JNR

Thanks a lot. I

I bid the same strategy again tonight without success. Priceline offered $133 for a 5*. I do want to stick with trying for a 5* and since it's only two nights I guess I could go up to $133. What do you recommend? Also, after I started bidding (but not on the original view) there is a little umbrella footnote that indicates that "Resorts hotels are available in this area " next to Summerlin. I have read elsewhere on this site of Priceline awarding a Resort property on a 5* request and calling it an upgrade. Do you think I could get stuck in Summerlin by including that as a rebid zone? Thank you for your advice.

Using your link to PRICELINE, I've tried the above bidding strategy without luck. I'll repeat it again soon. Thanks for your suggestions.

Going to a conference earlier in the week in Henderson at the Loews Hotel and want to move to the strip for Friday and Saturday night. Prefer a 5* if we can get it for around $100. Will consider a 4* if that is not possible. Sure would appreciate your input on a strategy. Thanks! Oh, and a little off the strip is fine too.

I realized I never updated my results for this post: Priceline DoubleTree Hotel in Orlando: Your Offer Price: $100.00 Number of Rooms: 2 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $200.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $35.66 Total Charges*: $235.66 I made the reservation just before leaving on an international trip and forgot to post when I returned.

I want two rooms in Orlando, four-star or resort for one night, January 15, 2008. I prefer to stay in the Universal Studios - Sea World zone since we will be at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Ctr. Unsuccessful bids at 4:00 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007: Universal Studios - Sea World @ $70.00 Re-bid zone @ $75.00 Re-bid zone @ $78.00 Re-bid zone @ $80.00 Re-bid zone @ $85.00 Re-bid zone @ $88.00 Re-bid zone @ $90.00 Re-bid zone @ $93.00 Re-bid zone @ $96.00 Re-bid zone @ $99.00 Disney World Vicinity @ $100.00 I'd rather not travel the distance to the Disney World Vicinity zone so I made that my last re-bit zone. Preferred maximum $100 but will listen to your advice. As always, thanks for spending your time helping us all get good deals.

Using Savingsbarn, I followed the bidding strategy recommended by thereuare on an earlier thread. Sorry to take so long to post the results. Select 4* White House... Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $90, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously. Select 4* Convention Center... Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $90, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously. Select 4* White House and Convention Center... Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone1... Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone2... Bid $105, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously. Select 4* White House and Convention Center and re-bid zone3... Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone1... Bid $115, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously. Select 4* Dupont Circle... Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $90, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously. Select 4* Dupont Circle and White House... Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone1... Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone2... Bid $105, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously. Select 4* Dupont and White House and re-bid zone3... Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone1... Bid $115, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously. Select 4* Dupont and White House and Convention Center... Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $130, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $135 After having no luck I Googled to find out what was going on in DC on those days. There was a national American Library Association convention so occupancies were quite high. I later repeated the same strategy but started my bidding higher. Select 4* White House... Bid $145, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $155, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $160, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously. Select 4* Convention Center... Bid $145, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $155, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $160, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously. Select 4* White House and Convention Center... Bid $165, if rejected add re-bid zone1... Bid $170, if rejected add re-bid zone2... Bid $175, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously. Select 4* White House and Convention Center and re-bid zone3... Bid $180, if rejected add re-bid zone1... Won at $180, which was still more than $100 cheaper per night than any rate I found on the Internet for this hotel on those days. Your Price Was Accepted Congratulations, you got your price of $180 for a 4-star hotel room. Renaissance Washington DC Hotel 990 9th Street NW Washington, District of Columbia 20001 202-898-9000 Check-In Date: Sun, June 24, 2007 Check-Out Date: Tues, June 26, 2007 Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $180.00 Subtotal: $360.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $61.02 Total Charges: $421.02

I used the bidding strategy of thereuare. Turns out there was an American Library Association convention in Washington DC that weekend so it turned into a marathon bidding session. I completed the entire bidding strategy and did not win a room so I tried again but upped the ante. Ended up bidding all the way to $180, which exceeded my target but I really wanted a 4* on only those days. Still, $180 is a good price for the Convention Center neighbor. We stayed at the Renaissance Washington DC Hotel on 9th Street. We were upgraded to the tower rooms upon check in.

