norwegianwife

It seems to be factored into the price quoted. If you enter in a stay with multiple nights, you will see the normal prices with a slash through them and then the Hotels.com rate is in green. It is 15 percent off the second night, not the first. But they average it all and give you a per night average. Also, I don't know if it varies from property to property or if it is a blanket Hotels.com thing. I will look further into it!!

So, I have spent the better part of the last hour LUSTING over the packages offered in the auction section of this website: www.luxurylink.com (www-dot-luxurylink-dot-com) They have a auction section that has luxury hotel stays with deep discounts. I have only looked in the Europe section, but they have properties all over the world. Just really fun to look at and to keep in mind for special occaisions. Has anybody heard anything about this site?? Check it out!

regarding my Hotels.com question...yes, I WAS referring to the 'help support betterbidding' section where it is clearly listed as a link.... so i am a little slow to look around.... but i still want to know about stinky canals in july...

Yes, you are right Lonestar. Hotels.com offers a 15 percent discount when you book 2 nights or more. So that is a nice little bonus! In order to support the board do we access Hotels.com through Savingsbarn? i don't see a link there for it. Anybody know??? OH, also, does anybody know about the canals stinking in July in Venice due to the heat??

OF COURSE I was talking about the OTHER DEALS >> HOTELS section of the board, Thereuare!!! Just trying to keep you on your toes!!! :) I will keep you all updated on the Venice decision!!! Thanks for all of the input!

so, regarding the 'add a night' feature, (as an example)...We recently won a room in NYC at the Barclay for 130 dollars for new years eve 2006. It gave us the option of adding a room, we tried, and PL came back and said 'sorry, no rooms available at that price, but you can have a room for 370 a night!' We said no, and thought that was the end of it. So, question is, can I keep accessing that winning bid and continue to try and add a night up until 11.00am on January 1, 2007?? Or are you only allowed to add a night when you are placing your initial bid??

Yes, they do have an AC! That was one of the first things I checked! I was actually amazed by the overwhelmingly good reviews on TripAdvisor. Most of them are 5 out of 5 consistently. Lonestar, TripAdvisor also has a hotel checker that checks available rates through Hotels.com, venere, Expedia and like 5 others. Venere was actually really high compared to Hotels.com. But i agree with you about being thorough when looking for the best rates. I think we will go ahead and book the room for a couple of nights. That many people can't be wrong! I wonder if it might be nice to have a section to put hotel deals we get on sites other than priceline and hotwire?? It could be useful and we may begin to identify some patterns over a period of time. What do you think Thereuare??

So, here is the deal. I was doing research to prepare my bidding strategy for Venice this summer. I was checking various websites to see what the average rates were for mid july, when i stumbled across this little gem: Ai Mori d'Oriente Hotel. It's a 4 star hotel (3.5 according to tripadvisor) and 4.5 star reviews. Prices on the hotel website for our nights are 150 Euro for a standard double. On Hotels.com we can get the superior room for 150 Euro or the standard room for 121 Euro. It is described as being out of the 'hustle and bustle' and a supplying a 'real taste of Venice'. Perfect in my book. There is not alot of bidding history for Venice in the 'Other Countries' section. Do you all think I should just go ahead and book this hotel, which 99.9 percent of ALL people RAVE about, or take my chances and not pay much less on Priceline? It seems as though Europe, and especially Italy, dont have the GREAT deals US and London have.( with the exception of Milan, where some really cheap PL rates have been posted for 4 and 5 star properties.) So, I don't know, just wanted to hear everyone's opinions. It just seems like there are some great deals to be had in Europe on websites like Hotels.com....thoughts?

Hi Ashta! Last summer we had luck in MTE and got the Waldorf Astoria for 140 dollars a night. Both the Waldorf and the Barclay are good bets to see on Priceline for a decent amount, and I agree with Thereuare, NYC is a compact area, so anywhere in Midtown would be good. For example, when we stayed at the Waldorf, we had MAYBE a 15 minute walk to Times Square, 20 minutes or so the The Empire State building and about 10 to Central Park. So take a look through this thread and see which hotels are being won in MTW and that will give you an idea at what your own chances will be. For example, if NOONE else is winning hotels for around that time of the year for around that price in MTW, that is a fair indication that there is probably nothing there for that price. So the best advice for this board, and for aquiring hotels in this manner, is be FLEXIBLE! and fortunantly NYC is a GREAT place to be flexible in!! Good Luck!

