I love to travel and I love a good deal. When I can marry the two it’s like a symphony to my ears. Can you hear it? If not, I am here to help you with three tips for getting a great deal on a hotel room. Watch my video on Expo and then come back for some more details. None of this will make sense without seeing the video.
Use Priceline to book your room. Look midway down on the left side of the page for the name your own price section. Click bid now under the hotels heading. Enter your information on your city and dates and click bid now. Check out the possible areas of the city you can bid for on Priceline.
Don’t bid blindly. On both these websites travelers post their successful wins on Priceline. You can benefit from their experience.
Use free rebids. If your first bid on Priceline is unsuccessful, you have two options. You can either wait 24 hours and try again or you can bid again immediately if you change one of the following variables: dates of your stay, star level, or location. Usually, my dates are already set and I am fairly committed to trying for the star level I am bidding on. I can change my location using any free rebids available to me.
I will use Orlando as an example. Go to the Priceline name your own price area and input some dates for an Orlando stay and click the bid now button. I’ll wait. Go ahead. You will see that Step 1 is to choose where you will stay. If you click on each area individually you will find that the Step 2 section, Choose the star level for your hotel changes to reflect the level of hotels offered in that area. I found the following for Orlando:
- Disney World Vicinity – all-star levels available
- Downtown Orlando – up to 4 star
- Kissimmee – up to 2.5 star
- Maitland – Altamonte Springs – up to 3.5 star
- Orlando Airport – up to 3.5 star
- Orlando East – up to 2.5 star
- Sand Lake Corporate Park – up to 2
- Universal Studios – Sea World – all-star levels
- West Disney – up to 3 star
- Winter Garden – up to 3 star
- Winter Park – up to 2 star
I have learned that there are 11 areas I could stay in in the Orlando area. I want to stay in the Walt Disney World Vicinity. I know that others are getting a 3-star hotel in that area for around $40. I can bid for a 3-star in that area and if I don’t win I have 4 free rebids. Kissimmee, Orlando East, Sand Lake Corporate Park and Winter Park are all free rebids for me because they do not have any hotels available above the 2.5-star rating. That makes them free rebids because I can add them as an area I am willing to stay in, thus changing a variable and allowing me to rebid, but I know I won’t win a hotel there because Priceline does not have any 3-star hotels in that area.
By bidding strategy looked like this:
I offered $35 for a 3-star in the Walt Disney World Vicinity – unsuccessful
I offered $36 for a 3-star in the Walt Disney World Vicinity and Kissimmee area – unsuccessful
I offered $37 for a 3-star in the Walt Disney World Vicinity, Kissimmee, and Orlando East area –unsuccessful
I offered $38 for a 3-star in the Walt Disney World Vicinity, Kissimmee, Orlando East and Sand Lake Corporate Park – unsuccessful
I offered $39 for a 3-star in the Walt Disney World Vicinity, Kissimmee, Orlando East, Sand Lake Corporate Park and Winter Park- I got it this time. I won a 3-star hotel in the Walt Disney World Vicinity, the Radisson Resort Orlando – Celebration.
By using Priceline, not bidding blindly and using free rebids, I got a great deal on a hotel room in Orlando. I’ll let you know how our stay is when we return.
