soccermacmom

We stayed there about 6 years ago -- it was fine (not memorable), but a fabulous location. Not a bad price at all! Enjoy your trip.

Actually, I unsuccessfully bid $65 the day before. I decided to try $75 for a 2-1/2* since the Best Western seemed a possibility. I added the 2* and upped $1. I may have gotten the 2* though for $70 -75. I'm pretty pleased. I had read about the difficulty of PRICELINE wins in Santa Barbara, and almost didn't try. I probably would have booked the same hotel at the web rate. Since Santa Barbara is mostly a drive-to destination, they may be feeling the crunch of gas costs.

Just booked a room in Carpinteria for August 28 at the Holiday Inn Express for $76. Hotel website shows $105 for the same room. We will actually be in Santa Barbara, but I didn't want to pay $200 for just a place to sleep, and Carpinteria's a nice small town nearby. I started bidding from the PRICELINE link on this site, and tried $65 first for 2*. Not accepted. Waited 24 hours, and bid $75 for 2-1/2*. Not accepted. Added 2* and bid $76. Accepted! Reviews on tripadvisor aren't too bad for this hotel, and I was expecting this would be the property we'd get (if anything). I'll try to post a review when we get back.

My review of the Doubletree Santa Ana/OC Airport: It was okay. I would never choose to stay there. It felt like you were staying at an event center - probably nice if you were attending a reception or meeting, but not somewhere you'd choose to spend some time. You have to walk past all the banquet rooms to get to the elevator to the guest rooms, and there is no sense of hospitality in the lobby. Sort of like the guest rooms (and guests) were an afterthought to the banquet area. Pros: The usual great Doubletree bed, new pillowtop mattress, nice pillows, etc. Good cookies. Clean, and pretty furniture. Desk staff was nice enough, and responsive when the first room we were assigned turned out to be a smokey nightmare. They quickly gave us another room. Cons: One of the most awkward rooms I've stayed in. You couldn't see the TV from the bed, and there was one small easy chair and one desk chair. Coffee was set up on the "coffee table" since the bathroom was too small to hold the coffee tray and ice bucket. Room overlooked MacArthur and street noise was loud. Walls are very thin; neighbor's TV woke us up during the night and we could hear him talking on the phone. You can't adjust the fan to stay on to hide the noise. Weird room layout; maybe it was the Priceline room. Parking was scarce at 8:30 pm in the parking garage, but we found a spot. Parking is $14 extra. Actually, I think I wouldn't bid a 3* in this zone again, because I wouldn't want to land here. Fortunately the price was a good one.

First bid at $52, accepted. Oops! Haven't been to this one, but most Doubletrees are pretty good. Even with the parking charge, it's not bad. I'll post a review next week.

We stayed Sunday and Monday nights, 12/10 & 12/11/2006, and had a great time. No sports in town this week, and not much business traffic, so we got the room on Priceline for $49, which was a steal. Check-in was quick and friendly, with an offer to add my Hyatt Passport number to the reservation. Parking at the next-door garage is now $8 ($15 if you want in/out privileges). The room was comfortable, and the beds were great. We were really only sleeping there, so didn't try any of the hotel amenities. The Einstein Bros. Cafe in the lobby is very convenient for a quick breakfast or snack, and is priced comparable to the Einsteins elsewhere ($6 for a bagel/omelette sandwich and coffee). We walked to the Arizona Center for dinner at Sam's Cafe; that was an easy walk and good food. The streets are still torn up (it IS Phoenix, remember), but access was pretty easy. They're working on the light rail system day and night so hopefully it will be completed next year.

Thanks for the info; I think you're right. It was offered by Hotwire for $32; a steal for a midtown nice room. After some research, it looks like it is being taken over by Holiday Inn; they are taking direct reservations for Spring 2007. I found different it on the web under 3 different names, and none of the reviews seemed inviting. Althought the location and price were right, I went for a Priceline 3* instead. Bid $45 for 3* downtown Phoenix - rejected Bid $48 - added 2-1/2* - rejected Bid $49 - added free rebid zone of Buckeye - accepted I was actually hoping for something slightly more uptown, but there's no "central Phoenix" area on Priceline, so you take your chances. Great price for a Hyatt; sounds like it's okay from previous reviews. I started from savingsbarn.com, and also booked a rental car from Enterprise from the savingsbarn link. thanks as always for your great assistance.

December 10 - 12, 2006 thanks!

