eeyoredonkey

One bid only for the Orlando Universal Studios / International Drive location at 100$ for 4*. Had significant trouble finding anything two weeks ago, but apparently a block of rooms has opened up here. Shatner also gave me the option to extend my stay at the same rate, so I may have overbid, gasp! The going rate is about 219$, so 50% off is very good. non-smoking hotel, but they are fee-happy. :)

Taking the advice from the Hyatt Regency in Silicon Valley/Santa Clara -- that it is mainly a M-F business hotel, I aimed real low and went for 47$ as the first bid (only checked Sunnyvale/Santa Clara) for Friday-Monday, August 3-6. Accepted quickly at the Hilton 4* on Great America Parkway with the option to stay for additional nights. Possibly paid too much? How low can you go... :)

Only one bid at 60$ with Disney World Area only -- accepted by Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort check in 1/2/06. The going rate on their website is 139$, so satisfied with roughly 60% off.

Used Priceline to bid on a Resort for Orlando the night of March 10, last night, accepted at 75$ for the Wyndham Palace Resort in WDW. Upon arrival at the Resort, signs everywhere asking for guests to voluntarily accept a 2 night/ 3 day stay (use whenever for up to a year) in lieu of giving up a reservation for that night, since they were horribly overbooked. But, the best part was the option to stay at 'any' neighboring property for no additional charge. So, I chose the Hyatt Grand Cypress (going rate 300$). The hotel to hotel Wholesale price showed up on our TV at checkout as 109$, which was a bit more than the 75$ I paid. Another fellow in line behind us at the Wyndham smiled and asked us at the Hyatt, "How did you beat me here?" Anyways, awesome luck for this buy.

Decided to abandon the effort to visit Key West. Since a Carnival Cruise out of Miami visits Key West for a while before heading to Mexico, I saw it as a better option to simply go for a 4 day cruise for the price of a One Night Stay in Key West. Hence, for March 10, bid up to 75$ for the Wyndham Palace Resort And Spa in Orlando, and finally got it.

$122 for March 9 at Miami Fontainebleau Hilton Resort. Bid 90,95,100, without success. PL offered a $22 offer to try again, so $122 seemed to be the magic number. Tried a few more areas at 105, 110, 115. Tried $122 and it went through. Then, tried another bid for Thursday night March 10, and went up to 150$ for Resort without success. Apparently, inventory and prices changed signficantly between Wednesday and Thursday stays. Looking forward to a nice stay at the Resort.

Today, Friday, I also bid $50 on a one-night stay for March 8, on a 3 Star, and surprisingly (or not) received the Doubletree Oceanfront - Fort Lauderdale. I am driving from Tallahassee down to Key West for Spring Break and am quite satisified. The money I will save (every dollar counts) will go to offsetting the resort prices in Key West, which are unsettling.