BeritOlam

Amenities list:

Free Parking

Free Internet

Fitness Center

Pool(s)

Restaurant(s)

Business Center

Laundry Facilities (self-service)

High-Speed Internet Access

Wheelchair accessible

Handicapped parking

Roll-in shower

Amenities included:

Free Parking

Free Breakfast

Free Internet

High-Speed Internet Access

In-room accessibility

We were hoping to get by on public transportation, if we could find a hotel within 1/2 distance to a stop along the Metro rail.

We can pay more....just hoping we could find something on the cheaper end of things outside of the really expensive zones in DC!

Haven't looked today on Priceline or Hotwire, but I'll give it another whirl. Didn't find really anything that looked good last night.

Thanks!

The wife, baby, and I are looking to do a week layover after a month abroad in Europe. She's been to DC, but I never have.

Ideally, we'd like something:

(1) around 3-stars.

(2) in the general $70 range

(3) outside of town (duh!)

(4) something relatively near a Metro Rail stop for DC.

Dates: May 18-24

Any thoughts from anyone?

Just used the HOTWIRE link and booked this deal for my parents.

The Dana at Mission Bay looked to be going for the exact same cost on HOTWIRE, but the BW has free parking (vs. $17/night for the Dana). Over 9 days, it adds up to a lot more money!!! Plus, I think the BW is a nicer hotel (even though it's a 1/2 star less in the ratings department)....and I live very close to both.

Dates: 10/30/2010 to 11/08/2010

Amenities included:

Fitness Center

Pool(s)

Restaurant(s)

Laundry Facilities

High-speed Internet Access

Hotwire Approval rating was 100%!!! Can't beat that, can you? :)

Very good deal, me thinks! Thanks BB!!!! :) :o :)

Can you please add a reply to this thread with the amenities shown before your purchase... you can still view this information by going to HOTWIRE and clicking the MY ACCOUNT link near the top right of their home page.

Ooops....I knew I forgot something!

No amenities listed when I purchased the 2 rooms. I double-checked just now....and I can't see any amenities listed either.

Thanks!

Needed 2 cheap rooms on the way to the Grand Canyon. Kingman, AZ was the perfect layover...and only 'cheap' place for a large group.

Glad to use the HOTWIRE links to help out BetterBidding! Great site, guys.

~Matt

Thank you for your help. I think I will stick with a 4* then. It will be just my husband and I and we are hoping for something *nice*. Where did you get that $135 price? It that a HOTWIRE price or retail? When you say I should be able to get a bit lower, how much is a bit? $100? Thanks again for all of your help.

That $135 @ the Westin came up through Hotels.com via the Hotwire search this morning. That was the *cheapest* 4-star place listed in San Diego for your dates at Hotwire.

As already noted by others, HOTWIRE and places like Expedia can give you a 'baseline' of what actual hotels are going for over a period of days. Depending on the area, you can usually get that cost down a little bit by bumping over to PRICELINE's blind bidding. But getting $135 down to under $90 may prove wishful thinking. There's always a chance something could change last minute...but I wouldn't count on it.

Frankly, $120 for the Hilton Bayfront sounds like a *great* deal to me. If that doesn't work for you, then you are likely going to have to either come down in expectations for a nice hotel OR come up in what you're willing to spend.

Sorry... :)

$136/night for that property in August is pretty good! Very nice property away from most of the tourism areas, so perfect if you just want some R&R by the pool or beach area. They gave my sister a really nice room when she booked a place last year. Congrats!

3.5-4* for $75/night.....not likely to happen that weekend. Sorry... :) :) :o

In those regions you mention....YES, there's a difference between 3 1/2 and 4 star hotels. If you really want to stay in a *nice* place for a get-away, 4-star is ideal. There are some nice 3.5 places, but they are more the Marriott Courtyard-type places. That might suit you ok, if you are traveling with 3 kids!

Checking the prices right now, the Westin Downtown (4*) for $135 is the cheapest 4-star. So you figure with that as a kind of starting point, you might be able to get that down a little bit lower via PRICELINE. But all the way to $85? That would be extremely ambitious. That might even prove tough for 3 1/2 stars, depending on the weekend.

August is a *very* busy month for tourism (and conventions). I've heard more than one person say that the Zoo and Sea World get the most tourism in August than all others.

3-stars would be extremely ambitious with those summer dates and a $70/day budget.

I'm thinking you might have to settle for 2 or 2 1/2 (if anything!)....and it'll probably be no where near the water! :) :)

I would agree that this list may be useful to chart trends, but to me, this shows which areas are discounting to fill empty hotel rooms. For example, Atlantic City/Cape May is #14 on the list, but in past years, hotels in this area would not have resorted to use PRICELINE's "Name Your Own Price" service in order to fill rooms for this holiday.

Exactly. I think it may say more about what areas are gettin' desperate to fill rooms due to low volume!

I think you'll have to up your bid for Yosemite during June!!

Am not happy about this as I was hoping for a hotel closer to the airport and based on previous bids on here, seems like I overpaid. Should have put in $50 first...oh well...

If it's any consolation, I use to live near there...and the Courtyard Downtown is nicer than just about any place near the airport. Plus, it's not that far to Oakland Airport from downtown.

Have you stayed at Hotel Indigo before?

It's a solid hotel in a good area. Lots of places close by that you could walk to; Market St. is a block away. You'll be paying for parking!!! :)

Amenties:

Boutique Hotel

Property offers a distinctive, unique or eclectic atmosphere. Many boutique hotels are smaller, hip properties in an urban setting, or renovated hotels with historical flair.

