When to bid on Priceline
Oct 7th, 2011, 12:43 PM
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When to bid on Priceline
Going to Seattle first part of December. How long before my travel date should I bid for hotel room? Should I do it now, or wait until later in Nov.? Any advantage in doing it now? Also, as an example, if I bid on a 3* hotel on Name your own price, will I get a 3* or is it possible they will give me a 2* if I get a winning bid? May make a quick, last minute trip elsewhere in Nov. wondering how soon you get information on winning a bid from priceline, within minutes, or longer?
Hope these are not repeat of questions all ready answered, however I couldn't find the answers in the posts I read.
Hope these are not repeat of questions all ready answered, however I couldn't find the answers in the posts I read.
Oct 7th, 2011, 12:54 PM
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You will get a 3* if that is what you put in your bid...they will not downgrade you to a 2*, and may even up you to a 3.5* or 4*. However, their definition of 3*'s and 2*'s may be different than yours so do your research. Also know that with Priceline you are only guaranteed a room for two people so if your party is larger than that, either plan on getting two rooms, or not using PL.
If your bid is accepted, you are notified within seconds, and your credit card is charged at that time as well...no refunds or cancellations allowed.
There are two websites to help you:
www.betterbidding.com and www.biddingfortravel.com
I was just on BFT the other day and she was advising a poster not to bid too early and I think they were traveling in November. The best thing to do, imho, is to book a hotel that fits your budget, area, etc. that can be cancelled with no penalty if necessary. Then you can proceed with your bidding, hoping to get a better deal. If you don't, then you have your standby hotel as an option.
I love Priceline and have recommended it to others who also end up using it a lot.
Hope this helps!
If your bid is accepted, you are notified within seconds, and your credit card is charged at that time as well...no refunds or cancellations allowed.
There are two websites to help you:
www.betterbidding.com and www.biddingfortravel.com
I was just on BFT the other day and she was advising a poster not to bid too early and I think they were traveling in November. The best thing to do, imho, is to book a hotel that fits your budget, area, etc. that can be cancelled with no penalty if necessary. Then you can proceed with your bidding, hoping to get a better deal. If you don't, then you have your standby hotel as an option.
I love Priceline and have recommended it to others who also end up using it a lot.
Hope this helps!
Oct 7th, 2011, 06:13 PM
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Just wait until Sheryl on biddingfortravel berates you for doing something on your first trial of Priceline, and then keep doing whatever it is she berates you for.
Either that or be sure to use all of Sheryl's information for free, while never signing-up for her daily berating sessions. That's how most of us 'use' Sheryl.
And for heaven's sake, no matter what, do not access Priceline through Sheryl's special link.
Beyond that, Seattle is a great (downtown zone) for 4-star hotel bidding via Priceline. There are scores of "free rebids" available, AND if your trip happens to be in early December there should be lots of rooms available to Priceline then.
This last week I got somebody a 4-star room at the Sheraton downtown with a base bid of $85 per night (full cost $105.40), compared with a would-have-been total bill of $226 per night if booked directly.
Anticipate numbers SOMEWHERE near to that, for a 4-star hotel with a good location downtown - sometimes later in the season you can land The Westin for a base bid of $75 per.
Either that or be sure to use all of Sheryl's information for free, while never signing-up for her daily berating sessions. That's how most of us 'use' Sheryl.
And for heaven's sake, no matter what, do not access Priceline through Sheryl's special link.
Beyond that, Seattle is a great (downtown zone) for 4-star hotel bidding via Priceline. There are scores of "free rebids" available, AND if your trip happens to be in early December there should be lots of rooms available to Priceline then.
This last week I got somebody a 4-star room at the Sheraton downtown with a base bid of $85 per night (full cost $105.40), compared with a would-have-been total bill of $226 per night if booked directly.
Anticipate numbers SOMEWHERE near to that, for a 4-star hotel with a good location downtown - sometimes later in the season you can land The Westin for a base bid of $75 per.
Oct 8th, 2011, 12:35 PM
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Thanks everyone. If I have this correct, I should read Sheryl's advice on BFT, then go directly to Priceline to do my bidding. One more, probably silly question, (as I think I know the answer). If I do a last minute thing, win a bid, is all I need is a conformation #, or do I need a printout at hotel? Thinking of doing it last minute on laptop.
