Triska

It said it was a "New to Hotwire" hotel and based on the amenity set, I was pretty sure it was the Courtyard because I saw that the Red Lion is the boutique hotel in this area and was $83/night. $75 is a great deal because all other areas in Portland were running between $150-$200 on Hotwire for a 3* hotel for this night and this one was also $139 on the Hot Deals section. (By the way, this area is now only Portland (Meadows-Jantzen Beach). There are now three Vancouver areas: Downtown, North and East.) Amenities Free parking Free Internet Indoor pool(s) Airport shuttle Smoke-free rooms Fitness center Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Business center Self-service laundry

With a 100% rating and free breakfast with a kitchenette, I was pretty sure it was Staybridge Suites, but would've been happy if it ended up being Residence Inn. The list said it was $58, but it went down to $57 after I clicked on it. It was $72.06 with tax. I used the HOTWIRE link to search. Amenities: Free Parking, Free Breakfast, Pet friendly, Fitness Center, Pool(s), Business Center, Laundry Facilities (self-service), High-Speed Internet Access, Kitchenette, Accessible for the blind, Accessible for the deaf, Accessible path of travel, In-room accessibility, Accessible bathroom, Handicapped parking, Roll-in shower

We frequently stay in Vancouver and my guess is one of the following four hotels. The amenities of all four are almost identical with a few occassional exceptions. Phoenix Inn and Holiday Inn Express have free breakfast and an indoor pool, which sometimes shows up as indoor pool, but I have seen it as just pool. Staybridge Suites and Residence Inn also have free breakfast and a pool (seasonal but the hot tubs remain open). Sometimes the kitchenette or suite amenity would will show up for these two. I've stayed all all but the Holiday Inn Express and all four are very nice places to stay. All but the Phoenix Inn are near the mall. I have never seen the Hilton or Red Lion at the Quay in the Vancouver area of HOTWIRE. I believe they would be in the Portland Meadows/ Jantzen Beach/ SW Vancouver area. I have won both on Priceline for the Vancouver area though.

I know this is a bit late, but it will help out anyone else wondering. As far as I know, there are only two 3 1/2 star hotels in this zone, Embassy Suites and the Sheraton. They sometimes have the same amenities listed. The only way to know for sure is that Embassy Suites has breakfast and the Sheraton doesn't. I've only seen it come up with free breakfast three or four times though (and we frequently check Hotwire rates for weekend trips) and I also see more wins for the Sheraton. I have a hunch that when it says smoke-free and/or bed choice that it is the Sheraton. If you ended up purchasing this hotel, please update this post so they can add it to the Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins.

I'm happy with this win! I was hoping for one of the other Vancouver hotels with free breakfast, but we love the pool at the Hilton. It's right across the street from the park, so the kids will be very happy! The total was $61.59 with tax, plus the $14 parking fee. I had tried for Sunday the 2nd, but was rejected at $41 and $45 and I was only willing to accept either Vancouver or the airport area. Since we were flexible on dates, I then tried for Monday night and raised my bid. If it was rejected, I would've taken the $57 Hotwire hotel, so the rate was pretty close, even with the parking fee.

I added the Bloomington West area anyways and got the Doubletree, but when I called to confirm the shuttle, it starts running at 7am and my flight leaves at 6:30. Major bummer! They said cab fare is between $30 and $35.

I bid $48 for the Mall of America/ Airport area for 3*. I added Bloomington West for $62. Got the "try to bid at $72" message. Normally I bid in between, but after some research on other sites, I realized that many hotels near the airport were full, so I just did the full bid. I won the Doubletree, which was a 3.5* upgrade at $72 plus taxes. I'm happy with the hotel, but when I called to confirm the airport shuttle, they told me that it doesn't start until 7 and my flight leaves at 6:30, so I'll have to pay about $35 for a taxi so I don't have to have my sister wake up her three little kids at 4:30am so she can bring us.