Yes, Yes, Lonestar, I truly am a Norwegian wife, by way of the LONESTAR state. Born and raised in Texas and while growing up in the hill country our neighbors had a pet deer named LONESTAR as well. But, I married a Norwegian man and picked up and moved over. Afterall, Norway is the TEXAS of Europe!!!! Interesting about the Gellert hotel. How could I get a discount without the coupon? Just call and ask? We are looking forward to our little trip this summer. That is one HUGE advantage of living in Europe. Just pack up the car and head out on a road trip through Europe, plus the standard of 5 weeks of paid vacation is a nice bonus as well!!! hee hee!!

Accessed Priceline through Savingsbarn. started at 99 bucks in UM-CPS and added rebid zones up to 115. No bites. I find it a bit interesting that I didn't even get a counter offer based on the hotel available on Hotwire for 133. Needless to say, we are not in any hurry, but if we could get a hotel in MTC (according to Hotwire zoning) for 133 dollars, we may just go ahead and snag it.

I'm thinking it is the Le Parker Meridien? It matches the description here and also the tripadvisor rating matches the one in Hotwire. As far as bidding strategy goes, should I start at 99 in MTC and add rebid zones up to 120 and see what happens? Thanks

NOt sure if I should start a new thread, as all hotels are tied to the same trip. Today on Hotwire, they are offering a 4* in MTC for 133 dollars a night for January 1-4, 2007! Last week, there was nothing under 200 dollars!! Any ideas which hotel this is? Here are the amenities listed: Hotel Amenities Restaurant(s) Property offers at least one restaurant on the premises; hours and days of operation may vary.Fitness Center Guests have access to exercise equipment; an additional charge may apply. Spa Services Guests have access to a spa facility or spa services; an extra charge typically applies.High-speed Internet Access Guestrooms are equipped with high-speed Internet access; an extra charge may apply. Business Center Guests have access to business equipment and services; an additional charge may apply. I think we will put together a bid and try to undercut the price via priceline, but history tells me that if the hotel is being offered on Hotwire for 133, we could probably get it for around 100 or so on Priceline. what does everyone think??

Regarding the hotels Lonestar suggested...I checked the online rates and the cheapest rate for the Movenpick was 130 euros a night, the Renaissance in Vienna, 182 USD a night, and for the Gellert, 130 Euros a night. I think I will have much better luck with lower rates by going through Priceline on any of these properties. I don't think I will buy an Entertainment Book, as I live in Norway, and it would really be of no use for me. Even at half off, judging from rates in the 'Other Countries' section for hotels in these cities last summer, the Priceline price would be lower. I do agree with Lonestar about dividing up the 'Other Countries' section. I am not sure how big of a job it is for Thereuare though! If not Country by Country, region by region would be nice. something like: Asia Australia Central Europe Western Europe Eastern Europe Scandinavia (although you can't use the 'name your own price in Norway, which I find very annoying!) Other I DON'T KNOW!!!! But I do agree that it is a bit cumbersome to navigate as it is growing so much!

Hmmm, well, I will just stick with the US site and savingsbarn link. As the song says: 'don't go chasing waterfalls'...so, we look forward to posting some great hotels for copenhagen, berlin, prague, vienna, budapest, munich, frankfurt and hamburg! Thanks everyone for weighing in!!! See you soon!

We have alot of hotels to book for this summer for a drive through Europe. Does anyone know if you get better rates for Europe through the UK site or the US site? I know that, in the past, the UK prices, especially for cities like NY and SanFran, were higher than the US site, so I am inclined to think the US has the best rates, but I just don't know!! Also, is there a savingsbarn link for UK? If anyone has any info, we would appreciate hearing it! Thanks everyone!!!

