Do you get better deals on Priceline 1 month or 1 day ahead?

[BarryHom]

I've always wondered this: does Priceline give better deals the closer you get to your vacation days? Are the hotels willing to cut more $ off the room price if they have open rooms the day before or the month before?

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I have yet to get a better deal the day before or the day of a check in..... infact, my best deal was a bid in Feb for a 3 star at $24 checking in in July!!!! Go figure??????????????

 

[wdisneelvr]

Basically both.

I've gotten good deals on airline tickets, hotels and rental cars one month before, two weeks before, one week before and 3 days before.

It really all depends on what seems to be hitting during your trip dates and what big vacancies are available at that time. Only good way to tell is to keep up on the latest at BiddingForTravel.com or BetterBidding.com

 

[Emerald31]

I am a bit of a control freak. I usually bid on priceline when 6 to 9 months in advance and am positive my plans won't change. My last bid for a hotel was done 9 months in advance and I received the Hotel Royal Plaza for $40 or a December stay. I have a friend who bids a couple weeks before her stays and says she gets the better deals then. It can go both ways.

 

[bearzabout]

Not necessarily. I have stayed over 100 nights in hotels using Priceline. A hotel may have different acceptable prices based on availability. If the hotel is quite empty months out, it is likely that a room can be won at a low price. As the hotel fills, the price the hotel will accept can go up a bit.

Study the winning bids on biddingfortravel.com. The lowest prices for a given hotel don't vary that much. Keep in mind that some people could have overbid.

 

[Lewisc]

Barry--Some hotels only release rooms to PL (at least with decent rates) close to your date. The Venetian in Las Vegas is a good example.

There are so many participating hotels in Orlando I'm not sure it matters. I prefer to wait until closer to my travel date since the PL rules are so strict.