cwerdna

I did find the thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/asia/...tay-seoul.html but it doesn't have Priceline in the title.

I'm going to be in Seoul for the first time (by myself) from 10/28 to 11/1 for vacation and will try to rely on public transit.

Pricelines defines these zones:
Central Seoul
Gwangjin-Gu
Seocho-Gu - Gangnam-Gu
Yongsan-Gu [greyed out though, not sure why they list it]

I can't attach any images/screenshot here so that you can see how Priceline defines these zones.

Which of these zones are bad ideas to try bidding on? I'm looking for some place safe, clean, within walking distance of a subway station and preferably close to tourist attractions (but good subway access is good enough).

I'm not on any incredibly tight budget, but I'd like to keep it <$120 US/night. I don't need to stay at a Ritz Carlton or anything like that. Or, would bidding on Priceline in Seoul not save any money/not be a good value? (I've gotten awesome deals by bidding for rooms on Priceline in Portland, OR, Washington DC and Detroit, MI before.)

A Korean friend recommended http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...oul-Seoul.html but it looks real spendy and they don't seem to have rooms available for some days of my stay.

dtsm

There's a thread devoted entirely to priceline and other bidding sites. They should be able to help you.

N227UA

Priceline is definitely the way to go.

Sweet Willie

used priceline w/o a problem, typical hotel that comes up is Seoul Renaissance, which is an ok hotel for a tourist, not the best as it is not really w/in walking distance of tourist sites and is not next to a subway stop, but if cost is your primary concern.....

cwerdna

I'm very familiar with http://biddingfortravel.yuku.com/ and the algorithms there. Unfortunately, there's little in the way of recent reports on successes/failures in Seoul and how much they paid.

Can you point me to a thread that would help specifically with Seoul?
Hmm, is it http://www.marriott.com/hotels/maps/...-seoul-hotel/? If so, it is really 3.1 MILES from a subway station?

I spoke to a Korean friend of mine last night (he's been to Korea a bunch of times but didn't grow up there) and he suggested that I pick Central Seoul first then Seocho-Gu - Gangnam-Gu but NOT do Gwangjin-Gu (too out of the way). Unfortunately, the above Renaissance seems to be in Gangnam-gu.

dtsm

I haven't used priceline recently and this is the thread i was referring to:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onlin...-agencies-204/

andystar

Out of the 4 star hotels you can get from priceline in seoul, Renaissance is the best choice if you know how to navigate the subway system. It is in the best area and you can reach most tourist attractions within 30 minutes with 1 transfer max. And "NO", it's not 3.1 miles from the subway station. May be it is about 3.1 miles from the city center (or may be Seoul Station)? There are two stations, subway line 2, within 5 - 10 minutes (about 3 US blocks) from this hotel. Couple years ago I won this hotel from priceline with $80 bid and this hotel is easily worth twice that amount.
Like you, I have been to Japan 5 times and Korea 4 times. This is like staying in Shinagawa area instead of Shinjuku. The other 4 star hotel you may get from Priceline is the Sofitel. It is much closer to the downtown area but not as nice. If you want to stay closer to downtown area, stay at Lotte hotel, much more expensive, filled with Japanese tourists, and best of all, has a tourist office where DMZ tours can be bought and is also the starting point for the DMZ tours.

From your other thread, if you are looking for things to do in Japan, try
(1) Himeji Castle
(2) Atami Onsen (Included Buffet at New Fujiya hotel is nice, all you can drink too)