Priceline Hotel: Need Stategy Help NYC Nov 11- 18

[cinciman]

Hi:

My wife and I are planning a second honeymoon in NYC for 7 nights on Nov 11 checking out on Nov 18, 2009. We would like to bid on a 4* or 3.5* hotel in MTE first and then also acceptable and in order, MTW and TS. Since we have a limited budget, price is slightly more important than location but we would, if we absolutely have to, revert to a 3*. I think I have a limited understanding of the rebidding process and would plan on bidding the 4*MTE and then rebidding up with a 3.5*, then rebidding up by adding the other two acceptable areas and then rebidding up by adding other non interested areas with lesser stars. From the recent "Priceline Calendar of Wins", it appears that winning bids in the MTE area during our stay dates are in the $140-$150 range. (I assume the bids and the win numbers include an estimate for taxes and fees). As a first time bidder, could you please provide us with your recommended bidding strategy along with bid amounts?

Thanks so much for your help

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

What is your maximum bid for your stay? Did you want to try for a hotel in the MTE zone up ot your limit first and then if rejected, lower your bid and add the other zones OR, if price is really the more important factor, why not include all acceptable zones and then slowly increase your bid, having the hotel with the lowest acceptable price in the zones you selected accept your bid?

Are you willing to pay more for a 4* vs. a 3.5* or is your goal the least expensive 3.5* or better for this stay?

I also think we need to review re-bidding with you, but let's start with the above and then we'll be able to get into the 'nut and bolts' of re-bidding, using specific examples for your stay.

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

[cinciman]

Thanks for responding so quickly. Our maximum bid for the stay is $150 total cost including taxes/fees. With that in mind, your recommendation of trying to stay in the MTE up to our our maximum first and then lowering our bid when we add the other acceptable zones is more to our liking. We are NOT willing to pay more for a 4* versus a 3.5 star. As you put it, our goal is to find the least expensive 3.5* for our stay.

One more thing I have to say-----------------------------------------GO BIG BLUE !!!!

[thereuare]

... your recommendation of trying to stay in the MTE up to our our maximum first and then lowering our bid when we add the other acceptable zones is more to our liking. We are NOT willing to pay more for a 4* versus a 3.5 star. As you put it, our goal is to find the least expensive 3.5* for our stay.

Not sure we're on the same page, so to clarify...

You're not:

willing to pay more for a 4* vs. a 3.5*

but you are:

willing to pay more for a hotel in the MTE zone vs. a hotel in one of the other acceptable zones?

Is this correct, as this is how i'm interpretting your comments above, but then you go on to say that you're looking for the least expensive 3.5* or better, which contradicts your willingness to pay more for a hotel in the MTE vs. one of the other zones.

If given the choice (using imagintive numbers) would you prefer a MTE hotel at $140 or a MTW hotel at $120? If the former then you are willing to pay more for a hotel in the MTE zone... if the latter, then you're really looking for the least expensive any any of the acceptable zones.

WIth the above nited, NYC hotel tax is ~15% so a $150 'all-in' price is equivalent ot about a $125 bid price, and i'm doubtful this will be enough for a 3.5* hotel for these dates. We can certainly advise you to try, but you need to be realistic and star to think of a back-up plan. (SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID, raise your maximum, lower your star rating, stay outside Manhattan and commute in (for at least part of your stay), etc)

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

[cinciman]

Let me apologize for not communicating effectively. When I said price is important, what I am saying is that our $150 total is a given and fixed. To answer your question specifically, we would certainly pay a max of $150 for the MTE zone versus paying less for other zones. As I stated in my first post, "but we would, if we absolutely have to, revert to a 3*". This would be our backup plan.

So with a bottom line of $150 and a lowest 3* star rating, do you feel, that we could be successful in a bid for any of the three areas??? If not, then we would then be relegated to bidding on other areas in Manhattan, such as ES, CPS, MSG or downtown with a $150 cap and lowest 3*. Do you feel that this would produce a successful bid???

Thanks for your help and thought starters.

[AaronJB]

$150 w/tax has a reasonable chance of being accepted for a 3* in MTE. You may want to try to bid for a 3.5* - if you aren't accepted, you aren't charged - but $150 is more realistic for a 3*.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchase.

[thereuare]

If you want to try for a 3.5* first in the MTE zone with a $125 maximum bid you have THREE re-bid zones avaiable at the 3.5* 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.

(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 3.5* MTE...

Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $105, if rejedted close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* MTE and Priceline Re-Bidding Explained zone2...

Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $115, if rejedted close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* MTE and Priceline Re-Bidding Explained zone3...

Bid $118, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $120, if rejedted close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3.5* MTE and Priceline Re-Bidding Explained zone2 and re-bid zone3...

Bid $123, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $125

If the above is rejected, it appears you then want to try for a 3.5* in your other acceptable zones (rather than try for a 3* hotel in the MTE zone?) If that is correct, you could repeat the above, adding 'MTW and TS' for MTE. (you could bid MTW and TS together in lieu of MTE above, or if you have a preference of one over the other, you could bid each independently)

Any questions feel free to ask.

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

Let us know how it goes or if we can be of further help.