BID BID BID!!! Priceline's where it's at!

I'm a HUGE advocate for Priceline's "Name Your Own Price"! You can get amazing deals on hotels, flights, and car rentals! Though you must be a risk-taker to succeed with this endeavor, I assure you it's well worth it! Here's just a few sample deals I've gotten in the past through "NYOP"...

• $70 for a $170 room at the InterContinental Hotel & Resort Buckhead in Atlanta, GA.. which they in turn upgraded us to a $600 Executive Suite for the weekend
• $240 for a $350 plane ticket to Fort Lauderdale, FL
• $99 for a $400 room at the Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort in Orlando, FL (disclaimer: back in 2004! but still a fantastic deal then)
• $99 for a 200EURO room at the Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel & Conference Center in Paris, France (amazing amazing bedding, superb service & RIGHT by a metro stop!)

On average my family & I "NYOP" at least once/month, so I could go on & on with the travel deals I've gotten on Priceline but I'll stop!

Now, let me explain the process of "Name Your Own Price" ..

1. Go to priceline.com
2. Whether it is a flight, hotel, or car rental.. click the appropriate tab and click "Name Your Own Price"

3. Fill in the appropriate details... location & dates
4. Lets take this from bidding on a hotel room perspective***  Determine the location you will be in most within your destination city (downtown, by the river, suburb, etc.). Look over the mapview of the parts of the city and make your selections as to where you would be 'ok' with staying at during your trip.
5. Chose your star ranking (the lowest star level you're willing to reside during your trip). I suggest starting with a 3 1/2 star.
6. A median price will show up under the box where you "Name Your Own Price". GO LOWER!!! If it says $140, bid $70 or $80!
7. You then will have to agree to terms, and put in your credit card information! This is where those who aren't risktakers might have a problem; because, if your bid is accepted, you WILL BE CHARGED! You will not know which hotel you got until after the reservation/payment is completed. Step out of your comfort zone, it will BE OK!!
8. Your bid may or may not be accepted. If it is, check out which fabulous hotel you'll be staying at and compare how much the rates are to see how much you saved!
9. If it is not accepted, you will have to change one thing about your request.. price, star ranking, and/or location within the city. Fool around with this until you get a deal that you are comfortable with. You can always come back and hour later and try your same bid again to see if it's accepted.


Tip for SUCCESS on Bidding:

• Bid as close to your trip as you can. If you are planning for a Friday-Sunday trip, bid on Tuesday! I've even bid on the day of and gotten great deals! $50 for a 3* hotel!
• The Marriott is a normal contender for bidding deals.. they participate in this process quite often so this very well may be what you end up with!
• As mentioned before, you cannot try your same bid right away. They make you change one option about your request (price, location, star), but you can log-off and try again later in the day.
• If you bid on flights, you can get amazing deals! However, your times must be flexible! You have to be free all-day on your arrival and departure days!
• Always go LOWER than you would think on your bid.. you'll be amazed at how great of deal you'll get!

Now go out there and BID on your next trip!!! You'll save so much money & stay at really nice places!!!

GOOD LUCK!!! Bon Chance!!

xDevyn