Priceline Hotel: Anchorage help

[RUsum1]

I am hoping to go to Anchorage for a wedding on saturday, June 26 of this year. I would like to stay between five and seven days beginning on the preceeding wednesday, thursday, or even tuesday and would then leave the following tuesday or so. whatever gets me cheapest rates. it is for one adult.

I would be flying from charleston sc to anchorage and do not mind connecting flights or time of day for departure.

there were three recommended hotels which are (prices are what my friend said are the rates):

The Anchorage Mariott Downtown - $169

Holiday Inn Express - $176

America's Best Value Inn - Executive Suite Hotel - $99

(how do i find the star ratings of these hotels?)

the ceremony will be at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church and the reception at The Dena'ina Civic & Convention Center so hopefully i won't be too far from those places because i don't want to have to spend money for a rental car. i'll hitch rides with other wedding-goers.

i have never used either site before and i am really hoping to get the plane ticket + hotel room for under $700. so far, while looking on Expedia, it is giving me a ticket price of $665 which means after hotel cost (according to what they think it will cost) will be well over $1000.

according to commercials, i should be able to save 50% by using either of these two websites so would it be possible to get the ticket for under $350 and find one of these hotels for $50 per night or cheaper?

PLEASE HELP ME!!!

[yellowdog]

Welcome to BetterBidding :)

First of all, we need to know your firm dates to help you.

And i doubt that you can get any of the listed hotel for $50 or under. Anchorage is expensive. So under $50 isn't realistic.

So you want to book your flight and hotel separate if i understand this correct?

Have you been searching for diffrent flight options?

All reported PRICELINE and HOTWIRE Anchorage hotels can be found in this link

Let us know how we can help you further

Yellowdog.

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

[RUsum1]

alright i'll set the dates to be arrive on wednesday June 23 and leave tuesday june 29.

if i can't get the rooms for $50 per night, what about getting the ticket cheaper then? what is the star rating of the america's best inn? the groom said that's where most of his family will be.

also, i don't necessarily have to book the two separately, i just didn't know if it would get me a discount if i book the two together.

that thursday night i guess a lot of people will be camping so i won't need a room that night. would they allow me to get a room wednesday night, then not have a room thursday, then get another room friday through tuesday at the same hotel?

edit: thank you for that hotel link. the america's best is only a 1-star??? that kind of makes me nervous on the quality. even at 1 star, it's unlikely that i can get it for under $50? i don't think i want to bid on 1-star hotels in case there are other, worse hotels downtown. the list shows this as the only 1-star so does that mean that's the only 1-star in the area? i don't see holiday inn express on the list either so what's its star rating?

[yellowdog]

Are you going to use PRICELINE or HOTWIRE for your hotel?

If you're trying to target a specific property then HOTWIRE can often be a better option if you're successfully able to identify it based upon the star rating and amenities shown before your purchase... the trade-off is that HOTWIRE usually costs a little more than PRICELINE, so you need to decide what is most important to you for a given stay, the lowest possible price OR the ability to take an educated guess as to the property you may receive.

How are you going to book your flight? Using PRICELINE?

You have to bid/book two separate stays If you don't need a hotel for thursday.

The board can't help you get a combo with hotel + flight cheaper.

the list shows this as the only 1-star so does that mean that's the only 1-star in the area?

This is the only 1* reported to the board. There could be more that's not reported to the board.

Let us know how we can help you further.

Yellowdog.

[RUsum1]

i'll use priceline for the plane ticket since there isn't much of a benefit from one airline to another is there?

i'll edit my post and change the dates to the following:

plane ticket needs to be arrive: thursday, June 24 and leave wednesday June 30.

hotel then can be from friday june 25 until wednesday june 30.

- this allows for my target ticket price to be $400 or cheaper and the room cost to be $60 per night. is that reasonable? can i expect a cheaper plane ticket to allow for a more expensive nightly room cost?

also, i went to Expedia (i think) last night and they list america's best as a two star hotel. did it's star rating improve? how can we verify what the true star rating is? most of the two star hotels showed $100+ prices for my dates so i'm guessing for this to be affordable, i'll have to choose a 2 or 2.5 star hotel to even get close to $50 per night.

what happens if i bid on a 2-star hotel and more than one hotel would be willing to accept the price? would it tell me this or would it just pick one for me?

