Priceline guide discussion area

blindman

Mitz1 wrote: »

I'm considering using Priceline for the first time to book my hotel for a 6 night NY trip in October, and wondered if anyone could help with the following...
- should I wait until nearer my holiday to get a better deal on Priceline, or is it worth me doing it now?
- When I enter my area, bid, and name details, will it automatically allocate me a hotel (assuming I've entered an acceptable amount) or will it give me a list of relevant nameless hotels that I can pick from?...for eg. if I bid $170 for a 4* and there's a hotel that would have accepted $100 and another that would have accepted $165, would I automatically be given the one that would have accepted the lowest?
- If I state that the accommodation is for 2 people, are there any stories of being allocated a twin room rather than a double? (not too great for the romantic break I'm planning!)

Thanks in advance!

You should read my guide as your questions are answered there.

1) If your travel plans are frim then start to bid now.

2) No

3) The hotel determines the beds.

GracieP

My husband is a bit wary of me using this website. He is curious as to how the star ratings are determined. Is it just a rating guide determined by Priceline? We'd ideally like a 3* or 4* rating, as it's our big hedonistic holiday before trying to conceive.

So it would be awful to expect a really nice hotel and end up in a flea pit.

blindman

GracieP wrote: »

My husband is a bit wary of me using this website. He is curious as to how the star ratings are determined. Is it just a rating guide determined by Priceline? We'd ideally like a 3* or 4* rating, as it's our big hedonistic holiday before trying to conceive.

So it would be awful to expect a really nice hotel and end up in a flea pit.

1) Yes

As it says in my Guide

What star level should I bid
Priceline ranks its inventory from 1* (budget) to 5* (luxury).
It describes what you expect to get in its FAQ’s though it can be notoriously wrong!
You’ll get a better idea by doing your research and finding out Hotel Reviews from both sites Check Trip Advisor to see what type of amenities the various star rated hotels offer

You may find 2* hotels that suit your needs exactly.
If you’re bidding for Europe, mentally deduct one star to get a more realistic equivalent to American hotels, which tend to be extravagant.
In the USA, a 2.5* hotel tend to be the best values, because they are places such as Residence Inns with all-inclusive prices including breakfast, high speed internet access, etc.

If you choose 4* then usually you do not get flea pits.

Where are you thinking of staying?

mrswack

Righty then! Can anyone help? Blindman, I have read your guide, thank you, very helpful.

I have been trying to get a hotel on Priceline in NY for 4 nights 2-6th OCtober and have gone up to £135 so far (not including Tax etc). My selections have been 4* only...as it's my 30th I will accept nothing less :rotfl: Especially after having a baby 10 weeks ago...I deserve it!

Anyhow, I have also used the following area's and not having any luck, though from what I see on betterbidding hotels have been won below this price..

MTE
MTW
UWS
MSG
CPS

Am I doing anything wrong here or am I just not bidding high enough?

Thanks in advance!

Paula

blindman

mrswack wrote: »

Righty then! Can anyone help? Blindman, I have read your guide, thank you, very helpful.

I have been trying to get a hotel on Priceline in NY for 4 nights 2-6th OCtober and have gone up to £135 so far (not including Tax etc). My selections have been 4* only...as it's my 30th I will accept nothing less :rotfl: Especially after having a baby 10 weeks ago...I deserve it!

Anyhow, I have also used the following area's and not having any luck, though from what I see on betterbidding hotels have been won below this price..

MTE
MTW
UWS
MSG
CPS

Am I doing anything wrong here or am I just not bidding high enough?

Thanks in advance!

Paula

Have you followed any of these steps as per my guide

How much should I bid?
Easy Way
Register with either Betterbidding and ask for a strategy, give the information required. If you do ask for help and you get a PL win then please support the site to help keep it going.
Or register with Bidding for Travel. Ask for a strategy but heed my warning above.

Slightly harder way
Check the recent wins on both sites On Betterbidding the Map Recent wins is handy if your city is on the map.
If there is a recent win then check to see if the poster left a bidding history.
If you look at enough wins you can gauge at what price the Hotel is ‘won’
Also be aware the poster may have overbid because they were inexperienced.




Check for Availability and Rates
Check the lists of hotels reported at both Better Bidding and Bidding for travel at the hotel’s own website (not a travel agency); especially the ones that seem most frequent, and find out costs during your nights. Particularly note if there is a rate change. or if it’s sold out.
Check a few hotel discounters Some examples

• Orbitz
• Expedia
• Hotels.com
• Late Rooms
• Lastminute.com

Check Hotwire
Hotwire is invariably always more expensive for the same properties, so if any of them can be identified with the assistance of the lists on Better Bidding (there aren’t any at Bidding for Travel), it gives you an idea of a bidding ceiling.
Star ratings on Hotwire vs. Star ratings on Priceline.
Each company uses their own system of rating, and they are not standardized. Hotwire’s are usually, but not always, slightly higher, so a 2.5* hotel on Priceline might be 3* on Hotwire.

mrswack

Of course I have Blindman, I would hope I wasn't as irritating as to read your valuble guide then ignore it all!! :A

I have checked Expedia etc and sort of get an idea but I think the whole £55 a night deal that someone else has won has really made me feel like I'm doing something wrong and the price is getting quite high! Mad I know considering the 4* hotels in NY are normally no cheaper than £200 a night but I want a HUGE bargain...not going to happen I think!

