Scorp

Back to rscima's original post, I don't think you should feel embarassed at all! You are still getting a great deal! And it is terrific that you posted the information so that others now know a bit more about how to bid this region. Even when we think we know exactly how to do Priceline bidding, it is easy to suddenly look at the screen and go "Oh no! I didn't really want to include that zone!!" or "Oh no! I didn't mean to include that quality level!!" And suddenly you are staying at the Motel 6 for 80% of rack rate! :) Some people get a bit obsessed with getting the VERY BEST POSSIBLE DEAL and THE LOWEST RATE EVER FOR THIS HOTEL and although I am guilty of this sometimes, I do try to keep it in perspective. Every deal I have received through Priceline has been a GREAT DEAL and a big savings. Even though someone else may get a better rate on a different date, that is ALWAYS related to availability. If my nights are busier, the hotel rates may be higher also. So deals are relative. And your rate looks pretty darn good when you look at the regular booking rates! Note on Priceline and multiple rates: It seems to me that if the hotel seems to have lots of availability at consistent rates throughout the dates of your stay, then it is most likely that Priceline is also paying a consistent rate throughout the dates.

Also, don't know if you tried this already or if it would work in this case, but maybe try the Help or FAQ section of Priceline for "Can I add nights to my accepted hotel reservation?" You could try adding an earlier or a later night on to either end of one of your existing reservations. It might be worth a shot, but if the hotel is still considering itself "Sold Out," WillTravel's suggestion may be the best. You might phone and ask for them to add you to a WaitList also, explaining that you already have some nights reserved.

Do you mind telling us the tax amount on this one, please? Great deal! Thank you! :)

Hello squeegeekid! Yes, I saw your post but you didn't provide the 'tax paid' amount, so I knew that the Hampton Inn was a possibility in that zone, but not the 'best bid' amount. Do you know what the tax was on your bid? I would have assumed 12.45% tax there also, but I did a double-check before bidding. We will have returned our rental car by that point, so parking was not an issue for us but I am learning Boston is expensive for parking, so a good thing to point that out for others! I had actually tried for the Hyatt Harborside, but bid up to $43 for a 3* and was rejected and didn't want to go any higher, because they might not give us a view room there anyway without a further charge (and the possible view was really the big reason for staying there....) Will you let us know how the stay goes? My experience with Hampton Inns has been good to excellent! I am especially interested in how easy it is to use public transportation to get from Fenway Park to the hotel on a weekday evening, but I can find that from transit Web sites.... Thank you for all of your postings, by the way!

We needed an airport hotel for the last night of a trip to New England and wanted something inexpensive. Hampton Inn has free breakfast and airport shuttle and is quite new. The hotel's best rate for this date is $189, $170 AAA rate. Hampton Inn Boston Logan Airport Revere-Logan Airport 230 Lee Burbank Hwy Revere, Massachusetts $33 plus $3.20 tax Taxes here are only 9.7% since technically this hotel is in Revere and not Boston, where the current tax rate is 12.45%. So, this bid was right on the money. I did try $25 and $30, which were rejected. $32 brought a counteroffer of $40, which of course I ignored. :)

I think you will be very happy staying at this hotel, by the way. It used to operate under a different name, but was always considered a very well-run property. Brannigan's restaurant is very popular with locals, especially as a breakfast and lunch spot. If they have room, they may offer you a room with a kitchenette or extra sitting area. Although technically located in Saanich, it is a short drive or bus ride to downtown Victoria (and not a very long walk, if you are a walker). Also, close to the Galloping Goose Trail for a bike ride, roller blade or walk.... :)

Wanted to make use of the bonus money for an upcoming trip. $75 + $10 bonus was accepted, with $41.84 taxes, indicating Priceline paid about $84 (tax is 12.45%). Although I had seen other bids in the range of $75 total being accepted, hotel and Hotwire prices both seemed quite high for our dates, so I wasn't surprised to have to bid a bit higher. For example, Sheraton rates for our dates are $239-279, while $159 on other dates in the same month. Hotwire showed a 4* for $142 on our dates, only $92 on other dates in September. The Westin is completely sold out for some of our days. So, although we are bidding a bit early for September, it appeared that availability might be an issue and this looked like an excellent deal.

