Keoni

Kansas Mom, Using the airfare checker tool provided above it shows airfare prices across three major discounters, Orbitz, Travelocity, and Expedia. All three returned roundtrip fares between Wichita and Reagan National at less than $250 for all the biggies (Delta, United, American, etc...) To me, this seems to be a really good price, so the first place to start is booking your airfare using that checker tool at the top of this site. Check the flight times and carriers between the discounters to pick flight departure times that agree with you. Also, check the discounters policies on cancelling or changing your tickets so you know what it will cost you if your plans change. A good target number of days is 7 - 10 and you will fill everyday with something. So step 1 is decide how many days and book the airfare. Once you are firm on your travel dates, someone familiar with DC will come on-line with bidding strategies for a hotel. You should decide on the "type" of hotel and amentities that are most important to you such as do you want a microwave/small fridge or kitchenette and would you rather have that than say a swimming pool. Is luxury more important than cost, etc... We already know you want clean, safe, and near metro so color in a few more details and the dates and a bidding strategy will be recommended. To help you plan your visit, start with this site Official DC Website Depending upon how much you plan to travel you can get an unlimited day pass on the Metro for $6.50. Make sure you lemail your US Representative or US Senator the dates you are coming to DC and most of them welcome visits to their Office Building. There are also other benefits such as Congressional reserved tours of the White House but these must be arranged quite a bit in advance and are based upon availabilty. Click here to find your Senator... US SENATE and other info on visiting the capitol. Many attractions in DC are on a timed basis, Washington Monument, Holocost Museum, White House, Bureau of Printing and Engraving (what I mean is you show up early in the morning, they give you a ticket for a certain time of day, and you return for the tour at that time so for those attractions plan for only one of them per day and then fill in the other part of the day with one of the many Smithsonians around the mall. Arlington National Cemetary and the Women in Service Memorial is on the metro line and is one day. Other attractions to consider are the National Archives, Library of Congress, Supreme Court, Union Station and National Postal Museum next door to Union Station. At the postal museum your teens will be able to create some special postal items and mail them home to their friends so make sure they bring some addresses with them. Of course monuments Lincoln, Washington, Korean War and Vietnam War Memorials, the Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin (Cherry Trees will have long since bloomed during your visit but walk around them anyway) Roosevelt memorial is also beside the Jefferson and you can rent some paddle boats and tour the Basin. Walking the mall from end to end can easily be two or three days for photo ops, etc... And finally, if you plan to eat in restaurants and might consider taking a tourmobile ride around DC (recommend this on Day 1 or 2 to get the lay of the land), you can find great dining deals and two for one coupons in the Northern Virginia/DC Entertainment Book found here...Entertainment Book Consider buying two books and pay particular attention to Section C where you find the activities section. Good luck on your visit. Regards, Keoni :)

:) Forgot to add to my previous post... This property must be the HONOLULU AIRPORT hotel as neither the Best Western or Pacific Marina have a pool. With the HOTWIRE fee you would be saving about $15.00 off the hotel's website best rate so that is why you should check hotwire if the PRICELINE strategy doesn't work out. Regards, Keoni :)

JB, This is a little long but I think it is important to tie some of the information together as all of the folks who have been responding to you want your trip to the islands to go as smoothly as possible. You have gotten quite a bit of helpful information from several sources, and done your own homework as well, so let's review some of the info to date... JB wrote, According to the hotel website you can cancel up to 6pm on the day of the stay with no penalty. Lonestar wrote, If this is the "Cruise Ship" rate the $75 rate is the Day rate from 9am to 6pm only After 6 and overnight the rate is $95.00 which is a $4.00 savings off the internet rate JB found in the quote above. Scorp wrote, According to the hotel's website, this "hotrate" is good for the month of March and they will immediately hit your credit card for a one night deposit. The website, Castle Marina also says, " In the event of cancellation within 72 hours of arrival, a one-night cancellation fee will be charged to your credit card. Your deposit is fully refundable if you cancel prior to 72 hours of arrival." The third choice for a cancelable backup hotel is the Best Western the Plaza. The Plaza has an internet rate of $109.00 and you can cancel up to 6pm the day of the stay. This is a little higher than the Airport hotel and quite a bit above the Marina's hotrate, but Best Western is a national chain so there is merit in using something recognizable for the cancelable backup. And with the ability to cancel at the last minute, if you don't get something off of priceline you could always try to get the Marina or Airport after your last available priceline bid. ******************** Having said all of the above here is what I would recommend: Book the Best Western as the backup. I realize it is the most expensive but may be the easiest to deal with for the cancellation. Go to Savingsbarn.com Select Honolulu Airport, 2* Bid $49.00, if rejected add Ihilani zone and... Bid $55.00, if rejected wait 72 hours and repeat strategy. If unsuccessful with PRICELINE within 72 hours before you fly, Check HOTWIRE one last time. If the Honolulu airport zone comes in less than $72.00 take it. $72 is the break even point as HOTWIRE will add $7.00 in fees to the bid price. If Hotwire doesn't come in for $72 or less, try the Pacific Marina website, if unsuccessful, try Airport Hotel Cruise Rate, if unsuccessful, you always have your backup at the Best Western. Good luck and let us know how it goes... Regards, Keoni :)

