photomikey

That's what I'd suggest. Perhaps the LAX area for the three days inbetween?

Santa Monica 3*'s typically go $100 and up, though can be had for $90. I suspect your problem here isn't that you need to split your bid, rather that you're just not bidding enough. Redondo / Manhattan beach has several 2.5*'s that come up in the $50 vicinity. If you're bidding $60 here and not getting a hit, you should go to the hotel website of one of the more popular priceline 2.5* hotels and check night by night to see what their rate is. When you find a night or two that are far higher than the rest -- those are the nights you want to split your bid. Other zones? LAX is a terrible location, but inexpensive for a nicer hotel. (But, it's near nothing but the airport.) Downtown LA is also rock bottom prices for 4* hotels, but parking is $20+ per night, unless you give up the car. Downtown has a relatively good subway/train system to hollywood, but I don't think the service is so great to the beaches. I'm happy to give more help if you have more questions.

Have you looked at the priceline site, to see the North County Coastal zone? Are you comfortable staying ANYWHERE in that zone, even if it's outside of Carlsbad? What dates are you staying? What is your maximum bid, or the price of a backup hotel you're looking at?

Stayed here last night. I called ahead to make sure the room would have two beds (it seems I *always* end up with two beds in a priceline room, even though 95% of the time I'm only looking for one), and got transferred to a national reservation system that wouldn't ("couldn't") help me because I was a priceline customer. (They did tell me that I was slated for a room with one bed, but that they wouldn't ("couldn't") change it.) I hung up and called back, asked for the front desk this time (instead of reservations), and they were pleased to put me in a room with two beds. I asked for a high floor, she said the two-bed rooms only go up to 20, but she'd be happy to put me on the 20th floor. Checked in after 1 in the morning, my 20th floor room was ready. (I checked in in 60 seconds flat.) The room was clean and well appointed, two shower heads and the heavenly bed (although not as heavenly as the newer Westin hotels, still nice). The rooms are a tad on the small side, but not unreasonable. The bathroom was large. I feel that downtown LA is one of the most undervalued areas on priceline. I can't believe you can get a $200 / night room, almost any night of the week, for $55 or $60. I had a great experience and would not hesitate to stay here again.

Bid $52, rejected Bid $54, accepted I used the savingsbarn link for this priceline stay, and do all my amazon.com shopping via the betterbidding support page. Hotwire price for this (suspected) hotel on this date, $73. Lowest rate on westin.com for this date, $179.

Bid $55, rejected Bid $60, rejected something happened when I bid $65... 24 hours hadn't passed, and then when it had, it said I'd already bid $65 and couldn't try it again. Bid $66, accepted. Westin Pasadena. I used the savingsbarn.com link, and I do all my amazon.com shopping through the betterbidding link. -MW

I was giving advice on the California PL board today, to a Newbie (literally... :-) ) who asked about bad reviews of a hotel on Trip Advisor. My advice turned into somewhat of a rant (whoops!), but led me to wonder how many of you have had something swiped from a hotel room by a maid. I stay in hotels no more than a dozen nights a year, and have never seen anything disappear. Anyone else have any experience?

There are pictures of the rooms availible on the Manchester Website. Elsewhere on the website is a 360 virtual tour. Both show a floral bedspread. For some folks, that's a dealbreaker. Personally, it doesn't bother me. You'll just have to decide for yourself. On dishonest maids: At every hotel in the world, two things happen on a regular basis: 1) An occasional dishonest maid swipes something of nominal value out of a room, and 2) An occasional forgetful occupant drops something of nominal value in the dresser, closet, bathroom cabinet, or under the bed, and blames it on a dishonest maid. I've stayed hundreds of nights in hotels, and have never had anything disappear. Not so much as pocket change or a wristwatch. I also make it a point to take my wallet with me, and put anything valuable out of sight. I don't leave cash in the room unattended. I put my laptop in it's bag, in my suitcase. I think people that are asking to get robbed sometimes get what they're asking for. This stands true in hotel rooms and everywhere else. The Manchester Grand Hyatt (probably) doesn't have any more (or less) of a problem with problems #1 and 2 than any other hotel in the world. Housekeeping (at almost every hotel) will visit the room every day, make the beds, give you clean towels, and empty the trash. They vaccum when the room needs it. If you didn't get one of those things (or if they weren't done to your satisfaction), dial "0", and someone will come back and do it again. You may have a better response at nicer hotels (like the Manchester Grand) than 1* hotels. Newbie, some people were born into this world to complain. For whatever reason, these same people are drawn to travel websites like tripadvisor. Cruises are especially bad about complainers. On a cruise, you get on a boat with every amenity known to man, food coming out of a dozen restaurants in unlimited quantity, 24 hours a day, free room service, room stewards that make up your room TWICE a day, pools, unlimited towels, clean robes, blankets, entertainment, etcetera... and you get people who come back after a 10 day vacation just to post a 5 page complaint on a public bulletin board, because the room service took 9 minutes to get there, and it used to only take 5. (Sorry if this is a rant... I've been reading a lot of trip reviews lately!) What I'm getting at here, is that you have no need to worry about the service at a 4* hotel. Any 4* hotel. If you're unhappy about something, call the front desk, they'll fix it in a jiffy. If they don't fix it, just take a deep breath and remember you're on vacation, and you're having a good time. YOU already seem to me like the kind of person who grasps that concept. The people who complain endlessly on certain travel websites don't. And to your 2nd question -- a less verbose answer -- calling ahead can't hurt. If I call, I try to do it the day before, mid-day, before they have prepared the next day's room list, and while they're not busy with check-in and check-out. I also try and be especially charming, and say how excited I am to be going to San Diego (or whereever), and how I'd love to be able to get a great view of the city with a king bed. Then when I check in, I ask again. I try to check in dressed nice, I feel it increases my chances of getting an upgrade. Best of luck!