I've successfully bid in the Airport-Mall of America area earlier this year and received a hotel with a shuttle and assume that's the norm for this area. Does anyone know if all hotels 2.5* or higher in Bloomington West and Eagan have shuttles or if it would be too much of a gamble to use them for rebid zones if needed? I'm looking for the 11th. The Hotwire prices are running about $100 and I'm hoping to get something 2.5* or 3* for about $50. Any suggestions?

Bid $41 for a 3* Vancouver hotel and got the Red Lion at the Quay for two nights for a total of $100.48. The rooms here are nice, but was hoping for the usual Residence Inn. I used your BiddingHelper.com.

The Tigard one is across from Washington Square Mall.

I got Aloft at Cascade Station for $70/night. It was a bit more than I wanted to pay, but we really wanted a hotel with an indoor pool and Hotwire is the only way to pretty much guarantee it as Red Lion (which I was trying to avoid due to an outdoor pool) has now been bumped up to a 3*. It had a 95% rating, so I knew most likely it was Aloft or Hyatt Place. I was pretty confident with the high rating that it was not Red Lion, due to its lower Trip Advisor ratings. I had called the hotel directly as I was told that they had special Facebook rates, but the lowest they could go was $165/night, which is about what I ended up paying for two nights with tax! I was very happy with this win as Aloft has the best customer service of any hotel I've ever stayed at! They don't treat Hotwire customers any differently than full price customers. Upon check-in, I asked for a Camp Aloft (twin air mattress with children's bedding and games) to be delivered to my room. I got a phone call ten minutes later telling me it was on its way up and then they called again to confirm that it did arrive. They gladly filled my request for a room with a refrigerator and microwave (not all rooms have one) and after we realized the next morning that it was broken, they put a new one in the room and gave us credit to replace our food that went bad. I believe this is the third or fourth time we have stayed at Aloft (both with Hotwire and non-Hotwire bookings) and each time we have left extremely pleased with every aspect of our stay! Amenities; Airport Shuttle Smoke Free Rooms Fitness Center Pool(s) Business Center High-Speed Internet Access

Sorry, I forgot to update, so I'm doing it now. We decided to take a chance as we knew we'd only be there for about 8 hours before our flight. It was the Ramada and it was perfectly fine. We did have to switch rooms twice as the first room they put us in had only one queen bed and we needed two. They happily moved us to a second room, which also had one bed, but the third time was the charm! They apologized for the mixup the second time as both rooms were listed as two queens in their system. We were flying standby on buddy passes and didn't get on the overbooked 6am flight, so we went back to the hotel and slept for a few hours before getting on the noon flight. We told them in advance that we might be back and they said that we didn't need to check out as we'd automatically be checked out at noon. It was an older hotel, but well worth the $48. For anyone considering this property, but worried about the low 50% Hotwire rating, check out the TripAdvisor ratings first. It really was fine, just a much older hotel, but the staff was great. I think that people may be expecting something much more updated than the usual 3* hotels, which usually are much newer. I'd really put it on par with a 2.5* hotel as the common areas (hallways) and pool area weren't as updated as the newer 3*, but all three rooms we were in were updated and very clean. The staff was great and the pool area was clean, but older. We used the hot tub at 10pm and there were still plenty of towels. The shuttle service was also on time and went to the Mall of America as well. For this price, I'd stay here again.

I was actually thinking it is the Ramada, which has previously been reported as a 2.5*, but is ranked as a 3* on Trip Advisor. On the Hotwire site, it does say it has a 4.0 out of 5.0 rating on Trip Advisor, which is consistent with the Ramada's rating on there. It is one of the older and slightly outdated hotels in the area with very small bathrooms. I'm hoping that by the time we book, the 3* hotel will change. All we really need is an airport shuttle, although it would be really nice to be near the Mall of America. I may start looking in other areas.

I went through your HOTWIRE link and found a 3* hotel in Bloomington East-Mall of America-Airport for $48 on January 14 with the following amenities: Airport Shuttle Fitness Center Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Business Center High-Speed Internet Access Golf Nearby It only has a Hotwire customer rating of 50%. A bit disturbing, but we really only need a place to sleep that has a pool and airport shuttle.