So that we can make an objective evaluation of the price, what is the total for one night with all taxes and fees added to the winning bid of $67.00. Thanks, Keoni :)

JB, Thereuare hit the nail squarely on the head. I also am a big fan of... make the backup you can cancel (looks like $90 - 100.00) if you pick one of the 3 places near the airport, and keep bidding the $49.00 bid that has been accepted previously at two of the properties available in the airport zone. Your only rebid zone is Iliahi because all that zone has is resorts and if you get an Iliahi resort for $50.00 per night, rent a car and enjoy the night! :) However, I wouldn't press to rebid the second zone until you are much nearer departure time and a new bidding strategy would be in order. The key here is to make sure you note the cancellation policy as some internet rates are collectable at time of reservation and invoke penalties or deadlines of several days prior to, for cancellation. Hang in there, stay the course, let us know how it turns out. Aloha, Keoni :)

Is there a typo in your last post or did you actually shift your visit from April to May?

CMO, Welcome to our nation's capital and enjoy your stay. You mentioned you have little ones that may need nap time... Depending upon the ages, there is a great "hands-on" museum run by the Smithsonian called the National Postal Museum. This musuem is not well know but is a delight to youngsters as well as parents and the best part is that it, along with all other portions of the Smithsonian, is FREE! The location is on the corner of the block adjacent to DC's Union Station (AMTRAK as well as Metro) station. If you take the metro in to Union Station, exit the front at ground level and you are facing the US Capitol. Turn to the right and the Postal Museum is on the very next corner. Your hotel is less than a block from a metro stop, and is on the opporsite side of the US Capitol building from Union Station. Depending upon how much you plan to travel you can get an unlimited day pass on the Metro for $6.50. Make sure you let your US Representative or US Senator know you are coming to DC and most of them welcome visits to their Office Building. There are also other benefits such as Congressional reserved tours of the White House but these must be arranged quite a bit in advance and are based upon availabilty. Click here to find your Senator... US Senate and other info on visiting the capitol. Many attractions in DC are on a timed basis, Washington Monument, Holocost Museum, White House, Bureau of Printing and Engraving (what I mean is you show up early in the morning, they give you a ticket for a certain time of day, and you return for the tour at that time. This can be quite a challenge if you are here for a short stay and are juggling little ones. Of course many of the buildings around the National Mall don't require tickets and are first come first served such as the Smithsonian's, the National Archives, etc... And as always, gawking at the monuments is free and should be viewed both day and night. Regards, Keoni :)

I pushed my 3* bid in Jersey City to $70.00 per night and scored the Doubletree Club Suites. This is a nice hotel but having stayed at the Hyatt on the Hudson on several visits, this is a very distant second... If you are desperate for a room, the DCS is more than acceptable especially for the price. Regards, Keoni :)

The Statue of Liberty was closed because of 9/11. Before re-opening, an inspection was done and determined that because of the narrow and winding staircase to the top, there was no adequate fire escape avenue so the option to go up inside Lady Liberty will most likely never be offered again. She is currently open with two options for going higher than ground level. The highest level you can attain is inside the statue, at the "top of the base, basically at her feet level" where you can look up inside the stature and see the infrastructure. The second best ticket is for the observatory level which allows you to walk around the elevated base. These are timed events and tickets are "free" but you have to buy a $10.00 ferry ticket to get to Liberty Island. You can hope to land a Statue ticket on the day of the event but I recommend you get the free Statue ticket on the internet and wait until the scheduled day to buy your ferry ticket at the ferry office. That way, if something comes up and you can't make the visit, the Park Service Statue of Liberty ticket , which was free anyway, doesn't hurt if you can't make the trip and you aren't out the cost of the ferry ticket. Statue of Liberty Website Reservations for Statue Tour: Circle Line Regards, Keoni :)

I agree with Lonestar, this is probably a good place for an overnight to fly out to other destinations. Being near the airport this hotel is in a commercial/industrial, business, car dealership, type of area but again, if it is only one night, this is convenient to return to the airport. Here is a link to check it out... Castle Marina Aloha, Keoni :)

Well.... Suites at this hotel go for $1000.00 per night so how bad can it be??? Actually, anywhere between the Ala Wai Canal, just to your north, and the Ocean, three or four blocks to your south, is the same "neighborhood" and a couple of young ladies should feel perfectly safe anywhere in this area. Common sense rules apply just as in any big city or tourist area. This hotel is just as close in walking distance to the Ocean as Prince Kuhio and so I don't think you have done that badly if you were actually hoping for the PK. Here is a look at your digs... Royal Gardens Hotel Aloha and enjoy your visit, Keoni :)