You can park in the white zones and meters around the hotel during non-gametimes, after 6pm weekdays, and all day Sundays for free. The parking lot across from the hotel is the same hotel the valet uses, to park there yourself costs significantly less. There are a few other lots around the hotel that are far cheaper than the ~$25/day Omni charges. On game day, park your car the night before and all day gameday, and avoid exorbitant gameday parking charges.

Parking: Most meters and some white and yellow loading zones will be availible to park in from 6pm Saturday and all day Sunday. Parking on the street on Saturday night will be a challenge; it's busy in the gaslamp on the weekends. I don't know exactly how much the hotel parking will be, the Omni is ~$25 / night. You will find free parking if you drive far enough, it just depends on much you value free (or cheap) parking. There are lots surrounding the hotel that will be cheaper than the hotel itself, again, the inconvenience versus the cost is personal choice. Tripadvisor reviews that complain about $300 / night hotel rooms anywhere are almost always trumped up. The Manchester is once of the nicest hotels in SD. You won't have any problems. If given the opportunity, I always try to request a king with a view. Sometimes I get it, sometimes I don't. If I don't, I consider the fact that I'm paying 1/3rd of rack rate, and I'm happy. Never tried the brunch. The Omni has been coming up less and less on PL. Also, it's hard to get during baseball season, or when there is a convention in town -- and there is ALWAYS a convention in town. If your friend isn't a member of Omni's frequent stay program, tell her to sign up. Some nice perks, including free coupons after your first stay, and free breakfast on the first stay.

Well, you're in an area with only one zone. A rough choice. Personally, I'd reccomend going up by $5 or $10 per 24 hour period. You still have a few weeks until your stay arrives, you should have plenty of time. Make up your mind ahead of time on what the highest you'll go is -- it may help you to have a backup hotel (refundable) booked just in case. (So you don't end up sleeping in your car.) Good luck.

Cruise indeed, we're on the Norwegian Sun to Alaska that week. We did a bargain cruise two years ago (on the offseason, when they move the ship from one port to another), it was our first. We enjoyed it, but it was a bit docile. My grandmother announced she wanted to go to Alaska for her 80th, and asked the whole family to join. So we're off again, this time for 7 nights. We're traveling right in the middle of peak season (which is unusual for me), and paying a premium for everything from the cruise and the airfaire to the hotel. Argh.

Bid $60, Rejected Bid $65, Rejected Bid $67, Rejected Bid $70, Accepted. Summerfield Suites - Seattle Tax $18.69 Total $87.69 The best price on the web is the corprate rate, $169. A savings of 49%. I used the SavingsBarn.com link for this purchase.

Bid $60, Rejected Bid $65, Rejected Bid $67, Rejected Bid $70, Accepted. Summerfield Suites - Seattle Tax $18.69 Total $87.69 The best price on the web is the corprate rate, $169. A savings of 49%. I forgot to use the Savings Barn link on this one (duh), but remembered on the other stay. (9/9/06.)

Working on a pre-and post cruise stay, one night each side, at a downtown hotel. Started out with a 2.5* hotel, for 9/9/06. Bid $50, rejected. Added a zone, bid $55, rejected. Will try again after 24 hours.

Working on a pre-and post cruise stay, one night each side, at a downtown hotel. Started out with a 2.5* hotel, for 9/1/06. Bid $50, rejected. Added a zone, bid $55, rejected. Will try again after 24 hours.

Thanks for adding a 1* to the list! Looks like you got a bargain.

Bid $35, rejected. Priceline countered for another $9. (Sort of -- see below.) Waited 24 hours. Bid $40, accepted. I've seen Priceline try to cut a deal with me before (which I seldom take), but this time instead of agreeing to take another $9 for the room, they offered me a chance to bid again for at least $9 more. (i.e. -- "why don't you tell us if you'll give us another nine bucks, THEN we'll tell you if we'll take it.") I know the routine with the counter offers (that you can typically get by with half), so I waited, and won. Used the savingsbarn link.

