izimba

Booked for a work trip -- used Hot.wire to save my employer some money. The boss was very pleased with the price! I would have tried bidding with PRICELINE, but I didn't have much time, and the price for this same hotel on PRICELINE EXPRESS Deals was $152 a night. So I doubted that I'd be able to save much, if anything, by bidding. I usually use the links on your site to access PRICELINE and HOTWIRE, but it slipped my mind this time amid my haste. So sorry!

I got the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Buffalo Airport. I have tried entering the correct name, but your site keeps changing it to the Holiday Inn Buffalo International Airport, which is a different hotel. This hotel was described as a "guest favorite." The amenities are: Free breakfastFree InternetFree parkingIndoor poolPets allowedFitness centerBusiness centerThe lowest advertised rate I see on the hotel's own website is $161 for these nights. I was afraid to bid, because I didn't want to wind up with the 3* Millennium. (I have seen the bad reviews!) For kicks, I did bid $55 for a 2 1/2-star, but my bid was promptly rejected. I was hoping to get the Homewood Suites. Oh well. I accessed Price.line through the link on this site.

Hello. I have been a fan of this site for several years. Here's my question: Do you know of any travel site that still allows a consumer to do a flexible-date search for a particular hotel, displaying a calendar with the hotel's lowest rate each night over the course of a month, or a couple of months? Travelocity had this as recently as last year, and here's why I use it: We live in Florida and want to go to Walt Disney World's Epcot Food and Wine Festival at some point this fall. We want to stay at one of the hotels near the Epcot International Showcase -- namely the Swan, Dolphin or Boardwalk. We can go at any time and will choose whatever nights have the best rate. But Travelocity has apparently merged with Expedia. (Right? The sites are identical now.) So, the flexible-date hotel search has vanished. And I don't see anything similar on Kayak, Hotels.com or any of the others. Do you know if this still exists anywhere? Thanks!

Hi! The rate is $99 for this 3* in the AIRPORT zone, and the amenities are: Free parking, free breakfast, free Internet, fitness center, pool(s), restaurant(s), business center and self-service laundry. Trip Advisor rating of 3.5. Thanks! I'm a long-time fan/user.

I was finding very high prices for hotels in Washington over Columbus Day weekend and had bid up to $135 for either a 4* or a 3.5* in the White House-Downtown and Capitol Hill-Convention Center zones, but I'd had no success. So, I decided to try for the Dupont Circle-Woodley Park zone because I saw that Priceline had a PRICELINE EXPRESS Deal there for $147. Last night, I started bidding in this zone at $85 and went to $100 but got nothing. This morning, when I noticed that Hotwire's Washington, D.C. rates for this weekend were generally much more expensive than the last time I checked, I thought I had better try again in this zone, so I started at $110 and immediately got a $19 counteroffer. Instead, I threw in the Capitol Hill South zone as a free rebid and nailed this at $115. The lowest posted rate for this stay on Marriott's website is $259, so I think I did well, particularly for a busy holiday weekend in DC. I used the link on this site to access PRICELINE. By the way, each time I come here, I am impressed by how you guys keep innovating!

I saw low prices on Hotwire for this night, so I started with a bid of $50 for the downtown zone, and I got a $64 counteroffer. I added the Fort Lauderdale-Beaches zone and raised my bid to $54, but that was unsuccessful. I then added the Hollywood zone, bid $56 and nailed it. The lowest price on the hotel's website for this night is $109. I accessed PRICELINE through the QuickQuote box on this site.

Well, earlier this evening, I got the Homewood Suites-Erie for this night, for a visit to Erie for a family funeral. My sister asked if I could get the very same deal for her family, so I tried again -- and was very disappointed to get this, a lesser hotel in a not-so-convenient location. The total with taxes is $89.17, just $4 less than you'd pay on Clarion's website. I accessed PRICELINE via this board. At least from now on, users of this board will know that it's possible to get stuck with this hotel when you bid for an Erie 3*.

