vb mom

Best bet is to just book the hotel you want if you will not be happy if you get one of the other ones.

Congrats!! and it looks like you will have complimentary parking!!! Enjoy your stay!!!

Not sure about your dates but I have been getting quite a few notifications of wins in the airport area closer to $50.

I currently have a backup hotel booked for my August trip. I will bid on Priceline as I get closer. However, I have to take into account that a downtown win will likely have a high parking fee, no free continental breakfast, and no free internet. When I bid, I will have to make sure that the cost of my priceline win plus the extras I will be paying are equal or less to what my booked hotel will be. It is all a big game. My son was so excited with his 4* win for downtown Seattle in August of 2009 and then not so thrilled when the parking was $40 a night. There are some lots available that would be less (i have read the mid to high $20s), but the downtown hotel parking seems to be in the mid $30s to low $40s range. Just look on a few of the sites of the winning hotels and you will see what they charge. Good luck with finding a hotel that works for you.

I am sure others with more knowledge will help you out, but I have to say that you started bidding very low since you wanted a 4*. Most of the four star wins are $70 and up from what I have noticed. Have you checked out the Priceline Washington State listings to see what has been recently won? It is located here: Priceline Hotel Wins The last few reported wins for 4* wins have been in the $80 range. Also consider that parking is expensive in downtown Seattle. My son won a 4* back in the summer of 2009 for $100. He was shocked when parking was $40 a night at the hotel.

Thanks for reporting back and glad to hear you were able to resolve the situation satisfactorily.

HOTWIRE lets you say how many rooms and how many people. So if you want two beds you request one room for four people and you will get two beds. Good luck with your request. Let us know how it works out.

Although not often, our family has had several times where they couldn't get two beds. Once our son had to pay extra for a cot. Last night we asked for two beds at our win, and we got the last room left, which was a one bed room. It was just two of us so we were fine. When you need two beds it is best to go with Hotwire. We have never been asked to pay for two beds though.

Yes we are very happy. We are here for a funeral and needed a place to stay. No time to wait the 24 hours to rebid. I was especially concerned when I had to add on the Saddlebrook zone. I don't like any of the possible wins in that zone and figured that is where we would end up. Usually when I have to add Saddlebrook I drop my bid price. I didn't want to take that chance this time. I never realized that Priceline sometimes offers you a chance to add days to your bids. Worked out well for us. I never expected to get the Hyatt because when I called them about their bereavement rates they said they had nothing available for the 12th. You can imagine my concern when we got the Hyatt. Upon checkin we were told it was the last available room and they were overbooked.

Used the betterbidding PRICELINE link. Started at $63 for 3* Paramus for two nights. Rejected. Added Ridgefield and bid $68. Rejected. Added Saddlebrook and bid $73. Accepted our bid. :) Decided to try to add on two days and Priceline and the Hyatt accepted our request, so we ended up with four nights. Paid more than usual for this property, but we are very happy as this is our favorite win in this area and the rate is quite a bit cheaper than the rack rate.

Glad it worked out for you. I always wondered how it worked with the bidding. I was always concerned that if I bid more I might still get the less desirable choice but at the higher price. I am beginning to think that this strategy might be a good one.

The OP probably read the same reviews I did. I am fully aware that in a downtown hotle anywhere I will likely have to pay for internet and parking. Those are not my concerns at all. As with many hotels, it seems like the Westin gives its unrenovated rooms to the Priceline guests. I have read quite a few complaints of stained carpet, and rooms in desparate need of updating. Maybe I am not well-travelled enough, but if I was staying in a 4* hotel, I would expect my room to be virtually spotless. To me, if I hotel is going to give its worst rooms to Priceline guests, then the star rating should be based on those rooms and not on the rooms full paying customers get.

Congrats!!! Good win and price!!!! I am getting chicken about bidding for Seattle. From all the reports, I would not want to win the Westin either. It is beyond my comprehension why PRICELINE has it in the 4* category.

I have come to realize the same thing. Looks like I, too, will give up my plans to book on Priceline for Seattle unless they move the Sorrento to another bidding area. I am okay with not getting a renovated room. I fully understand that for what I might pay on Priceline I am not going to get the most desirable rooms. However, if I bid for downtown Pike Place, I want to be in that area without needing to take a taxi or bus.

Was your first bid accepted?

What a great story!!!! Thanks for sharing and thanks for helping this couple. I always enjoy reading about people who take the time to help others.

Thanks for reporting back. You did get a great deal for that hotel. I was curious because I am thinking of bidding on Priceline for dowtown Seattle and the Westin seems to be the hotel with the most wins. Trying to decide if I want to try or not. I have read about the rooms being a bit old and in need of updates. I have not read about the shower issue though. I will do a little more research on that. Sometimes I wonder if the Priceline guests get the oldest rooms, while those paying rack rates get the nicer updated rooms. Thanks also for the parking info. I currently have a room booked for two nights which comes to $274. However, it includes free parking, free internet, free breakfast and $6pp to the pier. It is not a four star hotel, but it seems to have what we need. I am trying to decide how much I can bid on Priceline and come to the same cost or less. Your deal would definitely be a good one, especially with the $22 parking. I will mull it over some more and watch for wins for the beginning of August. Thanks again for taking the time to post.

