tilepusher

Welcome to BetterBidding, bigb784. The set of amenities and TripAdvisor information are consistent with both the Hilton and the Hyatt Regency. I'm afraid that I can't narrow this down any further. If you decide to book this hotel, please start your purchase from the HOTWIRE link on this site.

Welcome to BetterBidding, northcoast0. The amenities for the Toronto West hotel are a match for the Sheraton, InterContinental Yorkville, and the Renaissance. If you change the search parameters to 2 adults/1 child, the 4* Toronto West hotel shows the same rate and amenities, but also includes a TripAdvisor rating of 4.0. This would make it a match for the Sheraton. The hotel in your original search is probably the Sheraton as well, but you may want to book as 2 adults/1 child if you prefer the Sheraton to the other two. The Toronto East hotel is a match for the Westin Harbour Castle. If you decide to book one of these hotels, please start your purchase from the Hotwire link on this site.

The method that BestUserNameEver described for determining the maximum star-level available in a given zone (more discussion about it can be found in Priceline Bidding Explained) is the only one you should use, but make sure that you do it before each bidding session. The maximum star-level can change at any time, and only by checking every time can you be sure that the information is up-to-date. Researching the hotels in an area is not useful for finding the maximum star-level, because not all of these hotels will be available through Name Your Own Price.

Welcome to BetterBidding, Laine. Best guesses: 3* Holiday Inn Vancouver Downtown 3.5* Hotel Moda 4* Delta Vancouver Suites If you decide to book one of these hotels, please start your purchase from the HOTWIRE link on this site.

My best guess is the Park Inn & Suites on Broadway. If you decide to book this hotel, please start your purchase from the HOTWIRE link on this site.

If you want to bid for a downtown hotel now, I would start at about $40. If you'd prefer to stay in the Convention Center area, however, I'd keep bidding in that zone for the next week or two. Like the previous weekend, rates for these dates aren't very high; I think your best strategy is to keep your bids low and let the deals come to you.

I've made purchases on both PRICELINE and HOTWIRE using a Canadian credit card. I've never had a problem.

The lowest rate for this hotel on the Microtel website is an advance purchase rate of $55.20 for a single queen room. Was $61 your first bid? If not, what were your previous failed bids? Your reservation may be for a better room (king or double queen). If not, you're entitled to a refund from PRICELINE if you contact them within 24 hours after your bid was accepted, though I don't know if it's worth the hassle for the sake of $6.

The 4.5* hotel is a match for the Hotel Grand Pacific. The 4* hotel is a match for the Magnolia Hotel and Spa. If you decide to book one of these hotels, please start your purchase from the Hotwire link on this site.

There isn't enough information to identify the hotel. However, if you change your search parameters to 2 adults/1 child, the 4* hotel in Downtown Portland shows the above amenities plus Fitness Center, and the following TripAdvisor information: 4 rating, 140+ reviews (last reviewed July 2009). This looks like a match for the Hotel Vintage Plaza, so that would be my guess. The hotel in your original HOTWIRE search is likely the same, but might not be. Booking as 2 adults/1 child should increase your likelihood of getting the Vintage Plaza, if that is what you want. I'm sure that you would get a better rate on a 4* hotel through PRICELINE, but there's no way to know what hotel you'd end up at.

If you change the HOTWIRE search parameters to 3 adults, the 3* hotel in this zone shows the above amenities plus Smoke Free, Pool, and Laundry. The following TA information is also shown: 3.5 rating, 20+ reviews (last reviewed July 2009). This is a match for the Holiday Inn Select Toronto Airport. This might be the same hotel that you found in your original search.

4* Hyatt at Olive 8 (reported here) should be added to the Priceline list for Seattle (Downtown-Pike Place). The Everett zone in Seattle is now called Mukilteo-South Everett.