Got it on the first try, using the PRICELINE link from this board. I used the Priceline coupon code THANKSMOM to save 5%, so my total with taxes and fees was $89.17.The lowest rate on Hilton's website for this night is $149. I've stayed here before and it's a decent hotel, with a pool, hot tub, free breakfast and free Internet.

Thanks so much for the information on this board! It helped me get my desired hotel, close to the Nokia Theatre, and at a good price. Sheraton's own website showed no availability for these three nights. Amenities are: Smoke Free Rooms; Fitness Center; Restaurant(s); Business Center; High-Speed Internet Access; Accessible for the blind; Accessible for the deaf; Accessible path of travel; In-room accessibility; Accessible bathroom; Handicapped parking. I accessed HOTWIRE through this site.

I booked it, using your HOTWIRE link, and it was indeed the Best Western Plus North Canton Inn & Suites. By the time I booked it, the rate had come down to $90. The full price, with taxes and fees, was $109.43. Thanks for your help!

The rate is $91 for the night of Aug. 8. The amenities are: airport shuttle, fitness center, pool(s), business center, laundry facilities (self-service), high-speed Internet access, golf nearby and free breakfast. The star level and amenities all suggest the McKinley Grand Hotel, except nowhere on its website do I see a mention of free breakfast.

Had been bidding on this for a while, going as high as $82 with no luck. But tonight, I noticed Hotwire had a different hotel available in this zone for these nights, and at a lower rate than I'd been seeing. So I figured I'd do better with Priceline. I started at $68 and got an $83 counteroffer. Instead of taking it, I used free rebids and tried $70 and $72 before finding success at $74. With taxes and fees, my total for three nights is $261.78. We make this trip every year for Thanksgiving, and $74 is the most we've ever paid for a Coral Gables 4* -- we typically nail one for $63-$65. But at least it's better than $82 or more.

I booked it, and it is indeed the Westin San Francisco Market Street. With taxes and fees, I got two nights for $425.66. I accessed Travelocity through your link. But first, I tried Priceline. I bid up to $178 for a 4* hotel in the Embarcadero, Moscone Center-SOMA, Union Sq. East and Union Sq. West zones but was unsuccessful. A Priceline bid of $178 would have given me the same final price as the Travelocity deal. I had made a reservation for the Powell Hotel but decided to abandon that after reading the many reviews about bedbugs. Incidentally, when I called the Powell to cancel, the front desk asked why and I mentioned that I found all the reports of bedbugs disturbing. The employee simply said, "OK," and then moved on to the business of trying to find my reservation. So I think I made the right choice. This would appear to be a very good deal for a weekend in which most San Francisco hotels are completely booked. The lowest rate on the Westin's website for these nights is $291, for a total of $673.72.

I can't figure this out. It's a 4*, area described as Moscone Center and SOMA. Has a traveler rating of 4 smiley faces and rates 3 out of 5 for Value for Money and 5 out of 5 for Bed Comfort. But I don't see a hotel in the neighborhood with those Travelocity ratings or with relatively low rates for these nights. Can anyone help? Thanks.

Ouch -- got stung by the dreaded Priceline upgrade. Was bidding for a 3* and counting on the Four Points, available on other websites for $68 on these nights. Had bid two days earlier between $45-$50 with no luck. This time I started at $50, and immediately got the 3.5* Hilton. Great rate, since the lowest on the hotel's own website is $127 for these nights. But I'll have to pay for in-room Internet, unlike at the Four Points, and this hotel is much farther from the KCI Expo Center, where I need to be. Oh well. I used the PRICELINE link on this site to place my bid.

Got the hotel I wanted, for two nights pre-cruise. Did not want the Sheraton Old San Juan so was glad to see it was sold out for these nights. I started with a bid of $85 and got $25 counteroffer. Using free rebids, I tried $88, then $90 before nailing it at $91. The total with taxes and fees is $211.62. Hotwire has what appears to be the same hotel for $111 for these two nights. I accessed Priceline through the link on this site.

