chocdiggity

$68 first bid. Wyndham Indianapolis West 3½ star Indianapolis Airport (IND) Check-In: Wed, Jul 3, 2013 / After 03:00 PM Check-Out: Thu, Jul 4, 2013 / 12:00 PM This is a decent, very busy, very large hotel. We stayed here overnight on a similar trip last year without the bid and paid quite a bit more.

$68 first bid for 2.5* Washington - Canonsburg Congratulations, we've upgraded your hotel quality level to a 3 star hotel. Doubletree By Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh-Meadow Lands 3* Check-In: Sun, Jul 7, 2013 Check-Out: Mon, Jul 8, 2013

$74 - July 28-30 (Saturday and Sunday nights) Had a hard time with this one... Had to keep adding zones on bids starting from $60 before closing at $74 (at least there are lots of zones and few 3.5* here outside DC!). This Marriott is guest rated 9.0 and is nice and new in a very nice shopping area a bit further off the highway than most (and second highest rated hotel in the entire area). Big downside : the internet is not free (apparently $13/night???). The Priceline named rate was $89 on these dates (but is really $102 if you need internet!). I'd actually hoped to get the Hilton - Gaithersburg (which seems to usually come up first) since it has free internet and would have been fine. It is guest rated 8.1 but older and in not as nice surroundings right on the interstate. The Priceline named rate there was $79 on these dates, which includes free internet, so it is a much better relative value, unless one prefers the Marriott on other grounds. Fortunately the guests involved probably won't need the internet this visit but the $5 savings for the mystery factor probably wasn't worth it here... Bid and learn. My takeaway for this zone at 3.5* being unless the blind "name your own price" rate is at least $13 lower than the named rate you're totally rolling the dice (and may not get the best value). Not much savings here vs. rack rates on these dates and definitely higher prices than other experiences for other dates posted on this board (perhaps I booked too far out or maybe it's a busy vacation time), but still a good rate for this area.

$70/night July 3 - July 8 This is usually a very busy week out there due to a big event nearby (and presumably the holiday). G hotels suggested the booking rate offered there was nearly 30% higher than usual. Priceline (not name your own rate) was $94 as a "sale", $110 regular. What seemed almost certainly the same hotel (blind) on Hotwire was $81.

8/29/11-8/30/11 $63 Restaurant is probably the identifier but they have lots of amenities.

This was the Days Inn, which was decent. The pool is outdoors though. It appears any blind offers only appear in Picayune sporadically. It saved us about $10 compared to the named Hotwire rate that night. A much higher end offer also turned up at the very last minute, which was undoubtedly the Holiday Inn Express.

8/26/11-8/28/11 $62 Hilton Atlanta It was pretty clear from here that was what this one would be. Of course you need to factor in the $21 parking fee (if driving), but this was still the best deal since anywhere else downtown also requires parking. Also note that internet access would be $12.95 (if we didn't have our own). Seems like they're set up to gouge but hopefully it will be what it should be.

8/28/11 - 8/29/11 $62 Hyatt Place Charlotte/City Park Smoke Free Rooms Complimentary Breakfast Fitness Center Pool(s) Business Center High-Speed Internet Access

$56 8/1/2010 - 8/2/2010 There may be something going on in the area since our usual in Kingsport seemed unavailable at any sort of low rate. Started at $50 (including 3*) and wound up here at $56 on the last chance to bid.

$45 7/31/10 - 8/1/10 Thought we'd try for the Perimeter Place in Inverness this time since they seem to be going for about the same but things weren't working to get in there and we'd stayed here before so I added this zone and backed down a bit.

$70 for 6/22/10. Came through a bit higher than usual this time but maybe I didn't start on this soon enough (and they're probably fuller on weekdays and in summer). A $55 entry gave the "very unlikely" warning before I started so my first try was $60 (which didn't work). They said I could go to $75 and rebid immediately so I added a zone and bid $70 to split the difference, which worked. Thanks to this board for the educational process. Not sure I knew to bid against their instant rebid but now I do.

I really really doubt you'd get $40. It's a great hotel. I posted what I got it for last time through (don't remember but I think mid-$50's). I think it was rock bottom as I tried the various tools of the trade to get that. It's worth a lot more than whatever rate you get here. There are very few top shelf options in that area so I'm not surprised nothing else shows up. Good luck.

I've never really used Orbitz so will certainly have to check that. That may be as good as it gets for these dates and at least that way I know what I'm getting. Jersey City at $165 may be good for this date seems like I should be in Manhattan for that much. Doing that maybe I should think Newark and really try to save something? I haven't tried the trains/subways up there but it looks like I should get an introduction. Also I'd think parking is extra. Is there any way to know what that will be attached to a blind option or is that kind of a surprise later? We're likely driving up... I gather it's SantaCon that weekend, so that must be the problem... We're now trying to decide what to do.

I'm searching through here and getting a little spooked since it seems this is a really high rate date for some reason. My dates aren't flexible (unless I drop the 12th). We're going to a (small) event in Tribeca but figure anywhere south of Central Park should be fine (since as someone said on another thread getting around is part of the experience up there). Hotwire looks to be $250+ per night? I see a number of low-$100 wins but unfortunately not on my date/s. I'm not liking the idea of having to go up to twice the possible rate (though that nevertheless seems quite a bit below rack). This is a bit difficult due to the sheer number of zones and hotels... Any ideas on the best zones (for value) or specific likely hotels within them we may wind up with? The Embassy Suites Downtown seems to be a good budget win and well liked and would be very close for the event, though may be out of the way for other potential activities there. It looks like from Priceline's zones maybe Soho-Tribeca or Chelsea-Village may be the most interesting, but Wall Street the most affordable. The two Midtowns further north are also probably OK, though may also be expensive. I think we prefer a 4-star but at least a 3. We'd like a pool (I forget if that drives a 3.5 or higher?). I've noticed elsewhere the stars seem more targeted to amenities than actual quality of the hotel so sometimes one can do very well in a 3 to 3.5 if you're just looking for a clean comfortable place to sleep. Any thoughts. There seem to be some NYC natives about. Thanks.

