MadFlyer

Yes. Sorry. 4 star and used the PRICELINE link.

They upgraded mine as well to King Deluxe for $20 and 2 Queen Deluxe for $30 + 15.565% tax. Glad I could help and enjoy your stay.

The hotels program special events into their systems that communicate with PRICELINE and other booking channels. Thus, those close to the event are going to be high. This year has been a little crazy with high prices in advance and then when they see the events are not pulling in the same amount of guests as usual I have seen rates drop closer in. Your best bet for luxury hotel if you want to be right near Centenial Park would be on HOTWIRE with the Vanderbilt Plaza coming up for $149. The problem with 4 star with this zone is that the Marriott would be perfect for you, while you would still need a car to get to the venue from the other downtown central hotels. Then going to 3 star you risk the Maxwell house that is far away and in a bad area. An alternative if you are going to have a car anyway is to take a Brentwood hotel at much less cost. Driving on weekends will not be bad as marathon starts so early. Just choose where you want to be and your high end budget and we can help you.

Congratulations, your price of $55 was accepted by Bristol City Centre Marriott Hotel. Bid one $52 with $17 rebid. Bid two $55 accepted by Bristol City Centre Marriot.

I had heard that this hotel sometimes offers a paid upgrade to a "larger" room for $20 at the desk. They sell 4 room types on their website. Queen Petit, which they say directly in the description "...is best suited for single guests...", Deluxe King (+$15 when booking directly with hotel on website) , Deluxe 2 Double (+$30 website rate) and then a high floor lounge access option. It is normal that hotels upsell at the desk. I often pay $10 to $50 for a better room or Executive Lounge room that often includes drinks and light food options. Many Marriotts do this. It is especially common at Luxury Resort or central large city center hotels. Many hotels now have signs advertising these offers on the desk or in lobby. One could argue with this hotel upon arrival that priceline states room for 2 and their website states those queen rooms are only best for single guests. I do not think that would be popular and with such a great rate would rather pay for it and be gauranteed of room type. I have emailed request with no answer at this point. I will call later if they do not answer this week and update here.

Congratulations, your price of $70 was accepted by Hotel Nikko San Francisco. Bid 1: $65 rejected, no re-bid Bid 2: $68 rejected, $14 re-bid offer Bid 3: $70 accepted, Hotel Nikko The hotel was maybe available on Hotwire ,per recent new listing where same as Hilton, for $89 when bid won. Hotel was $323 on their own website. $153 best web rate found. I will try to use the $20 upsell I am told is sometimes offered to get larger deluxe room. Hotel Nikko San Francisco Union Square West - Nob Hill 222 Mason Street San Francisco, California 94102 415-394-1111 Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $70.00 Subtotal: $560.00 Taxes & Fees: $101.36 Total Charges*: $661.36

I did not even have to call with Starwood details. Just sent email to : [email protected] with hotel confirmation number. They responded directly confiming in reservation. I was given the upgrade to Elite room. Will be interesting to know if they do the double upgrade for you. Good Luck. The lounge was not attended. Just key access. Just ok. I was glad there was a convenience store accross motorway from this hotel. The city buses were 5 minutes away and take about 15 minutes to the tube station. good link for planning transfers. http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/heathr...parking_map.htm

Sheraton was better than expected. They did upgrade to Starwood Elite room even at this rate and awarded points for the stay as well. This property has a mini-market gas station mcDonalds right accross the street and 5 minutes to city bus stop where free bus takes you to T123 Bus Center. I was even lucky with Hoppa Bus 54 from T4 waiting right outside when I left baggage claim. It was almost 20 minutes. I departed on 06:50 Hoppa 4 and only 10 minutes to T1. The Windsor is not too far from this property and think you have the city buses 75 and 76 go there as well. Good website for LHR hotels: http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/heathr...parking_map.htm With this bad weather I really lucked out... I had Snow outbound on the 22nd and then the 7th. I felt so glad I planned my travel with cheap Priceline hotel in both directions. I met so many that had paid huge amounts as stranded travelers. The Sheraton was charging 264 pounds for walk-ins... they threw in breakfast. So.. my $68 total was nothing. I just wish I had booked 2 more rooms when I got the Hilton. I could have "shared " those rooms easily... but clearly violated all the rules in doing so... Heathrow area is not recomended for travelers that do not plan. The Concierge was directing check-outs to a 12 pound transfer to airport on a private "shuttle" and not even mentioning the Hoppa Buses that took just 4 pounds.