Thanks again for information. Enjoyed our trip to NB with the help of posters here on Fodor's.
Thanks again for information. Enjoyed our trip to NB with the help of posters here on Fodor's.
Oct 8th, 2011, 01:12 PM
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Have bid a bunch on priceline.com
Do it a lot on the fly day of...
Pick up nice 3 stars all over bidding $35 and increasing
by $5 all I need is the confirmation # but a prinout with
all the details is best at check in.
Do be aware room are only for 2 people if you check the
fine print... betterbidding.com check your calender of wins.
If you win that is it no returns... great values but do not
select any hotel zones you are willing to stay in.
Most complaints are related to this folks get an undesirable
are they checked in despair to win a bid right away.
Do it a lot on the fly day of...
Pick up nice 3 stars all over bidding $35 and increasing
by $5 all I need is the confirmation # but a prinout with
all the details is best at check in.
Do be aware room are only for 2 people if you check the
fine print... betterbidding.com check your calender of wins.
If you win that is it no returns... great values but do not
select any hotel zones you are willing to stay in.
Most complaints are related to this folks get an undesirable
are they checked in despair to win a bid right away.
Oct 8th, 2011, 03:06 PM
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I've been winning hotels on Priceline for years. I've used it for Seattle several times though not recently (zones change). It's a great way to save money on a decent hotel. You shouldn't expect to get a 2-star hotel for next to nothing; instead, expect to get a 3-star or 4-star hotel for the price of a Motel 6, if you're lucky. Priceline doesn't save me money - it upgrades my lodgings for the price that I pay.
If you bid at a certain star level, you CANNOT get a lower star level. Bid for 3-star and you will get 3-star or HIGHER never LOWER.
I recommend BetterBidding as the superior bid-support website these days for sure. Read carefully there and you can find out what hotels people have been winning recently in Seattle and about approximately what prices (price varies greatly by dates; Seattle is usually much more expensive in the summer than in December).
You must be willing to accept ANY hotel Priceline chooses in your zone/at your star level if they accept what you bid. But generally that's one of four or five hotels (at most). You'll probably see them listed on BetterBidding. If the hotels listed there are all acceptable, bidding is pretty safe. You can look up yourself the going rates for those likely hotels on Kayak.com to see what you'd pay at full price, plus you can read reviews of each hotel on TripAdvisor.
You can bid now as long as you don't mind being locked into your hotel choice - because you CAN'T cancel or change your reservation with Priceline after they accept your bid. You can get good prices right now or even the day before (I've done it both ways successfully). Don't be afraid to bid low now and raise your bid gradually since you have time. Learn what "free rebids" are (adding zones to your bid that don't have the star level you want) otherwise you must wait 24 hours to raise your price and make exactly the same bid.
Also expect to pay whatever the hotel requires for parking ($20/day or more) if you will need to park a car as that is NOT included in your Priceline bid price!
If you bid at a certain star level, you CANNOT get a lower star level. Bid for 3-star and you will get 3-star or HIGHER never LOWER.
I recommend BetterBidding as the superior bid-support website these days for sure. Read carefully there and you can find out what hotels people have been winning recently in Seattle and about approximately what prices (price varies greatly by dates; Seattle is usually much more expensive in the summer than in December).
You must be willing to accept ANY hotel Priceline chooses in your zone/at your star level if they accept what you bid. But generally that's one of four or five hotels (at most). You'll probably see them listed on BetterBidding. If the hotels listed there are all acceptable, bidding is pretty safe. You can look up yourself the going rates for those likely hotels on Kayak.com to see what you'd pay at full price, plus you can read reviews of each hotel on TripAdvisor.
You can bid now as long as you don't mind being locked into your hotel choice - because you CAN'T cancel or change your reservation with Priceline after they accept your bid. You can get good prices right now or even the day before (I've done it both ways successfully). Don't be afraid to bid low now and raise your bid gradually since you have time. Learn what "free rebids" are (adding zones to your bid that don't have the star level you want) otherwise you must wait 24 hours to raise your price and make exactly the same bid.
