rove312

I've been seeing this hotel come up, so I thought I'd bid now for my one-night stay, using your PRICELINE link. My $57 bid got a counter-offer to raise it by $17, I added one free re-bid to $60 and got accepted.

Upon confirming that bids could be made every 24 hours, I followed this, making my bids in the last week. My last failed bid was $48, with a total of $62.13 already making it borderline whether I should just stay with the small benefits of booking direct when I'm in Thrifty's loyalty program. So I'm not continuing past that. There were things about the counteroffers that I found interesting: At $39, I got a counteroffer of $54 being $73.31 all-in. I'd entered my times as a full 24 hours, but at $42 I entered 23 hours to reflect more accurately the time I'd have it, understanding that it shouldn't make a difference in any charges. That again was counteroffered $54 but a slightly lower total. The $45 offer was counteroffered $61, but the total was $71.67, that is, less than with a $54 base. On my previous bids, the taxes and fees were under $10, but at $48 they were $14 as described above, catching me by surprise but I made the bid. There they counteroffered $62 becoming $77.03. I made all bids through your PRICELINE link.

I'm used to getting low weekend rates, so I was surprised at the rates I was seeing for a one-day rental at STL starting the evening of Monday, July 14. Economy is o.k.; the lowest I was finding was $59 base, $75 all-in. Using a Thrifty discount code, I was able to make a tentative booking at $53 base, $68 all-in. What bid could I try on PRICELINE? If I do this, I'll be sure to use your link.

It had been a year, since I'd bid; now I'm getting the notice "We're sorry, but we can't accept your offer ..." Is this the standard wording now; didn't it use to be something like "We were unable to find a hotel that would accept..."? The change would make sense, since they weren't really asking hotels during the wait time, as might be implied. I ask because, if there was a mistake in entry of the credit card number, would they say that? I have a nagging doubt whether I entered it correctly, and the security code has a characteristic that people are discouraged from using when choosing their own code. On my first online purchase using that card, it was rejected, but I think I made a later online purchase on that card including the code.

I bid through the SavingsBarn link and got it at my first bid of $36, so I don't know if I started too high. I see the recent post where it isn't clear if it was gotten at $30 or $40. Courtyard By Marriott Mississauga-Airport Corporate Center West Toronto Airport (YYZ) 5050 Creekbank Road Mississauga, Ontario L4W 5R2 Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: US$36.00 Subtotal: US$72.00 Taxes & Service Fees: US$18.03 Total Charges: US$90.03 The hotel's site shows a minimum of $109 CAD per night.

Bid Monday night for 2.5* in Lynnwood-Edmonds. Started at $34, got counteroffer to raise by $9. Added free re-bid, $36, no go. After lockout, bid $38, counteroffer to raise by $11. Free re-bid, $40. Used SavingsBarn.com . Congratulations, you got your price of $40 for a 2

I have a stay in Chicago for July 1-3. I tested the waters last week with a $66 bid for a 2.5* in NMA. I got a counteroffer to raise to $83. There were no free re-bids or other acceptable zones for a 2.5* for me to meet them partway, and I wasn't ready to go that high. I was ready to bid seriously this week. I considered asking for advice, considering this as the only acceptable 2.5* zone while the Loop would be OK if 3*. I saw a recent report of a 2.5* being accepted for my dates at $70. I bid $72, since I like multiples of 3 and 12 in particular. It came through: Congratulations, you got your price of $72 for a 2

I see that the Chicago map was completely redrawn today.

First bid of $33 was rejected. Re-bid with free zone to $36. I was ready to go to $38, since I'd seen reports of that being accepted and I still had plenty of chance to retry. I haven't used Priceline since last fall, and I was surprised not to get any "extremely low chance" messages; does that mean they've stopped doing that, or they couldn't claim it for this bid? I got: Congratulations, you got your price of $36 for a 3-star hotel room. Renaissance Toronto Airport Toronto Airport (YYZ) 801 Dixon Road Etobicoke, Ontario Check-In Date: Saturday, May 28, 2005 Check-Out Date: Sunday, May 29, 2005 Your Offer Price: $36.00 (US dollars) Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $36.00 (US dollars) Taxes & Service Fees: $10.39 (US dollars) Total Charges: $46.39 (US dollars) This isn't directly in conjunction with a flight; I just picked the airport area because I want to spend time both in the city and in a suburban area in that direction. It looks like parking will be another $10 U.S. The lowest rate on their site was $119 Cdn. so about $95 U.S.

I'd been through a few rounds of bidding for a 2.5* in Mission Valley; I'd gotten up to $45. I don't want to post on TOBB again, and I look forward to BB being the premier source for bidding help, but on TOBB I saw some hints that a $42 bid in Mira Mesa might succeed. I tried that for a 2.5*; it was rejected with a counteroffer to raise by $12. I met them $1 more than halfway by adding the one free rebid (Miramar) at $49, and it was accepted. This was the same price as my 1* backup. Maybe I should have made an intermediate bid for Mission Valley; I was also considering the chance to have more rounds of bidding by keeping M.V. bids separate. The acceptance: Congratulations, you got your price of $49 for a hotel room, and we've upgraded your hotel quality level to a 3-star hotel! Prime Hotel And Suites San Diego Mira Mesa 5975 Lusk Boulevard San Diego, California 92121 Your Offer Price: $49.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 2 Subtotal: $98.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $18.08 Total Charges: $116.08 The hotel site showed a lowest nightly rate of $99.

