jimf

I'd been trying to get that Atlanta Marriott Century Center that wins were recently posted for, with no success (3.5*), and decided to switch to 2.5* in Druid Hills-Emory-Decatur area. Started at about $58, worked my way up in $3-$5 increments over the course of week or so, wasn't using rebid zones but trying a couple of times a day. Got accepted at $78 and bumped up to a 3* Courtyard Marriott in Decatur. They charge for parking ($10), but the cheapest 2.5* in the area PRICELINE EXPRESS over the period was $92, so essentially it was a wash I guess.

I posted an earlier priceline win recently for the backend of a London vacation, this is the front end. As we are attending the Chelsea Flower Show, hotel prices are higher than I've seen for other times, and I'm even a little surprised we got the hotel at this price. I tried for more days than this, but couldn't extend it into the weekdays, and have been breaking the trip up into chunks of days. So I have a Fri-Sun frontend, a Thur-Sun backend, and will have to pay more I guess for the Mon-Wed middle, the flower show starting Wed I think. Also considering 3* and further out for the remaining days, as well as B&B's. I guess I thought two months out would plenty of time, not so! I suppose something could become available a week before the show if they not full, but can't afford to take that chance. At this point I don't remember exactly what I did, but worked my way up over the course of several days to $114, including the Westminster, Chelsea, Mayfair and Soho, Kensington-Earl's Court 4*s, occasionally throwing in the Wembley area (doesn't include 4*). I've been up to $135 for the remaining days in the same area with no success.

Not sure I made it clear on earlier post, but all bidding was 4*, and got bumped up to the 5* hotel.

After watching London bidding for weeks, I finally started bidding about 3 days ago. Started at $80 with Westminster, adding Soho/Mayfair, Wembley, and adding 4* Kensington/Earl's Court area, and working my way up slowly over the course of 3 days to $99, with no luck. Considering the Chelsea Flower show and the soccer championship were going on at this time, I figured I wasn't going to get these great prices I'd been seeing, and would have to go higher. Saturday morning I got up and bid $100 in Westminster as a starting point, thinking I'd have to go higher still eventually, and got it on that first bid. Used the PRICELINE link.

Unfortunately, I've already forgotten a bunch of the details as I did this days ago....... Spending Friday in Boulder before heading to Denver for the weekend, lowballing for a 4* in Broomfield Friday night with no success ($66). Was a little nervous about 3* Millenium Harvest House in Boulder based on reviews, decided to go for 2.5* in Louisville. I don't think I got it on first bid, and there wasn't much in way of rebid zones. Went back the following day and got the Best Western Plus Louisville Inn & Suites for $46. I believe I used your PRICELINE link.

Bid $45 the day before for the Cherry Creek area and got rejected. Went back the following day and bid $49 and got the offer to pay $8 more for a room. Declined and selected Evergreen (only 2 star and below), offered $51 and won.

This was a last minute/same day bid for my son. Bid $50 for a 3* in Boulder, rejected. Added 3* in Boulder-Louisville, bid $52, rejected. Added 2.5*, bid $55, rejected. Added 2*, left bid at $55, accepted. Could I have closed browser after third bid, started over bidding lower for 2 star and been better off, or would I have had to wait that 24 hour period before bidding again? That's what I was afraid of and didn't have the time.

After unsuccessfully bidding on a 4* in USE from $70-80 in $2 increments, I switched over to 4* USW and won the Hotel Nikko on the second bid at $70. Used your PRICELINE link. Question: (not sure if I need to start new topic or not.....) Had I bid, say $100 in USE, could I have possibly gotten Westin St. Francis, or are you just as likely to end up with the Grand Hyatt? Does a higher bid line you up with a more expensive hotel if you meet their price point for that day, or are you just as likely to end up paying more for a hotel you could have gotten for less had you started low?

Bid $17 for a compact, rejected and asked to change price and one of the other options. Changed to midsize and bid $19 and was accepted.

This hotel, Hilton Portland and Executive Tower, went a week earlier for $55, but I started at $50 and went to $65 before I got it. Bid $50 Downtown 3*, rejected. Bid $52, added Beaverton, rejected. Bid $55, added NW Portland, rejected. Next night, bid $55 Downtown 3*, rejected. Added Beaverton, bid $58, rejected. Added NW Portland, bid $60, rejected. Closed and reopened browser. Bid $61 Downtown 3* rejected. Bid $63, added Beaverton, rejected. Bid $65, added NW Portland, accepted. I was doing this for my son, and I wanted him to be right in the downtown area.

Typo on Calendar of Wins November the 4th listed twice. Really threw me. Thought I purchased the wrong dates at first!