Also expect to pay whatever the hotel requires for parking ($20/day or more) if you will need to park a car as that is NOT included in your Priceline bid price!
Oct 9th, 2011, 01:40 AM
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I use some basic logic when bidding (also check out the 2 support sites mentioned above - and have been shrewed at by Sheryl so will not use her links).
Priceline exists to fill hotel rooms that would be empty otherwise, so they do it at a discount - figuring discounted rate is better than an empty room. So when bidding for room when I expect there to be a surplus of rooms (like a recent Sunday night at Raleigh-Durham airport hotel) I bid early and low. If trying to get a room that might likely be filled - tourist season, etc in popular cities - I bid close to date of my stay, since there is always a chance I can snag a room that by chance is not filled. In this case, the discount is usually far less.
But I figure anything below web rate for a room is a deal - so I don't torment myself trying to save an additional $5. The main thing is to clearly understand the zone - since what a reasonable person might call "downtown" or some other area in a city is not necessarily what Priceline includes in the zone.
Priceline exists to fill hotel rooms that would be empty otherwise, so they do it at a discount - figuring discounted rate is better than an empty room. So when bidding for room when I expect there to be a surplus of rooms (like a recent Sunday night at Raleigh-Durham airport hotel) I bid early and low. If trying to get a room that might likely be filled - tourist season, etc in popular cities - I bid close to date of my stay, since there is always a chance I can snag a room that by chance is not filled. In this case, the discount is usually far less.
But I figure anything below web rate for a room is a deal - so I don't torment myself trying to save an additional $5. The main thing is to clearly understand the zone - since what a reasonable person might call "downtown" or some other area in a city is not necessarily what Priceline includes in the zone.
Oct 9th, 2011, 07:17 AM
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Andrew should have his own website on how to use Priceline--everything he said is spot-on, and articulated very well.
As to your ? about what you need to have to check in, I don't even know that you have to have a confirmation #, though I do always have it as it is on the printed confirmation that I take just in case there is a problem, which there never has been. You give them your name and then a photo ID to verify it is your reservation. Usually they just say something like, "your room has been pre-paid" and they ask for a credit card to cover any "incidentals."
I think you can even bid for a same-day stay, but of course that limits your options since you have no time to try again if your bid is rejected (unless you are doing free re-bids as described in Andrew's post).
As to your ? about what you need to have to check in, I don't even know that you have to have a confirmation #, though I do always have it as it is on the printed confirmation that I take just in case there is a problem, which there never has been. You give them your name and then a photo ID to verify it is your reservation. Usually they just say something like, "your room has been pre-paid" and they ask for a credit card to cover any "incidentals."
I think you can even bid for a same-day stay, but of course that limits your options since you have no time to try again if your bid is rejected (unless you are doing free re-bids as described in Andrew's post).
Oct 9th, 2011, 12:41 PM
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I like the "search" feature on www.betterbidding.com You can put in Seattle and all the winning bids and hotwire bookings will come up.
Oct 9th, 2011, 05:53 PM
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I won't repeat what Andrew and others have mentioned.
Do be prepared to show your ID, as they will only allow the person who is on the Priceline win to check in.
I often bid starting several months out or more, and depending on the area may win a bid right away or need to wait until close in (thus you always should book a "safety" hotel that can be cancelled). If you do this, do NOT get caught up in the excitement and overbid.
If offered a counterbid, do not accept it - it is usually more than you should pay. Either add a zone and rebid, or wait 24 hours. There is a post on "permutation bidding" on bidding for travel that is helpful for how to add zones to maximize your bids.
Your best deals are 3-1/2* and up. The lower the stars, the less room they have for price cutting. I worked in the convention hotel business for a number of years, and we sold blocks of rooms during low occupancy to wholesalers and some types of convention business (e.g., Amway - those who resold the rooms at a considerable profit to their attendees). Priceline is essentially the same deal.
Good deals can be had with 4-star hotels that are primarily weekday business properties, if you bid for weekends - that's why you might get a nice Marriott or Hyatt at Crystal City on Friday night, for example. Do a little research and try to bid in those areas if you can.
Understand that you cannot cancel or change your win. There have been a few times that I have actually walked away from a bid (it's nonrefundable). Either I didn't follow my own advice, got caught up in the excitement of bidding and ended up in an area I didn't want, or misjudged the area or properties. It's not common; but I'm just saying it's possible. When it has happened, it has always been a lower-end bid.
