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GM Mike

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Everything posted by GM Mike

  1. This is a PRICELINE EXPRESS Deal, 4* 8+/10 Rating. Had bid up to $175 and was offered a counter-offer for $229. There is a conference starting the next day so this was still a savings of around $50. Amenities showing: Business Center Free Internet Indoor or Outdoor Pool Fitness Center No Smoking Rooms/Facilities There is a $30 resort fee which made it almost certainly the Snake River Lodge. Summary Of Charges Price per Night: $180 Taxes and Fees: $32.56 Priceline Total Charges: $212.56 Additional Mandatory Fee: $30.00 This fee is collected at the hotel Total Price: $242.56 Used the Betterbidding PRICELINE EXPRESS links.
  2. Nice to be back on BetterBidding again. It's been a long time since I've traveled on my own dime! This is my favorite way to use priceline these days... bidding while on the flight inbound... I had been holding on to a reservation for an Intermediate at Budget for around $34/day after coupons. Right now, priceline is showing a strange pricing situation where Full-Size is cheapest, at $19/day. So I bid $12 on Full-size. It countered with $15. When I said no, it offered to let me bid whatever I wanted on the same class again. So I bid $13 and was accepted! Total savings of almost $100! Your Offer Price: $13.00 (per day) Total Rental Days: 4 SubTotal: $52.00 Taxes and Fees: $21.22 Total Rental Car Charges: $73.22 You saved 75%!* ......and, darn it, I just realized I didn't use the BetterBidding link to bid. It's been so long, I'm out of habit.
  3. I want to say it was a Nissan Rogue. The main issue is how short the cargo area is. It really has the feel of a station wagon with tall tires. Probably 1/4 - 1/3 less storage area than what I would have expected from a "Midsize SUV". And the seats didn't quite lay flat.
  4. This is an old reservation but newer than anything else listed for SYR, so hopefully it will be helpful to someone. Unfortunately, it looks like I forgot to use the links here to book this one. My only defense is that I'm pretty sure I was in the lobby of the airport trying to get something accepted before the mad rush of people hit the rental counters. My backup reservation was an off-airport location for ~$20 more total, so this worked out fine. Just an unusually expensive holiday week. Economy Car Pick-Up /Drop Off: Syracuse - Hancock Intl (SYR) 1000 Col Eileen Collins Blvd, Syracuse, NY 13212 On Airport Pick-Up Date & Time: Monday, December 24 2012 - 9:30 AM Drop-Off Date & Time: Wednesday, December 26 2012 - 4:30 PM Purchased Date: December 24 2012 Your Offer Price: $36.00 (per day) Total Rental Days: 3 SubTotal: $108.00 Taxes and Fees: $37.11 Total Rental Car Charges: $145.11 You saved 48%!*
  5. Pretty sure I used the links here for this. Then completely forgot to post about it. As I recall, that weekend I really needed an SUV and they were priced at $250+ ! Turns out, the "SUV" they decided to give me was essentially a station wagon. Really unpleasant conversation about it at the desk; was ultimately told I had to pay a substantial upgrade fee to get into anything that actually looked like an SUV. (Of course, I stubbornly refused and the station wagon worked out well enough.) Mid-Size SUV Pick-Up /Drop Off: Albany - County (ALB) 737 Albany Shaker Road, Albany, NY 12211 On Airport Pick-Up Date & Time: Thursday, June 20 2013 - 6:00 PM Drop-Off Date & Time: Sunday, June 23 2013 - 6:00 PM Purchased Date: June 18 2013 Your Offer Price: $20.00 (per day) Total Rental Days: 3 SubTotal: $60.00 Taxes and Fees: $23.89 Total Rental Car Charges: $83.89 You saved 74%!*
  6. This is one of my favorite hotels in Albany. Decent location, nice rooms, great staff, solid breakfast... GREAT price, too, usually goes for around $150/night. Free free to ask me any questions, etc.
