Brian Hammerhead

Just yesterday, this same listing was $114. Today it dropped to $73 and I grabbed it. Also, as far as I can tell, every room in the Maui Coast Hotel has at least one bed and one pull out sofa bed - some have more beds. This may be important if two are traveling and don't want to sleep in the same king bed. Note, this resort charges a $20 resort fee per night which Hotwire instructs me to pay at the hotel. Total: $73 + $17.03 tax + $20 resort fee = $110.03. Amenities listed: Free parking Free internet Near beach Smoke-free rooms Fitness center Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Self-service laundry ... now to plan the scuba adventure!

One more thing. We arrived at 10:00 AM while check-in is supposed to be 4:00 PM. They were able to have us move right into the 2-bedroom suite, but the other room wasn't vacant yet. They called me on my cell phone when the room was ready (I was shopping at Costco at the time). They also provided card keys that each worked for both units.

We just got back from our trip and I wanted to post a follow-up reply for anyone else that is thinking about bidding on this property. In short, this was the most fantastic deal I have found to date for a large family! Here is what I found out after we arrived. First, the units are really nice with granite counter tops in the kitchen and bathroom, and full bathrooms with separate granite shower and oversized tub. The bedroom can be locked from the main room for privacy as can the bathroom which is off the bedroom. Each main room and bedroom has a flat screen TV and DVD player. The kitchen has full sized refrigerator with freezer (great for storing those quick microwave meals) and full sized oven and range. The microwave is also large. The kitchen is supplied with plates, cups, cutlery, spatula, pyrex casserole dishes, slotted mixing spoons, and lots of other stuff. The full size dishwasher comes complete with dishwasher detergent. Can opener, coffee maker, toaster ... I was way impressed. The biggest deal of all was upgrading to the 2-bedroom unit. It is much larger and includes a full sized dining room table! The helpful staff aranged for us to have adjoining rooms, so we had a super suite with 8 total rooms counting the bathrooms, bedrooms, and main rooms. But here was the best part - the 2-bedroom unit has a stacking laundry machine IN THE UNIT! We could put in a load and head out for the day without having to wait for it to complete. Heck, they even provided the laundry soap! Even more - they have an on-site complementary mini-golf course and two outdoor pools (with hot tubs). Free gas barbecue grills are available around the pools so we had bar-b-que hotdogs one night after returning from the park while the kids were swimming. You also have access to a third pool across the street that has a huge water-spouting volcano (that is lighted red at night) and three water slides. There are also jungle-gyms and a full on activity center with many free activities and a few that cost money. My daughters enjoyed the "movie-in-the-pool" night. We didn't have time for the other activities like Giant Jenga, but there was something happening every day. If there is one negative, it is that there isn't daily housekeeping unless you pay for it. However, they told us that since we were there longer than a week, they would come in once while we were there and swap sheets, towels and make up the room - which they did. Housekeeping was great! I especially like the small signs they put under the beds and cabinets that say "Yes, we clean under here too." :^) Free parking was great and the facility is located between Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. For $104 a night for a mega-suite (both adjoining rooms combined), I feel I got the deal of the century! Thanks, BetterBidding. I LOVE this site!

More information about the Grande Villas Resort: https://www.diamondresorts.com/Grande-Villas-Resort We called and found out that our 1 bedroom suite (sleeps 4, 524 sq. ft.) can be upgraded to a 2 bedroom suite (sleeps 6, 1329 sq. ft.) for $100 per trip - regardless of the number of days you are staying. Since we are staying 10 days, +$10 a day was a slam dunk. Expedia was quoting +$38/day for the difference between a 1 bedroom suite and a 2 bedroom suite for the same time frame. Also, they have complementary laundry on the 2nd floor of each building. When we called, they were very nice and accommodating. They assigned us a 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom suite next to each other, and put a note for early check in if available (normal check in is 4:00 PM). Either way, they said we could drop off our luggage and they would store it for us. The units have kitchens (Refrigerator, Microwave, Stove) with supplied pots, pans, dishes. So far, we are impressed.

