southsider2k5 Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 If they don't accept your first price you have to change your search? That sucks. I don't want to change where I am looking to stay. Any of the other travel sites any better for looking for hotel rooms? I can't find any deals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowerCaseRepublican Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 Hotels.com...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggliopipe Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 i think if you wait a couple of days or use a different credit card you don't have to change your request. www.betterbidding.com --- this will tell you what bids people typically get accepted for most cities and city regions christ my gas stinks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YASNY Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 QUOTE(maggliopipe @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 08:55 AM) i think if you wait a couple of days or use a different credit card you don't have to change your request. www.betterbidding.com --- this will tell you what bids people typically get accepted for most cities and city regions christ my gas stinks TMI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelasDaddy0427 Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 I just got tickets on travelocity to go to Montana to see my half sister. Had a good experience with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosMediasBlancas Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 Orbitz.com rules. There's no guessing or bidding, the detailed intinerary is right there. The total you see on the screen is the grand total including taxes, no hidden costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAVVY18 Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 Southsider, take a look at biddingfortravel.com. It is a site that lists out what people paid for their rooms/airfare/cars on priceline. They have an excellent FAQ which addresses bidding, re-bidding and general tips about priceline. It is broken down between Air, Hotel, vacations and rental cars. They do list out the zone's and what hotels are in those zones. This can be used to your advantage with the issue you are having. Let's say you are bidding on a 4* hotel in Clearwater Beach, for example, and don't get it for the price you bid. You can look and see if there are any in the St. Pete zone. If there aren't, you could add that zone to your bid. That would be a change to your bid, but since there aren't any in that zone, you would never get a hotel there and would still get a second shot at bidding the zone you want to be in. **** Before you do this type of thing, make sure to go to biddingfortravel.com and read up on it. I don't want you to get screwed if you make a mistake. ******* They also have a service where they ask you to fill out a template for them and then you can ask for "bidding assistance". They will use their experience to suggest the price you should bid. Again, make sure to read up on this before doing it. I booked my sister-in-law's honeymoon using priceline and we got her a room on Kanaapali beach in the Sheraton for $140 a night. The rack rate is $270 a night. If you know how to use priceline and know the tricks, it is a GREAT thing and a GREAT way to save alot of money. If you need more info about this, just PM me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosMediasBlancas Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 (edited) QUOTE(SAVVY18 @ Mar 7, 2005 -> 03:36 PM) Southsider, take a look at biddingfortravel.com. It is a site that lists out what people paid for their rooms/airfare/cars on priceline. They have an excellent FAQ which addresses bidding, re-bidding and general tips about priceline. It is broken down between Air, Hotel, vacations and rental cars. They do list out the zone's and what hotels are in those zones. This can be used to your advantage with the issue you are having. Let's say you are bidding on a 4* hotel in Clearwater Beach, for example, and don't get it for the price you bid. You can look and see if there are any in the St. Pete zone. If there aren't, you could add that zone to your bid. That would be a change to your bid, but since there aren't any in that zone, you would never get a hotel there and would still get a second shot at bidding the zone you want to be in. **** Before you do this type of thing, make sure to go to biddingfortravel.com and read up on it. I don't want you to get screwed if you make a mistake. ******* They also have a service where they ask you to fill out a template for them and then you can ask for "bidding assistance". They will use their experience to suggest the price you should bid. Again, make sure to read up on this before doing it. I booked my sister-in-law's honeymoon using priceline and we got her a room on Kanaapali beach in the Sheraton for $140 a night. The rack rate is $270 a night. If you know how to use priceline and know the tricks, it is a GREAT thing and a GREAT way to save alot of money. If you need more info about this, just PM me. But isn't Priceline set up to where you book BEFORE you get to see the travel details? In other words, if they match your bid, you are stuck with whatever they give you. Edited March 7, 2005 by LosMediasBlancas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted March 7, 2005 Author Share Posted March 7, 2005 Thanks for the advice! Someone else suggested the site, but I was looking at Milwaukee during the pre season games up there, and no one had listed any prices up there. I am bookmarking the site though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowerCaseRepublican Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 QUOTE(LosMediasBlancas @ Mar 7, 2005 -> 08:57 AM) Orbitz.com rules. There's no guessing or bidding, the detailed intinerary is right there. The total you see on the screen is the grand total including taxes, no hidden costs. You should read what happened to Maddox -- they sold him an impossible travel itinerary & wouldn't refund it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 FWIW, a guy I know owns a couple LaQuinta Hotels. He's told me the actual best way to a great rate is to call the sales department, explain you visit the area on business and are interested in checking out the hotel. What is the best rate they could offer on X nights. Explain, you would prefer to not book through one of those internet sites, but wish to check out the hotel while on a pleasure trip to the area. It's a white lie of sorts. Many Hotels will offer the price you would get because they actually make more than booking through the agency. It also allows you to choose which hotel you are staying at. It all depends on how much time and effort you wish to invest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosMediasBlancas Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 QUOTE(LowerCaseRepublican @ Mar 7, 2005 -> 04:10 PM) You should read what happened to Maddox -- they sold him an impossible travel itinerary & wouldn't refund it. I assume he didn't read it closely enough, all the details are right there. Or did he think he had booked one thing and actually end up with another? