Summary of Winning Bids on Priceline, Hotwire, etc.

[phred119s]

Can anyone provide me their experience with this site? Looks like the Caribe Hilton at a good price but I know very little about the site. Thanks.

I've used it before YEARS ago. Like you (seem to) have, I figured out where it was prior to booking. It was a good experience. I actually looked on there prior to bidding (and winning) on priceline.

Edited February 2, 2011 by phred119s

[Puffinater]

I've used it before YEARS ago. Like you (seem to) have, I figured out where it was prior to booking. It was a good experience. I actually looked on there prior to bidding (and winning) on priceline.

 

Can you provide me some info on your PL win? I am contemplating the March 6th cruise that you have listed in your sig. Thanks.

[beachgal]

FINALLY been bidding on this for a few months, today got the 5-star Caribe Hilton for $95!! We got 2 rooms March 26 before our cruise - it looks awesome!

[Puffinater]

FINALLY been bidding on this for a few months, today got the 5-star Caribe Hilton for $95!! We got 2 rooms March 26 before our cruise - it looks awesome!

 

Hope I have some luck today. Have been striking out everytime I try. Nice price for that property.

[Aunt Tina]

Tried for the past two days and just got the Intercontinental for 4/29 for $115. Bid 4 stars and resorts. Started yesterday at $95 and used all my bids stopping at $110. Today I got it on my third bid at $115.

[canucme_cruisin]

Hi All,

 

I'm going to bid for 4 rooms tonight for our pre-cruise stay and have a question: are you guys bidding the resort level, or is it cheaper to bid 4-5 stars and have them "bump" you to resort level?

[cpdad]

Hi All,

 

I'm going to bid for 4 rooms tonight for our pre-cruise stay and have a question: are you guys bidding the resort level, or is it cheaper to bid 4-5 stars and have hem "bump" you to resort level?

There is no 5*" category in Priceline for Puerto Rico. The only time I've seen a 4* hotel in the San Juan zone, it was the Renaissance La Concha. Why Priceline calls that 4* and not "resort" is beyond me.

 

I am not convinced that a 4* bid would be any cheaper than a "resort" bid, but you could try for yourself and see what happens. As far as I can tell, the worst that could happen is that you get the La Concha. And that would not be bad at all.

[canucme_cruisin]

I started playing around with it and ended up with 3 rooms 4/29 for 1 night at the Sheraton Old San Juan for $90/each. I originally put in 4 stars in San Juan at $90 and it asked me to choose other options, so I added 3 1/2 stars and got the Sheraton OSJ...not bad at all!!

[suz56]

FINALLY been bidding on this for a few months, today got the 5-star Caribe Hilton for $95!! We got 2 rooms March 26 before our cruise - it looks awesome!

 

It's a great hotel! Really pretty! Congratulations.

[Skim0733]

We used priceline for 4 nights March 23-27(pre-cruise) at $115/nt.

 

Started at $95 and was glad to get it at $115.

 

Post-cruise we booked a 1-night stay at Sheraton Old San Juan using Starwood's cash + points award -- $60 + 4000 Starpoints.

[montREALady]

Okay, so when bidding, everyone is just sticking to the one zone/area, San Juan?

[cpdad]

Okay, so when bidding, everyone is just sticking to the one zone/area, San Juan?

Well, everyone on this CC board will be taking a cruise from or to San Juan so people generally want to stay in San Juan.

 

Are you asking about a bidding technique in which a bidder selects a non-San Juan zone in order to get a "free re-bid", and has no desire to actually win a bid in a remote zone? If that is your question, then yes, I have done that. Last time I checked, this technique is only useful for people bidding on 4* or resort hotels.

[montREALady]

Well, everyone on this CC board will be taking a cruise from or to San Juan so people generally want to stay in San Juan.

 

Are you asking about a bidding technique in which a bidder selects a non-San Juan zone in order to get a "free re-bid", and has no desire to actually win a bid in a remote zone? If that is your question, then yes, I have done that. Last time I checked, this technique is only useful for people bidding on 4* or resort hotels.

 

Yes, that is what I was speaking of, that particular bidding technique. Thanks.

[curlyd]

Well, everyone on this CC board will be taking a cruise from or to San Juan so people generally want to stay in San Juan.

 

Are you asking about a bidding technique in which a bidder selects a non-San Juan zone in order to get a "free re-bid", and has no desire to actually win a bid in a remote zone? If that is your question, then yes, I have done that. Last time I checked, this technique is only useful for people bidding on 4* or resort hotels.

 

Actually you can use that on 3.5 zones (like OSJ). There are some zones that have only 2 stars or 2.5 so they would be free rebid zones for 3.5 zones. I used that to get the OSJ hotel in OSJ.

 

The easiest way to figure your free zone rebids is to check out each zone individually and write down the stars available. Then you have it in front of you to use when bidding.

[cort43202]

Just booked the Marriott Stellaris for March 5 on Priceline for $154 plus tax and a total of $180. Started at $124 and increased it by $5 increments using the rebid process of adding other zones that didn't have resorts. The only other area that has resorts is the Fajardo area so I just didn't choose that area when rebidding.

