I'm a huge Myrtle Beach fan. I've been there about ten times in the past fifteen years. They have a great beach, good hotels, lots of stuff to do, and FABULOUS outlets! My husband and I went for a three day weekend last year in late March. It was a bit chilly! Too cold for shorts, and don't even think about getting near the ocean! The water was freezing! Our hotel did have an indoor pool, as well as a heated outdoor pool. It was actually too cool for the outdoor pool.
We didn't get rain, but it was cool. We still had a fantastic vacation. There is so much to do in Myrtle Beach besides the beach, like tons of shopping and several amusement-type parks. I would definitely recommend Myrtle Beach, SC for a nice long vacation, even in March or April, especially if you're not stuck on swimming in the Atlantic.
April
I've actually stayed at this Omni twice. Paid $40 last October and $45 in December. LOVED it! Be sure to register for the free Select Guest program on the Omni's website before you go. You can choose your bed type, etc, as well as complimentary morning beverages. Select Guests also get super-late checkout, 5 pm, if I'm not mistaken. Have fun!
randy....
I was there in January, 2005 for only one night. I just realized that I don't think I reported that win on the board. I'll do that now. Great hotel, by the way.
Tripped Out......
I've never been given the "more $$$" response. But I never outright ask for "an upgrade." I usually just hint around, or ask for a particular view or bedding type. I would not have paid for an upgrade for any of my stays thus far. It just wasn't that important. Most were only for a night or two. I can imagine, though, that I might pay for an upgrade at a vacation type hotel, like in Hawaii, for instance, if I was staying for a significant amount of time.
Hopefully my luck will continue!
I'm not a super-experienced Priceline user. I've book maybe six or seven stays in the last year. At all of my stays, I've been given the specific room type that I requested (like bedding, view, etc.) But at three of my stays, I've actually been upgraded. At the Laguardia Crowne Plaza, we arrived late and expressed to the front desk clerk how exhausted we were, and "It would be wonderful to have a great room our first night in NYC!" We were upgraded to a Club level one bedroom suite, undoubtedly the largest room I've stayed in. At the Asheville Renaissance, I was given a club level room after explaining to the clerk that we were celebrating our third anniversary in "beautiful Asheville." Finally, at the Hilton Head Westin, I simply asked for "a great room on the ocean" and was given exactly that.
I believe all it takes is the guts to ask for an upgrade, but with kindness and sincerity. It all depends on the hotel clerk's mood and perception of you. They are regular people who go home to their families after they clock out. Most don't mind helping you, as long as you ask without treating them like minions. Everyone appreciates respect, and if you give it, you'll likely get at least your requested room, if not an upgrade (if available, of course.)
April
I agree with Brochquine. Who cares how the total cost to me is "divvied up" between the hotel, Priceline, taxes, etc?!?! I just figure my grand tally through the hotel's website or Orbitz or whatever. Then I figure my grand total before I submit my Priceline bid. Divide each by the number of nights, and there you have it!! The Priceline fee doesn't concern me. The savings with Priceline are too significant to worry with such.
April
Ahhhh......can you tell I'm a country girl from the deep South? My first taxi ride was actually in NYC on the vacation of which I was speaking. Thanks for clarifying that!
Yes, the $40 was "the towncar rate," but when I asked the clerk at the Crowne Plaza to call me a cab, he said that NYC yellow cabs would not come to the hotel to pick up. They would only take you to NYC if they were already dropping off at the Crowne Plaza. He said that I could take the hotel shuttle back to the airport and catch a cab there (???) This all sounded bizarre to me, but since I had never been to NYC before and didn't know any different, we took the car that they called for us.
When I was in NYC in December, we stayed at the Crowne Plaza Laguardia after our late flight arrival. The next morning we needed to get to they Hyatt, where were spending the remainder of our trip. The Crowne Plaza front desk clerk called us a car (Lincoln Towncar, I believe) that took us to WTC for $40 plus tip. There is no toll. The driver said that from LGA, a trip to anywhere in Manhattan is a flat $40. Then from WTC, we hopped on the PATH ($1.50 one way) and one stop later we were at the Hyatt's doorstep. I'm sure there is a way to take buses from LGA to WTC, but I imagine that would be very time consuming. Thereuare is a Jersey City expert, so I bet he'll be able to help you further.
Good luck, and have fun. The JC Hyatt is a great hotel.
Yes, you're going to love it. I stayed here a while back, and it is beautiful! One tip, though. Many rooms, including ours, was about a ten minute walk from the parking lot. If you are travelling with anyone with disabilities or with an older adult, you may want to ask for a room closer to the parking lot end of the hotel. The parking lot is on one end of the hotel, and the our room was on the other. Regardless, it was a beautiful hotel with a super-professional staff.
Enjoy!
