Priceline Hotel: advice for bidding 25/04/10-30/04/10

[jas123]

hi,

i will be travelling to New York with my friend from 25th april 2010 to 30th april 2010. I'm new to priceline bidding, so i would like to seek some advice on the matter.

The areas which we're looking for are within Times Square - Theatre District, Midtown West and Midtown East. (3*1/2 or 4*)

our budget is around $160/night but willing to pay up to $180. is it possible to get a 4* within that price range? what is an ideal starting bid and how much should i increase each time if i got rejected?

this is our first time using priceline so i hope someone could give us some advice..

your help would be greatly appreciated...thanksssss!!

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

I think $160 may be enough for a 4*... $180 probably enough for a 4*, assuming these are bid amounts (before taxes and fees) and not 'all-in' amount.

Let us know how high you'd like to go for a 4* and we'll advise accordingly.

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

[jas123]

our maximum budget is $200. it would be great if we could get it around 160-180!

thanks!

[AaronJB]

I'm guessing Times Square is probably unrealistic, but MTW/MTE are more likely, possibly for the $160-165 range; I'd start at $160. You can also use re-bid zones, which you can find out more about in this Priceline Re-Bidding Explained thread. Otherwise, you could also try a $160 bid for a 4* in MTE, then $165 for MTE and MTW and then $170 for MTW/MTE/TS.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[jas123]

can you also suggest a starting bid for time square area ? (either 3*1/2 or 4*) I would like to know the approximate range and decide if we should increase the budget a bit or just choose MTE/MTW

thanks!!!!

[AaronJB]

For a 4* in TS, You could try starting at the $170 point and work your way higher, but my guess is that it may take as much as $200+. For a 3.5*, you could start at $150, but it may take as much as $175.

Personally, I think rates look more attractive in MTE/MTW and both of those zones are certainly nice areas. Since you do have some time, you could try lowballing a bid of $150 for a 4* in MTW/MTE and see if that is accepted.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.