Aprilmay

One last update.....Rejected up to $100 for 3*, up to $68 for 2.5*. I'm a little bummed, especially about the 2.5* rejections. I guess we'll stick with our backup.

April

From Priceline's flight help page:

"How do I try my Name Your Own Price request again?

If your request for priceline airline tickets isn't accepted the first time, don't worry - we've made it easy for you to try again.

Whenever possible, we will present alternative options that are available for your trip if your first request is not accepted. These options could include one or more of the following: raising your price, changing your travel dates or agreeing to depart or return from a different airport. Remember, the key to getting a great deal with priceline is flexibility!

If your current travel plans do not allow you to be flexible with your departure and arrival times, you can choose your exact itinerary from a list of great deals provided by our travel partner Lowestfare.com.

Remember - to keep this great service available for everybody, the airlines only allow you to make one Name Your Own Price

Please answer Imogie's request as I have the same question and believe I shouldn't start another thread on the same topic.

Are your dates identical?

Doesn't that match the 4* Sheraton Bal Harbour Beach Resort from the Hotwire hotel list? Scroll all the way down to the last post in the thread Here.

Hope that helps.

April

I love this Omni. Go to the Omni's website and register for their Select Guest program. Specify your room particulars (king/doubles, foam/feather, high floor/low floor, etc) They will automatically link your Select Guest number to your Priceline reservation. They will also send you two coupons via snail mail, one for an upgrade, the other for 50% off a traditionally book weekend stay. However, they will usually take the upgrade coupon even on a Priceline stay. Upon checkin, they'll give you a card so you can choose morning beverages as well as an extra newspaper of your choice each morning. Specify your desired delivery time and hang it on your door. Voila! As a Select Guest, you are also entitled to late checkout, 5 pm I believe. Nice!

Just FYI, valet parking is the only option available, and it's $20/night. Be sure to call ahead from your room, and it'll be ready for you.

I would also ask for a room in the new North Tower, with views of Downtown. Much nicer that the South Tower rooms that look out over the CNN Center food court.

Have fun....

Yes, BetterBidding receives a "commission" if I start my Priceline and Hotwire purchases through www.SavingsBarn.com. I choose to do so because I get so much helpful information from this site, and I want to support it. It takes so much (money and time) to keep up a site like this, especially without all of the annoying pop-ups and confusing advertisements, and I'm just doing my part to keep it that way.

I would not be able to take half of the weekend/overnight trips that I do if not for Better Bidding.

Hmmm.... interesting....

9/22 is $290 as opposed to $215 for the other two nights. Wonder what that's about.... I do know that the Hyatt is hosting a 350 person convention the 22nd thru the 26th. In any case, thanks for pointing that out to me.

My back-up is the Thunderbird Inn (gets great reviews on TripAdvisor) at $102/nt, but it's a bit on the outskirts of the Historic District, and I'd rather have the likes of the Hyatt in the middle of the city.

I just checked Hotwire, and the 3.5* that I believe to be the Hyatt is not available for 9/22, although it does come up for 9/21-9/23.

Thanks for your help, Thereuare. I'll continue to bid every three days via the SB link!

April

Again, rejected up to $96.

Must be a glitch. It happens to me, as well.

April

You cannont bid for a specific hotel on Priceline. You could get any 4 star in that hotel zone. If you would still like to bid, give your budget and confirm that you understand the rebidding process. If you need that hotel specifically, Priceline is not a good option.

Just an update... prices have gone down on Hotwire as well as on the Hyatt website. Still, bids up to $95 are rejected. My back-up is $100/nt, so I'm very close to my limit at $95. I'll try again in three days.

Hopefully the Marriott will grant their bedding/ room request.

Just got off the phone with a sweet lady in Reservations at the Marriott Marquis. I called "as my sister" and kindly requested a king room and happened to mention "my wedding" that day. She congratulated "me", and confirmed my "guaranteed king room, non-smoking, on a high floor." What a nice surprise!

