I am thinking about using the name your own price tool at priceline for an upcominng trip to California Oct 7 - 12. We want to stay in Avila Beach - seems like a nice area and my husbands friend lives in nearby San Louis Obispo. There are 5 total hotels currently listed on the regular Princeline page - 1 - 2 1/2 star 3- 3 stars and 1 - 3 1/2 star. I really like the 2 1/2 star one and all of the 3 star hotels have good reviews and I would be happy with any of them except for one. That one got ok reviews but is in the middle of a remodel and reviews say the rooms that have not been updated yet are very old and dated. I am afriad if I bid - I will win that one and they will put us in one of the older rooms because of the low price. Any suggustions on how to bid? Should I start with 3 1/2 stars (but that one is pricer than the others and I really don't think I would win that with the bid I want to give!) Or should I start with 2 1/2 stars and hope they don't upgrade me to the iffy 3 star one? The 2 1/2 star is the one I really like and the cheapest of all of them on the retail site. We will be spending 2 nights there and then moving to Bakersfield for my husbands 40th HS reunion!! I think I will try to Priceline for Bakersfield also. Any tips for that city? I have not really looked into that yet. Thanks for any help you can give me!!! Lori
