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I was wondering whether the Sheraton Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken was downgraded or upgraded as far as star level between this post and the date of the last update of the Priceline hotel list. I see on the list it's 3.5* but this is the last data point this board has and it's listed as a 4* win. Either the list is outdated, or there is some magical non-posted data point proving it was downgraded since December to a 3.5*. ^^; Just wanted to get clarification on this.

I walked them through the bidding and they were worried about having to wait for 3* rebid, so they wanted to start higher at $90. It was accepted immediately at the Hyatt (upgraded to 4*). We probably overbid, but they seemed happy enough.

Thanks, thereuare! Sadly for 3* there are zero free rebids. I also haven't bid yet 'cause my relatives are being picky and indecisive. New rates this morning are: Doubletree 159 Marriott 209 Westin 179 W Hoboken 206 Hyatt 199 Also seeing a 4* on Hotwire for $136 for what looks like the W Hoboken due to there being Tennis as a listed amenity. As an aside, I discovered new info for Candlewood Suites, I posted in the Hotwire section with details. Have any ideas on what to bid for 3*? I'll only have 1 24hr later rebid.

Just wanted to let you know I'm seeing an updated listing for what I'm pretty sure is the Candlewood Suites. 2.5* Free Parking, Complimentary Breakfast, Suite, Smoke Free Rooms, High-Speed Internet Access Recommended by 85% of guests.

I'm a bit rusty at this so wanted to check with the experts here on the best bidding strategy. Looking for a Newport Jersey City hotel for relatives for this coming weekend. Check-in: 5/12 Check-out: 5/14 I haven't attempted any bids yet since I'm aware Sat night check-in inventory isn't released till last minute usually. The 3* hotels are best located for us since they are in Newport. The 4* hotels... eh, there is the Westin and the W Hoboken isn't too far. But the Hyatt down at Exchange Place would be kind of inconvenient so I'm not sure about the 4* option yet. Checking each hotel chain's websites I see the following rates: Doubletree $159 Marriott $189 Westin $179 W Hoboken $239 Hyatt $199 I also see a 4* Hotwire Hotel [Fitness Center, Pool(s), Restaurant(s), Business Center, High-Speed Internet Access & 95% Recommendation Rate] going for $126/night. This rate just popped up tonight after Midnight EDT! Earlier tonight it was $159 but with the Sheraton Lincoln Harbor amenities & 95% Recommendation. Based on previous posts, I'm guessing this is the Westin Newport? What do you think is a good amount to start low bidding at? I guess I shouldn't go over $100 considering the $126 Hotwire rate? Thanks in advance!

okay, i have looked into getting a Blue Cash card before... but the thing that bothers me is that whole "Up to 5% cash back" thing. i called Amex before to try to ask them to give me the EXACT breakdown of what the earning structure is, but they didn't have that information. there are a lot of MC and Visa cards that give you a flat 1% cash back no matter what. (Citi Dividends for example) i just don't see how Blue Cash is necessarily better than those cards. does anyone on this board actually HAVE a Blue Cash card? would you be so kind as to share the exact earning structure? thanks!

Phaelon56, why don't you apply for either a Hilton HHonors Amex or Visa? as long as you earn some HHonors points, your current points balance shouldn't expire. also, you can combine the two accounts using an online form. just login to your account online and fill out the form. check out Flyertalk.com for more help.

hi Scout... my guess on this one is maybe the Buena Vista Suites on World Center Drive. seems to fit the amenities. but this is a just a random guess.

tsb4, i highly suspect that the 3* which matches the amenities you listed (make sure it's an exact match) is the Best Western Lake Buena Vista on Hotel Plaza Blvd near Downtown Disney. it's been recently renovated, and is in a great location! please report back if you decide to go for it. good luck!

John, just thought i'd mention that only your first night 11/7 seems to be sold out. maybe you could stay at a cheaper hotel on the first night. try for a 3* or something. and try bidding for 11/8 - 11/10 for a 4* or higher in the Beach zone. have you also checked Hotwire for you dates, btw?