April
Just returned from a wonderful stay at the Asheville Renaissance in Asheville, NC. Everything about this experience was great, and I hope to return to the beautiful city and the Renaissance very soon.
Location....
The location of the Renaissance is perfect. It is located directly in Downtown Asheville and just steps from many unique restaurants and shops. We drove to the Grove Park Inn for dinner at Chops, which is only two about three miles away. The Biltmore Estate is also about five miles down the road.
Check-in....
Check in went rather smoothly. The gentleman at the front desk mentioned almost immediately that my "stay was booked through Priceline." "Oh, no," I thought, "The Priceline room!" Then he said that we would be in a room with two queen beds, that there were no king rooms available. (I had faxed the hotel a request a few days prior asking for a king non-smoking room, as we were celebrating our wedding anniversary.) I mentioned our special occasion, and his tone changed. He hit a few keys on his keyboard and said "Well congratulations. I'll put you in a king suite on our Club Lounge level." The Club level includes daily continental breakfast, appetizers and desserts nightly, as well as a full bar. He also gave us two coupons for a free full breakfast buffet in the hotel restaurant. We were ecstatic!
The room...
Our room was on the top floor, floor number twelve. Initially when we entered, there was a man wearing a hotel uniform sitting at the desk fooling with the telephone in the room. He looked quite shocked when we walked in, and apologized and ran out (maintenance, perhaps?)Anyhow, we had a gorgeous downtown view. The room was spotless, and of adequate size. There was a king bed, a small writing desk, two arm chairs, an TV cabinet, two side tables, and a mini bar with a coffee pot and two bottled waters. The bathroom was small, but also adequate. The shampoo, lotion, etc. was Bath and Body Works' Lemongrass Sage scent , which I loved! The towels were quite large and very cozy. The shower boasted a massaging shower head that was great. There was also a lighted makeup mirror and hair dryer on the wall.
Service...
The service overall was great. The front desk clerk began on a poor note, but perked up when I mentioned our special occasion. He offered maps of the downtown area as well as a larger scale map with highlighted directions to the Biltmore Estate. The breakfast coupons were also a really nice touch. Oddly enough, housekeeping knocked on our door at 5 pm while we were napping. When I opened the door, she said "Turndown service." A bit early for turndown service, I thanked her, but said that it would not be necessary right now. She gave me a handful of chocolates and scurried away. (????) Service in the Orchards restaurant was perfection. The servers were attentive and professional.
Common areas...
The common areas in the hotel were very well kept. The carpets were clean and without stains, the elevators were quick, and the club Lounge was classy and comfortable. The hotel is in great shape. We did make use of the fantastic indoor pool and hot tub. The room that houses the pool is enormous and open, and decorated with gigantic plants and trees. The tiled walls are in new condition. There are big towels available as well as locker rooms with showers and lockers. The locker rooms were spotlessly clean and offered Bath and Body Works soap and antiperspirant.
This was a solid three-star hotel, and I would love to win the Renaissance again on Priceline. I paid about $51 for this stay, which is a steal.
Of course she's interested... she knows that we're the Better Bidding board. :)
:) Love that!! Thereuare, thanks again for a friendly resource. I, personally, am going to make all of my online purchases through your affiliate links, when possible. I want to keep this resource available, and I know that bandwidth is NOT FREE! I have an upcoming Ritz Carlton ($$$$) reservation to make for a family member, and was happy to see that RC is an affiliate. Thanks again, and I'm happy to see this community blossoming!
April
Edited to add:
Thereuare, I could swear that I saw a Ritz Carlton affiliate link! Am I dreaming? If not, where is it? If so, could you get one? Thanks!
It appears that TOBB's moderator is interested in information that is posted here. One post is actually copied word for word to a board there. It's unfortunate that she is unscrupulous enough to allow such nonsense, and to use the info for her benefit when she knows she is losing users by the day.
Link now dead. Ran out of supply. Those MagsCentral links are sometimes only good for a few hours!
I believe I can answer one of your questions, maybe both. You must lower your star rating, not raise it. You should always start with the higher star rating and then lower it if necessary (and if you are willing.)
And I think you must wait 72 hours after your first bid. I'm pretty sure that your second attempt was not even accepted as a bid at all, since it was too early.
Some one please correct me if I'm wrong!
April
Bid $40........rejected.
Bid $45.........rejected.
Bid$51..........ACCEPTED!
I was hoping for the Renaissance, and I'm so excited that I got it! Lowest price on hotel's own website is $134. This is during the Festival of Flowers at the Biltmore Estate, and I hope it's as beautiful as they say!! Happy Anniversary to us!!!
Thanks!
April
Maybe I'm missing something, so forgive me if this is a silly question.
How would you get $100 off when you obviously pay Priceline up front? Would you present the certificate at check-in and expect a refund?
