Yet another Priceline question - Vancouver
 

Greetings. I've been reading about Priceline hotels in Vancouver, and I have a few questions. I did try to register on Biddingfortravel.com and just couldn't get registered - not sure why.

Anyhow, I'm planning a trip to Vancouver in September, and am attempting to get 2 rooms at a 4* hotel. When I read about "rebid zones", I saw suggested Surrey, Delta, and Langley. (I want to stay downtown Vancouver). I don't see 4* hotels listed in those areas on Biddingfortravel.com, so if I use those for a rebidding, would it still be possible to get a 4* in downtown Vancouver? If not, are those areas convenient to downtown Vancouver without a car? We're arriving by rail, if that makes any difference.

Also, if I bid on two rooms through priceline, am I safe to assume I will get both of them at the same hotel?

Thank you for your help... Hope this is clear as mud!!

Billie

Billie

Forget about bidding for travel - that is just a guidline. I use Priceline all the time. I just went into their website and they are showing 4 star in downtown Vancouver available in September.

You can go to the section to bid - not take their hotels at the prices they offer. You can opt for two rooms and yes you will be in the same hotel. Because you have lots of time you can afford to start lower and just wait the 72 hours before you rebid. Do not take any other area. You may be surprised and get the price you want. It depends on the dates in September. For instance if you are looking to be there over the Labour Day weekend you may not do as well as after that.

Go in with a low bid that you are comfortable with - you have nothing to lose but them refusing. I would try maybe $65. You just never know. I just used Priceline this past weekend in another city and got the Westin on my very first bid.

Good luck and just post more questions if you have them.

As I say - just stick to downtown. If you are refused try again with a little higher bid in 72 hours when it lets you bid again.

Thanks, traveller69. The funny thing is, I've been going back every day to Priceline and putting in new bids, and it keeps letting my try it! So I will keep trying. I also am going to try Victoria and Seattle on the dates I would like.

If I do get blocked out for 72 hours, can I try another bid in another city, or is it 72 hours, period?

Thanks again!

Billie

I used hotwire to book a hotel in Vancouver for mid June and was able to get two nights for $160 TOTAL ($80 a night) at the Westin in Vancouver. I booked it back in March. I haven't seen as good of a deal since then. I used priceline to book two nights in Seattle for the same trip and also ended up at a Westin for about $280 for two nights. I was able to get the best bid on priceline by bidding several times on the same day. The trick was this... if I had an unsuccessful bid, I closed my browser completely, then I went back to priceline and rebid again. I went up by $10 increments until I hit the lowest price they would accept. Give it a shot.

Somebody is out of touch.

Priceline did away with the 72-hour thing a while back.

Now the wait is just 24 hours.

Anyway, only people with anti-social magnetism register at biddingfortravel.

Just use their resources and ideas without giving them the time of day, until they get a new witch to run the thing.

Nowthen, none of the other regions of Vancouver (on Priceline) are very convenient to DOWNTOWN.

But this doesn't matter to you at all, as long as you keep plugging away for a 4-star and using the free rebids.

Assuming you're going AFTER Labo(u)r Day, the Priceline attempts should produce success before terribly long.

BE SURE to go step-by-step with EACH Vancouver zone, to measure what star levels are contained in each... EVERY TIME you revisit Priceline. (if suddenly one area came to have a 4-star, and you'd not been to the site for 2 days... you COULD randomly get stuck out there)

And yes, it is a sure thing that those bidding for "2 rooms" are going to be at the same hotel.

About being blocked... (firstly, there is no "72 hours" anymore)... and secondly, the wording is:

"you can't make the same IDENTICAL bid more than once every 24 hours (now)"

So you can certainly start-up in a new city without regard for what you've already done elsewhere.

It is a good idea to chart some of your Priceline misses when bidding 4-star for certain dates in downtown Vancouver. Then you'd have a list of the bids you made and what didn't work.

New blocks of rooms go to Priceline all the time, and it is POSS-I-BLE that the best successes will come REALLY LATE in your bidding. (like with a week or less to go)

IF IT WERE ME, and I was going to Vancouver in Sept. (AFTER Labo(u)r Day)... I would simply count on something becoming available through Priceline before departure time.

It isn't that important to be booked so early PROVIDED you are not going until AFTER the holiday.

Good luck!