Boston hotel - seeking Ack's input
Jul 5th, 2013, 09:38 AM
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Boston hotel - seeking Ack's input
Ackislander:
Talk to me about getting the Hyatt on Priceline. We'd like to meet friends for a weekend in Boston in September, not finding any good deals. Fill me in, if you wouldn't mind, on your technique, and any suggestions.
Thanks,
gailw
Talk to me about getting the Hyatt on Priceline. We'd like to meet friends for a weekend in Boston in September, not finding any good deals. Fill me in, if you wouldn't mind, on your technique, and any suggestions.
Thanks,
gailw
Jul 5th, 2013, 10:58 AM
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I'm not Ack but I think he was referring to the airport Hyatt in another thread. Meaning there were two 4 * airport hotels so you would get either the Hilton or the Hyatt.
September is a busy time in Boston. I am more familiar with www.lastminutetravel.com.
If you plug your dates in there, and zoom in on the map for each hotel, you can identify the hotel. Hotels are usually not named in the listing unless you are using a tablet. Usually they identify the hotel when you call and before you book. Also look for listing that say "available" and not "on request." Read the fine print, but you can usually cancel up to three days before with no penalty.
September is a busy time in Boston. I am more familiar with www.lastminutetravel.com.
If you plug your dates in there, and zoom in on the map for each hotel, you can identify the hotel. Hotels are usually not named in the listing unless you are using a tablet. Usually they identify the hotel when you call and before you book. Also look for listing that say "available" and not "on request." Read the fine print, but you can usually cancel up to three days before with no penalty.
Jul 5th, 2013, 01:37 PM
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You need to look at biddingfortravel.com and betterbidding.com which will explain the ins and outs of Priceline.
Priceline retails surplus hotel rooms, airline tickets, and rental cars. You may accept the price on their website, but it is really no better than hotels.com or other sites. Where it saves money is when you bid for a property of a certain quality in a location, often a broad one. You do not know what property you are bidding on. You may rebid once if your bid is turned down, but there are various tricks to rebid again.
This is what those websites explain PLUS they help you figure out which hotel is which and may give you recent representative winning bids. When I was using it often, the only two **** hotels in the airport area were the Hyatt and the Hilton, so I knew if I bid on a **** at the airport, I would get one or the other, usually for about 40% off the lowest published rate.
There are two problems for many people.
1. All you are bidding on is one room with one bed. Most US hotels have two queens or doubles, but some have a king. You don't get a choice, so if you bring the kids, it ill be cozy in the king if that's what you get.
2. The other is bidding when there is a stinker hotel in the region. For example, there are no **** hotels in Brookline, MA. There are three *** hotels, a Courtyard and a Holiday Inn in Coolidge Corner and a no name something else over on Comm Ave in a big student area. It may be fine, but I wouldn't take the
risk.
So how much risk are you willing to take to save 40%? William Shatner is willing to take a lot of risk, me not so much.
At the time I was doing this a lot, I had recently moved from Boston to Nantucket and knew the city really well. After a number of years doing this, we got a pied a terre in Brookline so no longer do it, though I would get back up to speed in a minute if I were looking for a hotel in London or at Heathrow airport.
I hope this helps.
Priceline retails surplus hotel rooms, airline tickets, and rental cars. You may accept the price on their website, but it is really no better than hotels.com or other sites. Where it saves money is when you bid for a property of a certain quality in a location, often a broad one. You do not know what property you are bidding on. You may rebid once if your bid is turned down, but there are various tricks to rebid again.
This is what those websites explain PLUS they help you figure out which hotel is which and may give you recent representative winning bids. When I was using it often, the only two **** hotels in the airport area were the Hyatt and the Hilton, so I knew if I bid on a **** at the airport, I would get one or the other, usually for about 40% off the lowest published rate.
There are two problems for many people.
1. All you are bidding on is one room with one bed. Most US hotels have two queens or doubles, but some have a king. You don't get a choice, so if you bring the kids, it ill be cozy in the king if that's what you get.
2. The other is bidding when there is a stinker hotel in the region. For example, there are no **** hotels in Brookline, MA. There are three *** hotels, a Courtyard and a Holiday Inn in Coolidge Corner and a no name something else over on Comm Ave in a big student area. It may be fine, but I wouldn't take the
risk.
So how much risk are you willing to take to save 40%? William Shatner is willing to take a lot of risk, me not so much.
At the time I was doing this a lot, I had recently moved from Boston to Nantucket and knew the city really well. After a number of years doing this, we got a pied a terre in Brookline so no longer do it, though I would get back up to speed in a minute if I were looking for a hotel in London or at Heathrow airport.
I hope this helps.
Jul 5th, 2013, 04:29 PM
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Jul 5th, 2013, 05:53 PM
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Sandy, I have in Miami. No problem
I follow the Boston tripadvisor posts and LMT seems to work well in Boston. Do a search there. Many have used it successfully. If you make a reservation, call the hotel to confirm that they have your reservation. That gives you peace of mind.
I follow the Boston tripadvisor posts and LMT seems to work well in Boston. Do a search there. Many have used it successfully. If you make a reservation, call the hotel to confirm that they have your reservation. That gives you peace of mind.
Jul 5th, 2013, 06:15 PM
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Okay...
Bidding on Priceline in Boston is relatively simple, as long as you know something about Priceline.
The keys to Priceline are the following:
1) Identify the combination of area and star level where you are guaranteed to not get a "bad" hotel.
2) Know your "free" re-bids.
