wolfgirl

This is for the villas, not the main resort. I'm not sure what the difference is, other than having a kitchenette. The villas seem to go for a higher price than the main resort, but perhaps Westin prioritise these if they're timeshare units?

First (rejected) bid was $54, for Ventura-Oxnard 3* Started again with Thousand Oaks only, 3*. Successful at $56.

Bid at approx $59 on Priceline Counteroffered $96 (slightly different screen than usual: it gave the full price I needed to pay rather than showing the raise-your-offer-by screen) Rebid at $71 Travelocity has a 3* secret hotel for $79.

Had bid for a Monterey 3.5* unsuccessfully, up to $68. Then I bid $59 for a 3*, was counteroffered

An update: I stopped by the Abrego on the way to the Victorian Inn, since my GPS failed and I needed directions. The Abrego looked good, but the pool was really very small and wouldn't have suited me anyway since I can't imagine being able to swim in it (like many hotel pools, it seems to be more for decoration, or to get a higher rating). My first impression of the Victorian Inn is positive, even if it's not in the part of town I wanted to be in. The staff have been very helpful. I'll write a review after my stay.

Thank you. I'm sure I will be well looked after.

Thanks Colfax. It's nice to see a sympathetic response. I found a legal'ish paper on the issue that implies that damages can be awarded, should anyone ever feel like exploring that path: http://www.ahiattorneys.org/handouts/sandi...Overbooking.pdf I've spoken to the Abrego and they've said they'll waive the parking fee at the Victorian Inn, and have suggested they will make sure I'm well looked after. At such short notice I don't have an alternative to what has been offered. The unavailable dates are smack in the middle of my stay so it would mean packing and unpacking more than once. I spent a long time researching the options before booking and I don't have the time to do it again. That doesn't mean I'm happy about having been put in this position. Both Hotwire and the Abrego have been very pleasant, but completely inflexible in what they've offered. The Abrego explained that they had taken rooms out of service to be renovated. Until I can verify that I have to say I'm rather dubious that this happened so unexpectedly, within two days of accepting my booking. I also have to wonder if they select foreign tourists to be walked to the lower rated hotels in the chain, assuming we don't understand standard industry practice? I was sitting in a bar with people from the hotel industry when I received the call from Hotwire, and we were all in no doubt whatsoever that they've behaved inappropriately. My understanding is that it's standard to at least waive the cost of the first night's stay, move you to an equal or higher standard accommodation, and offer to transport you to the new hotel (which I don't need). The Victorian Inn is certainly not a bad place to be and I'm sure I'll be very comfortable; it's just not what I'd selected in terms of amenities and price (at the time of booking). But having got nowhere with either party, I'll see what my stay is like there before deciding what to do about it. For one thing, I very much doubt I'll be staying the extra week that I was contemplating if I'd been happy with the Abrego. But maybe the complimentary wine evenings at the Victorian will make me feel more mellow about the whole thing. I've received no written information or confirmation about this, which is a bit worrying, but I am 8 hours ahead so I hope to hear something before I fly early tomorrow.

Swag What hotel was this? I've just had the same happen to me and I've been offered a lower star hotel, or a refund. If this is happening with the same chain of hotels, it's worth raising awareness of it. On Hotwire we choose a hotel based on its amenities and on its price at that particular time. To be given the choice of starting again at a later date is not fair, as prices have often gone up by then, or the choice may be more limited. To be asked to accept a lower rating is just plain wrong.

I booked 5 nights at the Hotel Abrego (3.5*) in Monterey, starting May 3rd, and have just received a phone call from Hotwire saying the hotel is overbooked and I can either be walked to the Victorian Inn, a 3* hotel, or be given a refund. I've discussed this at length with a supervisor at Hotwire who says these are the only alternatives. I have a feeling that the Victorian Inn does not have complimentary parking (have not checked this yet), so that could be an extra expense, and it doesn't have a pool which is an amenity I really wanted. My understanding is that if you're walked, it should be to a comparable or higher rated hotel. I've never heard of anyone being walked "down" before. I also understand that the Abrego is part of a chain of hotels that include higher rated hotels. Hotwire say I could book a higher rated hotel but would have to pay the difference: they said the only one showing with a pool is about $60 a night more. Can anyone advise on what my rights are? Unfortunately I'm very close to travelling from the UK, and the logistics of sorting this out are quite difficult. It seems to me that Hotwire want me to cancel, by offering me something that isn't really acceptable. I've said I'll get back to them.

Was looking again on HOTWIRE for the Anton Inn, which I had to cancel due to my travel delays last week. It wasn't there for my dates so I chose this instead. 2 adults: 3.5* Monterey Boutique Non-Smoking Pools Restaurants Laundry on site High Speed Internet Access Golf Nearby Tennis Nearby Total $502.45 with tax After booking I tried to check the normal rate on a number of booking sites, including the hotel's own, but it's showing as unavailable for these dates. Used the HOTWIRE link. Thanks.