Any idea what property this might be? Central Phoenix - 2 stars Suite - High-speed Internet - Laundry facilities offered at $32 for mid-December. thanks!

Just a quick get-a-way..... Bid $55 for 4* with only Costa Mesa/Irvine Zone - rejected Bid $60, adding Seal Beach area - rejected Bid $65 adding Buena Park/Cypress area - accepted Linked from SavingsBarn.com -- thank you for keeping this resource going; it is most helpful.

I stayed at the Chancellor in January (business; not through Priceline), and really enjoyed it. Small room, but extremely comfortable. My favorite hotel bathtub ever and great location.

We had a wonderful experience at the Hyatt Islandia, so I thought I'd post a follow-up. The hotel's posted check-in time is 4:00 pm; daughter's graduation was also at 4:00 pm, with a family/friend dinner afterwards (in the opposite direction). I called the hotel's customer service on Friday to see if there was a chance we could check in early. A very polite man told me that they would make every effort to help us, and to stop by the hotel early to see. We arrived at 11:15 and I asked the young woman at the desk if there was any way we could check in to at least one of the four rooms by 2:00. She worked for a while, and found four rooms for us that were fairly close to each other, in the tower (with elevator for the elderly grandmothers in our party). She did tell us that two of the rooms had balconies that were under repair so the glass doors were sealed. We accepted that gladly to get our rooms early. Upon arrival at our rooms, we discovered two of them were full suites, which we presented to the grandmothers. The other two were basic hotel rooms, but very roomy, well-furnished and comfortable. We were able to rest and relax before our celebration started. Rooms were clean, beds were very comfortable, every staff member we met was friendly and welcoming. Overall, we were very happy with the hotel, our rooms and the service. San Diego is an expensive city, and there aren't many bargains in the Sea World/Coastal/Point Loma area. For full price, I would have wanted a working balcony, but for what we paid, it was a bargain. As a fun bonus, the two grandmothers loved having suites, and will talk about it for a long time to come. Also, we stayed across the street at the Dana on the Mission last month (not a Priceline bid), and I would not stay there again. We paid $120 per night for a tiny, badly designed room opening from the parking lot directly into our bathroom vanity/closet combination. There wasn't even a dresser or place to keep purse, keys, glasses etc. except a small table in the far corner. Yucky.

Just booked this hotel on Priceline for May 13. We needed 4 rooms for family for daughter's college graduation/Mother's Day celebration; did not want to pay over $100. I know this is not the most highly rated place in the reviews, but I'm happy to get something so close in at this price. It's going for $169 on Expedia/Orbitz/etc. Started at Pt Loma/Harbor Island 3* and bid $75; rejected Added Coronado and bid $78; rejected Added Coastal and bid $80; accepted. I'm happy. Hope it goes well!

We had a mixed experience at this 2* motel. First, I probably overpaid through Priceline, but it was my first bid and I was feeling desperate as other properties in the area were sold out for our dates. I found a cheaper price at Expedia a couple of days later, but it was too late to get Priceline to refund the difference. Inns of America (NOT the Suites down the road) is a large motel property, just off the 5 freeway in South Carlsbad. The location is great; it's easily accessible and close to many attractions, and in a nice area with groceries and restaurants nearby. There are 3 floors, one elevator in the lobby, many staircases around the property. Nice sized pool, no exercise room or spa. Basic complimentary breakfast in the lobby: juice, coffee, muffins, donuts, cereal and bagels. Not great, but okay. I called a day or so before to request non-smoking rooms, and one king room and one double. On arrival I was told "All discounted rooms are third floor, freeway side, double beds - and since you paid through Priceline, that's what you get." I was pretty surprised at the reception, and explained that although I had requested a king and double, we would make do with what they had. I asked about the "free high-speed internet" sign I saw, and was told that only some rooms had that available, and of course the Priceline rooms did not. A few minutes after we got into our rooms, the man at the desk called to offer us two other third-floor rooms, one of which had the high-speed internet access. He said he had asked the manager if he could move us, and they agreed. We accepted and moved into rooms overlooking the pool area. After a bumpy start - not made to feel very welcome as a Priceline customer - we enjoyed our time in Carlsbad. The rooms are very basic but clean, and the location is great. The double beds were not only small, but really uncomfortable, and had dreadful linens. The sheets didn't stay on the mattresses and the blankets were barely large enough for the beds. We didn't stay in the rooms long, but enjoyed the area. Pros - location. That's about it, but worth a lot. Cons - miserable night's sleep on a small, hard bed. My main gripe with this property was the management's policy. I actually felt sorry for the staff, as they seemed to try to help their customers, but they obviously were not part of a team effort. Not a great way to run a business.