Smoke Free Rooms

Guest rooms at this hotel are always smoke-free.

Fitness Center

Guests have access to exercise equipment; an additional charge may apply.

Restaurant(s) Property offers at least one restaurant on the premises; hours and days of operation may vary.

High-speed Internet Access Guestrooms are equipped with high-speed Internet access; an extra charge may apply.

Looks like the Hotel Indigo to me, based on the amenities!

...If I book through Priceline, then at check-in, ask for an upgrade to 2 beds and pay for the upgrade. Or perhaps even call the hotel before arrival and ask for upgrade. What's your opinion on this method ?

Extremely risky!!!

I don't know the NYC scene well, but I know tons of friends that go there on business all the time....and a lot of hotels have few (if any) 2 bed set ups.

If having 2 beds is essential to your planning, then follow the other guys' lead and go through HOTWIRE. You may pay a little more, but sometimes you can't have your cake (2 beds) and eat it too (the cheapest deals). :) :)

...There is nothing for North Vicinity currently listed, but priceline indicates a 4* is available for North Strip vicinity. Any idea what the 4* north strip vicinity may be?...

I wondered that myself when I saw it a couple weeks ago in a search....

You're right....as far as the Strip goes, there's really nothing north of TI that I think would qualify as a 4-star place. There's a fairly new Hilton Grand Vacations just north of Circus Circus...but I'm not sure it would have 4-star status.

A 4* star north vicinity? Only thing I can really think of is the Las Vegas Hilton. Priceline lists it there as a 4-star...but in the Strip East area. But it's North of the Wynn...so maybe Priceline includes it there? Just a guess...

ok what is better? polo tower for 89 bucks or 4* hilton 3 miles away from the action...

If that price is non-negotiable for you, then....yeah, I'm not sure you can do much better.

The Polo Towers aren't the worst place you could go in Vegas. It's sandwiched right behind the MGM Grand and Planet Hollywood....so you definitely have places within walking distance to visit right on the Strip. It's just not going to give you a typical Vegas hotel experience. For that, I think the Hilton would be better.

If you can go a little more expensive, I think you may get better options on the Strip. But if you absolutely cannot....then I'm not sure what else you can do.

Is the Rio available that night for under $100? That's my favorite off-strip hotel...and I would definitely stay there before I would stay at the Hilton.

I understand resort fees benefit to some and I can see how they are a nice deal sometimes, but there is one problem that makes me just hate them. Say you book a room for $100 on priceline/hotwire. You get to the property, and there is a $75 resort fee! I know most of them are not that high, but who's to say that it can't happen?

Well, it's not going to happen anytime soon! :) :)

Fees are Fees....if you don't like 'em then make sure you stay in a Harrah's hotel like Planet Holleywood or Paris. Harrah's still hasn't adopted the mandatory resort fee option.

The Hilton is a decent hotel, although not really close to the action. Even something like the Rio (slightly off strip) is a nice hotel, with easy access to the strip by shuttle.

If the days are locked in and the budget pretty much dead set at $100, then you sort of just have to go with whatever you can find....or else wait til last minute and see if you can steal a better deal.

Try your best to get an upgrade....as the rooms in the Pyramid are not great. Certainly not worth $80, IMHO. You're better off paying a little more to get into some nicer rooms.

We just got back from a quick 2-day trek to Vegas to celebrate our anniversary.

Here's my quick take....

POSITIVES --

(1) Extremely quick check-in (at 11:30pm).

(2) Easy to get in and out of (if you have a car) because the entrance is not directly on the Strip.

(3) Connected to Mandalay Bay (so you get to use of all their goodies....like the famous pool area!)

(4) Has a more luxury hotel feel to it than the usual 'Casino Hotel' vibe that you get at most of the other hotels on the strip. You definitely sense this when you walk into the lobby!

(5) GREAT rooms. Huge! We had a standard suite on the 37th floor overlooking the Luxor with a great view towards the Strip. I think the reception lady may have given us that room as a sort of 'upgrade', when I told her we were there for our anniversary.

(6) Double bath rooms and great soaker tub!

(7) If you use a taxi, it's a very short walk to the cab line from the elevators....unlike most hotels on the Strip.

(8) I saw a lady puke at the entrance way at 1am. :) The bell-boy guys were quick to help the lady as well as attend to the clean up.

(9) Can bypass the Casino area of Mandalay, if gambling is not your thing.

(10) A very calm vibe throughout the hotel. Most of the guests here are not your usual 'party' crowd that I encountered last year at the Mirage.

(11) For $100/night, wow....very nice deal!

(12) Easy check out.

(13) For you foodies, the Mandalay Bay restaurants are top class. Lots of really nice choices. We ate at RM Seafood and Aureole this trip (and Lupo during our last trip)...and they are all marvelous.

NEGATIVES --

(1) $15 resort fee....but one can hardly complain too much, given that it gets you entrance into the pool area

(2) A bit of a walk if you plan on doing much around Mandalay. But that's the price you pay for staying here vs. the main hotel.

(3) Decent buffet...but for just a few bucks more, the Bellagio's is SO MUCH more worth it, IMHO.

(4) I asked for an upgrade. All they would offer was a corner unit for $40/night more. Not really worth it, so we declined. If you read about these corner rooms, they are not much different at all in size....just with a little better views of the Strip. But our view was pretty good...so I think we chose wisely to not upgrade.

(5) Annoying video in the elevators that we had to listen to each way up and down. Volume was way too loud! Got old after the first couple of trips up and down.

ALL AND ALL, we'd do it again.

Need more info..... :)