I won 2 rooms for 10 days at $47 per night with free parking and a kitchen. It should be a fun trip! 3* - 90% Hotwire Recommended Grande Villas Resort 12118 Turtle Cay Circle, Orlando, FL, 32836 Amenities: Resort Free Parking Studio (kitchenette or kitchen) Air-Conditioning Children's Activity Program Fitness Center Pool(s) Business Center 24-hour Front Desk High-Speed Internet Access Tennis Nearby Kitchenette Accessible path of travel In-room accessibility Accessible bathroom Handicapped parking Rate per night: $47.00 Nights: 10 Rooms: 2 Tax recovery charges & fees: $141.17 Trip total: $1,081.17 Check in time: 4:00 PM Check out time: 10:00 AM I used the Better Bidding HOTWIRE link. I love Better Bidding!

I am planning on trying again with the same bids in a month or so, unless you think that this plan is unlikely to work. My backup plan is to try a different area perhaps further from downtown. I have a car, so that won't be too much of a concern. I am leaving on a cruise the next day out of Vancouver, and I am driving up from Seattle, so I will definitely need a place for the night. Oh, and BTW, I always use your PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links. This board is invaluable!

It is great when you can find a Priceline winning bid that you can use. Second best is knowing about failed bids so you know what may not work. Here is a list of my recent failed bids trying to get a 3.5* hotel in the Surrey, Vancouver, BC Canada area. My goal is to pay less than $70 per night. Others have won with $66 as recent as last September 2011. I hope that this helps someone else out. Dates: Friday, June 29, 2012

I love this board and I used the PRICELINE link. Little America Flagstaff 2515 E Butler Ave Flagstaff, AZ 86004 928-779-2741 Friday, May 20, 2011-04:00 PM Saturday, May 21, 2011-12:00 PM Room Cost (avg. per room, per night): $51.00 (USD) Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Room Subtotal: $51.00 (USD) Taxes and Fees: $13.45 (USD) Total Room Cost: $64.45 (USD) The going rate on the Little America website at the time I won the bid was $149 per night for their cheapest room. I was looking for a 3* hotel in either Flagstaff proper or Sedona. Based on the previous winning bids posted on this site, I started at $44 and went up each day. I bid $49, $50, and won with $51. I am happy with this hotel!

More info: I just called the hotel (SpringHill Suites Orlando Convention Center). The going rate on their web site is $95 per night for the period of our stay. $99 per night if not a "long-term rate". My rate: $38 per night x 9 nights + $52.25 taxes = $394.25. 60% off! I am confirmed for 2 Queen beds. The Suites also have a pull out hide-a-bed! There are no resort fees or any other mandatory fees. Just the room and tax paid through Hotwire. Microwave, Mini-Fridge, Silverware, table and chairs in room. They will provide paper plates and styrofoam bowls on request. No cost. Free breakfast buffet: Eggs, Sausage, Fruit, Pastries ... Free Wi-Fi and/or Wired Internet in room. Free Parking. Free Shuttle to Epcot. There is a pool, but no hot tub. However, you can use the hot tub at the Residence Inn next door for free. Coin-Op Laundry on property located on even numbered floors (7 floors at this hotel). Get coins at the front desk. They asked about my Marriott Rewards number and then added it to the reservation. I thought that normally these "paid in advance" discount hotel sites excluded rewards. We will see. I love Marriott properties!

I love this board! 3* SpringHill Suites Orlando Convention Center - $38 5/30/2011 - 6/8/2011 (Extended stay!) Amenities: Suite, Smoke Free Rooms, Complimentary Breakfast, Fitness Center, Pool, Business Center, High-speed Internet Access. The amenities matched the hotel list perfectly so I was pretty sure that I was purchasing the SpringHill Suites. Of course, I used the Hotwire bidding link from this board. Note, the price for this hotel was originally $40 per night when I first started looking at Hotwire about a week ago. It dropped yesterday to $38. I am very pleased with this hotel and the price.

After our stay, we can definitely recommend this hotel. It is new, clean, and comfortable. Included were in-room refrigerator, microwave, coffee pot, ironing board, hair dryer, safe, etc. The TV was a modern flat panel TV. The bathrooms had granite counter tops. Free parking. Free internet. Kids eat free with a paying adult at the restaurant, but the prices were a bit on the high side. We ate out.