Thanks for your help with this. I decided to use Priceline to try to underbid the $79 for this hotel, and got the Hyatt Regency for $75, which is a perfect location for me. My friend had a preference for a boutique hotel which was why I was looking at this, but the devil on my shoulder told me to try for the Hyatt, which I've always liked.

Using PRICELINE, got 2 rooms at the Hyatt Regency for $75 using a free rebid after an unsuccessful $72 bid. Had previously bid up to $71 unsuccessfully for a 3* in Fisherman's Wharf.

Thanks. I'll sleep on it.

Thank you. I don't think I've stayed there before, but I've stayed at the nearby Harbor Court and love the location. I didn't think it was the Griffon because that's listed as a 3.5* by Expedia and TripAdvisor, but I see Priceline has it as 2*. Ah...just seen Hotwire has it as 3.5* as a vacation package, and is also showing it as full that weekend (although it's not full according to the hotel's website, so I don't know what that's all about). So I feel a bit uncertain still. I'm torn between bidding on Priceline for 3* at Fisherman's Wharf, in the hope of getting the Tuscan Inn, or going for this. Either way, I'll post the result.

The dates are 4/30/10-5/2/10, 2 rooms, 1 adult in each. Hotwire has a 3* Embarcadero hotel for $79. Amenities are: Smoke Free Rooms, Restaurant(s), Business Center , High-speed Internet Access 80% recommendation, overall satisfaction 4.0 I've used google map to look for hotels within HOTWIRE's Embarcadero area and can't see a 3*. I'd really like to stay in the Embarcadero area and am worried if I bid on Priceline that I may get bumped up to the Hilton, which to my mind is not truly in the Embarcadero/Financial district area.

2 rooms Won on first bid of $46, Santa Rosa zone only, 3.5*.

I may have asked this before, but do you have a way of linking to Priceline UK via your site? I'd like to contribute to the site, but I don't use Priceline US. Priceline always responds with the $ amount of the bid but i'm in the UK.

To confirm, Hotwire checked that my flight had indeed been cancelled and then refunded the total cost of my booking. I am very impressed with their customer service. There was the cost of an international phone call that lasted just under ten minutes (I reached Priceline via a toll-free number), but that's a minor issue.

Thanks to everyone here who posted about their experiences. My flight from London to San Francisco was cancelled today. I've emailed Hotwire about my Pacific Grove hotel reservation (no cancellation insurance taken out), and will report on that when I hear back from them. Although, it was such a nice win that I'm wishing now that I'd contacted the hotel directly, to see if they could shift the dates for me. My friend, who used Priceline to book his hotels, phoned them and had a very helpful conversation; they've said they'll refund the total cost as soon as they've verified that the flight was cancelled. They've followed that up with emailed confirmation for each reservation. I'm spreading the word about the companies that have been helpful; Priceline and co deserve to get more business as a result of this. I'm also spreading the word about the ones who haven't. My travel insurers, InsureandGo, have wriggled their way out of any insurance claims.

Thanks for posting that. A friend is due to travel to the USA from London next week, and used PRICELINE on my recommendation. I've been worried he might end up severely out of pocket. We're both likely to be future customers if we know they're sympathetic to circumstances beyond our control. I've booked with HOTWIRE for my trip to Pacific Grove. If my flights are changed or cancelled I'll have to see if they have the same policy. Has anyone had any experience with them?

2.5-star hotel in Pacific Grove This hotel features the following amenities: Near Beach Smoke Free Rooms Complimentary Breakfast It said it had a 100% user recommendation when I first saw it, but now I'm looking again after I booked it, and that's gone now. But it was helpful to see it earlier, and was able to ID it in Hotwire's vacation section before I booked. Used the HOTWIRE link, and love your site. Thanks. p.s. please feel free to edit the title to match other posts

Not a good experience once I arrived, so Priceline have refunded.

Fitness, Pool, Restaurant, Business Centre, High Speed Internet, Spa Booked through your HOTWIRE link. 4 nights. Total incl tax $823.21

Having found out that there's nighttime construction work just outside this hotel throughout September, and having read more very bad reviews on tripadvisor, I contacted Priceline by email on Friday to ask for it to be cancelled, and have the chance to rebid without getting this again. Nothing back from them yet....their response is supposed to be in 2 business days but since I'll be travelling by then I'm worried that 1) they won't do anything by the time I arrive or 2) they'll cancel it but I won't know, and won't have had a chance to rebid. Does anyone know of a faster way to resolve these types of issues?

I'd been bidding for this zone/star rating for several days, with nothing on or below $172. On the last bid I got a counteroffer for another $27 but didn't take it. Today I started at $152 and was rejected up to and including $172 again. The $177 bid was successful. Normally I would have waited to see if Priceline got more inventory nearer the date, but I can't guarantee I'll have the time or internet access. I've stayed here a few times and it's a great hotel. And right above Cafe Artigiano, who make my favourite sandwich.