The trend we've been seeing this summer in Seattle is that the earlier you can book, the better. If you check each bid you're seeing in the Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins, you'll find that the bids are at least a few weeks old, and several of the bids were made months ago. The Westin and Sheraton appear to be offering the best prices to those who book first; as the rooms are sold off, the price goes up. Those who have bid for a 4* about a week before check-in have usually had to pay at least $90.Judging from the rates on HOTWIRE, you might be able to get a 4* room for about $80 for the last two nights of your stay, but I don't know if you're going to save enough money by splitting your bid to make it worthwhile. I agree with thereuare that $10-15 more should do it, and I think sticking with one bid is your best option. There are fewer 3.5* hotels than 4* hotels (five altogether, and only three of them have been reported recently). Is there one that you're trying to avoid?

No. You can certainly make educated guesses, but there are several 4* hotels in the Downtown-Pike Place zone (see the Hotel List), and you have to be prepared to stay at any one of them. This inability to see what's behind the curtain is the reason that PRICELINE is able to offer such substantial discounts. Let us know if you'd like further assistance with this bid. In the meantime, read this post on Priceline Rebidding if you haven't already.

Did you attempt to bid for a hotel in North Vancouver through PRICELINE? If so, how high did you bid before booking through HOTWIRE?

I'm not seeing either one. When I tried the search, the 4* in Downtown Toronto East (for $102) had the following amenities: Fitness, Pool, Restaurant, Business, High-Speed Internet, and Spa, plus the following TA info: 3 rating, 100+ reviews. This is a match for Sutton Place.

The Doubletree is rated 3* on Hotwire's vacation packages. What dates are you booking for?

The Southfork Hotel is in Plano; the rest are in Richardson.

This hotel is already on the hotel list (with reviews going back to 2004), and is actually rated 3*.

3.5-star hotel in Downtown - Pike Place Please keep all posts pertaining to the same stay in one topic. The set of amenities is a match for one of the sets reported for the Red Lion 5th Avenue (which has been upgraded back to 3.5* on Hotwire's vacation packages), so that would be my best guess. If you change the search to 2 adults/1 child, the 3.5* hotel shows the above amenities plus Golf, and the following TripAdvisor information: 4 rating, 100+ reviews (last reviewed August 2009). This is a stronger match for the Red Lion, so you may want to book as 2 adults/1 child if you'd like to be more confident about what you're getting. If you decide to book one of the hotels you inquired about, please start your purchase from the HOTWIRE link on this site.

4-star hotel in Downtown - Pike Place This is a match for the Westin.

I should clarify the previous post. I first bid up to $40 (receiving a +$10 counteroffer at $36). It was very late, so I decided to wait until next morning before going higher; the $41 bid came about 8 hours later. So I can't be absolutely sure that $41 was best possible rate, though it likely was.

The Delta Burnaby is rated 3.5*.

I bid for this hotel on behalf of friends who will be attending the same event in Portland that I am. I started at $32 and bid up in $1 increments using various tricks, including dropping to 2.5* (there are no 2.5* hotels in the Convention Center zone). The total came to $147.33 after taxes and fees. The Red Lion's 24 Summer promotional rate (one night non-refundable deposit required) was $75. The good news for them is that this is the host hotel. The bad news is that it's the Red Lion. But I think they'll be happy with the deal.

Welcome to BetterBidding, iLusion. Is this search for the same dates as your Priceline Toronto topic? If so, they should be together (in the future, please start only one topic per stay). Downtown East 3 1/2- Fitness Center, Pool, Restaurant, Business Center, Internet, Smoke free This is a match for the Delta Chelsea. Downtown East 3 *- Fitness Center, Pool, Restaurant, Business Center, Internet, Smoke free with Tennis and Golf nearby This hotel's identity hasn't been confirmed, but has been asked about a number of times. My best guess is the Ramada Plaza. Downtown West 3 *- Restaurant, Internet, Laundry and Tennis Nearby Same situation as above -- several people have asked about it, but its identity still hasn't been confirmed. My best guess is the Holiday Inn Midtown. If you decide to book one of these hotels, please start your purchase from the HOTWIRE link on this site.