soccermacmom

We booked the Country Inn again in Ventura through the board's PRICELINE link. Details follow. We like this location, and were hoping to win this hotel. It has been the only 2.5* property on Priceline's retail side for some time. Just before I bid, I checked the retail side again, and they have added the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ventura Harbor. That would have been acceptable so I continued to bid, but we prefer the northern location. Country Inn's retail price was $107 (and Holiday Inn Express was $119) so this is good value. As a heads-up to anyone bidding in this area, Priceline has just changed the zones. They moved Oxnard out of the old "Ventura-Oxnard" zone and put it with Port Hueneme. Ventura is now its own zone, which is much better for us. I wish they'd fix the San Diego zones as well! Current Ventura area zones: Camarillo

We are just ready to check out of the Country Inn and Suites in Redlands, and I thought I'd post a quick review. First, the free wireless internet is working flawlessly, and doesn't require you to re-connect every time you walk away from the computer. Score! This has been a delightful stay. The hotel is fairly new, nicely decorated and our room is very comfortable. Great bed, dressing area, good shower with body sprays (!!), small wet bar area with refrigerator and microwave, desk and chair, and a small sleeper sofa and armchair. TV is older (actually just like one I have at home) but worked fine. Air conditioning works very well, a plus since it is a very hot weekend in Redlands. Free parking, free internet, free breakfast. Breakfast was bountiful, lots of cold items and two waffle makers, sausage and scrambled eggs. Not gourmet, but anyone should find something to eat there. Evidently there is a manager's reception Mon-Thursday only. We arrived before check-in time and asked for a top-floor king room away from the freeway. One was not ready then, but the friendly clerk told us to check back in a little while and she would have one for us. We walked across the street and had a late lunch; by the time we came back our keys and room were waiting for us. No punishment for booking through Priceline. Appreciated. I wish this property were on our usual frequent routes, as I would be happy to come again. But it is probably only a one-night-stand for us. I'm becoming more impressed with the Country Inn and Suites brand. Good value.

Occupancy seems to be pretty light this week. We need a room in Redlands next weekend, and the hotels in the area have all dropped their prices. I decided to low-ball it since all the 2-1/2* places are pretty nice and I have a couple of rebid zones. Didn't need the rebids -- offer was accepted on the first try. Of course, I used the PRICELINE link on the forum. Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, San Bernardino/Redlands 2

I haven't see a review of the Country Inn and Suites in Ventura, so thought I would add one. We really enjoyed our stay at this Country Inn. While it is a bit tired in places and service wasn't really crisp, it had the essentials and provided really good value. Check-in was quick and polite; we asked for a non-smoking king room on the top floor, away from the freeway/train side, and the clerk called the head housekeeper to confirm that a room was available. The room was very large, comfortable, and clean, and had a dressing room/vanity sink area outside the bathroom. Everything worked properly, and we appreciated the quiet of not having guests above us. The only negative with the room is that they do not furnish any kind of a blackout curtain -- there are only sheers on the window. Privacy wasn't an issue because of the location, but the street lights lit the room up quite a bit all night, and I woke up several times thinking a light was on. We enjoyed the complimentary breakfast, which was adequate and provided scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and the usual breads, cereals, yogurt, juice, and fruit. An attendant checked our tickets. The breakfast room is large and the hotel was not full, so seating wasn't a problem. They also serve a happy hour spread every evening from 5-7pm, with jug wine and draft beer and a few snacks; this was nice to take out by the pool. The room was a bit busier for happy hour, since it was also Monday Night Football. ;-) I did use the jacuzzi and pool; they were both clean. It is extremely noisy on that side -- literally next to both the freeway and the train tracks -- but that's what you get on the beach in Ventura. I had to ask for towels at the front desk, which was fine. The location of the Country Inn is great. We rode our bikes around the corner and over a bridge to the beachfront bike path. We also walked the other direction about 3 short blocks to the downtown area, where there are quite a few good restaurants and interesting shops. We enjoyed sitting on the Starbucks patio and watching the nightlife. We'd definitely be happy to stay there again. Decent value for full price, and a steal for the Priceline price.

Good morning, Happy to report an easy win today; booked through the board's PRICELINE link. Since this is the only known 2-1/2* in the Ventura-Oxnard area, I was pretty confident of the hotel. It's going for $98 on other sites and regularly is under $55 through Priceline. My first bid of $50 for a 2-1/2* in Ventura-Oxnard nailed it. thanks to fellow travelers for sharing the info! Country Inn And Suites Ventura 2

steenbean, I'm glad you had a good stay. I was hoping you would! I think I remember seeing posts about this when it was the Holiday Inn Mission Bay. We've spent many nights in hotels in that area as we've had two daughters at PLNU, and also did the summer soccer tournaments in SD for many years. I hope they are able to improve the hotel, and make it a nice solid 2-1/2*.

