mecdatlanta

Interesting. So you think I should start 35 - 40% lower than rates posted on HOTWIRE? I didn't think it would stand a chance of being accepted and, since I don't want to spend an inordinate amount of time on this (I would if I had the time -- the need to get a deal is in my blood!), I just thought that 15% of what was already a good deal would be exceptional. I am not sure how to use the free zones though. Is there a link you can share with me that explains this technique? Thanks! mecdatlanta

Greetings Bidders! Using my unscientific method of taking what the cheapest 4* was listed on HW, and then discounting 15% to arrive at my bid, I got the Westgate for $80/night + taxes. I am very happy with this deal, even though this time I made the mistake of forgetting that my bid did not include taxes, so I ended up at the lowest HW price for a 4*. Still, I am pretty sure that the HW deal wasn't this good since the regular rate for this room is $239. Of course, I used the PRICELINE links from this site. Thanks for maintaining this site, guys! mecdatlanta

Greetings, I used the PRICELINE link found on this site (the least I could do to show my appreciation for this great site!). I tried several bids for 4*. I don't have the exact order, but I ended at $75 with all areas around LA selected. I lowered to 3.5* and bid $68 and it was accepted (Crowne Plaza LAX). Not very scientific, but I was getting tired to spending a lot of time on this. I went to Hotwire, where I saw the cheapest 3.5* was $74 for same period. I figured if I could save $6/night and since we have a car, I'd just give $68 a shot with the intention of trying a little higher than my $75 ending price for 4* hotels the next day. According to TripAdvisor, the hotel seems ok -- not great by any means, but acceptable. It'll be fine for us since most things in LA need to be driven to (as opposed to walked to). Don

Just to let everyone know, I tried $95 for the period 08/13/2010 to 08/18/2010 and it was rejected. Thanks for the tip, but for the period of stay that I need, that great price was rejected. Best, Don

Greetings, I would appreciate your help in identifying this location: 3.5-star hotel Orlando, FL SeaWorld - I-drive South Area Hotwire is currently offering it at $59/night for the week of 04/06/2008 - 04/12/2008. Thanks in advance! Don

Greetings, First of all, I want to thank thereuare for helping me on the Hotwire side. I just tried (not at all expecting to win) placing a bid on priceline for my projected stay (05/23/2007 - 05/30/2007) and much to my amazement, I won! It turned out to be the Hilton Chicago. At $89/night, I feel it was a steel. I hope this information is helpful to someone else. Best, Don :)

Thanks. Yes, it is for the same period (05/23/2007 to 05/30/2007). The amenities include: - Fitness center - Restaurant(s) - High-speed internet access - Pool(s) - Business Center Thanks for your insight. Don

Greetings! 4-star hotel in Soldier Field - McCormick Place I came across this hotel for $109/nt. Seems like a great deal, but I don't know the area. Is it a good area? Any idea what hotel it might be? Best, Don

Hi Aaron, Yes, that is exactly the hotel I was bidding on. They raised the price to $123. I tried it again, thinking that they maybe fixed the problem. Same thing happened... It came back as being no longer available. Thanks for your advice on using Priceline. I will use the link on this web site and will provide feedback when I finally get something. Best, Don

That is definitely a thought. Is there something special you do to split the bid, or is it simply a matter of bidding twice for both segments of your stay? Best, Don

Greetings! I have been trying to find a hotel in Chicago for 05/23 to 05/30. About 50% of the time I see this 4* hotel show up for $119/night. When I go to reserve, I get a "this hotel is no longer available" message. I have been doing this for the past four days. I must have tried at least 2-3 times each day. Well, today we get a call from Visa saying that there are a bunch of authorizations outstanding on our card. Although nothing was charged apparently these authorizations use up our credit limit and don't go away for several days. The reason for this post is two-fold: 1) To warn anyone who might try the same thing, and 2) To ask if anyone else might have any suggestions. We are looking for a hotel under $125/night within the city (or at least within 15-20 minutes with public transportation). Thanks in advance. Don

Just paid $80/nt to stay at Sheraton Gateway from 02/10/2007 thru 02/13/2007.

Beware: Parking at this location is $35 per night.

Hi All: I thought I would write a follow-up blurb to let everyone know what I ended up doing... I finally decided to call up a hotel directly and make a reservation. The reason is I needed to be certain of the hotel's proximity to a metro station. I can't have a hotel that's 15 minutes from the nearest metro station. I have a baby travelling with my wife and I, and even if I didn't, I want to spend my time walking where I want to walk, not walk (and using up energy) in the middle of nowhere (sighseeingly-speaking). :) I did write hotwire.com to tell them that I think it's rediculous that they don't list the fact that the hotel is within walking distance (i.e. 5 min or less), from a metro station. They said that it would give away the identity of the hotel. They obviously haven't been to Paris before. If they think that listing the fact that a hotel is less than 5 minutes from a metro station is going to give away the identity of the hotel, they should get rid of any information showing that the hotel has a workout center. Probably as many hotels have workout centers (if not fewer), that are within 5 minutes of the meto. Anyways, I could see that big hotwire.com wasn't going to change their policy for little me (not that I expected them to be that agile), but I thought that I would pass on the information in hopes that they get the message and pass it on to the higher-ups. In summary, I think that Hotwire.com could be a big player in the Paris market, but they need to have minimum information about the hotel so that we can make a good decision. You can tell that the site was modelled after the American market where everyone drives a car... Don

Thanks Willtravel. So what would you consider bidding on? So far everying in Paris seems to stink on both priceline and hotwire. I am interested in any and all suggestions. Don

Thanks for the response. OK, what about the 3-star that is listed in the Champs Elysees - Trocadero area? It is listed at $80 a night. I have a question about that. Why is it that when I search on the popular travel sites and do a search for 3-star hotels none come up under $100/night? Even the above-mentioned hotel is only 10% off the regular rate. So why wouldn't it show up on, say Travelocity"]Travelocity, for $89? We have a big stroller and are totally mobile (portable sleeping quarters for baby). So going back to the hotel isn't a big deal for us. Thanks, Don

Hi All, This is my first post to this board. I promise to share my findings when I get back from my trip... I am looking for a good hotel deal in Paris. I don't particularly care about location, although proximity to a metro station is important. Also, we will be bringing a 7-month old baby, so a room with enough room for a crib would be nice. I saw the hotwire deal a previous poster talks about (4-star at $100/night), but now hesitate selecting it after seeing the replies. Any other ideas? Thank in advance. Don :)