Sounds like a great win. Would you please post back here and let me know what you thought of the hotel. Thanks.

At this point there is not a hotel I am trying to avoid. I guess I was just trying to figure out if there was a way to maximize my chances of getting a more desirable hotel from the 4* grouping. (Fully understanding there is no guarentee) I have used Priceline enough to know that it is a gamble. We have never been totally disappointed with a Priceline win. When I went down once to 2.5* we weren't thrilled with our win, but it was okay in the end. However, since then, I have never bid under a 3* again. It is just that for Seattle, I have read more than once that if you want to be assured of a decent hotel downtown, to stick with a 4*. I think I will be fine with bidding and taking what I can get. It just seems so early for bidding for August. I did go ahead and try last night, but got rejected. I looked at last summer's wins and it seemed like the lowest win I found for a 4* was $70, so I went with that. No luck this time. Thanks for all of your insights.

I don't have any particular Seattle hotel in mind. I don't even remember which 4* I read about that people weren't too thrilled with. I just like a clean room and I am a happy camper. I just noticed that the Edgewater seems to be well liked and it is on the 4* Seattle Priceline list. I was guessing that they might only pick up the higher of the bids. However, I was afraid to bid too high and be picked up by a not as desirable hotel. Sounds like I might as well keep the bids low and whatever is, is.

I have a question about bidding for a four star hotel in Seattle. There are several 4* hotels and some seem more desirable than others from the reviews I have read. Would placing a higher bid increase my chances of getting certain hotels? I would hate to put in a higher bid only to find that I got one of the less desirable hotels that might have accepted a lower bid. Is there any rhyme or reason to your bid amount and which hotel might pick it up? Thanks.

I have a question about bidding for a four star hotel in Seattle. There are several 4* hotels and some seem more desirable than others from the reviews I have read. Would placing a higher bid increase my chances of getting certain hotels? I would hate to put in a higher bid only to find that I got one of the less desirable hotels that might have accepted a lower bid. Is there any rhyme or reason to your bid amount and which hotel might pick it up? Thanks.

Am I allowed to chime in, or should I be starting a new thread? Here is my comment/question: I am needing a room in August in Seattle and I am wondering if it is too early to get a great deal? If I decide to go with Priceline, I also want a 4* hotel. (Still thinking about doing a B&:) I normally bid with Priceline at the last minute (2-3 weeks before) and typically get decent deals. My thinking is that if they have a high inventory as you get closer to your travel time, they are likely to be willing to accept lower bids. I know you are taking a chance because if they are all near capacity there is no way you will get a great deal at the end. That said, to me, it doesn't make sense for them to accept low bids this far out. My thinking tells me it is way too early to snag a deal for summer. Is my thinking correct or flawed?

Thanks for the advice. We found it with relative ease. We came in quite late, so your directions were very helpful. I just want to point out to others that you actuallly need to make a right turn onto Monroeville from Stroschein Road. The hotel will then be on your right with signs, albeit low signs. This was a great way to come in. THanks for the suggestion.

We loved our stay at the Courtyard and the great price we won it for on Priceline. The hotel is clean and inviting. The rooms are large with a decent sized bathroom. It is just about a mile off 76. The staff at this hotel really do stand out as being exceptional. How refreshing it was to encounter people who truly seem to enjoy their jobs and are so eager to help the hotel guests. I really can't think of anything negative about this hotel. This hotel can be difficult to find. However, we did our research, and thanks to another poster we found it with ease. Here are the directions we used and had no problems with: Coming from the turnpike, we looked for the Miracle Mile Shopping Center on the left. (About a mile from the freeway) We then turned left onto Stroschein Road which is at the light at the end of the Miracle Mile Shopping Center. (It is called Center Road if you were to turn right) Drive down Stroschein until you come to Monroeville. Turn right onto Monroeville. Drive just a short distance and look for the low signs that say "Courtyard Marriot." Turn right into the driveway and the hotel entrance is straight ahead on your right. You can't miss it. (Please note that if you were to come down Monroeville from the opposite direction, you would not be able to turn left into the hotel. There is a low barrier there.) If you do miss Stroschein Road, then you need to look for the Scheetz gas station on the left. (The Golden Corral Restaurant is on the right). There is a light here. Along side the Scheetz Gas Station is a roadway that looks more like a driveway than a street. There will be no sign for the Marriot here. However, just make the left at the light into the driveway and it will take you up the hill to the Marriot. We were told the Marriot has been fighting with the city for a sign, but so far it has been rejected.