jlsatud

Oops ~ Sorry, didn't realize Bay area was "Other cities." My apologies! Thanks for putting it in the right spot.

Hi, all!

Stopping near Palo Alto for one night at the end of our California loop before heading to the airport.

Got 2* Ramada Limited Mountain View for $57

Amenities Listed:

Complimentary Breakfast

Business Center

Fitness Center

Laundry

Pool

Internet

I saw that this hotel is on the list, hopefully the additional amenities will help you with more ID's. :)

Jenny

July 17 - 21, 2011

1 Room, 2 Adults

Amenities:

Restaurant

Internet

I'm happy with our win. I had been stalking a 4* for $113, but by the time I was ready to pull the trigger it was gone. I'm definitely happy I got a good 3*! :)

I used the links at the top of the Better Bidding site to get to HOTWIRE & your hotel list to narrow down my options. It had a high customer rating on HOTWIRE, either 90 or 95% and it was about 4.5/5 on Trip Advisor. (I can't get it to show up with another search, I must have gotten the last cheap room??)

The weekend of the "Head of the Charles" regatta is always SO expensive!

3 nights (Fri, Sat, Sun) at the Park Plaza for $179 each.

3 stars

Smoke Free

Business Center

Fitness Center

High Speed Internet

Restaurant

Also gave me the "Bed Choice" icon (but that would have cost extra.)

We were really worried about this hotel after winning it through Hotwire and reading the other reviews. About a week before our trip, we got an email from Hotwire saying they had downgraded it to a one star instead of two, which worried us even more. Perhaps because we had no expectations, we weren't really bothered by the hotel. It was not fancy, it was bare bones. However, it did have a relatively comfortable king sized bed in a non-smoking room. The shower was a very tiny stall (similar to what we've had on cruise ships) and the bathroom and room were very, very dated. I'm sure they were clean, they were just old. The real downside was the towels. I don't think it would cost the property a ton of money to invest in even the basic hotel towels that you see at other no-frills properties. The towels in our room were threadbare and tiny. The hotel does advertise free breakfast, but it was small packaged treats so don't rely on them to fill you up for a day at the parks. Since the hotel was not fully booked for the night after us, they were kind enough to let us leave our car for the day so we didn't have to pay Disney parking prices. That and the location (across the street from the back of California Adventure) definitely helped our favorable view of the property. Both desk clerks we spoke with were very friendly and helpful. It's possible that other rooms are in better shape, as I have found that often with Hotwire and other discount booking agents, the hotel assigns us the older rooms. (I figure it's fair since we paid so much less than the going rate.) I would recommend this to people who just need a bed for a night or two while visiting the parks. However, I wouldn't recommend it to someone staying a long time, people who want to hang out in their rooms, or families that need space and have kids that would want a tub instead of a shower. And if you have room in your luggage - pack a towel. :)

Good morning!

Just as a heads up, we received an email from Hotwire this morning letting us know that they have changed Eden Roc Inn to a 1 star property. I don't know if any of the amenities have changed. I hope this helps you keep the list up to date!

Jenny

Hello!

We won another not-yet-reported property.

Ramada Limited San Marcos

2*

Vista - Escondido

Amenities:

Breakfast

Pool

Laundry

For our one night stay on July 16, 2010, we won it for $39.

Jenny

Hello!

We found a hotel that hadn't been reported yet.

2*

Eden Roc Inn & Suites

1830 S. West Street

Anaheim

"still gathering reviews"

Amenities:

Smoke Free

Business Center

Breakfast

Pools

$49 for our one night stay on 7/15/2010

Looking at some of the reviews raised an eyebrow, but we're hoping for the best. We don't require much on our whirlwind vacations. Fingers crossed! :)

Jenny

Hello!

Using the BetterBidding HOTWIRE link, we just won the Ramada Inn Burbank Airport on July 14th for one night at $69.

It was listed as 2* with the following amenities:

Pool

Restaurant

(Update may be necessary: It's currently listed on the hotel list as a 2.5*)

Thanks!

Jenny

Sorry for not closing out the thread last summer ... we decided to book with the Hilton directly even though it was more expensive. My husband was running a marathon that day that started right outside the Hilton and he made the executive decision to not walk one more step than the miles he was already running that day!

Jenny

Is the only 4* hotel that has been identified as non-smoking the new Hilton? That's the hotel I'd prefer, and Hotwire is showing it much cheaper than the Hilton website. :)

Thanks!

2.5* Best Western Lakeside

Amenities: Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Smoke Free, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, Laundry

This was my best guess based on the hotels thread, and this is indeed the hotel we won. April 24-27, 2009 at $27 a night. The Best Western website says the resort fee is only $3.50, so we're happy. :) Thanks everyone!

Jenny