Priceline works by letting you choose an area and a star level. You put in the amount you are willing to pay and they bump it up against their database to see if anybody is offering a room to them at or below that bid. The biggest risk is, if there is a "bad" hotel in the area, that you will end up in that hotel.
The "free" re-bids comes into play when your bid is denied. You can only re-bid if you add another area or add another star level. Since the ultimate goal is to get a hotel in your chosen area at the lowest price, the best strategy is to add another area where you know you will not be given a hotel.
Consider Boston. There are 3 main areas that you should focus on: Beacon Hill, Boston Common - Theater District, and Copley Square - Back Bay. All of these are central neighborhoods. As for star level, there are no "bad" 4-stars in any of these neighborhoods. Some are better than others, but there are no "bad" ones.
So, you would select one or all of these areas and place a bid. I'd start around $125 and include all of the areas. If that is rejected, you can get a free re-bid by adding an area that doesn't have a 4-star hotel. Priceline will only give you a hotel if they can match your chosen areas AND your star level. If one of your areas only has 3-star hotels, then you can't win in that area.
Fortunately, "Boston" (to Priceline) has several areas that don't have 4-star hotels. You could keep adding (one at a time), the following areas that don't have any 4 star hotels and get a "free" re-bid: Dorchester, Fenway, Longwood, Medford-Somerville, North Cambridge-Arlington, and South Boston. You can also add Boston Harbor Front-Aquarium, which doesn't have any 4-star hotels, but does have 5-star hotels that you could win, which presumably would not be a problem. If you use the free re-bids and raise your price by $7-$10 each time, you will likely get a hotel in one of the original areas for about as cheap as you can possibly do it.
Bidding on Priceline in Boston is relatively simple, as long as you know something about Priceline.
The keys to Priceline are the following:
1) Identify the combination of area and star level where you are guaranteed to not get a "bad" hotel.
2) Know your "free" re-bids.
Priceline works by letting you choose an area and a star level. You put in the amount you are willing to pay and they bump it up against their database to see if anybody is offering a room to them at or below that bid. The biggest risk is, if there is a "bad" hotel in the area, that you will end up in that hotel.
The "free" re-bids comes into play when your bid is denied. You can only re-bid if you add another area or add another star level. Since the ultimate goal is to get a hotel in your chosen area at the lowest price, the best strategy is to add another area where you know you will not be given a hotel.
Consider Boston. There are 3 main areas that you should focus on: Beacon Hill, Boston Common - Theater District, and Copley Square - Back Bay. All of these are central neighborhoods. As for star level, there are no "bad" 4-stars in any of these neighborhoods. Some are better than others, but there are no "bad" ones.
So, you would select one or all of these areas and place a bid. I'd start around $125 and include all of the areas. If that is rejected, you can get a free re-bid by adding an area that doesn't have a 4-star hotel. Priceline will only give you a hotel if they can match your chosen areas AND your star level. If one of your areas only has 3-star hotels, then you can't win in that area.
Fortunately, "Boston" (to Priceline) has several areas that don't have 4-star hotels. You could keep adding (one at a time), the following areas that don't have any 4 star hotels and get a "free" re-bid: Dorchester, Fenway, Longwood, Medford-Somerville, North Cambridge-Arlington, and South Boston. You can also add Boston Harbor Front-Aquarium, which doesn't have any 4-star hotels, but does have 5-star hotels that you could win, which presumably would not be a problem. If you use the free re-bids and raise your price by $7-$10 each time, you will likely get a hotel in one of the original areas for about as cheap as you can possibly do it.
Jul 12th, 2013, 10:36 AM
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Sorry for the delay in replying/saying thanks. I think I'm too risk-averse to try this. I've been searching daily for a less perilous, and no doubt more expensive,rate. I found Park Plaza 30 day advance purchase, refundable til about the day before we go, for $625 all-in. More than I'd really like to pay, but I love the location of the Park Plaza and S.O. loves the Legal Seafood right in the building (though we've been to several others around town, and I know they're there). So I think it may be the Park Plaza for us, unless I find something really great.
I appreciate all of the info and advice given.
Thanks,
gail
I appreciate all of the info and advice given.
Thanks,
gail
Jul 12th, 2013, 10:42 AM
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I love the location of the Park Plaza
It is a great location. But beware that some rooms are small.
In roughly the same location, there is also the Revere, which family have stayed at and thought was quite nice. Balconies in the rooms and it has recently been renovated. It is usually about the same price point as the Park Plaza and might be worth a look.
S.O. loves the Legal Seafood right in the building
Technically, it is across the street.
It is a great location. But beware that some rooms are small.
In roughly the same location, there is also the Revere, which family have stayed at and thought was quite nice. Balconies in the rooms and it has recently been renovated. It is usually about the same price point as the Park Plaza and might be worth a look.
S.O. loves the Legal Seafood right in the building
Technically, it is across the street.
Jul 12th, 2013, 12:39 PM
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gail, I completely understand your reluctance to book on a mystery site. But lastminutetravel operators--call, don't book on-line, normally verify the hotel name before you book. And I think you have a three-day before you arrive window to cancel if you find something better.
And I agree with tg that the Park Plaza's lower-cost roooms can be quite small. Something to ask them when booking.
And I agree with tg that the Park Plaza's lower-cost roooms can be quite small. Something to ask them when booking.
Jul 12th, 2013, 12:44 PM
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I used Lastminutetravel once. As mentioned above, you can often figure out which hotel is which before booking. I have done so through photos and the description. Mostly for DC (which is where I booked even though I live in the area). If you click on View Rates & Policies it will tell you the specific cancellation policy for that choice. Many are three day, some are 1