Searched for 1 room and 4 adults in San Bernardino, CA. $49 ... 4/22/10 - 4/23/10 Holiday Inn Ontario Airport 2155 East Convention Center Way, Ontario, CA, 91764 (909) 418-6872 Icons were: Airport Shuttle Fitness Center Pool(s) Restaurant(s) High-speed Internet Access Golf Nearby Tennis Nearby I believe that the customer ratings were 85%, but I didn't write it down.

Our goal is a two week trip to San Diego with our family. Our goal was to pay no more than $60 per night for a room. With help from the Better Bidding community, we accomplished our goal. See: 2.5* Holiday Inn San Diego Mission Bay (Point Loma), $49 ... 5/26/08-5/40/08 - San Diego Trip Part 1 2.5* Country Inn and Suites - San Diego (Sorrento Mesa), $54 ... 5/30/08-6/1/08 - San Diego Trip Part 2 2.5* Marriott Courtyard Rancho Bernardo - San Diego (Rancho Bernardo), $51 ... 6/1/08-6/6/08 - San Diego Trip Part 3 For all bids, I used the PRICELINE link. Special thanks to thereuare, travelalot, jrnyman04, wsj3200, colfax, and mixstar for all their suggestions. Here are some lessons learned: 1) Look for previous BB posts to determine the hotels in a given area. 2) Look on the hotel website to find out if their prices go up or down on the weekend, and to determine availability in some cases. 3) Prices in San Diego go up DRAMATICALLY on June 1 for hotel rooms almost across the board. We adjusted plans and went a week earlier so only our last week was in June. Note in the bid history that I was searching many San Diego zones after June 1 and wasn't finding anything in my price range. 4) For best prices, split your trip into weekdays and weekends. You may move a bit during your trip, but some hotels are tight on weekend and others are tight on weekdays. 5) BB posters are incredibly helpful and friendly!! Now to plan the rest of the trip. Anyone have any tips for SCUBA at La Jolla Cove? :)

Our goal is a two week trip to San Diego with our family. Our goal was to pay no more than $60 per night for a room. With help from the Better Bidding community, we accomplished our goal. See: San Diego are bidding help, Large family, long trip. For those that may be interested, here is my complete bidding history

2.5* Marriott Courtyard Rancho Bernardo - San Diego (Rancho Bernardo) $51 ... 6/1/08-6/6/08 - San Diego Trip Part 3 Our goal is a two week trip to San Diego with our family. Our goal was to pay no more than $60 per night for a room. With help from the Better Bidding community, we accomplished our goal. See: San Diego are bidding help, Large family, long trip. Part 3 Marriott Courtyard Rancho Bernardo - San Diego (Rancho Bernardo) 11611 Bernardo Plaza Court San Diego, CA 92128 858-613-2000 2 rooms Check-in: Sunday, June 1 Check-out: Friday, June 6 Your offer price: $51.00 Number of rooms: 2 Number of nights: 5 Subtotal: $510.00 Taxes and fees: $79.50 Total Charges: $589.50 I called and asked for adjoining rooms with two beds each. They acknowled that I used Priceline and said that I got a great deal. They were very pleasant and helpful. They confirmed adjoining rooms each with two queen beds and blocked them out for my arrival. NOTE: The receptionist also said that their Priceline inventory only extended until June 15 when the PGA tour came to town. He said that all hotels in the area would be raising their rates double after that date. * Free Wi-fi. * Microwave and refrigerator in room. * Free parking * Outdoor pool * All rooms are non-smoking. ------------ Bidding History: Sun. June 1 - Fri. June 6 Rancho Bernardo 2.5* $51 start Free bids in San Ysidro, Natl. City, East County 5/8/08 6:24 AM $51, 2.5*, Rancho Bernardo (WON!) NOTE: I won on the first bid, so it is possible you could get this lower. For all bids, I used the PRICELINE link.

