tkpaul

Free parking, Free breakfast, Smoke-free rooms, Pool(s), Business center, Internet access Used HOTWIRE link to start. Thank you for all the help!

Suite, Pool, Fitness, Complimentary Breakfast, Free Internet, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, Kitchenette, Laundry, Golf, Free Parking, Travel Accessible, Room Accessible, Bathroom Accessible, Wheelchair Accessible, Handicapped Parking, Pet Friendly Thank you!!

Amenities: Free Parking, Free Breakfast,Free Internet, Pet friendly, Airport Shuttle, Fitness Center, Pool(s), Laundry Facilities (self-service), High-Speed Internet Access, Accessible bathroom, Handicapped parking Used HOTWIRE link (of course) Thanks for this great discussion board!

Fantastic hotel, #3 in Denver from TripAdvisor. Amenities: Boutique Hotel, Complimentary Breakfast, Fitness Center, Laundry Facilities, High-speed Internet Access Hotel rate per night - HOTWIRE hot Rate: $129.00 No Of Nights:1 No Of Rooms:1 Guests: 2 Taxes And Fees:$26.10 Total Price:$155.10 Of course I used the HOTWIRE Link. Thanks to your help, I was able to have a great deal of comfort that this would be the Magnolia Hotel.

Started with CPS, MTE, MTW and TS at $165, rejected. Added $5 per rebid (adding rebids in sequence 1) Brooklyn, then 2) Chelsea, and then 3) Long Island City). At $170, got a second chance offer for $25 more, which I ignored. My fourth bid at $180 was accepted for Grand Hyatt New York. As reference, HOTWIRE shows an MTE 4* at $212, though it may not be Grand Hyatt as it does not show tennis. As always, I bid through the PRICELINE link on this forum. Thanks for being such a great resource! You help me get a significant savings at great hotels.

For a good cancellable reservation check out a deal on Travelzoo that is slightly out of your preferred area. The Emire Hotel (4* - UWS, across from Lincoln Center) is $229/night. Blackout begins on Oct. 30, so you should be fine. There is a 24 hour cancellation policy. Good luck on your bidding. I'm bidding for 10/24 - 10/27.

I have only a minute to post this, so I'll try to give you the full history briefly. I began bidding about 8/1/09. Started with USE and went from $76 to $90 by $2 increments using the permutations of the 4 free re-bid zones. A few days ago, I began bidding for SoMa/Moscone Center first, going from $76 - $100 (and then $106 yesterday) because I saw a win for Hotel Paloma. I then did the same permutation bidding for USE going up to $106 yesterday. I bid for USW a little yesterday, but only went up to $90. SoMa PL hotels all seem good; USE has Grand Hyatt, which seems good to PL customers; Hilton (USW) seems to treat PL customers a little differently. This is the reason for my multi-layered (and convoluted) bidding. So today, I began with SoMa/Moscone at $82, raising by $2 increments, got to $90 and got the "raise your bid by $20" message, which I ignored. I kept with the plan, got to $94 and got the "raise your bid by $22" message ($2 more than last time when I bid $4 less...hmm...doesn't that prove that it's random?) , which I ignored again. I hit at $96 for the Marriott, which is the same hotel where I'm staying for a conference beginning on 8/18. Check-In: Friday, August 14, 2009 Check-Out: Monday, August 17, 2009 Hotel Name: San Francisco Marriott 55 Fourth Street San Francisco, California 94103 Your Offer Price: $96.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 3 Subtotal: $288.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $53.40 Total Charges*: $341.40 Marriott website rate is $169 and my conference rate is $135 (assuming they'd let me add 4 days to the beginning of my stay). I bid using the PRICELINE link. Thanks to everyone for your help. I couldn't bid successfully without all the support from other posters and from the BetterBidding team.

Great! I know you have to do your homework and I'm familiar with some of the methods you mentioned. I don't have an immediate opportunity to try this since I need only one room. I assume you get your PRICELINE win confirmed before you go for the HOTWIRE win...since Hotwire is a litttle less opaque. I'll need to try this. Thanks for helping me (and all of us) find another way to squeeze pennies in a challenging economy.

BEAV, That's a great idea to file for the HOTWIRE guarantee on the 2nd room. Have you done that before? Can you report back if you get it or if they give you the run-around?

I used the PRICELINE link to bid on a 3* hotel in the Walt Disney Vicinity (WDV) for Friday night, the beginning of holiday weekend. With 3 free re-bid zones, I had 8 total bids available using the advanced free-rebidding or permutation method. I began bidding at $30 and increased $2 per free re-bid. I hit on the 7th re-bid at $42 (see details below). I feel good about that price as the cheapest rate on the web (hotel or travel site) is $95. Hotwire had a hotel with what appeared to be matching amenities for $49 or $62.70 after taxes and fees. Room Cost (avg. per room, per night): $42.00 (USD) Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Room Subtotal: $42.00 (USD) Taxes and Fees: $12.82 (USD) Total Room Cost: $54.82 (USD)

Hit on first bid at $37/day. Bid $15 below Hotwire rate. Budget.com shows $75/day before taxes and junk fees. I hope we get the Mustang this time. Last time we got the VW Beetle thru Alamo (other choice was a PT Cruiser). We're going up the PCH to Big Sur...so we're hoping for good weather. Used the PRICELINE link as always. Thanks for your great work here!

