Sciamano

I can see the link in the message, but this is how I visualize the support page: <image viewed and removed and sent PM>

I did not know about the links to the MGM from the support page, and I actually need to warn you that I can't seem to be able to visualize them. Is there any problem with the page, maybe? Anyway, I got a discounted rate ($47.99/night) using a link I received via email by signing up for their newsletter. I'm sorry that I couldn't support you this time, but I'm sure I will be able to do that in the near future, as I've been able to do in the past.

Ok, thanks a lot for all the information. I've booked a cancellable rate at a hotel which seems ok, but not really where I'd like to stay, but if we can't get anything with PL, at least we will have some place to go... I've tried bidding up to $150 for a 3,5* at Fisherman's Wharf (with the help of a lot of free rebid zones), but always got rejected. With the Hilton going for $206 (not refundable) I hoped $150 could be enough, but it appears as though it is not. Will try again in the future. All bids placed through the PRICELINE links on this board.

I finally managed to try, but failed. I'm actually happy I did, because while I was bidding, my wife sneaked behind me and saw what I was bidding for. I explained my intentions and she eventually told me she'd rather go to a fancy restaurant on the day of her birthday than sleep at a 5* hotel. So I've now booked two Grand Tower Rooms at the MGM Grand for $51/night and we'll spend the difference at one of the many good restaurants LV has to offer. (But the booking is cancellable, so I might try again in the future). Sorry I couldn't bring this bid to a successful end for the board. I'll concentrate on SF now, which looks like it's going to be tough. Thanks for all your help.

I guess the first and the last events might explain something about rates, considering the expected attendance. Or not? 09.11.11 - 09.14.11 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO American Academy of Otolaryngology Sunday, 9/11/2011 through Wednesday, 9/14/2011 Attendance: 9000 Peak Rooms: 4700 09.11.11 - 09.15.11 Taleo World User Conference 2011 Taleo Sunday, 9/11/2011 through Thursday, 9/15/2011 Attendance: 1200 Peak Rooms: 679 09.12.11 - 09.15.11 Annual Conference National Association of Telecommunications Officers & Advisors Monday, 9/12/2011 through Thursday, 9/15/2011 Attendance: 200 Peak Rooms: 130 09.13.11 - 09.15.11 Intel Developer Forum 2011 Intel Corporation Tuesday, 9/13/2011 through Thursday, 9/15/2011 Attendance: 5000 Peak Rooms: 2500

Thanks Gallus50, I'll check the calendar for the conventions and see if there's anything important during my stay. Would it be safe to assume that, if no major events are expected those days, rates might get lower in the future? Regarding transportations: we are four persons and we'll arrive by car, so we will have to place it in a (costly, I guess) parking during our stay. Considering this, would public transport still be more convenient? @thereuare: I'll book a cancellable back-up and try our luck. After all, all we need is a bed to sleep, nothing else. We're going to be out visiting SF most of the day, so we don't really need anything too fancy, just a clean comfortable bed, in a safe zone possibly. :) I guess this would mean a 3.5* (did not check 3* hotels yet) in any zone comfortable enough to get easily around the city. My in-laws have never been to SF (never been to the States actually), so I guess the important thing for them would be to be able to get around easily. I'd say that saving a few bucks would be more important to us than getting a super-fancy hotel, as long as the place we get is respectable and decent. P.S.: I understand completely how you feel about not having had coffee yet. :)

Update: I spent most of yesterday on the phone with the credit card company and it seems that my bank failed to pay last month's bill. I've managed to solve the problem, and I hope that the card will be back working today or tomorrow at the latest. I hope I'll be able to post the results of my bids soon.

Thanks, I'm familiar with the concept of free-rebids, so no worries there. Unfortunately I've just found out my credit card has been blocked somehow, so I'll have to sort this out before I bid, but it should be a matter of a few hours. I'll bid as soon as this is solved, and I will use the provided PRICELINE links. Thanks!

