mbstone

The intent of my post was to welcome the OP to the board, and to respectfully encourage the sharing of his or her reasoning as to how he or she decided to bid that amount. I have since discovered that Red Lion Bellevue has upped its PL minimum bid to $63, so never mind.

More info please. Are you staying in the 5* section of this property? How did you decide to bid $63?

Tried to extend $57 Tukwila Courtyard South Center (6/30-7/2) for two days, counteroffer at $73 .

7/2-7/6 bid 50 3.5* Kirkland, Redmond-Kirkland 7/2-7/6 bid 52 3.5* Bothell, Kirkland, Redmond-Kirkland, Newcastle, Bellevue, Tukwila-Renton 7/2-7/6 bid 52 3* Bothell, Kirkland, Redmond-Kirkland, Newcastle, Bellevue, Tukwila-Renton, accepted $208 + 41.16 = $249.16 Happy 4th of July to all!

Courtyard Seattle / South Center 400 Andover Park West Tukwila, WA 98188

Oops. The Courtyard in Tukwila.

Wanted Kirkland, search revealed someone got 3* Courtyard Redmond-Kirkland recently for $50. Same day bid. Near holiday (7/4). Motel 6 Kirkland is $70 (and no PL fee). Check-in Days Zones Star Level Bid Counteroffer 6/30 6 Kirkland 3* 50 6/30 6 Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland 3* 50 6/30 5 Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland 3* 50 6/30 6 Bellevue 3* 50 70 6/30 6 Bothell 3* 50 6/30 6 Bothell, Kirkland 3* 52 6/30 6 Bothell, Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland 3* 52 6/30 6 Bothell, Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland, Bellevue 3* 52 6/30 6 Kirkland 2.5* 45 6/30 6 Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland 2.5* 49 6/30 6 Bothell, Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland, Mukilteo 3* 54 6/30 6 Bothell, Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland, Mukilteo, Bellevue 3* 54 6/30 6 Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland, Bellevue 2.5* 53 70 6/30 5 Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland, Bellevue 3* 55 71 6/30 5 Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland, Bellevue 2.5* 55 6/30 5 Bothell, Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland, Bellevue 2.5* 52 6/30 4 Redmond/Kirkland 3* 50 6/30 4 Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland 3* 50 6/30 4 Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland, Bellevue 3* 55 6/30 5 Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland, Bellevue 2.5* 55 6/30 5 Redmond/Kirkland 4* 65 6/30 5 Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland 4* 65 6/30 5 Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland, Bellevue 4* 65 6/30 5 Bothell, Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland, Bellevue 4* 70 6/30 3 Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland 3* 55 6/30 3 Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland 3* 51 6/30 2 Redmond/Kirkland, Bellevue 4* 70 6/30 2 Redmond/Kirkland, Bellevue 3* 58 6/30 2 Redmond/Kirkland, Bellevue 2.5* 58 6/30 2 Bothell, Redmond/Kirkland, Bellevue 2.5* 58 6/30 5 Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland 2* 45 6/30 5 Kirkland, Redmond/Kirkland, Bellevue 2* 49 6/30 2 Renton-Kent 3* 55 62 6/30 2 Renton-Kent, Redmond/Kirkland 3* 57 Accepted $114+$25.64 = $139.64.

The 100% tax you pay in LAS is for the Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility -- many cities are building these to eliminate shuttle bus congestion, to reduce air pollution from all those shuttle buses, and most of all to make lots of money for the Local Airport Bureaucracy so the airport commissioners can fly first class all over the world on free junkets. The LAS facility can be cheap and convenient -- they are open all night, there is a free shuttle to the airport, and it is convenient to city bus lines. I'm now a Vegas local and I often park my car at a casino that's on a city bus line that serves the rent-a-car facility. This gives me either free airport parking or free parking while I drive the rent-a-car. PL/HW is far from the only way to rent cars at LAS (or anywhere else). I have had good luck with AAA and Costco car rental services, specifying a non-airport rental location. This of course saves big on airport taxes while obtaining very favorable rates (and you can drop the car for free at the airport). The only drawback is that you have to (1) get to the non-airport location (2) during its operating hours.

It appears that the Federal Trade Commission may finally address the hidden-PL-resort-fee issue, under the broader category of "drip pricing."

Rated 3* by PL. Dark, scary parking area, Not Acceptable for unaccompanied females. 3 story building, interior corridors, one elevator serves entire property and may be very distant from your room. Free wireless internet. Small signs of deterioration. Views of river, some rooms have exterior terraces and chairs. Exercise room 6A-10P; pool 9A-10P, room service, reasonable+18% 7A-9P, 10P weekends. Laundry 24H. Local TV+basic cable. Bar, restaurant. Convention/meeting facilities.

2* property near airport. 3 story building, interior corridors, elevator at one end of long corridor. Queen beds; microwave; fridge; coffeemaker; bath/shower. HBO + local + basic cable. Free breakfast 630a-930a (untried), other Super 8s have cereals/grains/juice/coffee. Free wireless internet. Indoor heated pool with jacuzzi and large water slide, 9a-11p. Coffee in lobby. Laundry; exercise room 6a-10p. Computer in lobby, unusable (clogged with malware).