With the discussion about taxes in UK in another thread. I thought I would post the $57 re-bid offer total if I were to have accepted and not just added $1. Priceline would have paid the hotel the same if I had accepted this and would have just pocketed the extra taxes. They only pay taxes on the rates the hotels charge them, not what they charge us. Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: US$57.00 Subtotal: US$57.00 Taxes and Services Fees: US$17.37 Total Charges: US$74.37 The $50 Hilton LHR stay folio was left under door showing a payment of 30.00 pounds with 4.50 pounds VAT for a total of 34.50 or $55.50 with todays rate. It would have been $56.68 a month ago when I booked that. So, currency fluctuations are another factor. The hotel pound rate stays the same but it took another dollar to cover that rate just a month ago. A current $50 bid at LHR comes to $66.06. It includes onlz the .75 in real taxes on the 30 pound rate and not the $1.25 that the $50 rate would generate. Priceline just makes sure they make the same total as they pay the hotel the same. Airport hotels have the added cost or benefit depending on relationship with Airport. Some new hotels connected to terminal, like the Hilton, may pay no shuttle support fees and are allowed to have own shuttle, while other properties like the Sheraton are required to use the BAA shuttle service and not allowed to have own. The connected hotels on Airport property might even get tax breaks, while a hotel on the fringe may pay some extra tax to a local community that the on airport property does not pay at all. Lots of variables here....

Congratulations, your price of $52 was accepted by Sheraton Heathrow Hotel. I have a Starwood Gold Card and hope they may still grant the "enhanced" room benefit even though I know they do not have to. Actually got Delta miles on my last Priceline Hilton LHR stay. Decided to try again per the info about the VAT increase in UK. Hoped for Hilton as the $52 rate would fit lowest available there with the new VAT. Flying to Milan from T1 so really did not need the convenience I had with Hilton when departing from T4 for a transatlantic. Had been getting $57 offers when trying the $50 offer this week. Bid 1 $51, counter-offer of $57. Bid 2 $52, accepted. A little disappointed with poor tripadvisor reviews, as could have used www.lastminute.com for Top-Secret Hotels. Thistle coming in at equivalent to total including tax, $50, Park Inn with free internet at total of $79 and RadissonBlu for $88. The Marriott Windsor was available non-opaque there even for $83 total. Sheraton coming in at best rate of $132 at lastminute.com or $136 with Expedia. Starwood had a prepaid 70 pound or $112 offer on their website. Hilton was 109 pounds yesterday, the same as when I booked for $50, but was at 170 pounds just now. Sheraton Heathrow Hotel Heathrow Airport (LHR) Colnbrook Bypass West Drayton, United Kingdom 44 20 8759 2424 Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: US$52.00 Subtotal: US$52.00 Taxes & Fees: US$16.43 Total Charges: US$68.43

Just for information for those searching in future. This hotel comes up now from $52 or $55 at low end when open for PRICELINE bookings. I only post my own wins, but have helped others get this property often recently.

31/12 - 1/2 2 nights. Bid one $31 not accepted no offer Bid two $32 accepted additional night accepted 2 days later. 30/12 Wingate By Wyndham - Brentwood Cool Springs 1738 Carothers Parkway Brentwood, Tennessee 37027 615-277-8700 Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $32.00 Subtotal: $64.00 Taxes and Fees: $20.24 Total Charges for Original Reservation*: $84.24 Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $32.00 Subtotal: $32.00 Taxes and Fees: $13.45 Total Charges for Add. Night Res.*: $45.45

Hilton just released there January sale that might help in Italy. Prepaid rates with breakfast included. Can earn frequent flyer and Hhonors points and offers. http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/promotions/HI_...tional,Featured There is a new Hilton Garden Inn outside Florence with easy bus connection that gets good trip advisor reviews that you can get for around 70 euros.

While I have had luck with Priceline on occasion, the zones are too spread and variation in hotel quality within zones is often too great to get me to book anymore. I use www.lastminute.com , top-secret hotels. You can usually search the description and figure out which hotel it is. They even have almost live tripadvisor rating come up sometimes. Sometimes hotels run campaigns there with 50% off where you see hotel name. It is owned by Travelocity now. Good Luck. I am staying at a Radisson Edwardian tonight. Hiltons and Grange are also big users of that site. And... not credit card issues.