I also have to say I have been completely put off registering and asking for advice on the US bidding sites after your warnings about one of them not tolerating UK bidders! Although I have seen others have won hotels for cheaper than I have bidded for around the same time though not exact..The Barclay I believe for about $180....

blindman

mrswack wrote: »

Of course I have Blindman, I would hope I wasn't as irritating as to read your valuble guide then ignore it all!! :A

I have checked Expedia etc and sort of get an idea but I think the whole £55 a night deal that someone else has won has really made me feel like I'm doing something wrong and the price is getting quite high! Mad I know considering the 4* hotels in NY are normally no cheaper than £200 a night but I want a HUGE bargain...not going to happen I think!

I also have to say I have been completely put off registering and asking for advice on the US bidding sites after your warnings about one of them not tolerating UK bidders! Although I have seen others have won hotels for cheaper than I have bidded for around the same time though not exact..The Barclay I believe for about $180....

1) Was that winning bid for your dates and for which hotel?

2) Betterbidding is a really friendly site. Do not be afraid to register and ask for help.

3) What is the Hotwire rate for those dates?

josie

Mitz1 wrote: »

I'm considering using Priceline for the first time to book my hotel for a 6 night NY trip in October, and wondered if anyone could help with the following...
- should I wait until nearer my holiday to get a better deal on Priceline, or is it worth me doing it now?
- When I enter my area, bid, and name details, will it automatically allocate me a hotel (assuming I've entered an acceptable amount) or will it give me a list of relevant nameless hotels that I can pick from?...for eg. if I bid $170 for a 4* and there's a hotel that would have accepted $100 and another that would have accepted $165, would I automatically be given the one that would have accepted the lowest?
- If I state that the accommodation is for 2 people, are there any stories of being allocated a twin room rather than a double? (not too great for the romantic break I'm planning!)

Thanks in advance!

It might be better for you in October, but from what I can tell by looking at successful bids on BetterBidding, the success stories seem to be about 1 or 2 nights and rarely for 3 and don't even think I've seen 4 nights, certainly not more. (well not for NYC, which is where I was looking), so unless you want to split your bids and probably end up in two hotels, (which sounds a bit of a nightmare to me - I'd rather pay a little more and be in one place) then dare I suggest you may well not get anything on Priceline.

It's quite a tiring place anyway and the thought of packing up halfway through and having to get all your luggage over to another hotel, probably by taxi might outweigh the bargain you think you've got.

I do think there should be some kind of warning on the MSE guide about the number of nights. I know you say Research, Research, Research, blindman, but I just didn't register this bit about the number of nights, I was purely looking at previous wins, so got my fingers burnt on this one!

josie

dmg24 wrote: »

I would split your bids. If it is your first time in NYC I think it would be a good idea to actually stay in different areas during your stay. For instance, Times Square can be great fun, but at times it all seems far too chaotic.

Did you say that wins for listed for the relevant dates? If so, what are they? x

I've been to NY 3 times before, but the thought of staying in separate places sounds too much hassle, tbh, esp with all the shopping, luggage and taxi fares on top.

I think it's a combination of the fact that we want 5 nights (IMHO too many for Priceline) and that there's a prime sporting event on - the US Open, which is why we're going when we are. So have ended up booking a 2* separately on Expedia for £73 a night per room.

So just a warning to others, particularly in NY, as you may be going in Dec or New Year for shopping that this would probably be primetime as well, and you may well not get the bargain you thought you might, even looking at what others have won. In my case some 4* for $140 a night, so thought ahh! I can get that! Well, I might have for one or two nights but not for 5.

I bid up to £110 a night from 4 - 2 1/2* and zilch!

The trouble for Brits visiting, is do you book your flight first or your hotel? You may lose a flight deal, whilst you're trying to get your bargain hotel. I was suckered in by the cheap wins on Better Bidding and may as well have just booked a package on Expedia for the hotel I wanted in the first place! I did in the end, save £112 in total over booking it there in the first place, but the hours spent looking over the past fortnight means that it doesn't really feel worth it!

So, I'd recommend it as an option to look at, rather than the definitive way to get a good hotel cheaper and also with the warning over the number of nights. It looks like 1 or 2 nights is the optimum for this route.

josie

Mitz1 wrote: »

I'm considering using Priceline for the first time to book my hotel for a 6 night NY trip in October, and wondered if anyone could help with the following...
- should I wait until nearer my holiday to get a better deal on Priceline, or is it worth me doing it now?
- When I enter my area, bid, and name details, will it automatically allocate me a hotel (assuming I've entered an acceptable amount) or will it give me a list of relevant nameless hotels that I can pick from?...for eg. if I bid $170 for a 4* and there's a hotel that would have accepted $100 and another that would have accepted $165, would I automatically be given the one that would have accepted the lowest?
- If I state that the accommodation is for 2 people, are there any stories of being allocated a twin room rather than a double? (not too great for the romantic break I'm planning!)

Thanks in advance!

You rarely get twin beds in my experience in NY, but would be worth contacting the hotel after being successful to make this request.

Have you already booked your flights already? As worth checking out Expedia et al first, as may be cheaper to book a package. Don't necessarily get sucked in to thinking this will be the cheapest option.