That looks like an incredible deal! And the rooms there look fabulous! I am so glad you posted some info on this - I am definitely going to keep that place (and those specials) in mind. By the way, join Wyndham By Request if you have not already. They will add a couple of little touches to your stay (I always ask for wine and cheese for my welcome amenity!) There might be a waterslide at the Westin, but Wyndham says it has an Olympic-sized pool... and there is always tennis and horseback riding or hiking for your kids! (Maybe you could adopt me!!!???) :)

Sorry, WillTravel, we were out of town quite a bit and I missed this question. I use a Canadian card (and I think you are Canadian, also?) from Bank of Montreal, called Mosaik. It used to be the BMO Platinum MasterCard, now it is a collection of services that you can put together to suit your needs. The annual fee is based on the number and type of services. For example, you can select an AirMiles option, as well as Travel Medical coverage and Travel Insurance options. I think my annual fee is quite high, though. Some people might find it more economical to simply purchase travel insurance through the Automobile Association, if they are members. I know that the CIBC Aerogold Visa has options to purchase travel insurance, but I am not familiar with the amounts they charge. You also accumulate Aeroplan miles on this card that can be redeemed for Air Canada or other Star Alliance airline flights.

Maybe it is 'like pulling teeth' because they are just finishing their busy Spring season now and are just starting to plan in detail for the slower 'summer' season. I would be willing to bet that there will be more availability by the first or second week in May. I think mid-May is the switchover date to lower prices for some of the resorts. Any reason why you are not including Tucson North for resorts? I know El Conquistador used to participate as a Sheraton but maybe not now as a Hilton? The Westward Look Resort is quite nice, though, we stayed there for a week a couple of years ago and quite liked it. Stayed at the El Conquistador the year prior, and liked it a lot, also, but it was pricey to book direct. I know the Westward Look has come up on Priceline, I wonder if it is the Resort that appears for some dates on Hotwire? I am pretty sure it would be included in Tucson North. It definitely has tennis, spa services, and golf nearby. It also has a special rate for some dates in June of $79 or $99 (depends on room type) that you can book on the Web site (use COOL2003 for the Promo Code). Or you could try bidding a bit lower in this zone as a possible alternative to the Foothills region. Just some thoughts.... :)

Just a few comments/thoughts ..... I only see 2* and 2.5* hotels in the Victoria airport zone (no 1*). The Victoria airport is located at least 15 miles north of the city. The airport zone hotels/motels are probably in the town of Sidney. There is a Travelodge, a Quality Inn and a Best Western located in Sidney, maybe one of these participates in Priceline? I know you have visited Victoria before, but don't know if you know the airport area. It can be a 30 minute drive to downtown. I would not recommend staying there unless you are happy with that aspect. Sidney is a nice little town, however. One other 3* hotel in Victoria is the Coast Harbourside, which is also a nice hotel but its rooms may be a bit more bland than the better Laurel Point rooms (but no guarantee you would get one of the Laurel's better rooms through a Priceline bid, of course). I think thesqueegeekid is right about the bid amount, $40 to $45 US for a 3*. There is a hotel called James Bay Inn (www.jamesbayinn.bc.ca) which I am rather fond of. It is also an historic hotel and although its rooms are basic and a bit small, it is a nice building in a great neighbourhood (James Bay!). You can walk to lots of stuff from there, but again, you are not right in the downtown core nor do you have a water view like you might at Laurel Point, Coast Harbourside or the Empress. Its rooms start at $58 or $68 Cdn for your dates in May for conventional booking. Some hotels raise their prices a bit for May or June, then again for July to September, so there may be 3 different rates - Winter, Summer and a "shoulder" season either side of Summer. The Empress is a lovely hotel with a lot of colour and history and fabulous service. You might be lucky and get it for $70 US through Priceline for your May dates. June would certainly be $80 or more. Sounds like you were happy with Paul's though and maybe you will get it again at a 'real deal' bid amount!