Congratulations, your price of $45 was accepted by Hilton Suites Brentwood. Bid 1: $44 with $12 rebid offer. Bid 2: $45 accepted. What appears to be Hyatt Place Brentwood coming up at $54 on HOTWIRE. No 3* winning in Franklin up to $60 on PRICELINE with $65 coming up on Hotwire for Hyatt Place. $99 on Hilton website with a $84.15 prepay offer. Hilton Suites Brentwood Brentwood 9000 Overlook Boulevard Brentwood, Tennessee 37027 615-370-0111

Even better with that offer was resort credit of $100. If you go in through www.travelzoo.com you get upgrade to junior suite as well.

Congratulations, your price of $50 was accepted by Hilton London Heathrow Airport. Used BB PRICELINE link and believe is new hotel for this board. Bid 1 - $49 with $55 offer Bid 2 - $50 accepted The hotel was

I have stayed at the IC Madrid on several occasions and can not imagine that they have been downgraded as it is a true international standard 5 star hotel. In Spain, hotels themselves decide if they want to be a 5 star hotel and only need to meet the facility requirements and they pay an additional tax. My best guess would be that this one is the Hesperia Madrid which is just up from the Intercontinental. The AC Santo Mauro would be highly unlikely.

I was referring to your room for 3 people for the 31st to 3rd. It is not unusual for hotels in Spain to charge a third person fee. Usually not a problem though. A priceline hotel accomodates 2, but no gaurantee of 2 beds. That is why I told you about experience at Hesperia Tower. That they had all King and rooms with 2 double beds. All rooms also had a standard sofa (not bed) that a child could easily use.

Rates look better those 3 nights. You could try 87 to 89 with 5 star Airport and try to get Hesperia Tower. Just call the hotel and ask for 2 doubles. Have the 3rd person sit in lobby to avoid fee. Had 10 rooms there last week and we got 7 with 2 beds. Every room has a sofa but it does not pull out. It would not be good for someone over 175cm though. They had buffet breakfast that was 15 euro if you put it on account at reception. They have limited schedule transportation to the airport and city. The metro is 5 minute walk. It is 20 euro taxi from airport and 11-13 from cit

They may merge the threads, but was going to tell you most likely hotel for your hotwire. May help someone in future. The 69 dollar rate only came up for single room. The Silken - Sant Gervasi has a individual room called Petit room that I think was that 3.5 star hotwire hotel. Was also going to tell you that AC hotels had a deal it appears on the top secret at lastminute.com . They have multiple hotels and figure out it is AC as they offer free minibar and other features lead you to which hotel. Again, this info may help someone else. Well. Little late. At least you got a good deal with the NH and you are happy.

The zones are to general to avoid the scattered pockets of petty crime in Barcelona. You just need to choose routes wisely after you win your hotel. Was just there last week and really noticed a change with the police very visable in the tourist areas, something that was a problem the past couple of years. All areas are connected by metro, but you may have 10 minute walk to station, busses are frequent to most areas though and you just buy the 10 ride ticket for both. The Ramblas seems to be difficult on Priceline as I had several bids recently without luck. 5* comes in over 150 and 4* over hotwire in that zone on the dates I have needed recently, with unsuccessful bids up to 120. As far as 5*, Hesperia (Airport) if available will win at 90 to 95, Ramblas high over 150, ME or Hilton hits at lowest 125 in east, The best deal is Hilton in West zone that you can probably get on your dates for 105 euros. For 4* you are looking over 115 Ramblas, 85 for Airport, maybe Renaissance , but you can probably get East for around 72 or 73 euros. I always look at www.kayak.es and www.hotelesib.com when I try to see where rates are for given dates in BCN, where they have a opaque choice as well, but it is in spanish. You can get almost same deals at www.lastminute.co.uk . Good luck.

Just thought I would add that I tried for the 14th and it let me bid. When I tried for 2 nights, the 14th and 15th I got the same message: "Our records indicate that you already have two reservations for the same requested itinerary. For your protection and security, this is the maximum number of reservations that priceline will allow for the same itinerary. Enjoy your stay!" So they do not even allow more than 2 reservations now, even when you change the variables and it includes a night where you have 2 reservations.

Yes, I am often booking additional rooms when everyone hears what good deals I get, but had no idea that this could happen. Always a learning process. I may try getting a new account and see how that goes. Alternatively, register one of the others that are going and have them book. thanks,as always, for your help.