I'm booking a second night in Pasadena, after my win at the Westin 6/10. We decided we need to stay the previous night also, and Priceline rejected my offer at the same price for the night of the 9th. Now I'm looking for something between a 2* and 3* for one night. Obviously, at this point, it'll be a split trip. There are no re-bid zones in this area. Any idea on where to start, or what to expect for this? Thanks for the advice.

Typically, the lesser the hotel, the more likely it is they'll have free parking. In fact, often times, the farther down the star ladder you go, the better the budget amenities get. You'll seldom find a 4* or 5* hotel with free breakfast. Comfort Inns (and other 2.5*-class hotels) almost always have free continental breakfast, which ranges from juice and donuts to frozen waffles, oatmeal, and breakfast cereal. In LA, most of the 4* hotels that can get away with it, charge for parking. I'd be surprised if the 2.5*'s did that, and downright shocked if the 1* and 2* hotels did. The 3*'s are a toss up. You might try calling a few to feel it out, if you think that'll be a factor for you. ($15/night for parking over four nights... $60!) Remember to use the SavingsBarn link. Good luck.

First of all, I laughed out loud at the first line of your post. I hope you have a real blast at Digestive Disease Week! Try adding a night to your priceline stay, using the link in the e-mail priceline sent you, or by logging into your account, if you have one. The rack rates for the night of 5/21 are similar to the Fri/Sat night rates. Even if you're denied, I'd go back and bid this one again on 4* in priceline. I bet your price will be very close. The next night, 5/22, the Omni is booked solid. (Must be a big digestive disease blowout going on that night.) What you do next depends on your flexibility -- and I don't have enough knowledge of the area to do anything that you can't do here -- which is to kick the tires of various hotels on hotwire and via the forums, and see which areas are reasonable. A few suggestions over the weekend: If you have to park, don't use the hotel's valet ($25/day), use one of the $5 lots across the street, or the meters, which are free on weekends. If you go to Hollywood, use the train -- it's a short walk from the Omni to the underground. which will drop you right where you need to go. Surprisingly, the train is reasonably efficient, if you're staying downtown. When you're at the hotel, walk across the street from the entrance, and down the world's longest flight of stairs. In front of you will be the coolest looking market in all of LA. It looks like Seattle. Lots of cool ethnic foods... along with flowers, fruits and veggies... a real market! (While you're down there, rest. That flight of stairs goes up, also.) Before you get to the Omni, sign up for their guest rewards program. You won't have time to get whatever they mail you, but when you check in, give them your guest rewards number (write it down), and they'll send you a free beverage and muffin every morning. And, after you break in your guest rewards number, they'll mail you a free suite-upgrade coupon when you get home. This hotel is a great bargin... the weekends are SO CHEAP via priceline. You got a great deal. (Even if you do end up paying through the nose on your final night!) Have fun.

I've been inside the Mission Bay Holiday Inn. It has three-star written all over it. It's an above average property, nice pool, the grounds are in great shape, and it has a large lobby and sitting area. Like any three star, these amenities come with carpet and drapes that are a few years old (think 2000-ish, not 1960's), hotel-class towels, and an average staff -- an overall three-star experience. The PRICELINE link explaining three star hotels (which I would link to, but I think it's verboten here) do include the hotels you mention (Hyatt, Sheraton), but also mention Holiday Inn (which you apparently write off as "among others"). I find it hard to take your complaints seriously, seeing as how you haven't even visited the hotel yet. Perhaps it's not as bad as you think?

Package includes:

That was the plan. At half price, I was fairly sure of rejection. Thought I'd at least come in with some ammo to guess prices. Thanks.

Hi, I'm a San Diegan. Also a priceline afficinado. To lay it straight out there, I'm cheap. Really cheap. I priceline a lot. I enjoy getting the lowest price possible on a room. If you look through my previous posts, you can find incidents where I bid up $1 at a time, in order to pay the least amount possible. Today I took a stab in the dark at a room in Pasadena (a region with no priceline history on this board), and bid $65. I thought it was a little high, but a decent offer. Comprable rooms are going for $150. The bid was accepted, first try. In my post, I talk about how I probably could have bid $55, been rejected, and spent weeks trying to engineer a strategy to employ every 72 hours, to pay the least amount possible for the room. But for an extra ten bucks, I got the deed done in two minutes, and I don't have to sweat it. You're bidding $50-$60 dollars for a priceline room, that even on hotwire (a more expensive, somewhat less opaque service) is going for $134 / night. On Travelocity"]Travelocity, all but one of the 3*'s are $175+. If I were in your position, I'd think about upping your bid to the $65-$75 level. I'd say your likelyhood of getting the hotel is much higher. You're still saving $100 in real dollars, per room, per night; in one of the priciest cities in the mainland USA. For me, I'd rather bid the $75 than be forced to pay the $109. (Also, almost any of the 3*'s on Hotel Circle are nicer than the T&C.) Just my two cents. After all, you made a public call for advice. :-)