We got the Staybridge Suites in Vancouver for $48/night. With tax it was $117.45 for two nights. Because it had a 100% rating and the same list of amenities as Phoenix Inn and Holiday Inn Express, I was pretty confident it was one of those hotels. I'm happy with the hotel because it has a full kitchen and a great breakfast, but it's an epic fail for my children as the pool is outdoors. I don't get why there are so many hotels with outdoor pools in the Portland area when rainy season is pretty much from October-June. Here is a new amenity list for this hotel--same as Phoenix Inn and Holiday Inn Express: Complimentary Breakfast Fitness Center Pool(s) High-Speed Internet Access Sorry that I didn't purchase through this site this time, however I probably did about 10 searches through BB over the last few days and I always purchase through your link.

I bid $35 for tonight (Sept. 4) for the Vancouver zone and it didn't accept the bid, but it told me that I could do a free rebid at $43 without adding any zones. I've never received that message before, so I was pretty confident it would be accepted, which it was. I paid a total of $55.82 with taxes and fees. I'm very please to win the Residence Inn North in Vancouver since it was the hotel I was shooting for! We've stayed here many times and even though we live nearby, it always feels like a mini-vacation when we stay there! It has a very nice pool, great free breakfast, comfy rooms and we appreciate the full kitchen as well!

I got four Bonus Cash offers. $50 and $75 off a package and $12 and $16 off a car rental. I wish I would've got a hotel one though as I'm thinking about trying for a hotel this weekend.

I tried to edit the above post, so just ignore it! I realized I was on the Priceline forum, not Hotwire. Priceline doesn't have the Cascade Station area. They have just one airport area, not two like Hotwire. There's not a lot of leaf-peeping here in Portland. We've always been able to find fantastic deals during the weekends. I actually think it's cheaper on the weekends due to business travel during the week and fall is probably going to be less expensive than the summer. Downtown is always going to be much more expensive, but of course it has its perks. If you are planning to spend all weekend downtown, I'd stay there. However, if you are only planning to do things downtown on one day, it might be worth taking the MAX and staying a bit further away. I often look at Hotwire's availability to see how booked the weekend is. Right now, downtown only has a 3 1/2* for $183 and a 1* for $85. You have time to keep trying thereuare's strategy. If you already tried thereuare's strategy without success, here are some other ideas if you keep your location more open. If you definitely want to stay downtown, then just ignore the rest of this post! If you're not set on the 4* downtown hotels, you might want to try the Airport area as another bidding area. Many hotels are right on the MAX lightrail line (the Cascade Station ones are), so you can easily get downtown without having to get on a TriMet bus. The Sheraton is a 3 1/2 star (most likely the $85 Cascade Station hotel on Hotwire) and isn't right on the MAX line, but it shares its shuttle with Aloft which is. Even if you got a hotel that wasn't on the MAX line and a bit further away (some are a few miles away), most 3*, if not all, have airport shuttles and you can get on the MAX at the airport or Cascade Station if they stop there. I'm assuming you're renting a car at the airport, so this may be very convenient for you. Mods: What do you think of this strategy? If you decide you are okay with the possibility of staying in the airport area, this is what I'd do. I'd begin my bid for a 4* downtown, then go to 3 1/2 *. Add Lloyd Center as a free rebid as it only has 3*. Then add the airport (as far as I know, there are only two 3 1/2* in the airport area--Sheraton and Embassy Suites). This might sound funny, but there have been times I've successfully lowered my bid or kept it the same when I've added an area that typically is less expensive. As of now, you can get a 3 1/2* at the airport for $85 on Hotwire, so you would have to consider if you'd be willing to bid more than that on Priceline as there's a good chance you'd end up in that area. (Mods, am I correct on this also?) Another place to try and get a free rebid if you are going for a 3 1/2* or 4* is to add Vancouver (just check to make sure it's only 3 star and below. It is right now). DO NOT use it as a rebid if you are going for a 3* because I can almost guarantee you'll get it. I would only add it if you are trying for a 3 1/2 * and above. Be sure to uncheck it if you need to downgrade to 3*. If you are not successful at the 3 1/2* and want to try for a 3*, I would wait for the next day and do a similar strategy with 3* with downtown, Lloyd Center and then finally the Airport area, but use a much lower price if you are using the Airport area. As an example, I have won the 3 * Holiday Inn Airport at least twice on Priceline for about $45. It has a free shuttle even though it's a few miles away. If you bid higher, you will hopefully have a better chance of getting a nicer 3* hotel, but I'm not sure if it works that way.