Hi from San Diego - We're here and yes, it is the one on Camino del Rio South. This is the furthest east of the three Mission Valley Comfort Inns. Check-in was quick and polite. We were definitely given the "priceline" room - it's a dark, musty, small room next to the pool. Bathroom is inconvenient but clean, and the free wifi works well. The location of the hotel is great for us, though, and I can see that this would work for families with kids (and there are lots of them here). Usual courtesy breakfast. The hotel surrounds the pool area in the center, which makes it noisy. I think I won't put much faith in Hotwire's "customer reviews" in the future, but I do appreciate the location and the fact that we paid very little for it. thanks everyone for your help. We're having a lot of fun visiting with our daughter.

In the hotel list, this shows as "Comfort Inn Suites" but my confirmation shows "Comfort Suites Mission Valley." Also the amenities now have high-speed internet access listed. thanks again.

I used the BetterBidding HOTWIRE link. (As I always do even for searching/browsing!) 2-1/2* Comfort Suites Mission Valley 2 Adults $57 per night Amenities are: Complimentary Breakfast Pool(s) Fitness Center High-speed Internet Access Recommended in 90% of HOTWIRE customer reviews -- if this is true, that's a high mark indeed. I'm a long-time PRICELINE user; this is my first Hotwire purchase. I like knowing the amenities up front! I appreciate the forum assistance and support.

Rather a stunning turn of events; I'll try to report to the board to help others in the future. Sorry for the length of the post. I received an email from Priceline directing me to call Customer Service. I did, and was quickly transferred from the first rep to "Nancy" to assist me. I gave a quick explanation to Nancy, and she asked me to hold while she checked the hotel's star levels on "other websites." I politely told her that *Priceline* now rated this hotel as 2-1/2 stars, but she insisted she needed to check the other websites. After about 5 minutes on hold, she returned and said that while Priceline rated the hotel as 2-1/2 stars, other websites rated it as 3 stars; no refund. I explained that I bid on a 3 star hotel from Priceline and should receive that. She then said that my bid was a "resubmission" meaning that my first choice was not accepted, and when they suggested I change either my star ratings or add an area, I added the 2-1/2 star option to my bid. I politely told her that was not true, I added an area but left it ONLY as a 3-star option. She insisted that their records showed that I added the 2-1/2 star level, so they would not refund. The stalemate continued for about 20 minutes, with Nancy refusing to escalate my issue to anyone else, always insisting that I bid for a 2-1/2 star hotel and was getting it. I refused to hang up, and read to her the email I received from Priceline last week that said "While placing your request, you agreed to accept any 3 or higher star hotel within the area(s) you selected. Your hotel does have a 3 star rating." I pointed out that this was FROM Priceline, acknowledging that I requested a 3-star hotel. She would not budge, and said there was no way I would get a refund on this trip, yada yada yada, and my only option was to write to their Senior Vice President. We continued arguing, each repeating ourselves. She continued to insist that "Priceline records show that you changed your request to a 2-1/2 star level." Suddenly, she asked if I would hold, and I said fine, as it was not a lot of fun to argue with her. :) She came back on the line and said "I've found another resolution for your problem. We have reevaluated the hotel and find that it does not meet our 3-star standards. We also find that you did request only a 3-star hotel on your resubmission. We will cancel your reservation and process a refund." I asked her why she did not believe me when I told her this at the beginning of our conversation, and she just said that "sometimes there is an error in our records." So the end story is that they are processing a refund. But it took over 30 minutes on the phone, and it was not a pleasant experience. I have always loved using Priceline, and encouraging friends to use it -- and I honestly don't know if I will bid in San Diego again. But I would suggest to board members, if you do a "resubmission" where you add a zone or change star levels, that you save a screen shot before you submit it. It might help if there is a problem later. Meanwhile, the hotel list can be edited to show this as now a 2-1/2 star Priceline hotel. And I'm off to find another hotel for tomorrow night. :)

Thanks, Colfax, that's what I was hoping to hear. I have contacted them through the website and also responded to the original email response. I will press on today and hopefully can find something else. I am happy, though, that they have at least downgraded the hotel.

Continuing the story on the Mission Plaza Hotel & Suites in San Diego, I emailed Priceline's customer service last week after reading more of the reviews on Priceline's own website (which were abysmal). I received a polite reply telling me that although they were sorry to hear I was not happy with the bid and the hotel's reviews, they stood behind their rating system. They did say "We have forwarded your e-mail to our Hotel Customer Care Specialist team who will further research your question(s). We will respond via email within 2 business days." I have not heard from Priceline again (other than ads for more great hotel deals ;-)), but today when I looked at their website, I found that they have downgraded the Mission Plaza to a 2-1/2** hotel. I've emailed them to see what they will do for me, but since our trip is tomorrow, I'm a little doubtful that much will happen. I thought I'd notify the board of the story. I'll post a follow-up if I hear from Priceline. I always use the board's links, and appreciate all the good advice here.

