of your stay, but do you want to SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID and change hotels on a 3 nite stay? (i'm not saying you should or shouldn't, it's a personal choice taking into consideration convenience and budget)Let us know your thoughts (and questions) regarding the above and we'll take it from there.Thanks for continuing to use our PRICELINE links for your bidding. :) Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
thereuare Posted October 2, 2009 Report Posted October 2, 2009 I'll also add that if you're willing to stay outside of the city, it appears you can get a 4* hotel in Hoboken/Jersey City for ~$175 or less. You'd commute to Manhattan by PATH train (subway under the Hudson River) which runs about every 15 minutes on weekends up until 3am at which point it runs every half hour) and will have you to midtown in about 15 minutes... you lose the convenience of staying in Manhattan, but depending upon your plans perhaps saving the $50-$75/nite is worth the trade-off?If you were interested in potentially splitting the stay, you could consider Fri-Sun in Jersey City/Hoboken and then your last nite in Manhattan.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
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