Word of caution on 3* - this seems to be a breaking point where one property in an area gets that rating and shouldn't, then seems to get a lot of wins. Look at the recommended websites to see if people have been complaining about that. Again, this is not the norm, but it is a reason I try to bid at least 3-1/2*.
Do be prepared to show your ID, as they will only allow the person who is on the Priceline win to check in.
I often bid starting several months out or more, and depending on the area may win a bid right away or need to wait until close in (thus you always should book a "safety" hotel that can be cancelled). If you do this, do NOT get caught up in the excitement and overbid.
If offered a counterbid, do not accept it - it is usually more than you should pay. Either add a zone and rebid, or wait 24 hours. There is a post on "permutation bidding" on bidding for travel that is helpful for how to add zones to maximize your bids.
Your best deals are 3-1/2* and up. The lower the stars, the less room they have for price cutting. I worked in the convention hotel business for a number of years, and we sold blocks of rooms during low occupancy to wholesalers and some types of convention business (e.g., Amway - those who resold the rooms at a considerable profit to their attendees). Priceline is essentially the same deal.
Good deals can be had with 4-star hotels that are primarily weekday business properties, if you bid for weekends - that's why you might get a nice Marriott or Hyatt at Crystal City on Friday night, for example. Do a little research and try to bid in those areas if you can.
Understand that you cannot cancel or change your win. There have been a few times that I have actually walked away from a bid (it's nonrefundable). Either I didn't follow my own advice, got caught up in the excitement of bidding and ended up in an area I didn't want, or misjudged the area or properties. It's not common; but I'm just saying it's possible. When it has happened, it has always been a lower-end bid.
Word of caution on 3* - this seems to be a breaking point where one property in an area gets that rating and shouldn't, then seems to get a lot of wins. Look at the recommended websites to see if people have been complaining about that. Again, this is not the norm, but it is a reason I try to bid at least 3-1/2*.
Oct 12th, 2011, 08:44 PM
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USTWO:
When ready to start your Priceline bidding, the first thing to do is go directly to priceline.com... find the Seattle area... and the list of different "ZONES" priceline uses there.
FIRST put a dot/check/'tick' in the first zone (might be "Bothell")... and then write down the highest hotel rating that lights up below. (might be "2 1/2 stars" for Bothell)
Then UNCLICK other dots... before clicking the next one: (lets say it is "Bellevue") (LOL Bellevue before Bothell)... anyway... then write down the highest hotel star rating in Bellevue (which is 4 stars in that case)...
THEN UN-click all other dots... and click the next one...
by the end, you want to have the list of 10-12 different zones, EACH WITH THE corresponding star VALUE of their best hotels.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE CAREFUL... you do NOT, ever, want to have two of the boxes clicked at once when doing this. (it's OK later, when actually bidding, but not for this 'check').
Then, given the way the land lies in Seattle, it is really wise to shoot for a nice, 4-star hotel downtown... expecting a base bid of $75 to $100 on Priceline in early December. (Holidays would be tough(er) )
Once you learn the ropes (by reading somewhere)... you'd start your bidding at maybe $70 a night, and then boost it by $5 each time, using the "free rebid" zones one by one.
(you'll understand better after educating yourself - but it is really grand)
For downtown seattle, I wouldn't even rent a car unless you need one... the rail is great from the airport... and if you want a daytrip somewhere, just rent a car downtown and save the other nights of parking hassle and expense.
When ready to start your Priceline bidding, the first thing to do is go directly to priceline.com... find the Seattle area... and the list of different "ZONES" priceline uses there.
FIRST put a dot/check/'tick' in the first zone (might be "Bothell")... and then write down the highest hotel rating that lights up below. (might be "2 1/2 stars" for Bothell)
Then UNCLICK other dots... before clicking the next one: (lets say it is "Bellevue") (LOL Bellevue before Bothell)... anyway... then write down the highest hotel star rating in Bellevue (which is 4 stars in that case)...