The $35 bid got a counteroffer to add $9; I stayed with your strategy and got accepted at $43: Doubletree Hotel Tampa Westshore Airport Tampa Airport (TPA) & Westshore 4500 West Cypress Street Tampa, Florida 33607 Your Offer Price: $43.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 2 Subtotal: $86.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $17.76 Total Charges: $103.76 I also took their offer of $16/day for a rental car, bottom line price $47.52 for the two days, a good savings over what I'd booked. The disadvantage there will be more time with paperwork on my late arrival. I have my information on file with the companies including Hertz which is doing this rental. I wonder if it will help to call and have them link my number to this rental. Thank you very much for your help.

Thanks for your help with this. With all due sensitivity to people who will face the worst of the hurricane, it looks like it won't go to Tampa and I can confirm this trip. I don't want to risk the Villager; I'd certainly like to get something on Priceline. With only one round of bidding, it looks like I should go for a 3* with the three free re-bids. Hotwire is still showing the possible Doubletree at $47; published rates include the Radisson at $89, and Doubletree and Embassy Suites at $99. I'm willing to go up to the Hotwire rate. I'm considering bidding from $30 to $45 in $5 increments; I'd appreciate advice if I can bid a more compressed range.

I postponed a trip to Tampa from this past weekend; now it's scheduled for 9/17-19. I was scheduled to use award points for a hotel; that award isn't available for the new dates and I'd like to hold onto the points anyway. I'm trying to follow Tampa news at TBO.com ; it looks like things should be fairly normal by then with the question mark of Ivan next week. I'm back to my normal practice of reserving a cancelable backup while I try for Priceline. For a backup, I don't ask for much, I've looked for the cheapest places that don't have a very negative review on Travelocity. I've reserved the Villager Lodge, 3110 W. Hillsborough Ave. They have no reviews and a rate around $33. At that rate I wonder if there's something wrong; I understand that Villagers are mainly long-term stay places; maybe they don't have a 24-hour front desk but I can call for someone after hours, which may matter since I may just be getting there around 11 p.m. This may be moot if I can get something on Priceline. The big question is whether to bid now and perhaps get their insurance, or wait to see what happens with Ivan. (I understand that PL may give a refund in extreme circumstances, but don't count on it.) I'd like to stay in the Airport/Westshore area with at least a 2.5*, given some of the 2* reviews I've seen. TOBB shows one 2.5* (the Wellesley Inn), with no free rebids and 11 3*s with, I think, 3 free rebids. It might be nice to bid early to get more rounds of bidding; the question is whether the trip will happen. The Wellesley's site shows $69. Hotwire has what may be the Doubletree, where I've stayed and which is o.k. but not great, at $47. If I were bidding now, I might bid $30 for a 2.5*; in my last few bids I've gotten a counteroffer, so if this happens I can judge whether I want it, since I can't use a rebid to meet them halfway. So the major consideration would be whether to bid now or see what happens with Ivan and hope availability stays the same: try to get something on PL for up to $40, then go to Hotwire.

This is in Kansas, but listed as part of Kansas City, MO, area. First bid $24, got counter-offer to raise by $6. I had four free re-bids, so first I met them halfway at $27. That was rejected, so I went on to $30: Congratulations, you got your price of $30 for a 2

Bid $33 for 2* Lynnwood-Edmonds. They said I could rebid by raising $9. No free re-bids, but University/Northgate was acceptable, I added it and bid $38. Reply: Congratulations, you got your price of $38 for a hotel room, and we've upgraded your hotel quality level to a 2

My stay was fine; I'll mention that I got a receipt with information I wasn't supposed to have. It showed the price Hotwire paid as $26.25 ($29.22 with taxes) so I can see how much Hotwire marked it up, and it may be useful for a Priceline bid. It also shows Hotwire's full Visa number, but I won't abuse it.

I might as well start the listing for Hotwire in Kansas. I got the Holiday Inn in Lawrence; it shows 2.5* with restaurant, pool, fitness center, golf, laundry. I got the same hotel through Hotwire on the equivalent night last year. It was $33; with taxes and fees it was $43.95. The lowest rate on the hotel's site is $67.15 (Internet saver). I understand that Priceline has this hotel as a 1*; that seems like a low rating.

For a 3* in NE Memphis with restaurant, fitness room, and laundry, I got the Holiday Inn Memphis I-40/Sycamore View for $32. I expected it would be this because it showed with the same amenities in Hotwire's flight & hotel section. With taxes and fees the total for two nights was $80.95. The hotel site shows a 21-day advance purchase rate of $47.40. I know that Hotwire's ratings are subject to debate, but in the same zone they were showing a 2* for $52 and 2.5* for $74. I hope there's nothing too bad about this hotel; it's a bit out of the way but it's convenient for me since I'll be leaving early to fly out of Nashville.