I am not sure what you mean by a 'pre-travel 3rd party waiver,' but I believe a good-quality trip cancellation insurance will cover most non-refundable non-cancellable and non-transferable items. I don't think it matters whether it is purchased through Priceline or a travel agent. I have a credit card which provides comprehensive travel insurance benefits and the trip cancellation coverage has no exclusions that I can see that would relate to Priceline or Hotwire purchases. I do pay an annual fee for the additional insurance coverage. However, if you have to purchase trip cancellation insurance for each trip you take, I think it could become quite costly and may not be worth it. AAA or AARP memberships might make it more affordable. Is this what you are asking? It would be interesting to know if anyone has any experience with this type of insurance claim....

Hotwire is showing $24/day so thought I would try a bit lower on Priceline. It worked!

You are so right about traffic congestion! I walked all along the beaches on the Sunday I was there and there was lots of aggressive (honking and gesturing) would-be parkers in the lots adjacent to the beaches. And everyone leaves about the same time at the end of the day, so it can be a real zoo. But the Santa Monica police are incredible, they come out in force at the busy times and they are very efficient at getting the traffic moving. Keep in mind that Santa Monica has a very good bus system (Big Blue Bus). And the funny thing is that the #3 route runs from LAX right through Marina Del Rey and then on to all the Santa Monica hotspots. There may be a stop near many of the LAX hotels, there is a stop right near the Courtyard at Marina Del Rey at the intersection of Lincoln Blvd and Maxella. It only costs 75 cents and the drivers are quite friendly and helpful. If you end up at one of the LAX hotels OR the Courtyard at Marina Del Rey, this bus route could be a good option for you. Check their web site at www.bigbluebus.com or the Greater LA site at www.mta.net (it has a neat trip planner feature). Thereuare, am I getting too far off the subject of bidding...??? Please feel free to pass my email address on to ufauxreal if he/she would like to contact me directly with any questions. :)

Also, keep in mind that there are other 3* hotels in the Santa Monica zone. The Holiday Inn has also come up recently and personally I do not think it is nearly as nice a hotel as the Doubletree. Although it is a bit closer to some shopping areas or the Pier, it also seems to be in a very busy and noisy spot. And it charges for parking also. And looks more 'dated.' And the rooms do not look as nice. Depends what is most important to you, but I would keep trying for the 2 1/2 * up to $50 or $55 (especially since you may get free parking at this level, while parking will add $10 - $20 on to your cost at the 3*). I didn't want to rent a car while in Santa Monica, so 3* was a better choice for me. The real problem is that there are no free rebids so you have to balance the choice of upping your bid amount every 72 hours or hoping that Priceline has access to new inventory. But you do have some time... and as thereuare says, there are always those inexpensive LAX properties available (and probably right up until the last minute....)

Well, if it were me, I would go for the 2 1/2 * in Santa Monica because it might end up costing half the amount of the Doubletree, once you include parking charges. The Doubletree is a decent hotel, but for only one night (and since you will have a car) I think you will get more value for your money at a 2 1/2 * and I personally would be quite happy with a Courtyard by Marriott. To me, it would appeal more to stay in Marina Del Rey, just south of Santa Monica, than at the LAX properties. To clarify the zone, I am referring to Priceline's "Santa Monica & Marina Del Rey" zone which is contained within the city/area of Los Angeles. (Santa Monica and at least some of Marina Del Rey are BOTH contained within this zone.) There might be another hotel at this level right in Santa Monica but I agree that the zone looks 'stretched' to accomodate a property in the area of the Courtyard (which Marriott calls the Courtyard by Marriott Marina Del Rey/LAX, but Priceline divides up the zones in its own way....) I am guessing about the actual hotel and the winning bid amount, of course. But others do agree that the Marriott Courtyards are usually 2 1/2*. I think I would start bidding at $40, but you do have some time to play with.... I'll be very interested to find out how things go for you!