hi robcomp. this is a great hotel! for future reference, you probably could've gotten it for a few dollars less. the "Raise your bid by $12" thing that you got was a Counteroffer from Priceline. Counteroffers are usually higher than the dollar amount you would need to win a bid. this way Priceline makes a little extra money. you can usually undercut the Counteroffer. have you read through the bidding tips here on the boards? they would've helped you figure out that you can reject Priceline's counteroffer, and rebid a lower dollar amount (like $50). try: http://www.betterbidding.com/show.php/act/...t/ST/f/173/t/16 http://www.betterbidding.com/show.php/act/...t/ST/f/173/t/19

hi Lou. i just recently did a lot of research on Ft. Lauderdale hotels + booked a pre-cruise hotel for a friend. the closest hotels to Port Everglades are: Renaissance Hotel, Marriott Marina, Amerisuites Convention Center, Embassy Suites, Hyatt Regency Pier 66, Holiday Inn Express Convention Center, and Comfort Suites Cruise Port. some of those hotels are available on Priceline or Hotwire (check the Hotel Lists here) others need to be booked conventionally. these are all in downtown Ft Lauderdale, and are all under 2 miles away from Port. although the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 (see my winning bid post for details) is actually in the Priceline Beach zone. but it's not actually ON the beach. i think it's pretty close to the beach though. maybe you go by water taxi? if you want to be closer to the beach, try: Sheraton Yankee Clipper, Marriott Harbor Beach Resort, Radisson Bahia, or Doubletree Oceanfront. Best Western Oceanside Inn or Days Inn Bahia Cabana are budget options near the beach, but these might be more motel like. i didn't research them, i just know their location is within 3 miles of Port. i think the Doubletree Guest Suites Galleria and Holiday Inn Oceanfront are near the beach too, but they are a bit further away from Port. still under 5 miles away though. you can try to see what the rates at these hotels are like conventionally. book a backup hotel reservation first. get to know what the hotel rates are like, so you can figure out what kind of deal (or bidding limit) you might want to aim for. and then you can come back here and see about attempting Priceline or Hotwire. hope this helps!

Randy. $160 in Hotel Circle! wow. well i guess it's a suite. but Hotel Circle's not so good in terms of ambience. you don't have an Entertainment Book, do you? a lot of San Diego hotels participate w/ the Entertainment Book. actually, you can just call them and book the Entertainment Rate as a backup. and then you can buy the Entertainment Book later if it turns out you do need to use your backup reservation. i got back from San Diego recently, and experienced the city from 3 different neighborhoods. i stayed in Mission Bay (Dana Inn through Hotwire), La Jolla (Empress Hotel at $74.50/night Entertainment rate), and Downtown (Embassy Suites on Hilton points, but this hotel is available on Hotwire also). (it's complicated, we had a segmented trip w/ a jaunt to Vegas in between). the first 2 neighborhoods we had a car, and then when we stayed downtown, we saved money by using the public transportation system. we went to Seaworld, the Zoo, and walked around Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla and Coronado Island, and Torrey Pines State Reserve. our favorite hotel was the Empress Hotel La Jolla. it was a great rate, and La Jolla is absolutely gorgeous. it's w/in walking distance of La Jolla Cove, and much nicer than staying near the highways. we avoided Mission Valley and Hotel Circle because we didn't want to go to San Diego and stay next to the highways. if you're bidding up to $90 for downtown... have you thought about trying for Coronado bids? the Marriott and Loews sometimes come up for $99. Coronado Island is so beautiful. the beach is breathtaking IMO. also, not sure if your 9-year old is a boy or a girl. but perhaps they might find it interesting to see the Navy SEALS training on Coronado. let me know if you have any questions.

bid this a month ago for an emergency trip. i can't recall the exact bid history, but i believe i started at $40 or $45 and went up $2 per bid? to $50 when it finally hit. it came to about $63 after taxes/fees.

does this hotel really need a review? :) well i'll mention that the front desk was very courteous, and there was no mention of Priceline at all. they discreetly said that our reservation was prepaid. we had planned to ask for an upgrade to Strip view, but then forgot about it after walking into the lobby and just being in awe of how nice it was. so we never got to test out whether they upgrade Priceline customers or not. we weren't planning on using the $20 trick. hotel room elevator banks are manned by uniformed security who will ask to see you room key before you are allowed in. (we didn't see that when we stayed at the MGM Grand. guess that's just another difference between 4* and 5* hotels. heh.) there is a food court (we were surprised), and a decent priced casual restaurant that's owned/operated by the company that runs the Cheesecake Factory. btw, they sell Krispy Kreme donuts at the food court. the in-room fax/printer is a great amenity (only 25cents per page), as we happened to need to print out a certificate for our upcoming stay at another hotel the next night. unfortunately, the printer was out of ink when we finally got around to printing it at 3am the night before check-out. they have technical guys on staff 24-7 of course (5* hotel) and sent someone up to install the new print cartridge. there were broken light switches, and burnt out light bulbs in the room. but we didn't care. they don't have too many outlets in the bedroom/living room for plugging in your electronics though. we used the ones in the bathroom. the Venetian rooms have the nicest bathrooms i've ever seen. oh how i wish my own bathroom at home looked like that. anyway, we'd be crazy not to go back. i'm already planning to start randomly bidding for the Venetian for upcoming dates. i've left out a bunch of stuff, but there's really not much that needs to be said about the Venetian.

