forsythia

I decided to try for Labor Day weekend in Asheville instead of Boone in July. I got the Ashveville Renaissance on my first try. Hooray! Check-In Date: Saturday, Sept. 4, 2004 Check-Out Date: Monday, Sept. 6, 2004 Your Offer Price: $55.00 Number of Rooms: 2 Number of Nights: 2 Subtotal: $220.00 Taxes and Service Fees: 34.40 Total Charges: $254.40 The hotel web site lists their rates as $159 a night for these dates.

:) Just bid $50 for a 2* in Boone, NC and it was rejected. Holiday Inn Express is $129 a night on their web site and Hampton Inn is $139 a night on their web site. Will try again in 72 hours.

We booked 4 nights at Mandalay Bay on their web site for $119 a night. We will get a full refund of our deposit if we cancel at least 48 hours before our stay. I talked to my friend about staying at Bally's, but she didn't want to switch hotels. I really appreciate the suggestion, though.

We booked a backup hotel on the strip today and will try to bid for the Venetian on Priceline a week before our trip. I will let you know how it goes in August. Thanks again for your help.

Thank you very much for your reply. I appreciate your suggestions and will discuss them with my friend. It's interesting to hear that Mandalay Bay has a club/party atmosphere. I didn't realize that, and I've read many online and printed Las Vegas travel guides. We're not really into partying -- we just want to stay at a reasonably luxurious, but affordable, hotel on the strip and we liked the pool area at Mandalay Bay. The other hotels on the top of our list are Aladdin and Luxor. We hadn't really considered Ballys, but maybe we should give it another look. Thanks again!

Background: A friend and I are planning a trip to Las Vegas from Aug. 15-19. We're going to bid on the Venetian via Priceline. We will not bid for 4* hotels on Priceline because we do not want to stay at the Westin Casuarina. This is our first trip to Las Vegas and I have never used Hotwire before. Question: If we don't get a good rate for the Venetian on Priceline, would it be worthwile to check prices on Hotwire for a 4* or a 4.5* hotel on the strip? Do prices on Hotwire usually go down the week before the dates of your vacation? Right now, the rates on Hotwire are a little high in my opinion: a 4.5* hotel is $155 per night and a 4* hotel is $123 per night. We can get a room at Mandalay Bay (through the hotel's web site) for $119 a night, so in my mind that's the price to beat. Thank you!

Thanks for this great web site! A friend and I are planning a vacation to Las Vegas from Aug. 15-19. We're thinking about making back-up reservations at Mandalay Bay through the hotel's web site for $119 a night. We'd also like to try to bid on the Venetian through Priceline. From what I've read, we should wait until Aug. 8 to bid on the Venetian. Of course, we'd love to get a $99 rate, but I'm not sure if that's possible since there are a couple of large conventions scheduled during our stay. Any advice on a bidding strategy? I haven't used Priceline in years and I've never been to Las Vegas. Thank you very much.