The only way you can know for sure what London Zones don't have higher than 3* is go to priceline and start your bid. When you go to select your zone, test each one for a 4 star. If everything above 3 star is "grayed out" then that zone doesn't have 4* and you can use it for a free rebid.
Then, just close the browser and go back to your planning.

Thanks for the Morgan Hotel tip. It's still a little more expensive than a chain, and I don't mind a chain hotel.

Thanks also for the reminder about how to test for 4*. I had forgotten that method.

Anyway, I tried 4* Mayfair at $90 and the counteroffer is $167 for about $205 all in. I still have about two weeks before I leave, so I have some time.

Sorry, I see you are right, no free rebids for a 4 *

Remember that that counteroffer is inflated. You could rebid for less than that and still get the room. I never accept the counteroffer.

I didn't accept the counteroffer. Is there a rule of thumb for what a winning bid may look like if the counteroffer comes in at $167?

Yes, there're no freebies for 4* Mayfair anymore. All the current zones have 4* hotels.

But for 5*, the story is different and freebies are possible. But I've never bid for 5* anyway.

It is an advantage to have your price in USD. The exchange to GBP has been awful. Just returned from Cancun where it is much better on the wallet. Good luck.

Someone posted that if you get a counteroffer price (not an add $22 counteroffer) in Europe, try lopping off 10% and rounding up.

So in your case if this is accurate, I'd expect around $151 or $152 to work.

For me, I'm not sure that's been accurate, but it's as good a guess as any.

I'd try $140

When I got the Hilton Olympia for $75 last year, I started lower and the first counter offer was $152 -- so I totally ignore PL counter offers.

Thanks. I'll probably try again and report later. I think $150 is probably more than what I want to spend. With taxes it's looking like $180+. But I guess it's not that much more than $140.

The problem is that it's so easy to say this about everything. It's just $x more. Quickly it adds up.

Ok, I'll try to cap at $120 or so. With taxes it brings me to about $150.

I mean, it's mid February. Can the hotels be that busy?

If you aren't so picky, you could try a 3* bid in Mayfair/Soho. I'm not sure there are very many 3* hotels there at all, nor that they provide discount Priceline prices, but it might be worth a try.

This is a long shot, but I remember seeing the Royal Adelphi hotel near Covent Garden, and I think it's a budget hotel.

No, but are there surprises with 3* Mayfair? Why don't people bid 3* Mayfair more often if there are no nasty surprises?

I don't know because I've never looked at that list in great detail.

I have never won a bid for London on Priceline, though I have bid twice before. Does the price you win it for include the VAT or is that added on when you check out?

If they have high enough unoccupancy they will take a much lower bid as you get closer.

The way it works is that your bid price is the tax-free price. PL will let you know what the final amount is.

The taxes for London come to about 20%. So for example, if I bid at 120 and I win, I'm basically paying 140-150 all in.

I've tried PL for London a few times, but I've only succeeded once. (I got Thistle Charing Cross.) Before I think that I had issues with trying to bid for a Friday (or was it Saturday night). Supposedly it's the toughest. But apparently Sunday night is ok, so I'll try a few more times and see what I can get.

I think the only reported 3* Mayfair hotel is Thistle Trafalgar, which seems perfectly okay and very well-located. (I haven't checked, this is by memory.)

If I had to guess, I think maybe people who bid for Mayfair are willing to spend more money, so they won't consider 3* hotels. But if you are okay with a standard 2* European hotel, I think a Priceline 3* would be quite acceptable.

Thanks 111op. Usually I have gotten hotels inclusive of the VAT so I wasn't sure how that worked with PL. Now I know.

I think I mentioned it above, but Hotwire has some pretty good deals for your one-night stay too. The Hotwire Westminster zone does not extend south of the river, and there's a 3* for $90 for 2/17, and a City zone 3* for $62 for 2/17. The Hotwire City zone does not extend south of the river, but for Priceline, I think both the City and Westminster zones do (although I haven't checked really recently).

Right now the 3* City on Hotwire is showing for $76. Remind me -- I think taxes are extra on Hotwire? According to Better Bidding, this hotel is probably the City Hotel you found also on RatesToGo. There're no amenities listed by Hotwire, and this matches the City Hotel description provided by B B.

The 3* Westminster on Hotwire is now $105. There's no 3* Westminster listed in B B, so I don't know what this hotel may be. Separately in another thread on B B, the moderator acknowledges that the identity of this hotel is still a mystery (tennis nearby is a clue).

According to B B, 3* Mayfair on Priceline is either Thistle Trafalgar or Thistle Picadilly. There's nothing listed as 3* Mayfair on BFT.