Second night trying...bid $50, $52, $54 and then hit on $56 with last bid (had 3 free rebids w/ 2 rebid zones). Of course I got the "you can bid again now if you up your px by $15" (last night it was $14)...but ignored it and stayed with the plan. hilton.com is $157 Used the PRICELINE link Got a convertible car which I will post in the car forum...we're planning to drive up to Big Sur before we come back to LA for business on Tues. Thanks for all your help here!

Hit on 3rd free re-bid at $34/room for 2 rooms. Started at $30 and had many free re-bids with 5 zones using the permutation method, so I only went up $1 per re-bid. Best price on Radisson website is $99. Bid through the PRICELINE link on this site. Thanks again for helping us save money! Radisson Resort Orlando-Celebration 2900 Parkway Boulevard Kissimmee, FL 34747 407-396-7000 Check-In: Saturday, January 17, 2009 Check-Out: Sunday, January 18, 2009 Your Offer Price: $34.00 Number of Rooms: 2 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $68.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $16.60 Total Charges*: $84.60

You guys are awesome. I pulled the trigger today, and did so as you suggested. Please update the header of the post, or move to new post, as appropriate to reflect the win. First, the win: InterContinental Chicago (8/2 - 8/4) for $183/night - 4.5* Magnificent Mile - Streeterville - Fitness, Pool, Rest., Bus. Center, High Spd Internet; Customer Favorite; 4/5 rating on TripAdvisor. Came through just like you said. For the first night (8/1 - 8/2), I booked the Wyndham for $218.25 on Orbitz using coupon code SUMMERFAM. My cancelable room was Comfort Inn & Suites - $265 - King/suite through Hotrooms.com (hotel gave a special deal through hotrooms operator since they were out of the regular King rooms). I had to pay $25 to cancel. Thank you again for your help. You helped me put this to rest so now I can get on with researching things to do and places to eat for our trip.

My wife and I are traveling to Chicago 8/1 - 8/4. We have a cancellable room now ($25 cxl chg). My primary question is the old "bird in the hand" scenario. I know the "what if" scenario is impossible to answer, but I'm looking for a best guess on pricing at this point. Ultimately, do I wait a little longer and continue to bid Priceline and watch Hotwire, or do I pull the trigger now. See details on current pricing below. That weekend is unfortunately the weekend of Lollapalooza in Grant Park in Chicago. Our plan is to focus on 4* plus in the North Mich. Avenue area, thinking the young folks will look to stay in the Loop or close to Grant Park in more affordable (lower * levels). The thought is that the demand for NMA 4* plus will be less than south of the river (all other things equal). Good plan?? Here are my 3 options, as I see them. Which one is the best strategy in your opinion? (ThereUAre & AaronJB) 1) Buy the following, which is now available on Hotwire (2 people; 8/1 - 8/4) for $219/night - 4.5 * Magnificent Mile - Streeterville - Fitness, Pool, Rest., Bus. Center, High Spd Internet; Customer Favorite; 4/5 rating on TripAdvisor. I believe this is a match for InterContinental or Hilton Conrad. Rates per the web are $284 InterCont.& $277 for Conrad. If the TripAdvisor rating is an indicator, it's Conrad, not InterContinental. OR 2) Split the stay to save a few more dollars. A) Buy on Hotwire (2 people; 8/2 - 8/4) for $183/night - 4.5* (same as above) Magnificent Mile - Streeterville - Fitness, Pool, Rest., Bus. Center, High Spd Internet; Customer Favorite; 4/5 rating on TripAdvisor; and :) Buy on Hotwire (2 people; 8/1 - 8/2) for $233/night - 4* North Mich. Avenue - Water Tower- Gold Coast - Boutique, Fitness, Rest., Bus. Center, High Spd Internet; 4/5 rating on TripAdvisor. I believe this is a match for The Raffaello Hotel. (This B option would cost the same $233 if booked for all 3 nights; Hotel A drops from $219 to $183 if I drop of the first night). OR 3) Wait and continue to bid PriceLine and monitor Hotwire offers. I have been bidding Priceline permutations for NMA with 3 free rebid zones up to $140 (+$10 bonus; total of $150) for the last few weeks. Last night was the last time I bid. My thought is that the availability and pricing could change soon as some hotels wait until the last 2 weeks before a date to offer to Hotwire/PL or to drop prices. Your thoughts? Thanks for your help!

Omni Jacksonville Hotel 245 Water Street Jacksonville, Florida 32202 7/24/08 - 7/29/08 Fitness, Pool, Restaurant, High-Speed Internet (I think...I had to look it up again today) 1 room(s) @ $89.00 per night x 3 night(s) - $267.00 Tax recovery charge and fees - $35.98 Hotel subtotal - $302.98 Cheapest on-line rate was $129.