  7. I'm also seeing the SFO Holiday Inn (on the North side of the airport but close) with an Entertainment Card rate of $87.50 directly from their website using this betterbidding link. (tho the reviews aren't great)
  8. The John Hancock Center is the second tallest building in Chicago. Its top floors feature dramatic views of the city and lake. Although it's not nearly as tall as the Sears/Willis Tower, the views are still great, and it can be much more affordable... The official Observatory is on the 94th floor. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $10 for children, minus a 5% discount for booking on the official website. The least expensive option is to, instead, have a drink in the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor. Drinks generally cost $5-$10 each but the Lounge windows have great views to the south and east over the city. A one-drink purchase generally secures a table for about a half hour and there are a few places around the tables to take pictures. The Lounge has its own elevator, typically with shorter lines than for the Observatory. Another great option is to have lunch in the Signature Room restaurant on the 95th floor. Monday-Saturday, the lunch buffet is $20 for adults and $11 for children. On Tuesdays through August 2010, the pricing is $15 for adults, $10 for children - the same price as admission to the Observatory. This is a great value if you make a reservation on their website (https://www.signatureroom.com/Reservations/) as you will have an appointment to use their private elevator to avoid most of the lines.
  9. This offer is still available this year, for the same prices. Keep in mind, some of the tickets are VIP level - Aquarium includes 4 exhibits, Museum of Science and Industry includes Omnimax, etc. For the John Hancock Observatory, the restaurant on the 95th floor is offering a buffet lunch this summer, Monday-Saturday, $20 for adults and $11 for children. On Tuesdays through August, the pricing is $15 adults and $10 children. That's the SAME price as general admission to the observatory. In other words, if you go to the Signature Room instead of the Observatory Level, you get lunch for the same price, plus tax and tip! Book a reservation on their website: https://www.signatureroom.com/Reservations/
  10. To follow up, Banff was awesome and the Ptarmigan was better than expected. Perfect location right in downtown Banff and excellent beds. Much better than the beds in the hotel for the second night for the wedding (Buffalo Mountain Lodge - "like covering a park bench with a sheet")... I would definitely pick this hotel on hotwire before bidding on priceline. The Juniper Hotel that's been coming up on priceline for 3* is way outside of town by the highway. It's definitely worth it to stay downtown.
  11. Ok, we have a resolution... Availability changed, now the 3* showing was: $106 for 2 adults Fitness Center Restaurant Golf Nearby Spa Booked it using the betterbidding HOTWIRE link, it's the Banff Ptarmigan Inn 337 Banff Ave., Banff, AB, T1L 1B7 Phone:(403) 762-2207 Hotel rate per night - Hotwire hot Rate: $106.00 Nights: 1 Rooms: 1 Subtotal: $106.00 Tax recovery charges and fees: $19.11 Total price: $125.11 It's new for the hotel list but I was pretty sure about it, due to the tripadvisor info. It has mostly good reviews and is in a good location, so I'm sure it'll be fine. (I had a $10 coupon, so it was roughly the same as a $98 priceline bid.) Previously bid up to $110 3.5* and $90 3* on priceline.
  12. This is closing weekend at the track, right? That's a great time to be in Saratoga... I've visited this hotel for breakfast before (for $). You should be quite pleased with the service and the hotel is overall in good shape. It's just a little distance from downtown. Nice enough walk if it's a nice day.
  13. Wow, nice pick! That's definitely the "risky" backup plan now.
  14. There is now a 3* for $97 on HOTWIRE (restaurant, internet) that doesn't match anything reported. The 2.5* is still there ($90). Today I bid on PRICELINE, 3.5* $98 and 3* $78. Got a counteroffer on the 3* for $100. 4 more bidding days left...
  15. I'm up to $90 3.5* and $70 3*. Hotwire has consistently had what looks like Inns of Banff for $86-90 so I won't be bidding much higher.
  16. I've done this from the airport before... Stranded at O'Hare (weather) twice. Got the airline's best offer late in the evening, beat it on priceline from the terminal, then walked over to the hotel shuttle area. It's great. :) AaronJB is right tho, make sure you are in a place with many hotels and preferably many rebid zones. Other options are also the Entertainment Card rate (especially with Holiday Inn-family hotels) and those roadside hotel coupon books. You should consider Cleveland. Lots of nice cheap hotels downtown (tho $$$ for parking) and at least a few nice attractions. Minimize risk by using tripadvisor and betterbidding. :)
  17. I'm up to $74/$54 now. I've got over 3 weeks left, so my plan is to inch up $2 a day, unless HOTWIRE's inventory changes in a significant way. turboguy, what did you end up doing for a backup plan? If you're still bidding, you should start your own thread so folks can help...
  18. Starting to inch up now... 3.5* $72 and 3* $52... The "Inns of Banff" is probably the $86 choice on hotwire right now. That would be ok. There are also lots of places available around $110 direct booking.
