Hotel auction website??

Caz3121

It is worth looking at one of the hotels comparison websites - it is amazing the difference in costs with different agents for the same room

vp143

Comparison sites are great but I feel there are better deals to be had especially if you are flexible.

I found http://www.onlybidding.com through Twitter which seems really good- exactly what I am after! They haven't got too many hotels at the moment but the tweets they have seem like they are new. Hopefully they get some more in the future.
As anyone used this website?

bcl999

Their "About Us" page doesn't tell you anything. The address shown on theri "Contact Us" page is used as a "virtual" office in Clerkenwell. Nothing wrong with that as such but in addition, there is no contact number shown and the only contact method seems to be an on-line pro-forma. Their T&Cs page doesn't list the company/people/organisation behind them or a registered office address or anything one would usually expect to see. Only accepted payment method is Paypal.

There seeems to be a total of 12 auctions on the site right now, all of which ar in the UK, so it's very limited.

As you say, it seems quite new. In fact, it looks like it was set up in October 2011 - around the time you joined MSE.

Added
Just had a further look around that site. I can't undrstand what bidding criteria they are using. One of the "ended" auctions has 3 people all bidding the same but instead of the first person to bid that amount winning, it looks like it was the last person bidding the same amount. Also, I don't know about Marriott but I don't believe Hilton is taking part in room auctions.

budgetflyer

vp143 wrote: »

Comparison sites are great but I feel there are better deals to be had especially if you are flexible.

I found http://www.onlybidding.com through Twitter which seems really good- exactly what I am after! They haven't got too many hotels at the moment but the tweets they have seem like they are new. Hopefully they get some more in the future.
As anyone used this website?

So if you are after a choice of about 4 worldwide hotels to choose from then this site is definitely the one.

bcl999

I couldn't have put it better, budgetflyer

blindman

vp143 wrote: »

Comparison sites are great but I feel there are better deals to be had especially if you are flexible.

I found http://www.onlybidding.com through Twitter which seems really good- exactly what I am after! They haven't got too many hotels at the moment but the tweets they have seem like they are new. Hopefully they get some more in the future.
As anyone used this website?

What exactly are you looking for?

A named hotel that gives you its room at cost price on an auction site?-Dream on


If you really need to know what the hotel is called then look at Late rooms or similar about 1-2 days before you want to go.

Then ring the hotel DIRECT and make a lower offer. They will not then have to pay the site any comission and give you a lower price.

TBHO if you are going somewhere that is out of season (or on the FO "warning list:- Cairo? )then the direct approach can always save you money.

Priceline, Hotwire and Late rooms (+ Ineeditnow) can be good indicators of which hotels may have lower priced rooms on offer.

Where and when are you thinking of going?

vp143

bcl999 wrote: »

Their "About Us" page doesn't tell you anything. The address shown on theri "Contact Us" page is used as a "virtual" office in Clerkenwell. Nothing wrong with that as such but in addition, there is no contact number shown and the only contact method seems to be an on-line pro-forma. Their T&Cs page doesn't list the company/people/organisation behind them or a registered office address or anything one would usually expect to see. Only accepted payment method is Paypal.

There seeems to be a total of 12 auctions on the site right now, all of which ar in the UK, so it's very limited.

As you say, it seems quite new. In fact, it looks like it was set up in October 2011 - around the time you joined MSE.

Added
Just had a further look around that site. I can't undrstand what bidding criteria they are using. One of the "ended" auctions has 3 people all bidding the same but instead of the first person to bid that amount winning, it looks like it was the last person bidding the same amount. Also, I don't know about Marriott but I don't believe Hilton is taking part in room auctions.

Yes it does it look a little confusing. Might try one and see how it goes!
Or might just keep an eye on and see if anything else comes up on the website.

vp143

blindman wrote: »

What exactly are you looking for?

A named hotel that gives you its room at cost price on an auction site?-Dream on


If you really need to know what the hotel is called then look at Late rooms or similar about 1-2 days before you want to go.

Then ring the hotel DIRECT and make a lower offer. They will not then have to pay the site any comission and give you a lower price.

TBHO if you are going somewhere that is out of season (or on the FO "warning list:- Cairo? )then the direct approach can always save you money.

Priceline, Hotwire and Late rooms (+ Ineeditnow) can be good indicators of which hotels may have lower priced rooms on offer.

Where and when are you thinking of going?

Your approach does sound like a good one. I will certainly try that and see what happens.

I am really looking to take my wife somewhere on a romantic getaway. My budget is max £200 for as long as possible! I am quite flexible in dates so thats not an issue.

bobmore

Guys, this is all possible at RoomAuction.com That is the place that save's you the hassle of calling hotels offering your lowest offer. They say there are over 250 hotels, mostly UK, all willing to accept rates lower than their rack rates.

I'd also go on Laterooms first, to check what's their current lowest that they admit, and then use RoomAuction.com trying to get just a bit less than that!