2.5* Country Inn and Suites - San Diego (Sorrento Mesa) $54 ... 5/30/08-6/1/08 - San Diego Trip Part 2 Our goal is a two week trip to San Diego with our family. Our goal was to pay no more than $60 per night for a room. With help from the Better Bidding community, we accomplished our goal. See: San Diego are bidding help, Large family, long trip. Part 2 Country Inn and Suites - San Diego (Sorrento Mesa) 5975 Lusk Blvd. San Diego, CA 92121 858-558-1818 2 rooms Check-in: Friday, May 30 Check-out: Sunday, June 1 Your offer price: $54.00 Number of rooms: 2 Number of nights: 2 Subtotal: $216.00 Taxes and fees: $37.50 Total Charges: $253.50 I called and asked for adjoining rooms with two beds each. They said they could confirm this reservation for me. They also told me that I could upgrade to a Suite (two separate rooms and kitchen) for an additional $20 per night. We decided to upgrade one of the two rooms to a suite. The other room is next door with two queens. Confirmed for arrival. * Free

2.5* Holiday Inn San Diego Mission Bay (Point Loma) $49 ... 5/26/08-5/30/08 - San Diego Trip Part 1 Our goal is a two week trip to San Diego with our family. Our goal was to pay no more than $60 per night for a room. With help from the Better Bidding community, we accomplished our goal. See: San Diego are bidding help, Large family, long trip. Part 1 Holiday Inn San Diego - Mission Bay Sea World (Point Loma Zone) 3737 Sports Arena Blvd. San Diego, CA 92110 619-881-6100 2 rooms Check-in: Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day) Check-out: Friday, May 30 Your offer price: $49.00 Number of rooms: 2 Number of nights: 4 Subtotal: $392.00 Taxes and fees: $62.46 Total Charges: $454.46 I called and asked for adjoining rooms with two beds each. They couldn't guarantee it, but put in an alert. Very friendly. * Kids under 12 eat free for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Simply ask for vouchers on check-in. Four children per voucher, but as many vouchers as you like. * Complementary Wi-fi. * Free parking. * Outdoor pool. ------------ Bidding History: Mission Valley, Point Loma 2.5* $43 Start Free bids in San Ysidro, Natl. City, East County 9:50 AM 4/26/08 $43, 2.5*, Mission Valley (Rejected) $45, 2.5*, Mission Valley + Pont Loma (Rejected) $47, 2.5*, Mission Valley + Pont Loma + San Ysidro (rejected) $49, 2.5*, Mission Valley + Pont Loma + San Ysidro + Natl City (WON!) For all bids, I used the PRICELINE link.

Thanks again for all the helpful suggestions. I have just a couple of outstanding questions if anyone happens to know the answers. 1) If I were to split up my bidding, which day of the week is the best day to split? thereuare stated above that "Weekend rates are cheaper than midweek rates", so I would guess that maybe Monday or Tuesday would be best on the front end of the week and maybe Thursday or Friday would be best at the end of the week. However, someone with more experience than I probably knows the best days of the week. 2) Has anyone ever seen a situation where a Hotwire win was cheaper than a Priceline win for the same dates and property? 3) If an non-opaque Priceline property has a 2.5* rating, does that mean that the same property in the opaque Priceline will have the same 2.5* rating? If it is of any help to others, I have bid up to $59 in Rancho Bernardo for the dates listed above and it was still rejected.

Thanks for the excellent suggestion. I searched the forum for "sorrento" and found your bid win last year for $40!!! I would love to get a price like that! I didn't find any other bid wins listed. Perhaps I'll give this a shot for my next round of bids. One point of clarification - you said "Stay away from the areas that offer only 2* hotels." If I understand correctly, the Country Inn is a 2.5*. If so, shouldn't I use areas that only offer 2* hotels as "2.5* hotel free bid zones"?

I did some searching on HOTWIRE for Rancho Bernardo (2 rooms/2 adults/0 children) and didn't find anything that looked more promising than Priceline. Since this isn't the Hotwire forum, I probably shouldn't post details here; however, there was a 2* in Vista-Escondido for $55, but then the prices jump to $89, $102, $110. I repeated the search with 2 rooms/2 adults/6 children and that eliminated the 2* in Vista-Escondido. The $89 is still there for a 2.5* hotel in San Diego North - Poway - Rancho Bernardo (breakfast, pool, internet). A little out of the price range, but I'll keep checking back to see if the price drops or if other options apear. I will also try some other areas. Thanks again for all the tips.