We enjoyed our stay at the Dana Point Doubletree Suites, which we got on Priceline for $80. We booked two rooms for our family, and the desk accommodated our request to be next to each other. Check-in went smoothly, although the desk clerk seemed a bit preoccupied and I had to ask for our cookies. Our rooms were on the back (freeway) side, but the balconies overlooked a greenbelt with trees, flowers and benches. Not too noisy, other than the ice machine outside. A/C worked well. The "suites" are actually just long rooms with double glass doors dividing the sleeping area from the sitting area. You enter the bedroom, which is slightly awkward. Two TVs, one with VCR (kids brought a couple of movies which they enjoyed). Sitting area has a bar sink, microwave, small refrigerator and cabinet space, as well as a sleeper sofa, coffee table and small desk. My favorite feature: great beds. That was one of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept in. Down pillows, down blanket. Lovely. Least favorite? Well, the bathroom was less than spotless. It was tolerable, but the grout really needed some bleach. I'm wondering if that's a consistent problem, because there was a bathroom-specific comment card left in the room. Hope someone reads them. Our older teenagers enjoyed the pool and exercise room. Doheny State Beach is an easy walk across the highway (light and crosswalk) and through the campground; we went twice. Lots of restaurants in the area. We had a great Chinese dinner, and there were other options close by. Self-parking is $13 per night; there is really no other option. The 'valets' were friendly young men who always had a greeting and offered their recommendations when asked. When we travel with the family we always book two rooms, and prefer to have a complimentary breakfast. This time, we brought bagels, cream cheese, juice and yogurt with us and had a picnic breakfast in one of the sitting rooms after a surfing excursion. We would definitely return to the Doubletree Suites, especially at the Priceline price. Even adding in parking and breakfast, it was pretty reasonable for the area and amenities.

We stayed at the Doubletree Suites in Dana Point this week at a Priceline bid of $80; you did well to get $70. We enjoyed it very much, and will definitely go back. The walk down to the beach wasn't bad at all (my family went surfing) and there are great restaurants nearby. It was the best hotel bed I've had in a long time, with down blankets and pillows. It was very small for a "suite" -- more like a long hotel room with dividing glass doors between the bedroom and sitting area. The exercise room and pool were fine.

I think I got the hang of rebidding. Fortunately, this didn't take much. Jumped $10 in bidding since I was willing to go higher and didn't want to run out of re-bids, and needed two rooms. Dana Point Area, 3*, bid $70; rejected add Laguna Hills/Mission Viejo (no 3*), bid $80, accepted This is for Sunday, August 14 only. thanks for the help.

Stuart, I am not an expert at all, having made my first Priceline purchase yesterday, but I think you are budgeting too low for that area. That is very expensive real estate. Hotel Circle might be more manageable. Hopefully those more knowledgeable than I will have something to add. Good luck!

Actually, i would have asked for help, but had to do something immediately (my DH's request) and didn't see much activity on the board yesterday. I read all the threads on rebidding, and figure I understand the concept but not the specifics, since they are quite dependent on the areas. I started with just SD Coastal, hoping for La Jolla, and added Coronado, then Carlsbad/Encinitas. I started at $80 and went up in price, and also went "down"from 4 to 3 and then to 2-1/2 stars, then 2 stars. I think I should have offered a lower bid when I went to 2 stars, but since I was rejected at $95 at 2-1/2 stars, was feeling desperate. We almost always travel off-season (or work-related) so this was a new experience. Thanks for your advice. If it is ever possible, do you think San Diego will have its own section on the board?

This was my first Priceline experience, and I appreciate all the help I found reading this board. We have no flexibility in time frame, and really wanted something on the north San Diego coast at a reasonable cost. I suspect I may have overpaid for the quality, but much of what I was quoted by phone for similar accomodations was in the $140 range. We rarely travel in high season, so I wasn't prepared for the tight San Diego market! I started bidding at $80 and went up incrementally, adding zones and lowering the stars finally to 2 in order to get something at $100. I was very low on options when I finally put in 2 stars; couldn't get anything 2-1/2* for $98. thanks again.