Well, I probably overpaid for this controversial 3*, but was in a hurry and didn't research as much as usual. I added the Point Loma area to my original Coastal bid of $65, and won the Mission Plaza Hotel and Suites. The rooms are going for about twice that on the hotel's website. We're just visiting our daughter and wanted somewhere fairly close to her - this will work, although it's not my favorite area of SD. We won't really be spending much time here, just need a nice place to sleep. I'll update the reviews afterward.

I don't know what's going on that particular weekend, but San Diego is a very popular vacation spot, and I'm guessing that since schools let out in early June in many parts of the country, lots of people have already booked their vacations. (Southern California schools aren't out until mid-June.) I always look at the regular PRICELINE offerings (not the Name-Your-Own) before bidding (Use the PRICELINE link above and click the "hotels" tab at the top of the PRICELINE page) -- Three-star hotels START at $109 for that weekend, and many are more. Even popular two-stars are $139 or more. So if you aren't getting anything at $80, you need to change your star level or your budget or your dates. If your budget is firm and you aren't too picky, the Ramada Mission Valley-Qualcomm doesn't look too bad for $71 night and it's in a fairly convenient location. Personally, I would stay away from anything on Rosecrans (like the Howard Johnson). A lot depends on what's most important to you and how flexible you can be.

A quickie review for the record: The Perris Holiday Inn Express was clean and pleasantly comfortable; what a 2-star should be. Perris isn't a vacation destination by any means, so kudos to the hotel for their efforts. Pros: friendly clerk with restaurant recommendations (drive up to Moreno Valley), free wireless internet, free parking, remodeled room with flat screen tv, refrig, microwave, comfortable bed, clean bathroom with plenty of towels, good air conditioning, and a very good free breakfast with bacon, eggs, biscuits and all the usual fare, even a fresh pot of decaf 20 minutes before breakfast closed. Cons: the only real negative was that we were awakened at 1:00 am by the person above us.... clomping back and forth across the floor. Otherwise, nice and quiet. The desk clerk did suggest the first floor as those rooms had been remodeled, and mentioned that the third floor was all 2-bed rooms. This isn't a bad alternative if the nicer Temecula hotels are full or too expensive for a family. And the Railway Museum is great. :)

No not *that* Paris..... Perris, CA. :) Accessed PRICELINE through the forum link, figured that this is the only 2* in town and reviews were decent. Bid $50 and was accepted on first try. Many hotels in nearby Temecula are full for the weekend, so I was happy enough with the win. Free internet, parking and breakfast are nice too. We're going to the Railway Museum there and may hang around to visit some wineries down the road. Your Offer Price: $50.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $50.00 Taxes and Fees: $12.80 Total Charges*: $62.80

My understanding is that this means you are very close to a winning bid, which is NOT $22 more. If you have a free re-bid, I'd try bidding $5 more to see if that works.

We booked the Courtyard Old Town through Priceline and stayed there last weekend. Check-in was very pleasant - Priceline was acknowledged, and the clerk told us the going room rate to point out what a deal we had. We asked for a room away from the freeway and he cheerfully complied, noting that we were "early enough" to get one. He also told us that street parking was very plentiful and safe, but we opted for the $12 garage parking since we would be returning to the hotel very late that night and didn't want to stress about finding street parking. The room was fine, and the mini-fridge is a very nice touch. Small window that looked over the roof/parking, but that was much better than the freeway. The bathroom setup is awkward, with the sink and mirror in the entryway area -- very little counter space. Bed was comfortable. Wifi was very weak and not reliable, and I was kicked off if I wasn't "active" for a minute or so. I wouldn't want to try to do any work with it, but it was okay for a quick email check. Great location and pleasant enough stay, especially at Priceline prices.

Just booked a Friday night getaway. First bid of $55 was accepted for a 3* in the Point Loma - Shelter Island - Old Town area. I was hoping for Humphrey's or Kona Kai, but the Courtyard is convenient and it's not a bad price for San Diego, even with fees and parking ($12). I'll follow the forum advice and ask for a room away from the freeway when we check in. Reviews mention that they now have free wifi, and mini-fridges in the rooms. Courtyard By Marriott Old Town 3 Star Point Loma - Shelter Island - Old Town 2435 Jefferson Street San Diego, California 92110 619-260-8500 Check-In Date: Fri, Jan 15, 2010 / After 03:00 PM Check-Out Date: Sat, Jan 16, 2010 / 12:00 PM Amenities: Remote control TV w/ premium channels Radio Alarm Clock Business services Telephone w/ voicemail Iron and ironing board Hairdryer 24 hour front desk On-site Dining Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $55.00 Subtotal: $55.00 Taxes & Fees: $14.69 Total Charges*: $69.69 As always, I used the PRICELINE link from the forum.