THEN UN-click all other dots... and click the next one...
by the end, you want to have the list of 10-12 different zones, EACH WITH THE corresponding star VALUE of their best hotels.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE CAREFUL... you do NOT, ever, want to have two of the boxes clicked at once when doing this. (it's OK later, when actually bidding, but not for this 'check').
Then, given the way the land lies in Seattle, it is really wise to shoot for a nice, 4-star hotel downtown... expecting a base bid of $75 to $100 on Priceline in early December. (Holidays would be tough(er) )
Once you learn the ropes (by reading somewhere)... you'd start your bidding at maybe $70 a night, and then boost it by $5 each time, using the "free rebid" zones one by one.
(you'll understand better after educating yourself - but it is really grand)
For downtown seattle, I wouldn't even rent a car unless you need one... the rail is great from the airport... and if you want a daytrip somewhere, just rent a car downtown and save the other nights of parking hassle and expense.
Oct 13th, 2011, 11:00 AM
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have you used Priceline before?
If not, do a trial bid now. Bid $1. Heck, if you can get a hotel room for $1...
You wouldn't, of course. But it's good experience. Cuts down on the heart palpitations when it comes time to make the actual bid.
Generally your bid, if successful, is locked in concrete. So if you have a change of plans, then you've just lost the money on that bid.
HOWEVER, there is a way out. There is a box for "Insurance", which costs $5. If you buy insurance, you can cancel. I've done this when very uncertain of the exact dates but didn't want to be caught up in the summer rush, so got a room months ahead of time and then had to cancel.
I use biddingfortravel ahead of time for research purposes. betterbidding just doesn't have enough data to give me a good idea of what price to bid.
Say you want a 4* in DT Los Angeles, and you see that the successful bids range from $85 to $105. I'd bid $85 for starters.
I also use the biddingfortravel bidding site. There are some people who don't like Sheryl/Cheryl. Don't understand this, because I've seen some of the dumbest questions being asked of her and can only imagine how she feels after answering the same dumb question for the umpteenth time.
Have been using biddingfortravel for years and haven't ever had a problem with Cheryl.
If not, do a trial bid now. Bid $1. Heck, if you can get a hotel room for $1...
You wouldn't, of course. But it's good experience. Cuts down on the heart palpitations when it comes time to make the actual bid.
Generally your bid, if successful, is locked in concrete. So if you have a change of plans, then you've just lost the money on that bid.
HOWEVER, there is a way out. There is a box for "Insurance", which costs $5. If you buy insurance, you can cancel. I've done this when very uncertain of the exact dates but didn't want to be caught up in the summer rush, so got a room months ahead of time and then had to cancel.
I use biddingfortravel ahead of time for research purposes. betterbidding just doesn't have enough data to give me a good idea of what price to bid.
Say you want a 4* in DT Los Angeles, and you see that the successful bids range from $85 to $105. I'd bid $85 for starters.
I also use the biddingfortravel bidding site. There are some people who don't like Sheryl/Cheryl. Don't understand this, because I've seen some of the dumbest questions being asked of her and can only imagine how she feels after answering the same dumb question for the umpteenth time.
Have been using biddingfortravel for years and haven't ever had a problem with Cheryl.
Oct 13th, 2011, 11:16 AM
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I didn't have any trouble with BFT either until I was banned - apparently for the transgression of POSTING ON A COMPETING WEBSITE. Wow, I didn't realize I wasn't allowed to post somewhere else. No worry - I still consult BFT for Priceline research though the competing site usually has better info these days anyway - and I post my winning bids on the competing site after using their links. BFT gets less content so it is less helpful and relevant - oh, well...
Oct 13th, 2011, 01:03 PM
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There was a time (before the Yuku takeover) when there were some technical glitches which were very annoying. One would click on the next page only to have a message like "You are not allowed on this site" appear. If that happened to me by clicking on page 2, then I'd just click on page 3 and - wala! - page 3 would magically appear and the reviews could continue.
There were some other technical glitches. One just had to try and work around them. Sometimes, one couldn't work around the glitches and had to wait a day or two before getting back on BFT.
Those glitches haven't been happening of late.
There were some other technical glitches. One just had to try and work around them. Sometimes, one couldn't work around the glitches and had to wait a day or two before getting back on BFT.
Those glitches haven't been happening of late.
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