[yellowdog]

i'll use priceline for the plane ticket since there isn't much of a benefit from one airline to another is there?

I think you should take your time to research this before you start bidding. I don't know much about bidding on airfare on PRICELINE but i do know that there's a diffrence between airline companys. You can find plenty off links in our support page

what happens if i bid on a 2-star hotel and more than one hotel would be willing to accept the price? would it tell me this or would it just pick one for me?

Only one hotel will accept your bid.

How can we verify what the true star rating is?

Expedia, Orbitz etc uses diffrent star ratings than PRICELINE. So you can't compare with them.

Ok, so you need a hotel from friday june 25 until wednesday june 30, correct? And your budgett would be $60/night?

Yellowdog.

[RUsum1]

Ok, so you need a hotel from friday june 25 until wednesday june 30, correct? And your budgett would be $60/night?

Yellowdog.

well my budget of $60 per night is if it would be reasonable to expect a plane ticket from charleston sc to anchorage for under $400. the lower i can get a plane ticket, the more i would be willing to pay for a hotel room.

i'm hoping not to need any stow-away luggage. i plan to just use carry-on so any airlines that are more prone to losing luggage shouldn't be a problem for me. i know some airlines have better records of being on time than others.

about the multiple hotels possibly accepting the bid...this never happens? i would imagine that it would only come up if i were to over-bid

[yellowdog]

about the multiple hotels possibly accepting the bid...this never happens? i would imagine that it would only come up if i were to over-bid

This never happens.

well my budget of $60 per night is if it would be reasonable to expect a plane ticket from charleston sc to anchorage for under $400. the lower i can get a plane ticket, the more i would be willing to pay for a hotel room.

Wouldn't be better to start reaserch the plane ticket first since the hotel is the "critical" issue. Lower price on plain ticket = better hotel.

Thoughts?

Yellowdog.

[RUsum1]

so if i were to place a bid on priceline for $300 for the plane ticket and it gets rejected, what would be best? to keep placing the same bid each day in hopes that they accept it? or should i raise my price by like $5 each day until it's finally accepted? i think i saw one of the links say that i have 24 hours to place a new bid if one is rejected. is this correct?

then how likely would it be that i can get a 2.5+ star hotel for $70 per night or lower? would it be best to try for a 3-star hotel for a few weeks then lower the star rating if i'm not winning a bid? are there some prices that i would be simply naive to think i could ever get for a 3-star hotel in late june there? currently, hotwire is showing the lowest price being $100 per night but i got that from all of the other websites so it doesn't seem like a bargain at all.

[AaronJB]

I'd try increasing by $10 each day/24 hours if the plane bid is not accepted. For a 2.5*, I'd start at $55 and work higher by $5's. It definitely may take higher - as these appear to be expensive dates - but given the amount of time, it's worth starting lower.

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

[RUsum1]

so when they reject a price, it's not very likely that later on they may accept that price? or are some people successful in asking for the same price for a week and finally priceline gives in?

tried to lowball and offer a $242 price (they added $58 taxes so $300 total price). was rejected so i added that i would accept 2 connections. rejeced again so i added i would take off-peak flights. rejected again. it will let me add more inconveniences but i don't want to do that right now. if i try again tomorrow, am i stuck keeping those two conditions if i increase my price? or will it all reset?

[yellowdog]

RUsum1

so when they reject a price, it's not very likely that later on they may accept that price? or are some people successful in asking for the same price for a week and finally priceline gives in?

This is depending on the bid amount. But lowball bidding for Anchorage is not recomended. Rates are high for your dates and your budgett is on the lower side. I would have move on.

Yes, you have 24h lock-out from PRICELINE if you don't change any parameters.

Just ask if you have any additional questions.

Please remember to use boards PRICELINE link when bidding

Yellowdog.

[wayknow]

Of the hotels listed the closest to your wedding is the Holiday Inn Express. I think it is less than a 1.5 miles the way the crow flies.

Be advised that you are in Anchorage and Alaska during absolute 'prime time'. Hotel rooms that go for 50.00 per night during the non tourist season and winter months out at 250.00+ per night during 'prime time'. Hotels make their money, and a lot of it, during the one hundred night summer tourist season.