I thought I'd follow up briefly. The hotel list shows this as a 3-1/2 * level, it is now on Priceline as a 3*. The hotel is lovely; beautiful lobby and the room was very nice. We checked in late, nearly 11 pm, and there were plenty of staff around, very pleasant and helpful. No comment about Priceline, other than needing a credit card to cover the parking charge ($10) and any incidentals. We didn't use the facilities as this was just a quick stop-over, but I did sit on our tiny patio for a bit in the morning, which faced the spa and pool area. Towels had been placed on each lounge chair for guest use. A family came out to swim and was not happy with the insects in the pool, the father reported it to the desk and evidently they were going to send someone out to scoop the pool. The location is great, just off the freeway and next to the state beach. I find parking charges annoying, but they are common in beach cities for 3*/4* properties. $10 isn't bad.

I may have paid too much, but didn't feel like fooling around. We'll be heading south late Saturday night and wanted a place to stay between Santa Barbara and Orange County just for a night. I started from the PRICELINE link on the forum, and bid $65 for a 3* in Ventura - and got it. Oops. With taxes, fees and parking, it will be more like $90, but the going price through other channels started at $159, so I'm happy enough.

Amenities are Complimentary Breakfast, Fitness Center and High-speed Internet Access. Haven't ever used HOTWIRE, but I'm leery of a couple of the 2** places there. thanks, as always! Cindy

March 2009 -- Since so many of us are staying here this spring, maybe we can add to the review and help someone else considering this bid. We stayed at the Pointe last weekend, arriving Friday afternoon and leaving Sunday morning. Hotel staff was polite and welcoming, and we were asked our choice of a double or king suite. The bellman was helpful showing us where our parking options were. Parking is a big issue here - many of the buildings are on narrow roads, with only four parking spaces for a building of 12 or so suites. We were able to park close to unload the car on Friday, but had to park in the large lower lot both nights and walk up the stairs and roads since we came in late. It wasn't too bad once we realized the option, and I believe there is a shuttle from the lobby but we didn't use it. This is probably not the place for someone who can't easily walk up hills, although they may have rooms in the main lobby buildilng that are much more accessible. The suite was roomy, clean and comfortable. The Hilton bed was fabulous; we slept very well. Two TVs, large closet, lots of mirrors, and a bar area with an honor bar and coffee set up. Large private balcony with two chairs and table; we had a fairly nice view and it was very pleasant for a nightcap or morning coffee. The room layout is nice for a suite, with a center hallway between the bedroom and sitting room, with the toilet/bathtub on one side and the vanity/sink area on the other. We did take a wonderful hike under the 7th Street tunnel to North Mountain Park - great weather, view, it reminded me of what I loved about the desert when I was a child. The golf staff saw us contemplating the hiking area and gave us some pointers without being asked. We didn't use any of the many pools/spas, but as it was a spring break week, there were lots of families and kids around getting wet. We didn't eat at the resort, as we were at wedding festivities most of the weekend. BUT - a little research before the trip showed a new breakfast place just down the street, and I highly recommend it: Scrambles. Delicious food, fun atmosphere and the free wi-fi that you don't have at the hotel. overall opinion - we liked it. It's not for everyone, but we would love to go back, especially for the price we got. It is a bit out of the way of our usual Phoenix activities, but that also gave us the feeling of being away from it all.

Kirikara, I can't address the other parts of your question, but I can tell you about Seal Beach. :) Seal Beach is a charming, mostly undiscovered beach town with a Main Street, pier, great restaurants and tons of things to do nearby. You would need a car. There are three hotels in Seal Beach; only one is in Old Town and walking distance to the beach (the Pacific Inn). The Hampton Inn is new and up the road a bit from the town proper, convenient to freeways but not a scenic area. The Ayres Hotel is lovely, but is even further from the ocean in a nice residential area (mine). Now, on PRICELINE, the Seal Beach area is combined with North Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley -- not necessarily close to the beach, so I personally wouldn't risk a bid if I wanted beachside. Chances are too high you would get something in a more commercial or residential area. Hope this helps narrow it down for you. Seal Beach is great, but I wouldn't use PRICELINE to get a beach-close hotel. You might want to visit for lunch or a walk on the pier and a milkshake at Ruby's.

Hi all, First bid of $50 rejected; second bid of $55 accepted. Thanks to BetterBidding, I knew what price point would work! We'll be in Phoenix for a wedding, and decided to enjoy the mountains a bit and drive into central Phoenix for the festivities. Although I'm a Phoenix native, I haven't spent much time around North Mountain. (When I lived there, we had one freeway....) As always, I used the PRICELINE links for research and for my bidding.