Things You'll Need:
- Priceline
- Credit or Debit Card
- Flexibility
- Patience
- Time
- Destination in mind
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Step 1
First, you will need to log-on to Priceline's website. Start looking for a hotel early, as you may need to wait 24 hourse to bid again. Go to www.priceline.com and click on the "Name Your Own Price" feature. Type in what city you want to go to, the dates you want to stay, and how many rooms you want. Don't worry about how many people are in the room for now, just put in how many rooms. Then, click "Bid Now".
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Step 2
The next screen will show you a map offering you certain areas you can stay in the city, and there will be a list showing how many stars you want your hotel to be, and then how much money you want to bid.
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Step 3
Start by selecting each area seperately, one at a time. Take note of the hotel star offerings in each select area. For example, in area 1 there may only be 1 and 2 star hotels, while in area 2 there are 1, 2, and 3 star hotels. Write down which areas offer which star hotels.
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Step 4
Then, select the specific area in which you will want to bid. As you can't pick the exact hotel, you will want to choose the area in which you would most like to stay. Then, start with 4 stars, and add the price you would like to pay.
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Step 5
Generally, it is a good idea to go 45% to 55% less than the price of those star hotels in that area. To find out that information, use Priceline's regular hotel-finding feature to get a feel for how much hotels are in that area. Also, $45 or more is what 4 star hotels usually run for. Don't waste a bid if you want to spend less than that for a 4 star hotel. 3 stars are generally $35, 2 stars $25, etc. This is a good rule of thumb for determining your beginning bids.
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Step 6
Sign the bottom of the page, read through all of the legal stuff, and enter in your credit or debit card information, it is time to go ahead and bid. Keep in mind that you will have to accept the hotel for the dates you entered if you win the bid.
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Step 7
If your first bid is accepted, congratulations! If you have done your homework, you got a great deal on a sweet hotel! However, if it was not accepted, that is ok. This is where your zoning will come into play--if you still want a hotel in only that one particular zone at 4 stars, refer to your list of areas. Add a zone without any 4 star hotels will make it so that you can bid with a higher amount hoping for a snag from 4 star hotels in the area you actually want.
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Step 8
If you are more flexible, you can just add your second choice zone and not worry about changing your bid amount. Keep in mind, you might have to keep your bid amount within real terms--no hotel is going to accept $10 for a 4 star room.
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Step 9
Once you have exhausted all efforts to get the areas you want for a 4 star hotel, you are not stuck with all of the areas for a 3 star hotel. Close your browser and start again. As long as you don't do the exact trip twice (Zone 3, 4 star hotel, for example) then you are golden to continue bidding. As long as you still are on the right track of the quality and location of your hotel, and the price, keep going until you are forced to enter locations you don't want or hotel qualities you don't want. Then quit and wait 24 hours to bid again.
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Step 10
Once you do bid again, consider raising your bid by 5-10%. This may be all that is needed to garner that hotel in the area you want. Keep up this process until you finally get a hotel. Continually check regular rates on Priceline and other travel sites such as Hotwire in case a room comes up in the area you want for cheaper elsewhere. Happy bidding!
Comments
lighthouse1958 said
on 10/30/2009 Great advice on how to use priceline's bidding feature. 5* and rec.
williamfjordan said
on 10/28/2009 thanks for the priceline bidding information... 5*
zoegus said
on 10/25/2009 Great tips on how to Use Priceline's Bidding Feature. 5*