[BOOKNEXTCRUISE]

I booked a cruise using PL and they are giving me a coupon for 2 nights hotel stay. I must bid for a hotel I can't flat out buy one. PL states they will send the coupons 3 to 4 weeks before cruise. Has anyone else used the coupons and how well do they work?:)

[flwrgirl4022]

I booked a cruise using PL and they are giving me a coupon for 2 nights hotel stay. I must bid for a hotel I can't flat out buy one. PL states they will send the coupons 3 to 4 weeks before cruise. Has anyone else used the coupons and how well do they work?:)

 

I got the two free nights thru PL deal too. My "coupon" was worth $70 per night for a total of $140 of credit towards a 2-night stay. They have to be used consecutively (so you can't just put $140 towards a one-night stay, it has to be 2-nights for $70/each.)

 

When you bid you will have to bid at least $1, then they add the $70 credit to it...so it's like you bid $71 each night. You will pay taxes and fees on what you BID, not what the total ends up being. You can bid on whatever star-level you wish.

 

That being said, I haven't used mine yet. We're only staying one night pre-cruise, so we've decided to use them at a later date. Ours expire at the end of the year.

 

We instead went with Hotwire and got our pre-cruise room for 2/26 at sheraton Hotel & Convention for $124 + tax & fees.

[BOOKNEXTCRUISE]

FLWRGIRL4022- Thanks for the info. How far in advance did you receive the coupons? We sail March 19 and I wish they would send them so we could start bidding. Do you think they send them late so you have to bid high to get a hotel?:confused:

[flwrgirl4022]

FLWRGIRL4022- Thanks for the info. How far in advance did you receive the coupons? We sail March 19 and I wish they would send them so we could start bidding. Do you think they send them late so you have to bid high to get a hotel?:confused:

 

I think you'll get them rather soon. We received them 1/28 for a 2/27 cruise, so a little more than 4 weeks ahead. I recieved an email notice reminding me that they were coming soon, then the next day they came.

 

As far as having to bid high...I don't know. Since the PL person I worked with to book the cruise didn't provide any details about the free room, I didn't know what to expect. So I had been bidding PL several weeks beforehand up to $125 with no luck(knowing that Hotwire had a room I'd take for that price.) Once the free room coupons came, I realized that I'd have to bid AT LEAST $55 (70 + 55 = 125) to get a PL room AND since I only needed one night I'd be throwing away the other $70. That's why we decided to save the 2-nights for another stay. We'll have other opportunities to rent a room even locally over the next year. $140 is $140 saved whether I save it now or later in the year. It all comes from the same bank account eventually!

[montREALady]

Actually you can use that on 3.5 zones (like OSJ). There are some zones that have only 2 stars or 2.5 so they would be free rebid zones for 3.5 zones. I used that to get the OSJ hotel in OSJ.

 

The easiest way to figure your free zone rebids is to check out each zone individually and write down the stars available. Then you have it in front of you to use when bidding.

 

Thanks, yes, I perfected this technique last year while bidding for a pre-cruise hotel in Miami. I need to become familiar again, lol.

[curlyd]

Thanks, yes, I perfected this technique last year while bidding for a pre-cruise hotel in Miami. I need to become familiar again, lol.

 

Someone on Bidding for Travel posted a sticky thread with bidding permutations for whatever number of free rebid zones you might have. I copied it into a spreadhseet and have it at my fingertips, because like you, my bidding might be many months apart.

[montREALady]

Someone on Bidding for Travel posted a sticky thread with bidding permutations for whatever number of free rebid zones you might have. I copied it into a spreadhseet and have it at my fingertips, because like you, my bidding might be many months apart.

 

Thanks, where can I find this?

[curlyd]

Thanks, where can I find this?

 

 

The link below is for Bidding for Travel - under Hotel FAQ - question #9 will give you some idea.

 

But if you look at "Advanced Free Re-bidding for experienced hotel bidders" there was a link to a posting that Verkuilb put up where he set up a permutation layout. I see that the link doesn't work now. If I have something at home I will check tonight and post it. I know that I copied it into a spreadsheet.

 

http://biddingfortravel.yuku.com/forums/9/Hotels

[woodcarver]

The link below is for Bidding for Travel - under Hotel FAQ - question #9 will give you some idea.

 

But if you look at "Advanced Free Re-bidding for experienced hotel bidders" there was a link to a posting that Verkuilb put up where he set up a permutation layout. I see that the link doesn't work now. If I have something at home I will check tonight and post it. I know that I copied it into a spreadsheet.

 

http://biddingfortravel.yuku.com/forums/9/Hotels

 

Hi, I was all fired up to try your bidding idea, went to PL and they accepted my first bid tonight for $90+tax for the intercontinental.

Thank you, I will remember that for the next time.

Woodcarver

[montREALady]

The link below is for Bidding for Travel - under Hotel FAQ - question #9 will give you some idea.

 

But if you look at "Advanced Free Re-bidding for experienced hotel bidders" there was a link to a posting that Verkuilb put up where he set up a permutation layout. I see that the link doesn't work now. If I have something at home I will check tonight and post it. I know that I copied it into a spreadsheet.

 

http://biddingfortravel.yuku.com/forums/9/Hotels

 

Thanks, I used tips from this site last year to bid! It was so helpful! I didn't keep track of the bidding sites I used last year, I'm going to bookmark them this time around.