Online Travel Booking and Bidding Agencies - Booking more than 1 room (two) with priceline

Had a quick question. I need to book 2 rooms. 1 for myself, 1 for another using priceline. I do see an option to bid on more than 1 room at a time.

My question simply did anyone know if it was better to bid on 2 rooms at once
or 1 at a time and hope you get the same place?

I was thinking maybe they would go lower if they got 2 bookings??? Maybe not. Any thoughts or insight on this?

Had a quick question. I need to book 2 rooms. 1 for myself, 1 for another using priceline. I do see an option to bid on more than 1 room at a time.

My question simply did anyone know if it was better to bid on 2 rooms at once
or 1 at a time and hope you get the same place?

I was thinking maybe they would go lower if they got 2 bookings??? Maybe not. Any thoughts or insight on this?

The main risk is that you won't get the same place. If you don't care whether you have the same place or not, then bid however you like. It is theoretically possible that a hotel could have one room at a cheap price, but not two, but that would mean that you would indeed probably end up at two separate places with two bids.

The main risk is that you won't get the same place. If you don't care whether you have the same place or not, then bid however you like. It is theoretically possible that a hotel could have one room at a cheap price, but not two, but that would mean that you would indeed probably end up at two separate places with two bids.

Exactly. If you want two rooms in the same hotel, always book at the same time requesting two rooms. Sure there is a chance one room would have been cheaper but if you really want two rooms, two at almost any priceline rate (after doing your homework) is still going to be way cheaper than conventional rates.

I think (though I'm not positive) that if you book two rooms at the same time, you only get charged Priceline's "fee" once, vs. booking the two rooms seperately and paying a seperate fee for each one, so that would make any savings by booking them separately pretty much nil.

I think (though I'm not positive) that if you book two rooms at the same time, you only get charged Priceline's "fee" once, vs. booking the two rooms seperately and paying a seperate fee for each one, so that would make any savings by booking them separately pretty much nil.

True but Priceline's fee is now a bit harder to figure out since it is lumped in with the taxes. But the fee is some sort of a sliding scale, at least partly based on the total price. So the difference between one booking for two rooms and two bookings for one room each is probably negligible (maybe $5-7 difference?).

Okay, having done an experiment on this, I think I can easily say that it would cost less to book the two rooms together rather than seperately. YMMV though.

I chose a random town that has a 7% state hotel tax and no local hotel tax.

When I put in a $30 bid, one room, one night, the taxes and fees came up as $9.56 (the state tax would be $2.10, so the PL fee is $7.46) for a total of $39.56. Multiply by 2 for two rooms booked seperately, you get a total $79.12 (total PL fee is $7.46 x 2 = $14.92)

Now, I put in a bid for $30, TWO rooms, one night (so a $60 subtotal), the taxes and fees come up as $12.42 (state tax would be $4.10, so PL fee is $8.32). Total cost is $72.42.

Bottom line in this example, you'd have to bid at least 9 dollars less for the second room in order to about break even and/or save money by doing them seperately. And bidding the rooms seperately could put the second room in a different hotel. I think the only case in which this would make any sense to attempt would be in a small (i.e. one zone only) area.

I was thinking maybe they would go lower if they got 2 bookings??? Maybe not. Any thoughts or insight on this?

no, you are submitting a bid price to priceline who in turn matches it with "offers" submitted by hotels that want to unload excess room inventory. If there are at least two rooms offered at or above your bid, you win. You really want to bid for both rooms at the same time and you should learn about the rebiding process so that you don't overbid. By adding an adjacent zone(s) with the higheset star rating less than your minimum star rating lets you rebid before the 24 hour lockout. You should get both rooms for less than the cost of one. Good luck

The difference between one booking for two rooms and two bookings for one room each is probably negligible (maybe $5-7 difference?).

When I put in a $30 bid, one room, one night, the taxes and fees came up as $9.56 (the state tax would be $2.10, so the PL fee is $7.46) for a total of $39.56. Multiply by 2 for two rooms booked seperately, you get a total $79.12 (total PL fee is $7.46 x 2 = $14.92)

Now, I put in a bid for $30, TWO rooms, one night (so a $60 subtotal), the taxes and fees come up as $12.42 (state tax would be $4.10, so PL fee is $8.32). Total cost is $72.42.

Bottom line in this example, you'd have to bid at least 9 dollars less for the second room in order to about break even and/or save money by doing them seperately (sic).

ROFL. I already did the same experiment before posting. $79.12 - $72.42 is under $7, not $9 - just what I stated :D

Whoops, you're correct, thanks for the corrections on spelling and math, fti.

The only issue is sometimes hotels may only make 1 room (inventory) available on PL at a time -- e.g. once that room is filled, they make another available. I know hotels have this ability on hotwire (I've been on the other side of the desk).

So you may end up bidding more, to get 2 rooms from a higher priced hotel who is offering 1+ rooms.

The only issue is sometimes hotels may only make 1 room (inventory) available on PL at a time -- e.g. once that room is filled, they make another available. I know hotels have this ability on hotwire (I've been on the other side of the desk).

So you may end up bidding more, to get 2 rooms from a higher priced hotel who is offering 1+ rooms.

Exactly - in fact covered in post #3 above :D

Exactly. If you want two rooms in the same hotel, always book at the same time requesting two rooms. Sure there is a chance one room would have been cheaper but if you really want two rooms, two at almost any priceline rate (after doing your homework) is still going to be way cheaper than conventional rates.

For the savings of a few dollars, I wouldn't take the chance of being in two different hotels (unless that isn't a problem for you).