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Also rejected at $55, $58, and $62, repeating the bidding zones as previously.

Work's got to give me these trips earlier because trying to book at the last minute is so stressful! Hopefully I remember all the bidding process. By the way, this hotel used to be the Doubletree Club Largo (as it shows on the Maryland Priceline hotel list here and comparing addressess) and is now rated 3*. Was actually trying for the 2.5* Marriott Courtyard and missed. Reviewing my trip requests, it looks Priceline didn't store all my requests. It doesn't show my very first bid attempt. Either it keeps track of the last bid in one browser session or I missed a chance to do an exact rebid before 24 hours passed. Started at 2.5 stars $43 Greenbelt - Hyattsville added Laurel at $48 Closed browser Greenbelt and Camp at $55 got $15 upgrade to try then Next day, new browser still 2.5* Greenbelt, Camp, Laurel at $60 2* $55 Silver 2* $52 Greenbelt Hyattsville added Silver at 60 2* Greebelt - Hyattsville (thought it would probably treat as a duplicate, must not have because of lost very first bid) bid $65, was accepted and upgraded to 3* Radisson Hotel Largo Washington Greenbelt - Hyattsville 9100 Basil Court Largo, Maryland 20774 301-773-0700 Your Offer Price: $65.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 4 Subtotal: $260.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $41.62 Total Charges: $301.62 Now to get a Philadelphia airport to round out the trip. Good bidding.

Just knew I'd get the $45 at the Hilton several people have gotten recently. Started 3* at $45 added Gloucester - Runnemede - Deptford at $47 added Stadium Area at $50

You know, the biggest drawback I have with Priceline these days is internet access. I was trying to get the Hilton--which has free wifi access--and instead got the Sheraton. It makes roughly a $10 a night difference. Very frustrating. Anyway, all bids for 3* Columbia - Jessup 3* at $40 added Balt North at $45 added Balt SW at $50 closed browser, bid Columbia - Jessup and Balt W at $53 and it was accepted. Sheraton Columbia Hotel Check-In Date: Monday, July 10, 2006 Check-Out Date: Tuesday, July 11, 2006 Columbia - Jessup 10207 Wincopin Circle Columbia, Maryland 21044 410-730-3900 Your Offer Price: $53.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $53.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $14.23 Total Charges: $67.23

The people at this hotel were very friendly. I had a room with one king bed. The room is wide, but there was little room between the foot of the bed and the wardrobe with the tv. Nice seating area and separate desk area though. The bathroom, while old and showing definite wear, was nice with a separate very large jacuzzi tub. The ice machine on my floor was broken (I reported) and never fixed while I was there. However, the bar folk were very friendly and filled my bucket each day. Front desk greeted me by name the week I was there, in part because I added a day and had a split reservation that seemed to confuse things. One person was on top of it though and encouraged me not to worry about it or waste time dealing with it, that'd she'd make sure it was handled. The biggest downside is how loud the water pipes are. I didn't really hear toilet flushing, I think it was just the shower or jacuzzi. The noise in the pipes from these was extremely loud. The first morning I woke up sitting straight up in bed looking for the crisis, just from the noise.

Wow. From all the posts getting the Doubletree at $41, I thought this was going to be easy. It all worked out in the end though. I wanted either the Doubletree or really the 2.5* La Quinta. I messed up in the middle and left out Ontario as a zone so I might have been able to get this slightly cheaper. I also don't know if I'd been between $47 - $51 would I have gotten the 2.5* La Quinta instead of 3*. I'm using another excellent post as a template, including listing the free bids" to get multiple attempts, to outlined my bid history for newbys. I'm really starting to get the feeling that with longer stays you just aren't going to get as low of a price. Ontario 3*................................................$41 Rejected Added Corona, Riverside West/San Bern.....$45 Rejected Reset Ontario 2.5*..............................................$47 Rejected Got if you add $13 now pop-up Reset Corona, Riverside West/San Bern 2.5*........$50 Rejected added Pomona..........................................$55 Rejected Reset Ontario, Riverside West/San Bern 2.5*.........$51 Accepted "Reset" means closing and then re-entering the Priceline website. This preserves your free bids by allowing you to manipulate star ratings and areas for the most bids possible. Your offer price.....................................$51 x 4 = $204.00 Taxes and service fees...........................................$34.25 Total charges.........................................................$238.25

Bid $40 for Fall River - New Bedford zone 2.5 star. Added the Raynham - Middleboro zone at $45 and 2.5 stars and it was also rejected. Didn't want Plymouth, so that was endgame. The median retail price was listed at $40, but still didn't get it. Hopefully this will help the next person bidding in this area. Oh, I searched on New Beford; Priceline seems to call it Massachusetts Southeast Suburbs. Good luck!

Bids of $40 and $45 were both rejected. Your Offer Price: $50.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 2 Subtotal: $100.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $21.50 Total Charges: $121.50

Yeah, like I said, I won, I just wanted general strategies. So if I ever bid a 3* in Zone 1, I can't that same day bid for a 4* in Zone 1 + Zone something else? Thanks for the info.

