Priceline Hotel: 3* Nashville (Downtown - Vanderbilt) Sheraton

[jamesc]

Hi,

I have never bid on Priceline before and I'd like to know how to pick the best opening bid.

Here are the details of what I'm looking for:

City: Nashville

Priceline Area: Downtown-Vanderbilt University

Rating: 4*

Check-In Date: Thur, Jan 27, 2005

Check-Out Date: Mon, Jan 31, 2005

Number of Rooms: 1

Number of Nights: 4

Number of People: 2

The closer to Vanderbilt University the better. I would accept a 3* but I

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

You should disregard Priceline's "almost no chance" message.

You have you re-bidding correct, 9 re-bid zones in the Nashville area when bidding 4* (so 10 bids all together).... when bidding 3* you have 4 re-bids available. When figuring out how much your maximum bid should be i think you also have to consider how much more your willing to pay for a 4* vs. a 3*. For instance, if a 4* is going to cost $65 (to pick a figure), it may very well be a good deal, but is it worth an extra $25 over a 3* property (to assume you could get a 3* $40). Some peole would spend much more for a higher rated hotel... others don't differentiate between a 3* and 4* very much.

If you let us know the most you would want to spend for a 4*, and how much more you'd be willing to spend vs. a 3*, we'll outline a strategy for you. Actually, now that i've re-read your post i'm not entirely sure you're considering a 3*, but i would keep in mind the likely price of a 3* before bidding too much for a 4* (at least that's me).

Anyway, let us know the answer to the above (re: prices and 3* vs. 4*) and we'll take it from there.

[jamesc]

Hi,

I tried bidding from $40 to $61 in $3 increments on a 4* hotel and didn't get anything.

I entered a new bid at $40 for a 3* and got the Sheraton Nashville Downtown.

I probably should have started lower on the 3* bids but it's a great price compared to the $130/night for the same hotel on Expedia.

Regards,

James.

[thereuare]

Thank you for the follow-up.

If you bid again (for this or a future zone) please feel free to ask for a bidding strategy... it may just save you a few dollars. You are right though, still a great deal.

Hopefully this gets you close enough to where you wanted to be.

Have a great stay.

[jamesc]

Hi,

I will be booking a number of trips to this area over the next 6 months so I would be interested in a better bidding strategy. I dont have the specifiv dates yet but everything else should remain the same, i.e. 3* or 4* as close to Vanderbilt University as possible, not willing to pay much more for a 4* over a 3*.

Thanks,

James.

[thereuare]

Priceline rates fluctuate just as the hotel's prices do so there is no "one strategy" for each time you bid.

Just start a new thread when you have the details of your next stay and we'll take a closer look at that time.