I started my bidding at $45 and got $15 counteroffer. Instead of taking it, I added Elyria free rebid, raised to $50 and won the Residence Inn. Looks like a good hotel at a great price. I used PRICELINE link on this site.

A day earlier, I began at $46 and got $15 counteroffer. Instead, I unsuccessfully bid up to $50 in $2 increments. This time, I started at $52 and got the Hyatt Regency on the first try. Great price for an excellent hotel in a very convenient location, atop the Bethesda Metro station. I used this site's PRICELINE link.

We make an annual Thanksgiving trip to visit family in Coral Gables, and I'm very pleased to have landed my best Priceline rate for the weekend in years. The last couple of times we paid in the range of $65-$68 per night. I'm also glad to have gotten the Hyatt Regency, which we've found to be the area's best hotel. I started with a bid of $50 and got a $15 counteroffer. Instead, I added one free rebid and raised to $53, then added another for a successful bid of $55. I used this site's PRICELINE link.

I had seen hotel on Hotwire for $99 so started my Priceline bidding at $65. Got $15 counteroffer. So, I used one free rebid and tried $70. Then, added second free rebid and raised to $72, nailing it. With taxes and fees, my total is $174.36. Lowest rate for these nights that I could find on non-opaque sites was $152, so I saved more than half. Am delighted that hotel offers free wi-fi. I accessed PRICELINE through this site.

Have to say I'm honestly disappointed with this, because I understand this hotel was previously rated a 3* and the reviews are not very good. Was hoping for the Hyatt Regency. First day, started at $40, got $12 counteroffer, instead used free rebids to go up to $44 in $1 increments and then quit. Next day, started at $44, again got $12 counteroffer, used free rebid to go up to $45 and landed the Crowne Plaza. I do like the fact that it offers free wi-fi. Don't like what I'm reading about $18/day parking charge, so will have to research other parking in the area. Total with taxes and fees for the two nights is $111.92. I accessed PRICELINE using the link on this site.

After 4* bid of $50 was rejected, tried for 3.5* at $36, also without success. Added free rebid, went to $42 and landed the Doubletree. I'm very pleased, since the hotel offers free high-speed Internet, has a whirlpool and is very close to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Also, it seems cheerier than the Hyatt Regency, which we've gotten for the last three Easter weekends, when we visit family in Cleveland. I remembered to use the BetterBidding.com PRICELINE link.

Had been checking fares for weeks, and they were only going up. Seemed that our return on a Sunday was problematic. Started my bidding at $225, for a total of $288 for each ticket, including taxes and fees. Priceline made me a counteroffer that would have come out to $305 total per ticket. I ignored that, added a very unlikely airport, upped my bid only slightly -- and was successful. Flights are on Continental with very good flight times, in each case leaving around 6 a.m. and arriving during the 1 o'clock hour. Continental's advertised price for these same tickets is $326 total. Very lowest fare out there for our itinerary is $321, with one leg on Continental and the other on US Airways, so I saved $30 per ticket. I know I went to BetterBidding.com right before I started bidding but can't remember if I clicked through your PRICELINE link. :)

Had been watching the rate on this for a few weeks, and when it fell from $139 to $119, I decided to pounce. The lowest rate I could find on the hotel's Web site or any other travel site for these nights was $170. Amenities are: Resort Beachfront Casino Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Business Center Laundry Facilities High-speed Internet Access Tennis Nearby Spa Services I used the BB HOTWIRE link to make my purchase.

I had seen other winning bids of $65, also Hotwire's rate of $75 for these nights at what appeared to be this hotel. So, when initial bid of $55 was rejected, I added free rebid and tried $62, which was accepted. I used BetterBidding PRICELINE link to make my bid. Thanks for the information!