Tried twice previously to duplicate earlier winner of $60 at DoubleTree Club (Airport LAS) with no success. Bid $58 *3,*2.5 Convention Center Bid $60 added Airport Bid $62 added Strip South It let me bid a 4th time, is that normal? Bid $64 added *2, didn't think I'd get Convention Center - UNLV Fairfield for some reason, but did get the Homestead which is not on the BB list of hotels. Is Fairfield now Homestead?

Started bidding yesterday at $60, went through my options and had to wait til today to try again. Not a lot of zones to play with. Started today at 70, then 75, got the add $17 or whatever page, and got it at $78. I think the prices are going up proportionately in relation to how close you are to the prime fall color weekends. Just my guess. Savingsbarn, yep.

Began bidding yesterday at $65 for a 4*, continued today having my wife bid, raising a few dollars each time. Was hoping for a little cheaper, was hoping for one of the other hotels for that matter, was ready to consider 3*'s as $85 was the max I wanted to pay. Started at $65, and kept adding a zone (as Montreal downtown was the only zone with 4*) and a few dollars until I got the Sheraton at $85. Remembered to use SavingsBarn this time.

First bid of $70 for downtown 4* rejected Added another zone without 4* (Lakesomething?) and bid $75, accepted. After a week of checking both Hotwire and Priceline, BB, Expedia and Travelocity, getting my wife to sign off that she wouldn't kill me if I screwed up, I finally bid on this. Biltmore seemed like the only hotel that still had rooms available for the entire week at a decent price per internet, so I figured it had to be the Biltmore. It was kind of important to get a hotel with a shuttle being run as part of a week long conference. My wife booked a "discounted" room at the Bonaventure for the conference a month ago at $131 per night which we will now cancel. That's a difference of $56 per night plus taxes. Thank you BB. I "think" I used the SavingsBarn website. I started out using their link to PRICELINE, but I had so much trouble with my ISP over the weekend, I had multiple windows open, I was going back and forth and it was taking forever....... In the end I think I was on the SavingsBarn link, but I'm not positive. I was so frustrated at that point that I didn't think to check if I was still there.

You've both been very helpful. Sounds like I should go Hotwire. Could you indulge me by checking my reasoning another step? Checking hotel and car package on Hotwire, the 3.5* hotels offered downtown are Marriott and Millenium Biltmore. Hotwire list of 3.5* hotels, Marriott, Biltmore, Wilshire Grand, Bonaventure. Amenities match Marriott, Wilshire Grand. Going online today, the Wilshire Grand has no rooms available as per their website and Travelocity. It would appear to be the Marriott. What throws me a little bit is that Hotwire lists the rate as $99 marked down to $82 and there is nothing online for $99. Is there any validity to that $99 which makes me wonder if it's the worst room in the house?

OK, here's where I'm going with all this, it's kind of convoluted, but I'd love your feedback. I would like to attend a conference in downtown LA, August 5-11. It's held in the Bonaventure. The Boneventure, Biltmore, and Wishire Grand offer discounted rooms in conjunction with the conference, and they are all booked. I assume that means the rooms alloted to attendees are all sold, because you can still go to their websites and find rooms available. Of the remaining 4* hotels, the only one I don't feel comfortable with is the Park Hyatt/Sheraton, which we're not sure about. The discounts are not that great, Priceline winning bids are much better. When I look at what the winning bids in downtown LA are, going back to the first of the year, the hotels are mainly Bonaventure, with an occasional Omni, Biltmore, Wilshire Grand. So I guess my question is, if the hotels are not offering any more discounted rooms to attendees, does that necessarily mean they would not be offering anything on Priceline? If so, that would leave Omni, Checkers, and PH/Sheraton. And since I can't find a winning bid at that PH/S hotel for ages, how safely would you guess my chances for Omni, Checkers are, assuming I placed a bid they were willing to accept?

I just noticed on the Priceline map page, when rolling over the Sheraton it says previously the hotel was the Hyatt, and an unknown Priceline participant. I think the map is dated 2007, but I'm not positive. I'm not finding any winning bids at a downtown Sheraton when doing a search. Would it be a pretty safe bet to assume they are not a participant?

The Priceline list of 4* hotels for downtown Los Angeles lists the Park Hyatt. Searching the web I can only find a Park Hyatt in Century City. Have they changed ownership, or am I missing something obvious? (If so, I apologize in advance!)

$55 per night, 2 nights, August 3,4 at Hilton Woodland Hills. First bid $53 not accepted, added zone without *3, and second bid was accepted at $55. Taxes and service fees $22 total.