Hmmm, I see... so do you suggest I just make a backup and cancellable reservation while I wait and see if rates get lower, and then start bidding then? Or should I try anyway? Thanks again.

Thanks for your reply. The rates I quoted were taken from the official hotel sites, so I did not use PL not HW to check them, but I will make sure to use the link whener I visit those sites. If $100 is too low, what would be a realistic expectation in regards of both FW and USE/USW? We don't need 5* luxury, just a good comfortable and clean room to spend the nights. Are there any particular star rating and/or zones in SF which are "dangerous" (in the meaning of getting a bad/dirty hotel) and which would be better to avoid? Thanks

Thanks, that's what I thought too, but I wanted a more experienced opinion. Considering that the current rate at the Venetian is $150, and that there is plenty of time, I would be willing to bid up to $100. Stretching the budget a bit, If $100 is not enough, I could go up to $120. Of course I will use the PRICELINE link. Thanks for your help.

Hi, we are going to be in Las Vegas for three nights next September (9/5 to 9/8), and since it's going to be my wife's birthday I would love to surprise her by booking a 5* hotel. I have a backup reservation (just in case) at the Luxor, where we've been last time we were there, for $75 (Tower rooms, the Pyramid ones go for $55). But since my wife's dream would be to sleep at the Venetian, I would like to try with PL and save some bucks (I'm not a newbie, I know there's no guarantee about what hotel we will get using priceline, but I'm sure that any 5* hotel would be ok with her :) So if we get the Venetian it would be the 'bestest' option, but any other hotel would be great). The rates for both the Venetian and the Palazzo for those dates are $149 (it looks like they are 'slow nights' as some 3*/3.5* hotels have rates below $40). Anyway, the question is: should I bid now, or wait? And how much should I bid? We need two rooms (my in-laws are coming with us). Thanks for your help.

Hello! we are going to travel to the States next summer (august/september) because we want to show the country to my in-laws. We are going to be in San Fran approximately from 9/11 to 9/14, and we were trying to make a budget. Apparently USW and USE are the highest priced zones, so we thought we might save some $$ by choosing a hotel somewhere else. I was thinking Fisherman's Wharf, which seems to have nice 3.5* hotels at good prices. Would this be a good base to visit the city? I've been to SF a few times, but a lot of years has passed since, and I don't really remember how we used to get around. Will the car be needed or public transport is good? We already have a car, but I'm a bit stressed out by the steep streets of SF! Rates for a 3.5* at FW go from $206 to $263 for the dates we should be there, while USE has a $309-$349 range and I guess USW would be about the same. Would it be a realistic expectation to get a 3.5* at a rate below $100 with PL? That would be good. Otherwise, would you recommend to spend a bit (or a lot) more and stay closer to downtown? Thanks a lot.

Have been trying for a couple days, starting from $75. Check-In Date: Friday, January 1, 2010 Check-Out Date: Wednesday, January 6, 2010 Hotel Name: Copthorne Tara Kensington Scarsdale Place Kensington London, United Kingdom 44 20 7937 7211 Your Offer Price: US$95.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 5 Subtotal: US$475.00 Taxes and Fees: US$86.40 Total Charges: US$561.40 Of course, bid placed through the PRICELINE links on this board.

That's what I thought, actually. But even if I read all the docs I've found, I did not see those lines. Thanks for finding them for me. Best regards Luca P.S.: I always use the links on the board to bid on PRICELINE :)

Thanks for the clarification, although medical emergencies are the main reason why I'd need insurance. Still, I'm not sure it makes sense for people outside the US. If anyone has any info about this, it will be much appreciated. :)

Hello, I'm from Europe and need to bid on a room in London for my parents. Can I buy the Cancellation Insurance? Will it work? I've read all the docs, but I can't find anything that says that it's limited to US residents, but maybe I simply couldn't see it even if it's there. Anyone knows anything about this? Thanks a lot! Luca

I've only bid in a few european countries, especially UK and Germany. My opinion in general is that the quality level and service of PRICELINE hotels in Europe is lower than what you'd get in the USA. In my experience I must say that Germany is the safest European country "Priceline-wise" although it's always better to check official hotel rates first, because in certain times of the year you can find great rates even without using PRICELINE. Hotels in Germany are most often Marriott, Renaissance and so on, which means a very good quality standard. What countries are you visiting? Oh, in any case, I always use the US site.

