Priceline Hotel: Bidding Help for a 4* in Inner Harbor, Baltimore

[crispylineta]

Hello - if anyone has any ideas on this it would be much appreciated. I'm looking for a 4* room in the Inner Harbor region of Baltimore, MD for one night - check in of 05/01/10 and checking out 05/02/10. Based on what people seemed to be getting, I started bidding at $60 (using the links from this site) but have been continually rejected. I've gone back the next day and increased by $5 or $10 but just bid $105 and was still rejected. Any idea where you think I might have to bid to get a room given that its a weekend night in May? Or am I just bidding too far in advance? I'm not interested in other regions or start levels so can't use rebid zones. Thanks much.

[AaronJB]

Rates seem somewhat higher than normal for 4*'s for this period, ranging from $190 for the Hilton to $360 for the Intercontinental. There's no 4* showing up on HOTWIRE for this date in that area (although that doesn't necessarily mean that PRICELINE may not have something.) HOTWIRE does have a 3.5* for $105.

What would be your budget per night?

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

[crispylineta]

I guess my max budget is around $200 for the night, but I guess I was hoping to keep it much closer to $100 given all the success that people seem to have been having.

Do you have any idea what the 3.5* place that hotwire has for $105 is?

Thanks.

[AaronJB]

I'm seeing a 3.5* in this zone w/ Boutique, Restaurant, Fitness, Hi-Speed Intert, Business and smoke-free, which I would guess is the Clarion Peabody Court.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE link.

[crispylineta]

Thanks, AaronJB. I don't think I'd want to go with that hotel for $105. I just bid $110 for a 4* in Inner Harbor and was rejected again. Any other ideas on how high I'll have to go? Is it possible that they really might not have anything available on Priceline, or that it's just too far in advance?

[AaronJB]

Bidding for these dates isn't likely too far in advance, but not having inventory is a slight possibility if there's something fairly big going on. There's a variance in rates for 4*'s for these dates - the Hilton is $194 and the Monaco is just over $200, while the Intercontinental is $360 and a couple of 4*'s are sold out. I certainly don't think going up to $200 will be required (as the Hilton is $194), and I'd be a bit surprised if bidding required going much past the $125-130 level (although I wouldn't go up to that level at this point - I'd work up to it.)

Sorry to hear that you haven't been successful up until this point, but hopefully you'll get a bite on a bid not much higher than you've already tried for soon.

Thank you for using the site's PRICELINE or HOTWIRE links.

[crispylineta]

Thanks for the advice. Just to keep you updated, I just bid $115 and was rejected. I guess I'll try $120 tomorrow...

[AaronJB]

Thanks for keeping us updated, sorry to hear that your bids weren't accepted. Good luck when you try again tomorrow.

Thanks for using the site's PRICELINE or HOTWIRE links.

[thereuare]

I'm not interested in other regions or start levels so can't use rebid zones.

Are you sure you understand re-bidding... as a re-bid zones is one that you can't win since it only contains hotels at a star rating lower than the one you've designated... and you have LOTS of re-bid zones available at the 4* level in Baltimore.

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

[crispylineta]

thereuare, you are of course quite right about the rebid zones. Not sure what I was thinking there...thanks!

Anyway I bid 120 and then 125 today and still nothing - I'm hesitant to go up too much more than that right now, maybe things will open up as it gets closer?

[thereuare]

Nobody can say if rates will come down... or go higher, between now and your stay; it's a function of supply/demand. For more on this subject see the related 'bid early or late' link in our PRICELINE FAQ.

Keep us updated as to your progress and let us know if we can be of further help along the way.

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

[RunFarJon]

Here is the reason the rates are so expensive:

Red Sox at Orioles that weekend.

Red Sox fans have booked the hotel rooms, I would be shocked if there wasn't 20k Sox fans at those games.

You can try and wait, but your best option would be either to suck it up and pay the higher priced rate OR stay near the airport. Usually much cheaper rates, free parking and the light rail will take you literally right into downtown (the stop is next to the baseball stadium).

[crispylineta]

RunFarJon, I agree that the game is the reason why rooms are so scarce. Just as an update, this morning I bid up on priceline using rebid zones all the way to $165 for a 4* Inner Harbor. Every bid was rejected, no free rebid offers. So I booked the Renaissance Harborplace for $169 directly from the hotel's website (special full prepayment rate). Pretty happy about it, given it seems that rooms are pretty tough to come by that weekend! Thanks very much for all of your help

[AaronJB]

Thank you for closing the thread - surprisingly good rate, given that Orbitz is showing $300+.