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Couldn't get a 4.5* or 5* for 185 or less by bidding and 200 was my limit for a "deal"

Too many 4 stars outside the superspecific area we were wanting to stay (Westlake station for a quick stay in seattle without a car)

So, switched to priceline express technique,  using this site to match amenities for a cheaper room with more certainty about location.

 Free Internet 

 Pet Friendly

 Indoor Pool

 Non-Smoking

 Gym

 Restaurant

 Handicap Accessible

 Business Center

Started bidding at $85 on PRICELINE.  Because there is only one zone in long island without a 3.5* hotel, I didn't get very far.  $10 increases over 2 days, I topped out at $105.

Switched to HOTWIRE and used the $10 coupon, saving almost nothing from the Hilton's honor rate.

Free parking, Pet friendly, Indoor pool(s), Smoke-free rooms, Fitness center, Pool(s), Restaurant(s), Business center, Internet access, Tennis nearby

Didn't do much advanced research - in a rush. Most hotels in the area we want to be are 300-500+ 

Somebody posted $75 win for April and we're traveling May.

Started at $75 and went up by $5 increments.

Luckily DC has lots of zones for this cheapskate.  Somewhere around my tenth bid I started going up by $15 or $20 because I was running out of zones.

Won for $165 x 3 nights.  Not a steal, but 4 stars are $350+++ in Georgetownish area, so I'm happy.

Thanks for the help!

Wanted the Radisson Riverside - started bidding on priceline at $50, increased by increments of $5 until $70 was not successful.

Switched to Hotwire through better bidding link.  They advertised a 3* for $68 and I thought it might be the Radisson.  Although amenities didn't quite line up with those listed for the 3.5* or 4*:

Free Internet
Pet friendly
Airport Shuttle
Fitness Center
Pool(s)
Restaurant(s)
Business Center
Self service laundry
Internet access

I didn't anticipate they'd been downgraded so I ended up with Rochester Plaza - total of $85 with tax. 

Recommend considering a move for Rochester Plaza into the 3* category on Hotwire downtown hotel list for Rochester, NY.

First time I've bid on something and didn't feel like I was committing some crime. This time I only saved $70 a night. Still worth it for 4 nights.

Based on previous posts, the high rate must be due to the weekend I picked to visit. HOTWIRE's lowest rate for downtown was $115 which should've been a tipoff, but I started bidding 4 stars downtown at $50 and added zones at $5 increments for what seemed like 2 hours.

This is, in part, because when I reached $75, I opened another browser on my computer and began bidding at $40 for 3.5 stars in midtown and downtown, aiming for Sheraton. I was alternating bids like that until the 4 star won.

Exhausting.

Stayed in Hyatt before with Priceline and was trying to avoid the place.

Read the boards here and shopped out my hotels.

Bid $50 3* dowtown hoping for radisson. It was suggested ("high chance of success") to bid $59 immediately.

I wanted to test the system though, so I added Chili and increased to $55.

Total with tax is $264.

This compares to $375 total on Hotwire,

$521 retail.