Priceline Hotel: Need Palo Alto 4* 1/9

[lizware]

Just one night, Palo Alto only -- don't want to go down further south to Mountain View or up north to Redwood City. Any advice?

Many thanks.

[Colfax]

HOTWIRE has a 4* in Palo Alto-Menlo Park for $122. Although the icons are new it looks like a likely match for the Westin Palo Alto.

If you want to try and beat that rate on PRICELINE please post your bidding limit and someone will suggest a bid strategy. I'll guess it will take something like $70-110 for a Priceline 4*.

[lizware]

$100 would be my bidding limit. I'd love to get recommendation on a strategy.

HOTWIRE has a 4* in Palo Alto-Menlo Park for $122. Although the icons are new it looks like a likely match for the Westin Palo Alto.

If you want to try and beat that rate on PRICELINE please post your bidding limit and someone will suggest a bid strategy. I'll guess it will take something like $70-110 for a Priceline 4*.

[Colfax]

You've got four rebid zones for 4* bidding in Palo Alto. Those are zone that only have hotels less than 4*. If you have questions feel free to confirm your four rebid zones here before you bid.

I suggest bidding $60 for a 4* in Palo Alto. Then raise $10 per rebid to your $100 limit.

Please use this PRICELINE link and good luck!

[lizware]

So after getting my $60 rejected, do I both (1) raise my bid and (2) use a free rebid zone? Or just one or the other?

[lizware]

Also, sorry, I do need help on the rebid zones. I will not be so super-needy in the future, I swear.

[Colfax]

Since you're bidding for tomorrow tonight and today is your only bidding opportunity, in the interest of time I'll spell out that your four rebid zones are: Milpitas, Mountain View, Newark-Fremont, and San Jose South. None of those zones has 4* hotels so you can add them to your 4* bids in Palo Alto without risk of winning a hotel in those other zones.

I'm also going to revise my strategy a bit, allowing you some "wiggle room" to bid higher than $100 if you choose.

If rejected at $60 choose any one of the four rebid zones (it doesn't matter which one), and bid $70.

Here's what I suggest:

Palo Alto $60

Palo Alto + Milpitas $70

Palo Alto + Milpitas + Mountain View $80

Palo Alto + Milpitas + Mountain View + Newark-Fremont $90

If all those are rejected, close your browser completely, re-enter PRICELINE (though the link again), and start a new bid:

Palo Alto + San Jose South $100

If rejected you can add Milpitas, Mountain View, Newark-Fremont all over again then at $105, $110, and $115.

If $115 is rejected buy the HOTWIRE at $122 or try for a Priceline 3.5*.

[lizware]

Thank you so much, I'm off to try! I'll report back asap.

[Colfax]

I'll add that the Sheraton Palo Alto, which Priceline rates 3.5*, is only $99 on Orbitz. If the Sheraton's acceptable you might not want to bid so high for a Priceline 4*.

[lizware]

I got rejected at all prices from $60 to $115. I may choose the Hotwire $122 property, or I may just go for something cheaper. Thank you so much for all your help.

[Colfax]

To close the thread please let us know where you end up booking, lizware, even if it's not via Priceline.

That Hotwire 4* is probably a Priceline 3.5*. If you want a 3.5* bidding strategy let us know.

[lizware]

So are you saying the Hotwire $122 is less likely to be the Westin then?

[Colfax]

Here's the Hotwire 4* we're talking about, for $122:

Nonsmoking

Fitness

Pool

Restaurant

Business Center

Highspeed Internet

Spa

TripAdvisor rating: 4/5

Westin is a nonsmoking hotel with a spa and a 4/5 TA rating. I think Westin is the most likely outcome, but ID's are never guaranteed and this could also be some other unidentified 4* hotel.

Hotwire and Priceline use different rating systems. The Westin is a 3.5* on Priceline, so you can't win it bidding 4*.

Are you trying to get the Westin? Is the Sheraton or some other Priceline 3.5* also acceptable? I think you can probably win a Priceline 3.5* for $85 or less.

[lizware]

I didn't want the Westin as much as I was trying to avoid the Sheraton -- it gets very bad reviews. Thank you for all your attention -- I'll post as soon as we figure out what place to settle on.