How to Bid for Travel Hotels
Hotel bidding allows you the opportunity (in theory) to bid for the exact price you want for your hotel. Currently the only reputable bidding provider is Priceline. Hotwire is a similar but offers its lowest prices upfront. A good idea is to check prices on Hotwire first and then bid on Priceline. It is very important to remember, however, that Priceline does not allow refunds or changes once your bid is accepted. Still, a wise bid can save you a lot of money.
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Instructions
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Research what prices hotels are going for in the area in which you want to stay. You don't want to bid on a room only to find out you could have gotten it cheaper.
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Know the rules. Priceline makes you wait a full 24 hours before rebidding unless you make specific changes to your bid, so bid only when you've fully researched your options.
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Focus on higher-star hotels first. They often have the biggest discounts. Plus, if you start with 4-star hotels and don't find options you like, you can rebid for a 3-star hotel.
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Decide what price works for you.
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Bid, verify that the choices are what you want and choose. If you want to bid again, change neighborhoods, cities, stars, or dates; wait 24 hours to rebid if you can't change the details.
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Authorize Priceline to charge your card. Remember that your reservation is nonrefundable, no matter what.
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Wait a few minutes to see if your bid was accepted. If so, print out your itinerary.
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Tips & Warnings
Bidding on a 3-star hotel automatically bids you on 4-star hotels as well.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit hotel image by Gonçalo Carreira from Fotolia.com