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Kickass Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 Hotwire is cool with me. Use it every time, get the neighborhood I want and the worst hotel I've ever been in is a Holiday Inn or a Clarion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBigHurt35 Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 Be aware that many of these web sites plant cookies onto your computer with prices on them, which competing web sites can read. This keeps these web sites from offering you a better deal and puts more money into their pockets. Clear your cookies before searching via a different web site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAVVY18 Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 QUOTE(LosMediasBlancas @ Mar 7, 2005 -> 09:43 AM) But isn't Priceline set up to where you book BEFORE you get to see the travel details? In other words, if they match your bid, you are stuck with whatever they give you. Yes it is...That's why you need to go to Biddingfortravel.com to do your research BEFORE you bid on Priceline. It is a resource and guide for what others paid. It lists out the hotels that you are liable to get on Priceline(in a specific zone), so you can do some leg work youself by checking out if the hotels they offer are acceptable for you. If they are, then you are set to save some big money, like I did for my sister-in-law. It is a great tool so that you don't overbid on something or bid on something that isn't what you expected. If you have a specific hotel that you HAVE to stay in, then priceline isn't the best option. If you are in search of a destination, but don't have a specific hotel in mind, then priceline is a great option. Odds are if I didn't use it, my sister-in-law would have ended up in the Carribean(Nice, but not Hawaii) for the same price or more. Another time I should have used it was for a trip to Clearwater Beach a few years ago. The rooms we had cost us $159 a night thru Travelocity. If I would have checked bidding for travel and used Priceline, I would have gotten into the Hilton for $40 per night(I am sure of this because several other people got this rate thru priceline). Both hotels are beachfront and actually the Hilton is in a better location. Again, if you do your research and leg work, you won't get burned and will save a ton of $$$$$. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAVVY18 Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 7, 2005 -> 09:47 AM) Thanks for the advice! Someone else suggested the site, but I was looking at Milwaukee during the pre season games up there, and no one had listed any prices up there. I am bookmarking the site though. I took a look at BFT and there are listings for 3* hotels in downtown Milwaukee(not sure if this is the zone you were looking at). One person got the downtown Milwaukee Wyndham for $38 per night and another got the downtown Milwaukee Hilton for $45 per night. There are listings further down for people who got the downtown Hyatt for $42 -$46 per night. On Orbitz, the Hyatt is listed from $99 per night. Hilton from $129 per night and Wyndham from $109 per night. I am not sure what your priceline bid was, but this is what others got the hotels for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted March 7, 2005 Author Share Posted March 7, 2005 QUOTE(SAVVY18 @ Mar 7, 2005 -> 11:52 AM) I took a look at BFT and there are listings for 3* hotels in downtown Milwaukee(not sure if this is the zone you were looking at). One person got the downtown Milwaukee Wyndham for $38 per night and another got the downtown Milwaukee Hilton for $45 per night. There are listings further down for people who got the downtown Hyatt for $42 -$46 per night. On Orbitz, the Hyatt is listed from $99 per night. Hilton from $129 per night and Wyndham from $109 per night. I am not sure what your priceline bid was, but this is what others got the hotels for. Damn, I must have been looking in the wrong place, because I didn't see any of that. I bid $50 for downtown Mil, for the 3 star level, which should include all of those places and got turned down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted March 7, 2005 Author Share Posted March 7, 2005 Nevermind, I just realized I was looking at a different site. Thank again for the site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 Just stay at the Pfister with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted March 7, 2005 Author Share Posted March 7, 2005 QUOTE(Steff @ Mar 7, 2005 -> 12:03 PM) Just stay at the Pfister with us. Just looking for a bargain. I don't think I want to drive after a night in the suite... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 QUOTE(Steff @ Mar 7, 2005 -> 12:03 PM) Just stay at the Pfister with us. That was my favorite Milwaukee Hotel. Are they still operating The English Room? The sommelier, don't call me a wine steward, was excellent. Once, I had called ahead of time, hoping they would have a particular Oregon Pinot in the celler. He called around and could not procure it in time and when I asked about corkage fees he was very nice. We worked out a trade that was very one sided for me. It's little touches like that, that make the Pfister so nice. That and all the marble. The one down side was the var always sucked. Great few but empty and boring. Old Hotels are the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Hudler Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 12:12 AM) If they don't accept your first price you have to change your search? That sucks. I don't want to change where I am looking to stay. Any of the other travel sites any better for looking for hotel rooms? I can't find any deals. Dude, Priceline is awesome. They have to make you change something in your search because otherwise people would just start at $1 and keep trying until they found the lowest price. It would probably crash the system. You CAN do the same search 72 hours later..... they just don't want people flooding the system bidding a dollar at a time. Rarely have I ever had any problems with Priceline. There was one time I could not get a room in downtown Chicago. And last summer when I went up, I couldn't get a room in the North Michigan Ave. area at my price so I had to add The Loop-Grant Park area and landed a room at The Palmer House Hilton for $72. I have stayed at the Westin on Michigan Ave. for $65 and at the W Hotel (near the Sears Tower) for $65 as well. I have stayed in hotels with Priceline in Louisville, Memphis, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit and Nashville and never paid more than the $72 I paid last summer. I generally stay in a Wyndham, Hyatt, Westin or Hilton. Learn the system and be patient and you can get mega deals. Note it is also easier to get downtown hotels in big cities on weekends, when business travel is less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Hudler Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 QUOTE(LosMediasBlancas @ Mar 7, 2005 -> 03:43 PM) But isn't Priceline set up to where you book BEFORE you get to see the travel details? In other words, if they match your bid, you are stuck with whatever they give you. With Priceline (for hotels) you choose the dates, the level of hotel and the area you want to stay in as well as your price. Then if they accept your bid you will find out specifically which hotel you are staying in. They couldn't stay in business if they gave you a hotel worse than you requested. I always look for at least 3-star hotels and have landed in Hiltons, Wyndhams, Westins, Hyatts, etc. I have never had a problem with the quality of the hotel I got from Priceline. You just have to do a little research on the area you want to stay in. When I go to Chicago I look to N. Michigan Ave. first and then Loop-Grant Park areas. You can't beat their deals if you know how the system works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 Or, you could be like me and pay $35 for any Holiday Inn hotel room in the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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