Any idea what the 4* in Savannah's Historic District might be? It's coming in at $123. The price dropped from $197 today. I feel positive that I could beat it on Priceline, but if not, I'd like to know that this is an option.

Amenities are....

Restaurant(s), Pool(s), Fitness Center, Spa Services, High-Speed Internet Access, Golf Nearby, Tennis Nearby, Business Center "Best Value"

I have a feeling it is the Westin....but I can't get the same hotel to come up in a vacation package search, so I'm "iffy." The Westin is famous for their spa, and I don't know of any other hotels in Savannah that would have the Spa icon.

Help!!!

Thanks,

April

Thanks for this site and the knowledge that has built on it over the years.  I run a fairly large forum-based website and know how much of a pain it can be sometimes.  Please let me know if there is a way I can donate in appreciation.

Just be sure to start your bids at the Savings Barn link at www.SavingsBarn.com. There is also the SUPPORT PAGE that you could keep in mind for your next purchase!

Thanks for reporting your win!

This is a really nice hotel. I won it back in 2002 on Priceline (I severly overbid, since I didn't have BB then) and they were very good to us. The atrium is amazing, and if you can get a room with a view of the airport (maybe all of the rooms have views???), do. Nothing like sitting on the balcony watching planes take off and land.

I searched for the answer to my question, but haven't found it yet....

Does my Platinum Mastercard rental insurance benefit apply when I book through Priceline?

Thank you for sharing this win with the board. You may very well directly assist some one by sharing the win.

Bid from $60 up to $85 using free rebids, all rejected. This is our max right now, might go up closer to vacation dates.

As usual, I bid via www.SavingsBarn.com.

April

Bidding for my sister and her new husband (getting married that day!) for a 4* Downtown hotel. I was shooting for the Omni, where I've stayed several times and LOVE, but this time it wasn't to be. Hopefully the Marriott will grant their bedding/ room request.

Bidding was as follows:

Accessed Priceline via www.SavingsBarn.com.

Bid $40 for Downtown, no dice.

Bid $45 with free rebid, still no.

Bid $50 with free rebid. Nope.

Bid $51 with another free rebid. Bingo!

Total comes to $65.65.

The Marriott's lowest rate, without taxes, is $119. FWIW, the lowest Omni rate is $155.

Thanks to Thereuare for a great board and to BetterBidding's members for contributing so much info!

April

I looked up an Atlanta package on Hotwire for some random dates and it brings up the Intercontinental Buckhead with those same amenities at 4.5*. It appears that this hotel has been upgraded from 4* to 4.5*, at least in their packages search.

So my educated guess would be that your hotel is, in fact, the Intercontinental.

The new MAPS feature has only been available for about a week. Scroll up through this thread and you'll see updates about which cities are available thus far. DC and Buffalo are not available yet. Thereuare is adding cities as soon as he is able, so stay tuned!

April

Just a reminder to everyone that Amazon and other non-travel sites are affiliated with BetterBidding.com.

I just bought three books through the Amazon link on the Support page.

Thanks, Thereuare, for a friendly site.

April

Go to Travelocity"]Travelocity.com. Click on "Flights" at the top of the page (located beside the "Home" tab.) Scroll to the bottom of that page to the greenish/grayish box titled "Need ideas?" Click on "Dream Maps." Enter your home airport, etc, and Travelocity will show you flights within your specified price range to many different cities from your airport. I check this page all the time, looking for cheap flights to "wherever."

Good luck.

April

I have never found a direct rate that came close to Priceline's rate. Even the pre-paid rates are much higher than most of Priceline's offerings. I haven't researched 1* or 2* hotel prices, though, so maybe those direct rates are more comparable to Priceline's.

That's a good price for a great hotel. Although I've never stayed there, I frequent Myrtle Beach and have often passed the hotel and commented on how nice it looks. The users at TripAdvisor.com give the Radisson really fantastic ratings. Have fun!