If you're not set on downtown, I'd try the Cascade Station area near the airport. It's right on the MAX line, so you can easily get downtown without having to get on TriMet. I've consistently seen 3 star hotels from about $60 and up. The Sheraton is a 3 1/2 star and isn't on the MAX line, but it shares its shuttle with Aloft which is. Even if you got a hotel that wasn't on the MAX line, most if not all have airport shuttles and you can get on the MAX right there. I'm assuming you're renting a car at the airport, so this would be very convenient for you.

I first bid $35 for the Vancouver area and was rejected. I upped my bid to $40 and added Portland Airport (PDX) and got the Holiday Inn Airport. The total was $52.44 with taxes. We've stayed here before and there is a nice pool area for the kids and comfy beds. They have no free breakfast, but it's close to IKEA so that's where we'll go as the restaurant had very slow breakfast service last time (with only two other tables filled) and it cost almost as much as the room for two adults and two children to eat breakfast.

We didn't end up booking because the kids got sick and ended up coming home from their grandparents. I'm glad I was indecisive! I think the Radisson is the three star with the 85% rating because it came up again with a golf course and laundry.

Thanks for trying to figure out my muddled post. Sorry it was confusing. I couldn't edit it.... Here's an edited version that will probably make more sense: Dec 31-Jan. 1 Search #1--2 adults 3* Vancouver (Guessing Phoenix Inn) Comp. Breakfast Fitness Center Pool High-speed Internet Access 3* at Portland Intl Airport PDX Entrance - Cascade Station area --$59 (Aloft, Radisson, Hyatt Place?) Airport Shuttle Fitness Center Business Center High-speed Internet Access 95% rating 3* Portland Intl Airport PDX Perimeter area -- $57 ****** same hotel as below? (Shilo Inn or a new hotel) Airport Shuttle Complimentary Breakfast Fitness Center Laundry Facilities High-speed Internet Access 95% Rating Search #2--3 adults: Portland Intl Airport PDX Perimeter area--$59 ****** same hotel as above? Airport Shuttle Complimentary Breakfast Fitness Center Business Center Laundry Facilities High-speed Internet Access 95% rating 3* in Cascade Station--$72 (Aloft, Radisson, Hyatt Place) Airport Shuttle Smoke Free Rooms Fitness Center Pool(s) Business Center High-speed Internet Access 95% rating

I was wrong or maybe it changed .... the 3 person hotel was in the Portland Intl Airport PDX Perimeter area. I guess it can't be Hyatt Place or Residence Inn. And I know the 2 person hotel had an 85% rating, but now it says 95%.

Dec 31-Jan. 1 I see a 3* at Cascade Station (PDX) for $59 With 2 adults: Airport Shuttle Fitness Center Business Center High-speed Internet Access 85% rating With 3 adults: Airport Shuttle Complimentary Breakfast Fitness Center Business Center Laundry Facilities High-speed Internet Access 95% rating I assume Radisson or Aloft for the first one, but with 3 people, I'm assuming Hyatt Place or Residence Inn. With 3 adults, I also get a 3* in Cascade Station for $72 with the following amenities: Airport Shuttle Smoke Free Rooms Fitness Center Pool(s) Business Center High-speed Internet Access 95% rating

Guess I forgot to add this win. I bid $35 for 3* Vancouver hotel. I got a counteroffer for $45 and took it as I had to work the next day and didn't want to deal with Portland traffic. What a great price for this fabulous property! Parking is around $18, but because it was our anniversary, they comped us for the parking and gave us an upgraded room with two walls of windows facing the river!