Calling all experts!
I am considering bidding on a hotel for a 3 night stay in Rome for September 12 - 15. .
I am open to ANY and ALL tips.
Has anyone had experience bidding on priceline Europe for a hotel in Rome?
This is what I am considering:
1) bidding on a 5 star (don't require 5 star but will this ensure me a good location?
2) Would bidding on a 4 star be just as good (all we really need is a 3 star to meet our
comfort level)
3) Should I start with offering in euros or US dollars?
4) Do I need to start low because the final bid may not include tax?? or will tax be
included?
5) Is it too early to bid now for the dates of Sept.? Should I wait until closer to the
date?
6) Is starting with 100 euros realistic???
6) Any other "bidding websites" I could or should try??

My ONE experience with Price-line Europe was in Brussels. I bid on a 4 star and got the NH Ahrenburg City Center for about 70 euros midweek for the 1 night before
leaving at the Brussels Airport to return to the US. I was pleased.
I am guessing that if I do get a hotel, it will NOT include breakfast. Right?
Thank you so much - I appreciate evryone's efforts and advice.
Can Price-line Europe ensure a central location?? (Don't want to be outside the city center)

I bid last week for a room in Frankfurt for September 20. It was earlier than I usually start, but I put in a very low bid, and it got accepted. I bid $50. on a 4*. I got the Moevenpick Hotel which is right next door to the expo hall where the Auto Show is held. ($75.24 total inc. tax) I was amazed since the Moevenpick had already priced a room for 284€. So if you start bidding now, place a ridiculously low bid and go from there. Bid on the 5*. You have plenty of time to re-bid.

I've never bid on priceline, but the constant concern about Rome is that a great many chain-owned modern properties are outside the historic core. I wouldn't bid on a property unless you have a guarantee that you are inside the historic center.

I assume you have read up on the recent winning bids at www.betterbidding.com and www.biddingfortravel.com? Two valuable websites.

Do not forget about www.hotwire.com either as www.betterbidding,com has lists of hotwire wins that help you decipher hotel name before purchase.

good luck. Keep us posted.

I always like to link my bid through the website I use most which is www.betterbiding.com ( the moderator is super nice) as to help them out a bit since I have received so much training from them at no cost .. and saved a bundle over the years.

I think Rome is one of the few cities in Europe where you don't have much chance of winning something. As pointed out above, many of the chains are not where you want to stay. You will not win a hotel in Rome with the low bids you can win with in other cities in Europe.

I probably would not bid for anything other than a 5*, but even so, given the zone map, you could theoretically win something even in Parioli, even though the zone is called Rome Central. I doubt you would have to worry about the wrong side of Termini with a 5*. That said, all of the known 5* hotels that have been won on Priceline bids to date, are located in the Rome Central zone, have been in the historic center and very convenient.

With a 4* hotel, a not so great location would be expected, although it would be in the zone map for the zone you select. It's just there are lots of 4* hotels in less than prime locations.

I would not bid for a 3* hotel, because I would expect a bad location and a bad hotel to be quite possible (not everywhere, but in Rome I would). And in almost every case reported so far, the savings have not been stunning for 3* hotels, if indeed there were any.

No - 5* will not get you a good location. Many of the chain hotels with high * are at the end of hell and gone. And Rome is a spread out city in which staying the the center of things is vital.

I've never used Priceline for Rome - doesn;t it divide the city into neighborhoods that you can ensure being close to the center? If it doesn;t I wouldn't do Priceline but would look at other discounters that let you know where you're staying before you pay.

And I don;t think $100 will get you anything 4* or above in Rome.

I agree - Rome, unlike Brussels, is NOT a good Priceline city.

You do not want to chance location if you only have three days in Rome. Get on the driver seat and start putting your efforts on looking for an apartment in Old Rome. You don't spend much time in your lodging anyway....and if you do, you are doing something wrong.

By the way, the Hilton, Sheraton, Marriott, NH, Radisson are most outside city centre; a total bad choice of location if only in Rome for 3 days.

Thank you all for you comments. Many or them are well taken. Rome may indeed be different, so your comments help me a lot.
lincasanova
I'll have to do a little "work" on the www.betterbidding.com site and the www.biddingfortravel.com. also the www.hotwire.com
If I can figure it out, would be nice to be able to see some of the winning bids and where they are located.
Thanks, everyone. I'll get to work - but may just stick to the choice I have already booked - the Alex Inn Roma. (Barbarini metro stop) Looks like the location is good and the rooms are new (only 5) for 120 euros a night. Anyone heard of this hotel or have a comment on the location??

When you open either of those websites.. just SCROLL DOWN.. don't click on the icons at the top..to find the country and you will find winning bids, plus a hotel list that shows which hotels have been won in the past.

http://biddingfortravel.yuku.com/for...0/t/Italy.html

Betterbidding has a quick search box at top of page which is useful, too.

I would not attempt to do priceline bidding until you understand it well. You have plenty of time and a back-up hotel which is the perfect scenario.

Then you will become addicted!

It's not true that bidding for a 5* hotel in the Rome Central zone will get you a hotel that is outside the city. It will get you a hotel that is within the zone map that Priceline provides. But it may not be the exact location you want.

You also asked for tips.

If you try for 5 star (or 4 star if that's the highest) places in Priceline, you can check to see if the other zones have a 5 star by unclicking your zone, clicking the next zone, and seeing if the 5 star option lights up.

Once you know what zones DON'T have the 5 stars, you can later use those zones to rebid so you get more rebids each time.

It doesn't look like there are any 5 stars outside the central zone.

Thanks again! I will get to work! Will try to figure it all out - will post another question if I get stuck.