No, I know how to bid for a star and zone by using zones that don't have that star level. What I'm unclear on is the best way to bid when I want either star level in one zone. Is it best to start with highest level and bid up as high as I'll go with all the zones? Or is it better to bid once in the zone you want at higher level, then drop down to the lower star level? Then if you don't get the lower level, close broswer, reopen with original zone and one of the free rebid back at the higher level. And is there any strategy other waiting to be able to rebid if there aren't any zones that don't have your zone levels? I went ahead and go the 4* at the airport for $65 (there's a thread for it). Was hoping for a 3* to be cheaper, but I'll live. However, I'd still appreciate any thoughts on my strategy questions. Thanks.

Rejected at $58 (3* and 4*) and $61 (4* only). Accepted at $65. Your Offer Price: $65.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $65.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $15.93 Total Charges: $80.93 Higher than my per diem, but I'll be able to turn in car rental a day early and maybe work will reimburse me. Thanks for the help.

I was just rejected for Boston Airport 3* at $58. I probably should have just bid $60 right off the bat because that's as high as I can go. I really want Boston airport. I'd like to find out if I can get it for $60. If not, I'll drop down to 2.5 stars and see what happens. What should I do for my next bid? Bid Airport 3* plus a rebid zone? Or bid Airport 2.5* at a lower price? There don't seem to be any Boston zones without a 2.5 hotel, so once I guess I only get one chance at hitting the right price for a 2.5 in airport. Thanks for the help. Oh, this is for Friday 5/26 - Saturday 5/27, so first night of holiday weekend too.

If I actually bid $75, I'm way over my per diem with the taxes and fees. Pah, stupid of them to make me travel over holiday. I didn't realize that Warwick is completely separate from Providence. Gives me more options. Thanks.

Don't have a backup and my hotel allowance is $75 a day.

Finally dawned on me that it's the Memorial Day weekend. Redid it to bid just 5/23 - 5/26 (checking out Friday instead of Saturday). Providence downtown 3* at 40 rejected. Added Seekonk at $50, rejected and added Warwick at $57, still rejected. I guess even though checking the hotels through Orbitz without Saturday and they went from sold out to rooms available, they are holding out for higher rates? Still open to suggestions. Oh, for Friday night my thoughts now are to get the best rate possible in Boston close to the airport for my early flight Saturday. Thanks.

I'll be in the Providence/Boston area from 5/23 - 5/27. I bid 3* Providence downtown at $55 and was rejected. It looks like several hotels are sold out and Hotwire prices are $80 and up for any class. I'm not familiar with the area and going to be travelling around. I'll be in RI, Boston, Raynham, Fall River, and Warwick among other places. I have three meetings in the Boston area and everything else is further south closer to Providence. I'd prefer a 3* or at least a 2.5*. However, the location doesn't have to be Providence, though I don't want to go too much furtther south or west. Thanks for any and all suggestions.

Most of my meetings are along I-75. Some are in Ruskin, Apollo Beach, Lithia, Land O'Lakes, and Riverview. So there's a couple up north. Aren't those closer to Brandon than Tampa? I'm completely on board with avoiding driving. Have been told to eat at Fishtails in Clearwater, which will be drive regardless, but other than that I don't know the area and don't have any plans. If I'm right and those locations are closer to Brandon than Tampa, is there any reason to avoid Brandon? If it's less safe, noisier, fewer restaurants, something like that I'd like to know. Thanks again for the help.

Oops, my bad. Actually need it for tomorrow, 4/17 - 4/21. Monday - Friday. Would you take a 2.5* in Tampa East over 2.5* in Brandon? And why? This is a strictly business trip, don't really care about Busch Gardens and the various other sites. Was considering the La Quinta in Brandon. Mainly with being in one place so long, I want a comfortable, quiet room. Thanks.

I've been trying to get a hotel in Tampa for 4/16 - 4/21 without any luck so far. Has anyone found that requesting multiple nights makes you less likely to get a lower price? I've never used the get additional nights at this price that shows up after you win a bid. Has anyone? Would it be better to bid for one night and then use that link? I'd really like to get the Crowne Plaza in Tampa East. I've bid up to $65 a night for 3* in Tampa East with no luck. That's pretty much as high as I can afford to go. This is a business trip and most of my meetings are along I-75 (or is it 79?) so staying in the east part of Tampa seems to make sense. I've no idea what traffic is like in the area. It didn't seem like people think highly of the Brandon area, which I was also considering, but it only has 2 1/2 *. Thanks for any help.

Didn't play this well, but did well enough. Should've started over with my zones and tried for the Crowne Plaza North. No matter. Without going into complete bidding detail, $35 was rejected for areas Downtown Minneapolis Minneapolis Northwest St. Paul If I'd left it at $35 I might have gotten the same hotel, but like I said, was hoping I'd get Crowne in NW which someone had gotten for $36 before. Was too lazy to restart the bidding and zones, so my own fault. University - Metrodome 1330 Industrial Blvd Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413 612-331-1900 Your Offer Price: $36.00 Extend Your Stay Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $36.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $11.51 Total Charges: $47.51

Let me just add that this is a fantastic property. Plenty to eat that's easy to get to and my room was absolutely fantastic. Loved it, didn't want to leave.

Sorry I wasn't clearer. Got the Extended Stay.

March 7, 2006

Started at $40 for a 3* in Evansville and it wasn't accepted. Added the one other zone and raised to $45 and it was also rejected.

First bid in Worthington at $35 was accepted. Your Offer Price: $35.00 Extend Your Stay Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $35.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $13.07 Total Charges: $48.07