The Sanity Inspector

I might add for the benefit of other families with little children that our room has no in-room refrigerator, microwave, nor cookstove, nor do they offer a free continental breakfast. Instead, there's a restaurant. *sigh*.... They'd better knock my socks off with their service, then... /whining

Oh, the dates; I forgot. We're staying July 24-28.

Yes, 2.5*. In my AAA guide it is three black stars--black meaning there's no AAA discount. I was up to $75, bidding for 2.5* in Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. I had added NMB, Surfside Beach, and Myrtle Beach West one by one as my bids were rejected. It was then that the median price for 2.5* dropped from $161 to $80. I bid $80 and got it. (With a little more presence of mind, I suppose I could have added Pawley's Island/Murrell Inlet, which also has no 2.5*s, and re-bid $75 and gotten it. Live and learn, I guess...) I'll be sure to come back and post due praise, if the place is good and things work out okay. For pre-schoolers, any beach is better than no beach! :)

Well, it was less than ideal this time, I'm afraid. I was using the strategy of expanding the search area, being careful to start with the region with my desired star rating, making sure that the undesired regions didn't have that star level. PL did let me bid multiple times, so that part works fines. Each time I bid, PL said that the median price for 2 1/2 * in the Myrtle Beach area was $161. Then suddenly it said that the median was $80. I quickly bid again, $80,--and got the Holiday Inn in Little River. It's a business travellers' golf motel overlooking a marina on the Little River, up near the NC border. Nothing for small children. I'll have to drive a mile and a half to the nearest beach, and twenty-five miles to the Myrtle Beach Pavilion. I'm guessing that Holiday Inn released these rooms for bid in order to draw in the last minute bargain-hunters; either that, or there was a cancellation. I should add that the region for "North Myrtle Beach" clearly encompasses Little River, on Priceline's map, so I knew this was a possibility. But I must say it is a disappointment.

This is only my third time using Priceline in five years. I've picked through the board, and am now attempting to use the multi-zone strategy Thereuare explained so well elsewhere. Myrtle Beach is divided into: Myrtle Beach 1, 2, 2 1/2, 3, 4 North Myrtle Beach/Little River 1, 2, 2 1/2 West Myrtle Beach 1, 2 Surfside Beach 1, 2 and one other region further south, which I'm not interested in. I only really want a 2 1/2* in Myrtle Beach, for a four night stay. I have small children, so I don't want a lot of resort extras, don't want to have to drive everywhere, don't want to cross a lot of traffic to the beach, and I would like a refrigerator and microwave in the room. I don't see any way of requesting oceanfront properties, though. (I know that Hotwire says "near beach" if it isn't beachfront, at least for some.) This being peak season, my lowball offers were rejected. So, following advice I found here, I added North Myrtle Beach and bumped up to $70.00. Presently, it's telling me to wait fifteen minutes. This happened last time, too; for a bid that was rejected. I wonder if this pause means that chances that a bid may be accepted are higher or lower than the instant result? Back to waiting...