Went in again today and they'd dropped rates on PRICELINE's non-opaque listing for the 2.5* Comfort Suites there (not sure if it was the same one I was bidding on or not, but it was very well reviewed). So got the Comfort Suites without guessing for the equivalent of my initial rejected bid yesterday (after the Fee Chop). The Holiday Inn Express (also well reviewed) appears to be the opaque listing from what I read here, though perhaps it might have been this one. Used this site's PRICELINE link to get started.

ARGH. That was what I was afraid of... The 2.5* looks like a dump by the reviews but has a restaurant (so is 2.5*). The 2* is very nice. The list prices and going rates through Priceline seem to reflect the difference (the 2* is priced considerably higher than the 2.5*). If they automatically "upgrade" I'll wind up in the wrong place unless by some fluke the 2.5* is full. I'd really feel used bidding the high 2* rate and winding up in the cheap 2.5* anyway. A low bid would definitely put me in the 2.5*... Definitely NOT worth the risk. So I'm booking some different cities relatively nearby where I can tell I'll like what I'm getting and will make a day trip to do what I want to there (it was basically going to be that anyway but might have been more convenient to arrive there the night before and stay over after a full day, but not at the price of two good nights' sleep). Thanks much for the answer (exactly what I was looking for). I've been using the site's PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links (and the highly useful information).

for 8/3/09 Started at $50, raised to $55 on one free rebid (which I'd hoped would work)... They'd offered it on a counter at $14 over the $50 (which seemed high). Discount relative to list is not very good here (if it goes much higher I could book something not opaque), but I think the hotel this will produce would be good and at least a bit lower than list. Used this site's PRICELINE link. Will try again tomorrow (using this site's link).

$60 8/4/09-8/5/09 (1 night) First bid accepted (based on info. from this board, though it was dated). Hope the renovation construction isn't too disruptive... Used the board PRICELINE link. :)

Experienced user assistance needed: I'm looking to bid in a zone where there seem to be two options: 2.5* hotel with bad reviews (and a low winning room rate) 2* hotel with much better reviews (and a much higher room rate on winning bids) Obviously I want the 2*. If I bid for a 2* at the rate that appears needed can I be sure I'll get it (and not the dump)? Thanks.

$60 8/2/09-8/3/09 (1 Night) Started at $50 (seeing the recent low here on the board). Rebids are free since this is the only 3.5* in town but had to go to $60 to get it (which is where I wound up there a month and a half ago). Based on the reviews and our last visit this is absolutely the place to stay in town at this rate.

Date: 8/1/09 for 1 night, checkout 8/2/09. Tried $42 (hoping for the Courtyard per the history here) and was rejected, though offered a room if I inceased $12 (to $54). Added Pelham area and upped bid to $46 and got the Hyatt Place.

No we don't. I spent a lot of time looking over a lot of sites and have never seen such a lack of decent choices among so many potential options. If the highend options have regular car break ins and the priceline usuals have paper thin walls, mold/smells, and homeless panhandlers in the parking lots I'm at a bit of a loss. There doesn't seem to be a zone with an option I like (or even a reasonable option not bidding blindly). I'm looking at hotels or areas so the date didn't seem too relevant (sketchiness doesn't wax or wane with days of the week or time of year), but stay is likely 8/3 and 8/4 or thereabouts, if we find something. If not we'll go elsewhere. I was hoping there may have been some folks who've sorted through this previously and come up with something good.

If this is the hotel they're up to $82 for 8/3-8/5/09. Same hotel profile anyway (they seem to be the only one there with a restaurant). Perhaps weekdays at the airport and summer drove it up.

Not at all happy with Priceline options in Asheville... None seem good (the car break-ins at the 3* pretty well sealed it). Downtown seems sketchy at best. Thought I'd try Hotwire but there's no history here for anything but downtown. I'm looking at 3* Asheville West with Fitness Center, Pool, Restaurant, Business Center. I suspect this is the Holiday Inn West? Or 2.5* Asheville West with Breakfast, Fitness Center, Pool, Business Center, Laundry. I suspect this is the Country Inn & Suites. Reviews of the west end seem to indicate that part of town is sketchy too. This is very frustrating. You'd think there would be one clean, quiet, secure hotel in Asheville. If there is I don't see it on Trip Advisor...

I think 3.5* was the highest rating available in town... It turned out to be the Marriott Convention Center, which was good (typical of them and well located). I did all this recently before I found out about www.betterbidding.com (which was suggested by a musician friend of mine on tour now), so thought I should share the details. Bid: June 12, 2009 Stay was: June 20 through June 22 (Saturday check-in, Monday check out). Rate was: $60 per night (first bid with no strategy involved, but seems to be about right). While there see the Aquarium. We ate at the Blue Plate (lunches) and Tony's Pasta Shop (dinner). Nice town, nice stay, good food. Had fun. Thanks all. I plan to use betterbidding soon for a leisurely return trip with stays in different places along the way.