I understand! If you look at Priceline's zone map for Santa Monica/Marina Del Rey, I think the Courtyard by Marriott would be located in the lower right section of the map, by highway 90 and just above where it says Marina Del Rey, so I am guessing that it might be the 2 1/2* property for that zone. It might be a good choice for you, because parking is free and it is still only 3 or 4 miles from the Santa Monica Pier, I believe. You would be sort of half-way between LAX and Santa Monica itself. I am only guessing, but I would try bidding for that one around $40 and would expect to get it for $40 - $50. Perhaps thereuare has some thoughts also....

I suspect the 2 1/2* property is the Courtyard by Marriott Marina Del Rey/LAX. If you look at the Priceline map of this zone, it looks like it might include this section of Marina Del Rey. Take a look and tell me what you think... Courtyard by Marriott Marina Del Rey/LAX 13480 Maxella Avenue Marina Del Rey, California, United States, 90292

I have to tell you I really enjoyed this hotel! I thought they treated me really well, the staff were friendly and efficient, and I loved my two-room suite and its pleasant and comfortable furnishings. While the hotel does not have much of a view, it is a short walk to beaches, shopping, restaurants and bus stops (if you don't want/need a car). And Santa Monica is such a cool place! I believe all of the rooms in this hotel are suites, with a bedroom and living room plus bath. I had a very comfy king bed and the living room included a couch or sofa bed, upholstered chair, second TV, wet bar area with counter and a minibar. The desk was a two-parter, with a section that swung out to create a larger L-shaped work area and the adjustable swivel chair was leather. Furnishings and wallpaper were muted yellows and greens, very refreshing. Some rooms have a small outdoor balcony. Some are arranged front to back and the living room window faces the inner atrium area. My suite was side by side and both windows faced outdoors. It was nice and bright and not much of a view but quite quiet really considering that I was at the end of the building near the freeway entrance. The staff will provide a small fridge and/or microwave for $10/day. However, if you are like me and just need room for some extra milk or juice, you can probably find room in the existing minibar. The hotel has a fitness room and an outdoor pool/spa with very comfortable patio furniture. Housekeeping was also good at this hotel. Really, a very solid choice for a Santa Monica visit and a great deal at $70/night for this popular and rather pricey area.

Hmm... I do believe the going rate at the hotel was about that amount ($189) for my dates as well. My winning bid was actually placed at the end of January, so I did bid and win some weeks before my stay. I wonder if a slightly higher bid ($75) might get it, else I wonder if there is a minimum stay requirement for weekends (i.e. I did check in on a Saturday, but the stay was for 4 nights). I have to tell you I really enjoyed this hotel! I thought they treated me really well, the staff were friendly and efficient, and I loved my two-room suite and its pleasant and comfortable furnishings. While the hotel does not have much of a view, it is a short walk to beaches, shopping, restaurants and bus stops (if you don't want/need a car). And Santa Monica is such a cool place!

Best rate on Delta hotel's website was $179 Canadian, approx $115 US Delta Pinnacle Hotel 1128 West Hastings St Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 4R5 604-684-1128 Check-In Date: Sunday, February 2, 2003 Check-Out Date: Monday, February 3, 2003 Your Offer Price: $43.00 (US dollars) Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $43.00 (US dollars) Taxes: $4.23 (US dollars) Processing Fee: $5.95 (US dollars) Total Charges: $53.18 (US dollars) Taxes indicate $42.30 paid by Priceline. I believe parking is $16 Cdn, $21 Cdn for valet, but sometimes you can find street parking.

$45 for 2/15 for one night. Taxes were $4.39, suggesting Priceline paid $44.

$49 per night for 3/25 - 3/27 Taxes were $5.15

Doubletree Guest Suites Santa Monica Check-In Date: Saturday, March 8, 2003 Check-Out Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2003 Santa Monica & Marina Del Rey 1707 Fourth Street Santa Monica, California 90401 310-395-3332 Your Offer Price: $70.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 4 Subtotal: $280.00 Taxes: $33.76 Processing Fee: $5.95 Total Charges: $319.71 Tax rate of 12.05% suggests Priceline paid $70.