Wally

For three nights---Friday, Saturday, Sunday---$46/2.5* South Natomas rejected. For two nights---Friday, Saturday---$45/2.5* rejected and $46/2.5* accepted at Hilton Garden Inn. Waited a day and tried Add a Night for Sunday. "No inventory" at HGI. Waited another day and bid for Sunday. $45/2.5* rejected and $46/2.5* accepted at the Springhill Suites, across the street from the Hilton Garden Inn. Recently I've only won $46 rooms in South Natomas on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. For various weekdays I've bid as high as $55 without luck. Bids placed through SavingsBarn.com.

This was a four night stay, all weekdays, Monday to Friday. Rejected bids: $50/2.5* University $46/2.5* South Natomas $38/2.5* Rancho Cordova $39 for 2.5* Rancho Cordova accepted through the PRICELINE link at SavingsBarn.com.

Bidding for three nights first (Saturday/Sunday/Monday) $50 for 2.5* in University and $46 for 2.5* in South Natomas were rejected. I eliminated the Monday night then. For just Saturday/Sunday $45 for 2.5* in South Natomas was rejected and $46 accepted at the Hilton Garden Inn. Still needing Monday I tried Add a Night, even though my three night bid had already been rejected. It said Hilton Garden Inn had no inventory for Monday. Then I bid $46 for 2.5* to win some other hotel in South Natomas and that was rejected too. All bids placed through SavingsBarn. I like this Hilton Garden Inn. They were installing new plasma TV's in some of the guest rooms while I was there---but not in my room. :)

First bid of $42 was accepted. That means I probably overbid. I used the PRICELINE link at SavingsBarn.

Fourth trip in a row that I've won this hotel at $39. $38 failed. Throw in parking, wireless internet, breakfast, and two morning papers---all for free---and the La Quinta at $39 is an excellent value. Bid was placed through the SavingsBarn link. Prior bid of $45 for 2.5* in the University zone failed.

There are several Holiday Inns near MSP. The one I know with a Green Mill restaurant is on West 94th Street. But that's in Hotwire's Airport West zone and you said you purchased a hotel in Airport East. Which Holiday Inn did you win?

I think the same hotel might be in BB's Hotwire Hotel List twice now---first as "Extended Stay America Deluxe" with several icons including breakfast, and again as "Extended Stay Deluxe Downtown" with just a laundry icon. ExtStay's website only shows one "Deluxe" hotel in the San Jose Airport zone now, on Brokaw, and breakfast isn't mentioned. I think that when this hotel was the Sierra they did serve free breakfast.

Was this on Priceline or Hotwire? It's posted to Hotwire but sounds like a Priceline deal. Edit by Thereuare: sounds right to me... moved to Priceline section of the board <thanks>

$38 rejected. $39 accepted. Through the PRICELINE link at Savingsbarn.com.

Does the hotel still offer free breakfast like they did when it was La Quinta?

Same hotel and same price as last week. $38 rejected. $39 accepted. Started my Priceline bid at Savingsbarn.com.

First bid of $39 accepted through the PRICELINE link at Savingsbarn.com. This five story La Quinta is the former Rancho Cordova Holiday Inn, which I've won as a Priceline 3*. As La Quinta it's now 2.5*, although I didn't notice any significant change in decor or amenities from Holiday Inn days. Bedspread and curtains in room looked new. Free parking, breakfast, and highspeed.

The Holiday Inn Rancho Cordova is now La Quinta Rancho Cordova. Not much has changed besides the name, which means it's still a decent place to stay for the money. I think my room might have had a new bedspread and curtains but otherwise the lobby and room and amenities were the same as what I remember at the Holiday Inn. The hotel is five stories. Built near the freeway and my room overlooked the freeway, but no significant noise problems. Parking, highspeed internet, and continental breakfast are still free. Room service gets walked over from Brookfield's restaurant across the parking lot from La Quinta.

The Entertainment Book link is working fine now. I just used it to buy the Seattle book.

I know Tacoma and I wouldn't buy a 2* there on Hotwire. Threre are a lot of dicey motels in Tacoma. My guess is that 2* is the Extended Stay America.

San Francisco Hotwire zone changes: 1) The former "Van Ness/Lombard Corridor--Pacific Heights" zone has been split in two. The two new zones are "Japantown-Civic Center North" and "Lombard Street-Marina District". The Holiday Inn Golden Gateway and Opal Hotels are now in the Japantown-Civic Center North zone. 2) The former "Civic Center" zone is now called "Civic Center South". I don't have a map of the old zones but I think this is just a renaming and not a change of boundaries.

I just tried using the Entertainment Coupon Book link on BetterBidding's Support page without success. When I click the link I get a message "That merchant no longer participating in the affiliate program". Is the link broken?

First bid accepted, through the PRICELINE link at SavingsBarn.com. When I won the same hotel a month ago I had to pay $46 after $45 was rejected. Both stays were Friday nights. On the desk in my room a letter from the hotel manager says the Amerisuites will become a Hyatt Place in the next few weeks. "At Hyatt Place you'll find the standard lobby has been replaced by a freeflowing Gallery, featuring contemporary design and a comfortable coffeehouse vibe. You can choose from a variety of spaces where you can relax, watch a flat panel TV, work, or socialize. You can pick a couch in an open area, an overstuffed chair in a nook, or just grab a stool at the granite-topped specialty coffee and wine bar."

The Holiday Inn Rancho Cordova is now a La Quinta.

I've bid for a 3* in Pasadena a few times and I've never won anything for less than $70. Usually it takes $75 or $80.

First bid of $34 rejected. I added Fridley at $38 and was accepted. I used the PRICELINE link at Savingsbarn.com.

First bid accepted. Hotwire wanted $15.95/day for a compact. Lowest price on Orbitz was $24/day with Alamo. I used the Priceline car rental link at SavingsBarn.com.

Fitness, Pool, Laundry, Kitchenette---same amenities as when I purchased this hotel last month for other dates. I already had the TownePlace booked via Hotwire for 10/20 and 10/21. Two weeks ago I learned I needed 10/22 as well. I hoped not to switch hotels but Hotwire's 2.5* for 10/22 had different amenities than the TownePlace and wasn't rated "Best Value" like the TownePlace. I've been checking Hotwire twice a day for two weeks, waiting for the TownePlace to return. When it showed up again this morning I jumped on it, via BetterBidding's HOTWIRE link. The hotel's best published rate for 10/22 is $139.99.

I won the Amerisuites Rancho Cordova for one night at $46. $42 and $45 were rejected.

Not much savings here as the Country Inn is $80 CAD = $71.07 USD for these dates. After Priceline fee I'm only saving around $5-$6 USD per day. There aren't any free rebid zones for 2.5* in the Winnipeg Airport zone. I started at $40 and bid a few dollars higher every 24 hours. I got my first counteroffer at $50. $58 was my last rejected bid before $60 was accepted. I thought I was going to win the Hilton Suites, which cost more than the Country Inn. The Country Inn should work out too though. The real bargains in Winnipeg are in the Downtown zone. I bid through the PRICELINE link at Savingsbarn.com