Stayed here again, weekday. Smile upgrade to 1BR suite. Above review remains valid. Room service 24H incl Johnny Rockets with full menu 11A-4A, breakfast 24H, prices varied, some expensive some very reasonable + $4 + 16%. Line on bill for extra tip in addition to 16% mandatory service charge. Water hammer in pipes in AM, very noisy.

Same day bid. Non-bid PL price $46. Bid $41, accepted. $41 + 12.60 = $53.60

Same day bid. $45 2.5*, nada, $45, 2*, accepted. $45 + 12.02 = $57.02

Non-bid PL same-night price $41. Bid $35, accepted. $35+11.96= $46.96. Smile upgrade to suite. Very nice.

Not very encouraging, is it? The trouble with Name Your Own Price is the low intelligence of the average travel consumer. First, PL discovered they could fool the bidding public with misleading information displayed during the bidding process: "Based on recent data, your bid has only a small chance of success." Then, they introduced Shop and Compare and made would-be bidders hunt for the tiny NYOP icon on the page, and guess what? Lots of people bought hotels at rack rates figuring that since they bought the room through PL, they must be getting a good deal. PL never did advertise how phenomenally cheap NYOP hotel deals often are for savvy bidders. And there is that substantial segment of the public that either doesn't quite trust NYOP, or doesn't know enough about negotiating theory to appreciate NYOP. Most people still buy hotel rooms by meekly calling hotels and asking "how much." People like you and I don't make money for PL. (I haven't paid more than $60 for a room in maybe ten years, and $45 is more typical.) "Shop and compare," and gross NYOP overbids from people who don't know any better, is where PL's bread is buttered. If they do away with NYOP my assumption would be, their business-process patent has expired and some other company would take its place.

How to deal with PL/HW Attitude in a nutshell. "You know, when I'm traveling on the boss's dime, I pay rack rates but when I'm spending my own money I use PL. You'd do the same, wouldn't you?"

The fancier the hotel, the less value you get, and no hotel chain exemplifies this immutable law of nature quite like Marriott Hotels. While Marriott's Courtyard, Residence Inn, Fairfield Inn, Springhill Suites, etc. etc. offer free parking and free internet, the LAX Airport Marriott charges $15 per computer per day for internet, and valet parking for $32/day. Distant self parking (pay) also available. Teeny tiny but cozy rooms (you also won't find refrigerators or microwaves here). Room service 5A-12M, until 1A on weekends, insanely expensive ($35 steak, $20 bacon and eggs, $15 club sandwich) plus mandatory 20% tip. Exercise room 24H, guest laundry 24H, Kinkos business center onsite, 630A-11P Su-Thu, 630A-5P Fr, closed Sa. Pool, jacuzzi 6A-11P. Hair salon (men & women); massages, nail salon. Restaurants, lounge, Starbucks coffee. Gift shop 6A-11P. Free airport shuttle 24H. TV, basic cable + HBO, no local broadcast stations. PPV movies. Concierge; concierge floor & lounge for Marriott elite members. Rated 3.5* by PL.

$57 3.5* LAX, counteroffer at $67 $59 3* LAX, downgraded to 3.5* ($15 internet and $32 pay valet parking at Marriott, instead of having both for free at the 3* El Segundo or LAX Marriott Courtyards). Room Cost (avg. per room, per night): $59.00 (USD) Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Guests Per Room: 2 Number of Nights: 1 Room Subtotal: $59.00 (USD) Taxes and Fees: $16.41 (USD) Total Room Cost: $75.41 (USD)

$51 Cerritos 3.5*, nada $53 added Anaheim South Room Cost (avg. per room, per night): $53.00 (USD) Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Guests Per Room: 2 Number of Nights: 1 Room Subtotal: $53.00 (USD) Taxes and Fees: $14.31 (USD) Total Room Cost: $67.31 Added a night for same price, taxes, and fees Plus resort/parking/internet fee I think it's $13

1. You have to use the same CC that was used to book the original successful bid. 2. You don't get another choice of dates if the first is unavailable. In other words if you request six more nights and it's unavailable, there is no way to see if five, four, three, two nights or one night is available. 3. The option to add nights is only available one time, and I am beginning to think that the "one time" registers the first time you click on the "Add extra nights" link. In other words if you don't hit "Buy Hotel Room Now" and close the window you have forfeited the opportunity to request extra nights. 4. Tonight I tried to add one extra night to a $55 room and was told I could have it for $85. No opportunity, of course, exists to ignore the counteroffer and go out and start a new bid for $58.

Awww.

2.5* Redmond/Kirkland, $48, counteroffer at $57. Added Bellevue, $51. Offer Price: avg. per room, per night $51.00 Rooms: 1 Nights: 7 Room Subtotal: $357.00 Taxes & Fees: $64.12 Total Charged to Card: $421.12

NY Times article Hotel Finder, still in its experimental phase, takes a minimalist approach in both design and concept. Once users enter a date and destination, now limited to cities in the United States, the results are displayed on a list or a map. The results can be filtered by price range, hotel class and reviews by Google users. Don't bother. The prices displayed are rack rates at best.

Please correct the thread title, this is the Downtown Long Beach zone and Downtown Long Beach Holiday Inn, NOT the Airport LGB HI or zone.