Priceline Hotel: Better to bid close to travel date?

[galveston gal]

I am 7 months from my travel date. Is it better to bid now or wait until closer to the travel date? I will be purchasing travel insurance, so non-refundable costs are not an issue.

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding. :)

There's no way to know for sure - there have been many instances where travelers have waited until the last minute, only to find that rates went way up because of a convention or other event. Some have been successful waiting it out until the last minute, but it's also a matter of searching for the rates currently offered - if they're already low for the area, the potential downside isn't going to be much (but the potential upside is if there's something going on.)

In terms of PRICELINE/HOTWIRE, I'd recommend reading what their travel insurance covers, as it does not cover if you do not decide to go.

If you would like assistance with your stay, please let us know the destination, dates, desired budget/star rating.

Thank you for using the site's PRICELINE or HOTWIRE links to start your purchases and searches.

[warsad]

Aaron, thank you for clearing up the purpose of travel insurance. Many people think that if "they decide not to take a trip they will be reinburst of the fees and cost. Not the case at all.

[galveston gal]

Thanks for the welcome.

I am very familiar with travel insurance and its limitations; so again, purchasing far in advance is not considered a problem for us.

I did do some preliminary bidding today USING YOUR LINK TO PRICELINE and will continue tomorrow. We are arriving in Boston on Oct 20 and will check out on the 23rd (3 nites). Looking for a 4 star in either the Financial District or the Waterfront. I successively added in two other districts with no 4 star hotels. I ended up with a "no success" last bid of $100. I will try again tomorrow and test the waters once more. Budget is at $150 per nite.

I have refundable reservations held as a backup, but I know we can do better.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[thereuare]

Rates look pretty high for these dates... i'm not sure if it's just early or if something is taking place during this timeframe. Do you know if there is an event or conference in town during these dates?

Also, how familiar with Boston are you? Is there a reason you're not including the Copley Square-Theatre District in your bidding, as this is a frequently bid zone as well. (and the Waterfront isn't bid that frequently unless you have reason to be in this area)

Thanks for using our PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your bidding :)

[galveston gal]

Upped the bid to $120 and added Copley Square - still no takers. I will give it a rest for a week or so and try again. I looked for any baseball interference and there was none. The football schedule is still unpublished for 2010. Not sure about any conventions. I guess I will try to figure that out.

[thereuare]

Upped the bid to $120 and added Copley Square - still no takers. I will give it a rest for a week or so and try again.

See the related "bid early or close to check-in link" in our PRICELINE FAQ. I'd be careful about bidding too high this far ahead of your stay.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.