The amenities are wants. I understand that no amenities are guaranteed. I plan on looking at Hotwire, but since price is our major factor, then I figured that Priceline would be the better option; however, maybe my assumptions are mistaken. Is HOTWIRE ever cheaper than PRICELINE?

thereuare, travelAlot, and jrnyman04, You guys are super! Thanks for taking the time to write excellent and detailed suggestions. Let

Hello, I am rather new to Priceline and this forum, but I have tried to read all the advice and numerous postings. If someone more experienced has some suggestions for my situation, I would appreciate it. We are planning on visiting Legoland, Sea World San Diego, San Diego Zoo, and San Diego Wild Animal Park in one trip. We have six children ranging in age from 4 - 16. Our travel dates are: Check-in: Friday, May 30 Check-out: Sunday, June 8 My original strategy is to find a central San Diego location, purchase two hotel rooms at once (same hotel of course) and stay at the one hotel the entire time. The advantage is not having to pack up and move mid-vacation. However, I am flexible. If it is better to bid for shorter stays at different hotels, then I am open to that also. Based on route plans from Google Earth, the optimal central area appears to be Rancho Bernardo. I saw on the forum that there was a previous bid covering one of the weekends that we will be there: $53 for 2.5* at the Courtyard Rancho Bernardo. Based on the information I have been able to gather, these are the Rancho Bernardo hotels that I believe are available through Priceline: 3* Doubletree Golf Resort ($8 self parking, ) 3* Holiday Inn (Sleeps 4, microwave and refrigerator, pool, free parking, free wireless, free breakfast) 2.5* Courtyard Rancho Bernardo (Microwave, free internet, free parking, no breakfast) 2.5* Residence Inn REVIEW (Full Kitchen, free internet, free parking, on-site laundry, buffet breakfast, pool) 2* Staybridge Suites Even though I know it doesn't matter, my preference would be the Residence Inn, then Holiday Inn, then Courtyard. I really don't want the Golf Resort or the Staybridge Suites. Thus, I decided to bid 2.5*. Even though it is not directly relevant, I did a quick check on both the Residence Inn and Holiday Inn home pages and they both have availability during the entire date range for which I wish to stay. I also note that the following zones don't have greater than 2* hotels (free bids): San Ysidro, National City, East County So, here is what I have already attempted to bid: First Day: Rancho Bernardo, 2.5*, $45 (rejected) Rancho Bernardo + San Ysidro, 2.5*, $47 (rejected) Rancho Bernardo + San Ysidro + National City, 2.5*, $49 (rejected) Rancho Bernardo + San Ysidro + National City + East County, 2.5*, $51 (rejected) A Couple of Days Later (4/18/2008): Rancho Bernardo, 2.5*, $51 (rejected) Rancho Bernardo + San Ysidro, 2.5*, $53 (rejected) Rancho Bernardo + San Ysidro + National City, 2.5*, $55 (rejected) Rancho Bernardo + San Ysidro + National City + East County, 2.5*, $57 (rejected) Note: I was never given the option to offer more money to get a hotel (in case that matters). I am starting to get the feeling that my large range of dates may be causing me problems. It is possible that I just haven't bid enough, but with the other win at $53, I am getting suspicious that there may just not be any availability. So, should I try and pick shorter date ranges and split up into different hotels? For those that know the San Diego area, would you suggest a different central location? For those that have large families like me, is the "two rooms at the hotel" plan a good idea, or are there gotchas for which I should be aware? Thanks in advance for any extra advice. Oh, by the way, for all the bids above, I used the PRICELINE link found in the postings. - Brad PS. thereuare, it appears that I have a typo in the topic heading. I meant to say "San Diego area bidding help". Will you please revise for me? Thanks.

This is my first post on BetterBidding, so I hope I do it correctly. Disneyland Area Hyatt Regency Orange County 11999 Harbor Blvd Garden Grove, California 92840 714-750-1234 I was hoping for the Hilton since it is closer and has free parking. The Hyatt charges $15 per night for self parking and $17 per night for valet parking!! I called and asked for a room with two beds (same price as a King room on Hyatt website) and was told there was no availability. Check-In: Sun, Sep. 30, 2007 Check-Out: Fri, Oct. 5 2007 Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $54.00 Subtotal: $270.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $44.90 Total Charges*: $314.90 NOTE: When bidding on a 3* hotel in the Disneyland area, there appear to be four additional zones that can be used for free bids. I didn't realize this early on, so I was only doing one bid each day. Bid history follows: 9/18/07 11:40 AM Disneyland Area 3 Star 9/30