this is a great family motel. it's clean and very centrally located in San Diego for visiting all the major attractions. the exterior of the 2-story motel buildings leaves something to be desired. dull, grayish brown, faux Polynesian decor. there are no elevators. i couldn't believe how small and basic the hotel "Lobby" is. but the staff was friendly and helpful. most rooms only have shower stalls. that may sound bad, but actually the shower stalls are some of the nicest ones i've ever seen. the bathrooms really were designed very well, w/ a small window for ventilation and natural daylight, and bright flourescent lights to keep things well lit at night. if you have small children, you can request, and are more likely to be granted, one of the few shower/tub combo rooms. there are double sinks on a large counter/vanity right outside the bathroom. the interior of the rooms is very basic, well worn, but still very clean and well maintained. (i don't know if that makes any sense) there was a mini-fridge that was difficult to set to the right temperature, so our water bottles were ice the first morning. because of the exterior entry rooms, you can hear other guests walking by and hear their conversations very well through the front door of the room. i probably won't be staying here again, but that's only because i don't like the whole motel exterior-corridor thing. we only stayed here because we needed to be as close as possible to the Paradise Point Resort (part of wedding party) and couldn't afford there. for those of you who don't mind motels, this is probably as good as it gets as far as motels go. oh, and this motel is NOT within comfortable walking distance to anything other than its own marina. the walk to the Mission Beach and Belmont Park is about 30 minutes, and pretty much along a highway. driving is really the preferred method of getting around in San Diego.

this was a non-Priceline stay. we were using HHonors Points. i was worried about this property because i read some mediocre reviews. (which were pretty much confirmed w/ this stay). they have a free airport shuttle. this "shuttle" is basically a small van which you have to call the hotel to arrange for the "shuttle" to go to the airport to pick you up. the driver of the "shuttle" is one of the hotel's bellhops. the hotel is located right next to the Seaport Village trolley stop. it's a 5 minute walk from the American Plaza trolley transfer station at Broadway. and a 7 minute walk from the Sante Fe Depot (train station). i wouldn't really call this hotel's location "Downtown". it's more on the outskirts of Downtown. anyway, the mediocre comments that i can now confirm are that this hotel is in need of a renovation. nothing is really that bad, but the room decor and color scheme look dated, and not that new or clean. the bathroom lighting is horrible blah flourescent lighting. i think they might have renovated the bathroom tiling lately, as it looked clean and new. we requested and got a great Bay view (w/ the Coronado Bay Bridge in the distance). but this view also meant we were facing the Helipad, and could hear helicopters taking off and landing all the time. the balcony was a full balcony, but i believe this is only on the 13th and 14th floors? oh wait, were we on the 13th floor? i didn't even notice until now. the laundry room was conveniently on our floor. there was 1 washer and 1 dryer. it cost $0.75 for the wash (took 30 min?) and $0.75 for around 40 min of dryer time. the dryer doesn't work too well, so we ended up hanging up our slightly damp laundry in the bathroom to dry. this Embassy Suites had an atrium garden that needed some help. (paled in comparison to the SFO Airport Embassy Suites) there was also koi in the ponds. but i'm not so sure these were normal koi. they looked and acted like mutant gigantic goldfish piranhas. there were fish food machines, and we stood leaning over the railing outside our door once, watching other guests feed the fish. and jeez those are the scariest koi i have ever seen! i think if a person fell in, the koi would attempt to eat them. if you like turtles, you might be more interested in the other side of the pond, were there is "Turtle Town" (as the sign said) and you can feed the cute turtles who swim leisurely to the food. i suppose families with children will get a kick out of the mutant koi and the cute turtles. btw, San Diego is really not a pedestrian friendly city. the famous seafood restaurnant "The Fish Market"/"Top of the Market" is right down the block from this hotel. however, there are NO sidewalks. we had a fun time walking back late at night in the dark. heh. anyway, i probably left out some info, so if anyone has questions, just contact me via PM. okay, well i should probably add that San Diego is a great place to visit, and i would probably stay at the Embassy Suites again if i was on a budget. it was convenient to public transportation. but then again, public transportation in San Diego can be really time consuming. it'd be better to rent a car (except Embassy Suites charges $15/day parking)