I really don't know what to suggest... maybe trying for the other AMS zone would result in a better hotel? Or maybe just bid for a 4* (if you get a TRUE 4* it will be definitely better than the Krasnapolsky). I've sent a complaint to Priceline about this hotel, I'm waiting for their reply.

I take back what I said because one can really complain. This is NOT a 5* Hotel. It probably would be if they gave PRICELINE users the best rooms, but they don't. Instead they assign the worst rooms of the hotel, which don't even qualify for 3* status. All Amsterdam bidders BE AWARE that bidding for a 5-star in AMS might result in getting a 2* level room in this hotel. Check my hotel review for more details.

We stayed three nights in this hotel in August 2008. The location of this hotel is excellent, right in front of the Royal Palace. But that's basically it. First of all I have to say that we "won" this hotel with Priceline at around $160/night (not exactly cheap, considering we won much better hotels in Germany for less than half that price) This is important because it seems that they have very different room "levels". I'm aware that when I book with Priceline I might receive the worse rooms of the hotels I win. The problem is that this facility is listed as a 5-star rating hotel, but the rooms they give to Priceline users are much worse than what you'd expect in a 3 star hotel. But if I wanted a 3* hotel, I would have bid for a 3* in the first place (and I would have saved a lot of money, too)! Anyway, even though the first room they gave us was officially a non-smoking room, it smelled like a cigar lounge. I complained to the concierge and was given another room, just a few doors down. This time it did not smell, but -as the first one- it was simply ugly: small, dirty, rundown and with a horrible bathroom. Suffice it to say that it does not even have a real door, just a couple of saloon-like shutters. Not only it looked old and dirty, it was also one of the smallest bathrooms I've ever seen. It was simply horrible. When you check-in, be aware that if you are given a room in the back of the hotel, reachable through elevator #5, you are going to have a terrible experience. (By the way, did I mention that the bathroom was horrible?) On the other hand, the public spaces of the hotel are very nice, although they too look pretty old, and would need a renovation. The Winter Garden where the breakfast buffet is prepared is very nice, although I'm not sure the buffet itself is worth the high price. If you don't want to spend that much, there are a few places that sell bread, croissants and rolls just a few meters from the hotel (especially on Damrak). Otherwise the department store that is just outside the hotel (on the right, looking at the Royal Palace) has a nice cafeteria. Also, if you arrive in Amsterdam by car, be prepared to spend an arm and a leg for parking: we parked at the Krasnapolsky's garage and we paid EUR 47.50 (~$75) per night! It's like this hotel really is two hotels: one for the full-price paying customers (which probably is a 'real' 5* hotel) and one for Priceline (and/or any other discount travel 'systems') users, which really is not worth even 3*. I DEFINITELY would not stay here again.

Ha! There it is!! In the 'My Rewards' section! Great! Problem solved! :) Thanks!

Hi, I've received an email from Priceline which contains a special discount of $5 per night on my next priceline reservation. In order to obtain it, I have to click on a link that's contained in this email. But this prevents me to reach Priceline using the 'support' links on this board. I was wondering if there is a way to combine both things... I would like to use the discount, but I would also like to keep supporting this board!

Consider yourself very lucky! I've tried almost everyday for a similar period of time (Jul 28-31) up to $180 (sometimes even $200) with no luck. Tried also yesterday, and did not get any room...

I've been bidding for the same dates for a while now. No luck at all. I guess the "good times" when one could pick a 4* hotel in NYC at <$100 are long gone. I paid $87 for the NY Hilton in 2002, but since then there has been a constant raising of PRICELINE rates... :)