Using Savingsbarn: Bids of $60, $64, $66, $68 for USE and three rebid zones rejected Bids of $60, $64, $66, $68 for USW and three rebid zones rejected Bids of $70 for USE and USW rejected Bid of $75 for USE, USW and one rebid zone rejected Bid of $78 for USE, USW and second rebid zone accepted Your Price Was Accepted Congratulations, you got your price of $78 for a 4-star hotel room. Renaissance Stanford Court Union Square West California Street At Powell Street San Francisco, California 94108 415-989-3500 Check-In Date: Tue, Jun 5, 2007 / After 03:00 PM Check-Out Date: Wed, Jun 6, 2007 / 12:00 PM Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $78.00 Subtotal: $78.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $18.98 Total Charges*: $96.98

Thanks a lot, thereuare, for the detailed strategy. I understand most of it except for the extra "close browser" steps. How come? I don't plan to bid until Saturday. I'm going to DC with my cousin and we want to wait until the last minute to keep our travel options open. I didn't want to wait until the last minute to have a sound strategy though. To get a good price in the right neighborhood requires a bit of homework in advance.

I stayed here one night, June 5, 2007, on a Priceline bid of $78. The hotel has the feel of old elegance but the lobby is a bit dark and slightly outdated. The staff is plentiful -- eager to please and highly competent. I was given a room on the 7th floor with a fairly nice view -- even though the side of another building partly obstructed it. This hotel has bathrobes and nice amenities although I did not recognize the brand. The room was a bit small but the bed was comfortable. The bathroom had two areas, one with the sink only. It was fine for just me but I can't imagine two people would be able to fit there. It must be one of the smaller bathroom layouts in the hotel. The beverage maker was on a table in the room. I really hate it when the beverage maker is in the bathroom -- yuck! I did not leave the room until an hour after check out and no one complained. I left my bag with the bellman and picked it up before leaving the city that evening. The day I checked in the Powell cable car had a broken cable so access up the hill was on a free bus. I didn't buy the cable pass since I only intended to be there one night. The next day I paid the $5 fare to take the cable up the hill to retrieve my bag and on the way back down on the cable car no one asked me for another fare; it was the same crew so maybe they remembered me from 10 minutes ago. I agree with another poster -- Nob Hill is beautiful but it's not the most convenient place if you are staying for a few days.

Stayed here for one night, June 4, 2007 for a Priceline bid of $75. I checked in early and it was no problem. Asked for a high floor and was given a room with a beautiful view on the 28th floor of Tower 1. I wouldn't have know about the quality of the different towers if I had not read these reviews prior to my stay so "Thanks, Better Bidding." This is truly a huge hotel but it is within walking distance of a lot of sights and all the public transportation. I generally like a smaller property but this one was crawling with security who were pleasant and helpful. My room was around the corner and across the hall from the elevator but it was not a noise problem. The bed was comfortable and the room was very nice. I enjoyed my stay here and the savings made it even more enjoyable. The night I stayed here I decided to spend another night in the city so I bid for another night and won the 4 Star Renaissance Stanford Court on Nob Hill for $78.

I would prefer to stay in "White House" or "Convention Ctr" but would accept "Dupont Circle". According to BB posts, June bids are running $80 to $115, which is acceptable to me. There are three rebid zones. What do you think of this bidding strategy? White House $75, add Alexandria $80, add Crystal City $85, add Springfield $90 Close browser Conven Ctr $75, add Alexandria $80, add Crystal City $85, add Springfield $90 Close browser WH & CC $95, add Alexandria $100, add Crystal City $105, add Springfield $115 Close browser If necessary: Repeat with Dupont Circle and three rebid zones - $75 to $90 Repeat with WH/CC/DC and three rebid zones - $100 to $130 Thanks for your input.

I'm not surprised you liked my technique, thereuare, it was all you. Thanks to this board, I consistently save on hotel rooms.