Well, I was about to buy the room on Hotwire, when I thought to myself, 'Hmmmmm, If they are selling the room for 145 on Hotwire, I wonder if I could get it for cheaper on Priceline??' Soooo...off I went to Savingsbarn.com and started my bid at 120 in MTE. Was rejected, but told if I was willing to raise my price by 22 dollars, it was a deal. I said NO and added a free rebid zone at 130. ACCEPTED!! The Barclay! So, Thereuare, I am guessing you were right about the Hotwire Hotel being the Barclay as well! Here are the details: Check-In Date: Sun, Dec 31, 2006 Check-In Time: After 03:00 PM Check-Out Date: Mon, Jan 1, 2007 Your Offer Price: $130.00 Extend Your Stay Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $130.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $29.00 Total Charges: $159.00 We are really thrilled with the price, as we were FULLY prepared to pay around 300 dollars for nights around this time of the year! They gave me an 'Extend your stay for the same price' option and I said yes, but they came back and said it wasn't available, BUT I could have a room for 370 bucks the night of the 1st! So, we will build our trip around this night! New Years Eve in the bag at a really LOW price! Thanks everyone for your help and insight, we will let you know how the rest of the bidding plays out! And will add hotels this summer in Europe as well.

As requested: Hotel Amenities: Restaurant Fitness Center Tennis Nearby Business Center Confirmation of date: Check in:Sun, Dec 31, 2006Check out:Mon, Jan 1, 200 4-star hotel 74% saved PricePerRoom: $143 per room per night Retail: $549.00 You save: $406.00

<link broken and romoved> any idea which hotel this is? It is 4* MTE for 145 a night on New Years EVe...Which seems to be an amazing price! Customer reviews are good and they have 4 out of 5 on TripAdvisor. So there is that one and the one in FD for 1 65, which is most likely the Millineum... We definantly don't mind splitting the bid. If we decide to book, should I start a new thread in the Hotwire section? EDIT BY THEREUARE: you can't link to HOTWIRE as you did (as its session and cookie based) so i've removed the link, please list the amenities as dahammer suggests below. If you book just one nite continue this thread and only start a new thread if you then need the remaining nite of 1/1. Thanks.

Thanks for the input. The stay would be from December 31 and checking out on January 2, so 2 nights. And yes, it is for New years 2006!!!!! I am inclined to agree with Thereuare regarding the price for the 4star on Hotwire. I just can't imagine getting a better deal on New Years Eve on Manhatten! Problem is, our stay is 2 nights and when i do a search on HOtwire for the 31st-2nd the cheapest hotel is a 3 star in soho/FD for 251?? searching for just new years eve, I get the 4* for 165. I would think that New Years Eve would be more expensive than New Years day.?? Should we bid the nights individually? We wouldn't mind changing hotels if that would lower the bid... I think I would like to try a few bid attempts up to around 160, especially in light of the the offer of 165 on HOtwire. We want a 4* and location is really not an issue as we like to experience new areas in Manhatten. Any sugesstions or strategies? Thanks!

Hi all! Well, it's time to start bidding holiday travel again! We will be coming to the states for Christmas next year and plan to end our trip in NYC before returning to Oslo. We want to fly in on the 31st of December and leave on the 2nd. Question: Is Priceline good for major holidays like New Years? Our plan is to go ahead and book something that we can later cancel directly with a hotel and then start trying for something lower. Right now on Expedia we can get 4*'s 70 Park Avenue, The Alex amd The Millenium for 265-290 a night, which I think sounds really good for New Years. Hotwire has a 4* customer favorite listed for 272 a night. So, what do you guys recommend? Book something directly from the W or another 4*property and start bidding on Priceline....Or, be safe and book now through Expedia (or another discount website)?? We tried a preliminary bid last night starting out in the Financial District becasue I have been reading sucess with landing the Tribeca Grand, and we LOVE that hotel, so just started with 150 and added rebid zones up to 190 and was rejected. Totally open to sugesstions and strategies and willing to spend up to 250 a night through PL.... Also planning a summer drive through Europe and am sure to have lots of exciting hotel posts for Prague, Vienna, Budapest and Berlin over in the other section... Thanks everyone!!!