Travelpjean, No reason to "stress out" :) here at Better Bidding, we have so many folks watching out for each other, just follow the bidding advice from Thereuare up to the maximum level of your comfort zone and have patience. You already have a backup hotel so the worst that can happen is you have to use it... I tried the bidding strategy again tonight by adding the night of the 28th but still no luck. I'm not ready to drop to a 3 star so I will wait out the 72 hours and try one last time. Regards, Keoni :)

February may be more open but I tried the above bidding strategy, with the exception of ending at $80, because of financial issues I had to curtail my bidding at $78 to make sure with taxes and fees my total per night was approx $93 or less, and I was not successful for the period 24 - 28 January for a 4 star on the Riverwalk. I will try again in the next couple of days by changing my dates for the stay. If you are successful in your bid for February, please post the win so others may benefit from your experience. Regards, Keoni :)

CAREFULL, CAREFULL, CAREFULL!!! Only been to San Antone a couple of times but I want to shore up THEREUARE's concern about being a goat versus a hero... Please note the title of this zone, based upon the priceline map, is Downtown AND Riverwalk, NOT DOWNTOWN (slash) RIVERWALK. Rough measurements indicate this zone covers several miles and so one group could be walking to the convention and the other group having a significant commute... According to the Drury Inn Website, this hotel not only overlooks the RiverWalk, but is six blocks from the convention center. I understand not wanting to share your personal space with someone else but based upon location, the amenities, such as free breakfast and free gettin liquored up at nite, etc... will you find a place equivalent for $70 per night, per room, and ON THE RIVERWALK? (my two cents worth but this is a gamble you may not want to take with your supervisor)

Travelguy and Homeschoolmom, Thanks for taking the time to provide some ideas and I am ready to start trying for the rooms. Actually, the only thing my visitors said was they like Red Roof Inn's and identified the one near the Metro station would be good because they are comfortable riding the Metro. I made up the "wish" list thinking that to convince them to stay some where else I would need some selling points, for example: The Sheraton Suites in old town could be had for $45.00 and with parking of $16.00 per day (divided by 2 rooms so add $8 per room) for a subtotal of $53, plus priceline fees and tax, the much nicer, closer, and larger suite at the Sheraton still comes in cheaper than the Red Roof Inn. Of course neither has free breakfast so that is a wash. Very short walk (1/2) block to one block or so would be a plus over shuttle or driving their car to the metro and having to pay to park. Don't know if the RRI has shuttle but the Sheraton does so although the hotel is not close enough to walk to metro, they could get "chauffered" so that is a good thing. Anyway, thanks for all the great advice and I will post back with the strategy and win info when it happens. Regards to all, Keoni :)

I will have to do a sales job to get them anything other than the Red Roof Inn they spied on a previous trip so I am on shaky ground just looking around Arlington/Alexandria. I am sure DC is out of the question. Desirabilty is ranked as follows: 1. Short Walk to the Metro (or shuttle service) 2. Large or Suite type room w/small fridge, coffee pot, microwave 3. Free parking 4. Free Breakfast Thanks for the help. Keoni :)

Need 2 rooms for March 23 - 27 2005 for folks from out of town. Walking distance to Metro or Shuttle if availble. They specifically mentioned a "Red Roof Inn" near Huntington Metro because they are familiar with RRI's and saw this one on a previous visit. I know we can do better on BB. Any suggtions for a bidding strategy from Travelguy, or others, that might fit the info above? Regards, Keoni :)

MSSLATS, Congrats on the impending nuptuals and Hawaii is the best place in the world for a honeymoon! In addition to knowing price limits/expectations, and star level, what types of activities do you think you might be interested in? Each island has something different to offer yet share the commonality of great beach/ocean areas. Many folks have the desire to return home and be able to report to friends and family they did the traditional tourist things such as luau, Pearl Harbor tour and Arizona memorial, twilight dinner cruise, Pali lookout, circle island bus tour, Dole Pineapple Plantation, etc, etc, etc... Others just want to spend their time tanning and enjoying the slow pace of the outer islands (Maui, Kauai). My info is a little dated but trends are still the same and if you are seeking nightlife outside a hotel complex, too many restaurants to count, and lots and lots of people and activities then for sure Waikiki is where you will want to spend some time. Four or Five years ago the population of the entire state was 1.1 million people of which >800,000 lived on the island of Oahu which is where Honolulu and Waikiki Beach are located. My point is there are lots of folks for such a small area and the traffic in and around Waikiki will rival any major city. Are you planning to rent a car at any or all of the stops? We have plenty of time before your visit so we should be able to help you with the experience of a lifetime. You mentioned FF miles. Will you be using one airline to get to Hawaii from the mainland and then an interisland carrier, or will all flights be on the same carrier? In light of that, will you be coming in to Honolulu, or Maui and from where? I appologize for all the questions but there are so many options it is tough to figure out where to begin. Regards, Keoni :)