Using Savingsbarn: Bids of $60, $64, $66, $68 for USW and three rebid zones rejected Bids of $60, $64, $66, $68 for USE and three rebid zones rejected Bids of $70 for USW and USE rejected Bid of $75 for USW, USE and one rebid zone accepted Congratulations, you got your price of $75 for a 4-star hotel room. Hilton San Francisco 333 O'Farrell Street San Francisco, CA 94102 Check-In Date: Monday, June 4, 2007 Check-In Time: After 02:00 PM Check-Out Date: Tuesday, June 5, 2007 Check-Out Time: 12:00 PM Your Offer Price: $75.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $75.00 Taxes and Fees: $18.51 Total Charges: $93.51

We stayed at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel (formerly the Radisson) for one night on June 25, 2006. We were first assigned a room on the ninth floor but when we entered it had a strong disinfectant smell so we went back to the lobby to get another room. This time I asked for a room as high as possible and we were put in a room on the 12th Club Floor. I don't think the room was any different that the first room but you had to use your room key to access the floor on the elevator. The hotel room was quite nice, very clean and well appointed. The bed was very comfortable with good pillows. The bathroom was large with marble floor tiles and granite countertops. The shower had one of those shower curtain bars that arc outward which is a nice touch for some additional room while showering. The hotel floor was quiet, the view was nice (we were not facing the ocean but it was still nice) and the staff was very friendly. We ended up staying at the beach until almost 1 p.m., didn't check out until 2 p.m. and even though we had not requested a late checkout, no comments were made at checkout. We drove to the beach since it was a Monday and we didn't think that parking would be a problem; it wasn't. We had a lot of fun in our 24 hours in Myrtle Beach. I have to say, I think this is the world's capital of pancake houses and miniature golf courses. There is one or the other (or both) on just about each mile of Bus. Hwy 17. I would definitely stay here again, especially if I could get the $90 rate through Priceline.

I see on the forum's list of Priceline hotels for Myrtle Beach, SC there is listed a Radisson and a Sheraton Convention Center. The Sheraton took over the Radisson -- some of the signs in the garage still say Radisson but it's now Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel. I wanted to add a review for the Sheraton but where do I post that?

Using the SavingsBarn.com link I bid on a one night stay in Myrtle Beach. Based on historical info on this forum I: Starting bidding at $80 for a 4* in Myrtle Beach Area - declined; Went to $85 and added Myrtle Beach West for a free re-bid - declined; Went to $90 and added North Myrtle Beach for a second free re-bid - accepted. Check-In Date: Sun, Jun 25, 2006 Check-Out Date: Mon, Jun 26, 2006 Your Offer Price: $90.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $90.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $18.12 Total Charges: $108.12 I bid after midnight on the day of our stay. We stayed on top club floor of the hotel. It was a great experience and especially enjoyable because we spent so little for the great room. Thanks once for providing the info I need to get a fantastic deal!

I agree. Stayed here 5/12/2006 for PL of $72. Happy with our room, comfortable bed, nice hotel and cheerful staff. I would be glad to stay here again.

Check-In Date: Thu, May 11, 2006 Check-Out Date: Fri, May 12, 2006 Your Offer Price: $72.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $72.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $17.33 Total Charges: $89.33 First bid - $52 Declined Second bid - added Downtown - $58 Declined Third bid - added Taylor - $72 Accepted

We stayed at this hotel after a successful $85 Priceline bid. By the time you add in the resort fee and the parking fee it's not so cheap for a considerably less than 4* hotel. There is a old wing and a new wing. The registration clerk told us that the top floors were being cleaned and they were not using above the fifth floor (although we spoke to a man who was staying on the 12th floor??). We were in the old wing and the room was tiny, the beds were double beds (not queens) and the mattresses actually creaked they were so old. We did have a decent ocean view but it did not make up for the dismal room. I did appreciate the wireless internet. If you stay here, be aware that the public areas are 4* but the rooms are a 2 or 3 star -- at least in the old wing. Note: This hotel is known as the Royal Palm and is no longer in the Crowne Plaza hotel chain. I believe the name of this string should be changed so that members can find the correct review.

Royal Palm South Beach 1545 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, Florida 33139 305-604-5700 Check-In Date: Fri, Oct 14, 2005 Check-Out Date: Sat, Oct 15, 2005 Your Offer Price: $85.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $85.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $19.32 Total Charges: $104.32 I first bid $60 on South Beach. Added Dadeland and went to $70. Added Miami Lakes and went to $80. Added North Miami and went to $85. I'm two for two on great Priceline deals since I've found www.betterbidding.com. Thanks for all your hard work!

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