Thanks!
April
Thereuare, feel free to move this post to the Hotwire section if necessary. For continuity, I'm just adding on to the existing thread.
I ended up getting this trip in two separate transactions. I wanted to use both my $30 Entertainment Book rebate (which I bought through the affiliate link), as well as the code GiftCard06 for a $10/nt. discount. I was concerned that there may be a problem trying to claim two discounts for one booking, so just in case, I used the GiftCard06 for the first two nights, and my Entertainment Rebate for the last night. I did have to pay two Hotwire fees, but when I'm spending someone else's money, I want to be sure they get what they expect. :) I've been bidding on Priceline for months, with no luck.
Wed, March 23-Friday, March 25
Venetian price $149 Suite Special.
Hotwire showed $117/nt.
Bid up to $110 on Priceline, no dice.
Took Hotwire for $117.Total $264.95 minus $20= $244.95
Friday, March 25
Venetian price $279.
Hotwire showed $223.
Bid Priceline up to $195, no dice.
Took Hotwire for $223. Total $252.95 minus $30 rebate= $222.95
Venetian's prices have been quite unstable as of late. I know I might have gotten a better price had I waited a week or two, but my parents wanted something in stone now! My total average price was $156/nt, including tax and fees. Not bad, especially for that last night. They were trying to stay under $150, and we got pretty close!
Thanks,
April
That simply means that you are guaranteed a room, even if you arrive late. For instance, if your flight is delayed, you'll still have a room when you arrive that night.
On average, checkin is usually around 3:00 pm. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong!!!
April
I'm positive that you would have no complaints about the Jersey City Hyatt. Read the reviews on this site as well as Tripadvisor.com. My husband and I stayed here over just before Christmas, and were incredibly pleased. A five minute subway ride to WTC, then maybe six or seven more to Midtown. The PATH station is literally across the driveway from the hotel's front door, about a thirty second walk.
I actually paid $37 on Priceline, and this place is worth five times that. I understand, though, that the lowest price seen on Priceline recently is in the high $40's, a steal! I'm sure Thereuare can help you more with that. And yes, there is onsite parking, but I'm not sure about the price. Maybe someone else chould chime in with that info?
Go for it! You'll love it, and best of all, it's inexpensive! Hope this helps!
April
Hi,
If you scroll down toward the bottom of the board you should see "Hotels - International Winning Bids for Priceline/Hotwire." The "Other Countries" section contains hotel lists and wins from Europe, Asia, etc.
Good luck, and I hope this answers your question.
April
http://www.magscentral.com/fs/fs7cz1.htm
This is a link to a free 2-year subscription to Field & Stream Magazine. I have a friend who actually received it with no strings attached. Hunting and fishing isn't really my thing, so I haven't personally tried it. The webpage also mentions that your address, etc. will not be sold. Good luck.
April
TOBB= The Other Bidding Board
Jennifer,
Disney's Port Orleans Riverside is unbelievable! It is a big resort with lots of pools, and one really large kiddie pool/slide area called Old Man's Island. You can rent bicycles, take boat rides to Downtown Disney, etc. This is my absolute favorite hotel! HOWEVER, it is not offered on Hotwire or Priceline. Mousesavers.com might have some discount codes.
Good luck!
April
Hi, I just thought I'd point you guys to a paragraph on Hotwire's Hotel Customer Care page.
"Q: How many beds are in the lodgings?
A: All rooms booked on Hotwire will accommodate the appropriate number of guests in each room, based on the total number of guests you provided and the number of rooms you requested. While we cannot guarantee the number of beds in a property room, some properties may offer pull-out couches or cots. If you have specific needs, please contact the property directly. Our partners will do their best to make your stay as comfortable as possible."
Hope this helps.
April
Whi I Believe Priceline Will Fail
in Questions and Suggestions
Posted
When buying hotel rooms, airfare, etc, through Priceline, the user agrees that under no circumstances may they alter the arrangements. No cancellations, no changing times, nothing. This is explicitly stated throughout the buying process on Priceline's website.
Now, in reality, yes, things change. If you expect that changes may be necessary, why would you book via Priceline? Or why not book the first few nights via Priceline, and the remainder via the hotel directly? This way, there is a way out of your last few nights. Priceline's "inflexible" policy is precisely why I've gotten $200 rooms for $37. If you aren't willing to risk it, perhaps Priceline is not for you. They should not be expected to alter their policies just because your plans change. If they begin making exceptions, they may lose their valuable inventory when the large hotel chains learn that their contracts have been broken.
For me, a "broke" med student who loves to travel, the benefit FAR outweighs the risks. I will continue to use Priceline, but only when my dates are solid. I will not use their airfare product, as I have NEVER found it worth not knowing my flight times ahead of time. I would not have been able to take half the trips I've taken without Priceline.