I am trying to identify the only two hotwire returns that came back for the nights of June 10 - 13 2005 showing minimal amenities: 3* $48 per night, Restaurant, Pool, High Speed Internet 2.5 * $42 per night, Complementary Breakfast, Pool Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Keoni :)

Cbird, Lets look at the Waikiki part of the trip first. You should decide how important it is to you to be located in a hotel that is situated where you can walk out the door onto the beach. If your main agenda is sunbathing and ocean swimming then by all means pay the extra $100.00 per night a "BEACHFRONT" hotel requires. If you are just as happy being able to look out the window and enjoy mountain or ocean views, you can find "WATERFRONT" properties at the 4 and 4.5 star level for approximately $100 - $125.00 per night plus taxes and fees. I just spent a week in the Hawaii Prince Hotel that overlooks the Ala Wai Marina with a great ocean view for $110.00 per night. I am not a sunbather so being able to walk a short distance to beach was ok for me. Most of the hotels in Waikiki have rooms on the Ocean side and rooms on the opposite side that don't see the ocean. Just a note that there is always the possibilty trying for a discount room you may get on the Mountain side of the hotel if there is a high occupancy rate during your stay. Anyway, it seems based upon a previous post of September 9th that the 4.5 Star property you are seeing is the Hilton Hawaiian Village found here with an internet rate of $199.00 per night. The only 5 Star listed for Hotwire is the Sheraton Royal Hawaiian Royal Hawaiian Hotel which is showing sold out on the internet for your travel dates of 4 - 8 April however arbitrarily picking visit dates during February resulted in the least expensive internet oceanfront room coming in at $389.00 per night while "Garden View" rooms were going for $269.00 - $319.00 per night. You will pay a high premium at this hotel because of its historic significance. Once you decide how important the star level is, and whether you must have beachfront versus waterfront, someone will make a recommended bidding strategy for hotwire or priceline. Same questions apply to your stay in Ka'anapali Maui. Regards, Keoni :)

Steve, In addition to answering thereuare's questions about the exact dates of your visit and the current cost of the B&B in Hilo, there are a couple of other points to consider when choosing the location for a clean bed for the night. Hilo is a good 45 minute drive from the Waipio Valley so unless you are getting a very inexpensive room, the "commute" each way may not be worth your time/effort. It seems your primary goal is for day hikes in the Waipio Valley area and there are several B&B's in the towns of Kamuela and Honokaa that are running $95 - $100 per night plus tax. The Priceline zone of Kamuela is the closest area to the Waipio Valley but the luxury hotels in this region are on the Kohala coastline (Western shore) while the valley you will be hiking is on the Hamakua coastline (Northern shore). It doesn't sound like 3*** or resort is what you have in mind for this visit which is what populates the Kohala coast. Based upon your budget, and the location you are headed, priceline/hotwire may not be the answer to your requirements. Please respond with dates, Hilo B&B cost, and budget limits and additional advice will be forthcomming. Aloha, Keoni :)

cbird, Please clarify the location and dates of your visit. Part of your visit is to Honolulu (Waikiki Beach) which is on the island of Oahu. I believe another part of your visit is to Kaanapali which is the western coastline area on the island of Maui. If these locations are correct, you have been discussing two different islands for the same time period of 4 - 8 April. :) Please clarify and someone from the community will be able to provide addtional advice. Aloha, Keoni :)

Can some local NYC folks chime in here? Most US cities are closed totally for New Years Day as regards shopping, is NYC an exception? Regards, Keoni :)

:) YIPPEE!!! Patience pays off :) :P :) B) :o :) I have been working this trip for a long time and began with a cancellable backup at the Pennsylvania Hotel for $150 per night. The first part of the trip will be in Jersey City at the Hyatt and now this SCORE in Midtown for the final two nights of the trip is the perfect ending. As always, started my bids at the SAVINGSBARN and will report back at the end of the trip. --------------------------------------- First bid -- MTE $100.00 Rejected Added -- MTW $110.00 ACCEPTED!!! Check-In Date: Friday, November 26, 2004 Check-Out Date: Sunday, November 28, 2004 Hotel Name: Hilton New York 1335 Avenue Of The Americas New York, New York 10019 212-586-7000 Summary Your Offer Price: $110.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 2 Subtotal: $220.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $40.83 Total Charges: $260.83 Regards, Keoni :D

There are several Entertainment Books available for New Jersey and I would like to know which one is best for the Jersey City area. Thanks for any comments, :) Keoni