Thanks for your help ThereUAre. I opted to wait for now. See post reply to HelenofTroy at: Priceline New York City

HK, We're travelling to NYC and need a hotel 11/6 - 11/9. For now, we made a cancellable reservation for the Hotel Belleclaire, which appears to rate very well for a 3* hotel. The hotel is within two or three blocks of Central Park. I have a hard time picturing myself taking a subway to go for a run in Central Park, though I'd happily hop on the subway for anything else in NYC...so being within walking distance is important for us. We reserved a room with a queen-sized bed and a shared bathroom for $206/nite. My wife is not crazy about a shared bathroom, but it sounds like it's a non-issue for most who have tried it. There is a sink in the room. We used Hotels.com for the reservation...note that they charge your card when you make the reservation, though you can still cancel up to the day before for this hotel. You can find traveler reviews on tripadvisor. We will wait to see how the priceline and hotwire inventory builds. About a week ago, I saw a 3.5* Times Square-Theater District for $239 on hotwire, which appears to be a match for Crowne Plaza Hotel, but I still elected to wait. Here's the link to that post - Hotwire New York City Times Square I agree with ThereUAre...it's difficult to do much planning in NYC without having specific dates you are researching, especially this far out. TKPaul

Need help to ID the following hotel: 3.5* NYC (Times Square-Theater District) $239 11/05/08 - 11/09/08 - 1 room, 2 adults Amenities are: fitness, restaurant, business center, high-speed I know this is likely a common set of amenities. Any luck in ID'ing the property? I couldn't ID from reviewing the hotel list...unless this is Crowne Plaza Hotel(says "VP no longer showing pool"...not sure what that means). This appears to be quite a good deal, especially relative to other HOTWIRE rates. Thank you for your help!

This is the 2nd full size car I needed for our trip. My last win was posted on 5/15. This time I started bidding at $16 for a few days, then increased to $17 and hit on first day of bid price. I didn't get a PL car discount offer e-mail, which I was hoping for (not sure if they still have the $4 off bid offers). I had 2 cars reserved via HOTWIRE (cancellable) at $21/day ($184 total), which I have since cancelled. Your Offer Price: $17.00 (per day) Total Rental Days: 6 days (5 days and 10 1/2 hours) Subtotal: $102.00 Taxes and Fees: $61.11 Total Charges: $163.11 Lowest Published Price: $183.59 Total Savings:* $20.48 (You saved 11%) Used Priceline Car link. Thanks!

Been bidding for about 1 month. Started at $14 and slowly increased to $18...bid at $18 for the last two weeks and it hit today. I need a 2nd car, so I'm hoping to get one of PL's $4 car discounts (if they still have them) via e-mail before I bid again. I have 2 cars reserved via HOTWIRE (cancellable) at $21/day ($184 total). I'll cancel one and keep trying for car #2. Your Offer Price: $18.00 (per day) Total Rental Days: 6 days (5 days and 10 1/2 hours) Subtotal: $108.00 Taxes and Fees: $64.86 Total Charges: $172.86 Used Pricelnie Car link. Thanks!

Thanks Thereuare. It's good to know that I was able to return the favor so many have provided me in the past. This board has helped me save big $'s while allowing me to be comfortable that we're able to book into a reasonable hotel. Thanks for your hard work. TKPaul

Two rooms. Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $65.00 Subtotal: $130.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $32.68 Total Charges*: $162.68 Bid 2 1/2 stars Opryland - hoping for Hyatt Place, upgraded to 3 stars by PL (see below) Started at $51, increasing by $2 for each free re-bid permutation. Finally hit at $65, when PL upgraded to a 3 star. Got two separate chances to price match by raising $17 (each time), from both $59 and from $61. Of course I ignored and continued my bidding strategy. Hotel reviews are mixed, but we'll likely be pleased. Used PRICELINE Hotel link on this site. Thank you for your help.

Offer Price: $45.00 Total Rental Days: 3 Subtotal: $135.00 Taxes & Fees: $44.08 Total Charges: $179.08 Used SavingsBarn.com link. This was my third bid (after 72 hour waiting periods). I originally bid $30, then $37, then $45 winning bid. I expect I may have hit at $41 or $42, but I began growing impatient. Best rates with large providers was $80 - $90/day direct or $66 with discount codes. I hope to get the Mustang and not the PT Cruiser or VW Beetle (3 standard convertible models at Alamo). Good luck all and thanks for the help!

Won with: Your Offer Price: $81.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 3 Subtotal: $243.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $44.15 Total Charges*: $287.15 Used SavingsBarn.com link Strategy: I've been looking for 4* USE or USW and I have bid the last several nights as follows: USW 4* $76 add CH $81 add CC $86 close all browser windows, and started fresh with: USE 4* $76 add CH $81 add CC $86 Tonight, after my first USE bid at $76 (didn't hit on my 3 USW attempts), I received the "if you up your bid by $22...you can bid again w/out changing anything." I opted not to raise by $22 (knew I must be getting close) and instead stuck with my strategy. I hit on my second USE bid with CH added at $81. I'm very pleased. Thank you for your help on this board!