won this via Priceline (4* category). stay was in Sept '03. checked-in late afternoon around 4pm. very nice lobby area, and amazing garden atrium with towering tropical plants, and waterfalls + koi ponds. my first time at an Embassy Suites, so this set the precedent. (other ES gardens were not as impressive) the front desk was very friendly and helpful. no mention of Priceline at all. when i presented my HHonors number and asked her if i can earn points for incidentals, she answered cheerily that i sure can, and inputted my HHonors # into my reservation. i was surprised by this, as i'd called the hotel a few days earlier to ask the same question, and a surly employee had rudely answered that i booked my room through Priceline so i don't get those benefits at all. that phone call was made late at night though, so i wonder if the night clerks just aren't as friendly. the room was in pretty good condition. lots of counter space, but the only closet space is an armoire in the bedroom. one convenient sink and vanity in the bedroom. one kitchen counter w/ a small kitchen sink in the living room. (i believe there was also a mirror in front of the kitchen area). sparkling new bathroom fixtures (glass shower doors on a tub/shower combo). a third sink and vanity inside the bathroom. great setup for large families. we had a tiny step-out balcony w/ a beautiful view of the San Francisco Bay. Embassy Suites have a good breakfast buffet ("cooked to order" eggs; premade omelets, french toast, pancakes; assorted fruit, cereal, pastries; coffee, tea, milk, juice out of a machine) there is a decent Seafood/Steak restaurant on property w/ a beautiful view of the Bay. very pricey though. the one minus to this property is that you can hear the planes landing and taking off. it's really loud! oh wait, and i almost forgot that the dining table (small round table w/ 4 chairs) had some cake icing smeared all over it. and some glops of cake icing on 2 of the chairs. that was gross. glad i saw it before i sat on it.

this hotel is right next to the Marriott Suites and Homewood Suites. across the street one block closer to Disneyland is the Hyatt Regency, and another hotel (can't remember the name now). these are the 4 hotels that share a shuttle with the Crowne Plaza. estimate about 2 to 3 minutes for each stop on the shuttle. it takes a while, but like i mentioned in the Hyatt thread, it's still faster than the 30 minute walk up Harbor Blvd. Target and Walgreens are across the street, but they seem to close pretty early (certainly closed by the time you get back from the parks late at night).

OT comment regarding WillTravel's review: the Best Western mentioned is specifically called the Best Western Park Place Inn, and is literally in front of the crosswalk you would walk across to enter the "Main Gate". there are at least 3 different Best Western's in Anaheim, so don't get confused! slightly OT comment: Mimi's Cafe right outside the HOJO is indeed a very good chain restaurant to eat at. very reasonable prices, and food quality is better than most of the restaurants inside Disney property. plus they've got unlimited refills on fresh brewed iced tea + delicious fresh strawberry lemonade. heh.

just a quick comment on the location of this hotel. it is NOT within reasonable walking distance of Disneyland. i mean, some people would walk it (like me, who regularly walks miles getting around Manhattan all the time).... the 30 minute walk is certainly good exercise... but i think most people wouldn't want to walk. Harbor Blvd is only slightly less dumpy than 2 years ago (i was last there in 2001). and wouldn't you rather be spending your time waiting in line for California Screamin'? :) so, just a heads up on the location. plan on taking the shuttle (which currently stops at 4 other hotels and takes forever to pick up/drop off all the passengers, but you still get to/from Disneyland faster than walking.)

bid this for a friend. cheapest non-bidding rate i found was $199 at Orbitz. Hyatt.com was showing $349 (at least that's what i'd written down the night i bid this. i wonder if it's a typo 'cause that's such a high rate!) anyway, started at $70 and went up about $3-$4 per bid until it hit at $80. just prior to that i had unsuccessful bids for 3* up to $55, and 2.5* up to $40. so i gave up on the lower * levels and tried the 4*. looks like there might be some kind of convention in town that weekend. i was surprised the Hyatt still had priceline availability. total after taxes/fees came out to around $96.

hi Maddy. just thought i'd mention that i think the way you tell the difference between the Hotel Royal Plaza and the Renaissance is that the Hotel Royal Plaza is a Customer Favorite. this is just a speculation based on the Hotel Royal Plaza showing up as a Top Pick in the package product. good luck!

welcome back, thereuare. :)

just a quick comment regarding PlutosMyFav's results: i have heard of this happening with the Swan and Dolphin sometimes the Dolphin amenities will bring back the Swan as the resulting hotel. so if you see the Dolphin amenities, you should be willing to accept EITHER the Dolphin OR the Swan. hope this helps!