  19. Availability hasn't changed much so I've been bidding every week or so up to $67 or $70 on 3.5* in Banff. Still about 5 weeks out.
  20. Yes - keep all questions about the same stay in the same "thread", as you've done here. Others can help you with specifics on this stay, but I can give you an answer to this question based on experience:The rules are, you do NOT get points for the room rate and you do NOT get any elite benefits, nor stay/nights credit. In most programs, you DO get credit for any other qualifying charges on the room (food, etc.) Unofficially, about 1/3 of the time I get the credit anyway. Seems like it's relatively easy for the PRICELINE rate to be accidentally coded wrong in the hotel systems. Sometimes I've gotten elite benefits - I've gotten a nice SPG room at a Starwood property before, etc. My recollection is it was at least an unwritten suggestion at Hyatt and Omni properties to offer the benefits of those programs for PRICELINE guests. So don't count on it but it sometimes happens anyway. Definitely worth it to give your frequent guest number at check in or when reconfirming the reservation.
  21. Not sure. There was a pay-per-minute computer available in the lobby. It was not cheap. The in-room Internet was something like 15 GBP per day. The Tube (Underground) goes directly from a combined station for Terminals 1-3. Take the Piccadilly Line toward Cockfosters to the Green Park station and it's a very short walk from there. There is a trip planner at http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/user/XSLT...ST2?language=en that will give you step by step directions, including a PDF walking map from the station to the hotel. Just make sure you pick a trip with one tube segment - it'll also return trips that involve changing trains or using buses. You're better off to wait a little while for a single train trip. It's about a 45 minute ride. We stayed on a direct reservation (on points) and could not get early check-in. They said they had nothing available yet but I'm not sure I believe it. The concierge stored our bags and recommended a hop on-hop off bus tour that picks up a block away. It was ok and definitely an effective way to kill time. Not really an in-depth tour but a convenient way to at least see many places we didn't have time to visit.
  22. wendys328, welcome to BetterBidding! HOTWIRE and PRICELINE are for real. The reason the prices are so low is that hotels use these services to fill unsold rooms. They figure it's better to make something than nothing... To balance out the low price, keep in mind: - You have no choice which room in the hotel you receive. For PRICELINE, your reservation is guaranteed for two people, which means a minimum of one double bed (or two single beds). The hotel may charge more for a different kind of bedding - or not allow you to choose it at all. For hotwire, you can select up to four people and the hotel will provide bedding for that many people - but this could mean a double bed plus a sofa bed or rollaway. - Your room might be the smallest in the hotel... or right next to the elevator... or on the first floor... or a smoking room... remember, you're getting whatever they couldn't sell. You're welcome to make whatever requests you want but the hotel is under no obligation to accommodate you. - Your purchase is final, whether you like the hotel you receive or not. No changes, no cancellations. - With PRICELINE, you have no idea what hotel you'll receive - only that it will be of a certain quality star level and within the boundaries of a particular zone. With HOTWIRE, you'll at least know some of the amenities of the hotel, which can give you an educated guess of what it might be. For most of us, those negatives are easily offset by saving as much as 50% (or more)... Take a look around this site to see other people's wins and read the advice information. This I've Never Used Priceline or Hotwire page may also help introduce you. If you would like help with a particular stay, please post the location, *-level, budget, and dates here.
  23. At most hotels, there is an automatic "sweep" of any reservations not checked in, during the night audit process. Typically the computer system will change the reservation to "no show", take any prepayment, and cancel the remainder of the reservation. Usually this happens around 2am, maybe earlier if business is slow. The overnight clerk has the ability to either do a fake "check-in" before the night audit runs or to reverse the no show when the guest does arrive. The reason you should contact the hotel is so that someone can leave a note in your record for the night auditor saying that you should be expected to arrive late. Without that note, the auditor may assume you are not arriving at all and re-sell your room to someone else. It's really a kind of insurance to make sure your room is there when you arrive. If possible, you could contact the hotel before you leave for your flight so that they can leave a note in your record. It's best to do that on the day you are scheduled to arrive so it is fresh in everyone's minds.
  24. I've stayed at this hotel before. It's fine... Nothing especially elegant but clean and "safe". There's a sizable convenience store next door and quite a few food options in the area. Good location for the tube; about 2 blocks away.
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