Report your Priceline successes discusion area.

upstaged

• Destination: New York
  
• Type of accommodation: 4* Priceline rating
  
• How many extra daily bids did you have available: Lots - at least 10 myself plus my co-traveller's bids
  
• How much were your 2nd/3rd etc & final bids: £50, £55, £60, final bid accepted £65
  
• And then write your Priceline hotel booking story

Booked into the Grand Hyatt New York near grand central station; I've seen rooms at this hotel for $299 so our rate of £65 plus fees (~£83 total) is really amazing. We're both very happy with the price - we were thinking of staying in a youth hostel until we found this article.

Could have bid many more times; the friend I was travelling with was on standby to bid some more if needed, but the option to build up to 13 zones in Manhattan made it really, really easy. Didn't even need to drop the star rating, either.

I should point out that we played around on the site with really low bids the day before just to get a feel for how it worked.

Altarf

• Destination: Gatwick Airport
  
• Type of accommodation: 4* (only)
  
• How many extra daily bids did you have available: Lots
• How much were your 2nd/3rd etc & final bids: First bid of £35 rejected, changed to
  

• Destination: Gatwick Airport
  
• Type of accommodation: 3* (only)
  
• How many extra daily bids did you have available: Lots
• How much were your 2nd/3rd etc & final bids: First bid of £30 accepted for the Holiday Inn, so £40.47 with the tax and their charges.
  

81splaj

Hi
First posting so excuse any errors!
Requested 4* hotel in Central London on a Fri in Oct 2011 Top bid of £50, came back unavailable but tried again at £63 and success £63 plus £17 tax Total £80 at the Hilton Hyde Park.
Checked Hilton website & came up with £250 inc tax for same thing. Well chuffed, was looking at Ealing travelodge before that!:beer:

Cora25

Hi, First time at trying this. May not be great negotiating, but enjoyed it and will use again!

• Destination: London
  
• Type of accommodation: 5* (only)
  
• How many extra daily bids did you have available: Bid 4 times increasing zones.
  
• How much were your 2nd/3rd etc & final bids: Rejected bids 65, 72 and 80 then got carried away, as running out of zones, and tried £100 which was accepted (total charge with tax £123). Got Marriott Park Lane.
  

Think I jumped too quickly, but happy and looking forward to my treat. Thanks for guide.

nicksmith100

upstaged wrote: »

• Destination: New York
  
• Type of accommodation: 4* Priceline rating
  
• How many extra daily bids did you have available: Lots - at least 10 myself plus my co-traveller's bids
  
• How much were your 2nd/3rd etc & final bids: £50, £55, £60, final bid accepted £65
  
• And then write your Priceline hotel booking story

Booked into the Grand Hyatt New York near grand central station; I've seen rooms at this hotel for $299 so our rate of £65 plus fees (~£83 total) is really amazing. We're both very happy with the price - we were thinking of staying in a youth hostel until we found this article.

Could have bid many more times; the friend I was travelling with was on standby to bid some more if needed, but the option to build up to 13 zones in Manhattan made it really, really easy. Didn't even need to drop the star rating, either.

I should point out that we played around on the site with really low bids the day before just to get a feel for how it worked.

Upstaged, when are you travelling? We're going to NY at the end of October and so far I've had no luck with Priceline, up to £80 per night and down to 2.5 stars in centralish areas (but not that limited). I'm wondering if it's worth waiting until closer to the time when the hotels are more desperate to get rid of rooms, but that might be a risk because we're there over Halloween and the week leading up to the NY marathon... if you're travelling in the nearer future maybe that explains your success?

One other question, is it possible to get landed with a shared bathroom through name your price? I suppose the way to avoid that is to stick to 3* and above.

Anyway, GREAT article on Priceline on this site, I'm going to stick at it until we get something!

blindman

nicksmith100 wrote: »

............... I'm wondering if it's worth waiting until closer to the time when the hotels are more desperate to get rid of rooms,
Yes, BUT book a cancellable back up hotel NOW.

but that might be a risk because we're there over Halloween and the week leading up to the NY marathon...

Very popular week so accomodation will be tight.

One other question, is it possible to get landed with a shared bathroom through name your price? I suppose the way to avoid that is to stick to 3* and above.

Never happened to me-Not sure you want to book anything less than 3* in New York :eek:

Anyway, GREAT article on Priceline on this site, I'm going to stick at it until we get something!

Have you read my guide ?

Alternative to NYC is Jersey City-Just across the Hudson

The Hyatt used to be a great bargain at weekends and the Candelwood suites can be a winner too.

nicksmith100

Thanks Blindman, will read your guide and look into your suggestions.

nicksmith100

Just another thought.

We are there Wednesday 26th Oct - Wednesday 2nd Nov. Presumably the first half of that week will be less oversubscribed than the second half, which falls in Marathon week. I was wondering if it's worth splitting the trip, bidding for each half separately. Has anyone ever had any success with this method?

I realise it might mean having to check out of one hotel and into another halfway through the trip (and finding somewhere to keep our luggage) but I can live with that if it offers a good saving!

Sorry if this is covered in the guide and/or it doesn't belong in this thread (and all the usual newbie excuses)

blindman

nicksmith100 wrote: »

Just another thought.

We are there Wednesday 26th Oct - Wednesday 2nd Nov. Presumably the first half of that week will be less oversubscribed than the second half, which falls in Marathon week. I was wondering if it's worth splitting the trip, bidding for each half separately. Has anyone ever had any success with this method?

Changing dates or splitting a bid.
To accept your bid, Priceline needs to have availability on all dates of your bid, and your bid has to be high enough to be accepted on all dates.
If there are one or two dates within your stay when rates are significantly higher or availability more limited than other days you may want to consider splitting your bid and doing one bid for the high rate days and another for the less expensive ones.
If you split your bid you have a good chance of winning two completely different hotels, so think carefully!

I realise it might mean having to check out of one hotel and into another halfway through the trip (and finding somewhere to keep our luggage) but I can live with that if it offers a good saving!

Sorry if this is covered in the guide and/or it doesn't belong in this thread (and all the usual newbie excuses)

Read the guide...:cool:

Some hotels have cheaper rates at weekends (The Hyatt) and others have cheaper rates during the week.
Splitting the bid may be the best option.

What are the price for conventional bookings for that week?

terriandaaron

Im visiting new york in nov over thanksgiving weekend thurs24 - mon 28 , and was looking for somewhere to stay...do you think there will be good offers closer to the date or best to book early as its a busier time???