Your Offer Price: $152.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 2 Subtotal: $304.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $58.85 Total Charges: $362.85 Tried going through MTE starting at 110 used 2 rebid zones, unsucessful. Closed window and started over. Same strategy starting with MTW starting at 110. 2 rebids, nada. Closed window and started over. Jumped over to Central Park Started with 130 and selected 4* MTW and UM/CPS... Priceline countered with the 'add 22 dollars to your bid' and since the company is paying, I said Ok! I got The Drake! Very satisfied!!! Lowest rate on hotel website for that weekend was 239. As always, bid through Savingsbarn.com!!

Long time no post!!! WEll, this summer as we were booking our massive tour of the US, one of our stops was Palm Springs. A stop between Vegas and San Diego. Did the bidding and got the hotel for something like 44 dollars a night! We were excited until we saw that we had bid on the wrong night and ended up having to bid again and get two nights in a row in Palm Springs. Lesson learned: ALWAYS double check ALL of your information before submitting!!!! Oh well.

I was told that the Waldorf Astoria and the Waldorf Towers are two different hotels, but they are in the same building, so I am a little confused! Anyway, we just got back from NYC and our 3 day stay at the Waldorf. We paid 140 dollars a night and it was worth EVERY cent. We arrived for check in and asked the guy for a room on a high floor. He did not mention Priceline at all and gave us a room on the 40th floor in The Waldorf Tower. It is a whole different set of elevators from the Astoria to access the Tower. Great room with a good view. Down comforter on the bed. Great toiletries and bathroom. Certainly a 4 star property. NIghtly turn down service, great housekeeping service. EXPENSIVE mini bar. Buy water at one of the countless deli's around the place. In room coffee, but there is a Starbucks right out side. Great concierge, reccommended a Steakhouse on 54th between Lexington and Park called Bobby Van's. THE BEST PIECE OF MEAT I HAVE EVER HAD!!! Was pricey, but two people can share one filet. I am not kidding, it is like 16 ounces! HUGE! The lobby was beautiful. They are clear on the website about 'no tank tops, flip flops etc allowed while lounging in the lobby' but all I saw were people sitting on the couches in tank tops, shorts and flip flops. Not sure why, maybe they weren't enforcing the rule since it was so hot outside. Our friends saw Angelina Jolie going through the lobby while waiting for us to come down. And on another day there was some other guy who everyone was trying to get pictures of. So apparantly, the Waldorf is still a pretty great place to stay for celebrities and such. We went and had drinks at the W on Lexington. A very trendy bar with great ambience, but then again, it is the W! Try the Key Lime Pie Martini, really tastes EXACTLY like key lime pie! What else can I say? Just a personal piece of advice, if you can avoid going to New York City in August, it is a good idea. It was BRUTALLY hot. Sweltering. And that comes from someone from Texas. October is a MUCH more pleasant experience, especially since so much of enjoying the city is walking the streets of Manhatten!

Not sure what the reference to the $20 dollar tip is, but our stay was fabulous. I personally would have felt a little awkward trying to slip the reservation guy some cash, as the place was PACKED with people and employees and I don't see how it could be done discreetly. ANYWAY, We asked to stay in the Venezia tower as well and were given a FABULOUS room overlooking the pool. No mention of our purchase on EasyClickTravel through this website. The hotel was sold out and very busy. We were amazed by this place. Walking into our room was such an experience! We felt like kids in a candy store. Kept saying 'HOLY COW (or another adult word), can you believe this place???' There are just very few words to describe what you feel when you first see a hotel room of this caliber. If you are a 'normal' person, this will most likely be the MOST amazing hotel room you will have ever stayed in! Just the amount of money that has gone into buiding this hotel. Truly this is a hotel of which you can say 'Only in Vegas'. The murals on the ceiling, the food court with the clouds painted on the ceiling. Amazing. We ate at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant. Spent about 300 bucks(4 people), but it was among one of the best meals we have EVER had. Impeccable service, food and menu. Worth every cent, especially if you want to splurge and treat yourself! Close to the huge shopping center, Model something or other and right next to the new Wynn hotel. The Venetian is right up there with the Bellagio and the Wynn. Gaudy and Gorgeous. The old strip hotels can simply not compete with this new breed of Vegas hotels! If you can, spend the extra money, and get a room at the Venetian through Priceline or EasyClickTravel Travel through this site. So worth the experience.