bluepig

Hmm, how does one get to this "guaranteed amenities" part of Priceline? This appears to be similar to Hotwire? I'm getting ready to start bidding for an upcoming trip to Singapore and would like to understand a benchmark price (or frankly, just purchase this deal), if I can find this type of pricing. Thanks!

Back from our trip; here's a quick review on the Westgate. Overall, 3.5* is probably generous. The room itself was nice, and the king bed quite comfortable (nice bedding/duvet). The kitchenette and bathroom seemed relatively new (lots of granite and stainless steel and a nice waterfall shower). The queen sofabed was broken, which was an issue, since we'd paid extra for our third person (Hotwire charged I believe $8 extra per night for the third person we booked the reservation for vs when I had looked for price quotes for 2 people). After complaining to the front desk they sent up an extra foam pad, which didn't really solve the issue. The walls are thin - we heard a number of conversations from our next door neighbor. Parking is free for guests, but Friday and Saturday nights were quite full so we actually had to park in the overflow lot across/down the street (a bit inconvenient). The room only had 1 mirror, in the bathroom, which made it a little difficult for the 2 people NOT in the bathroom to get ready. There was no iron/ironing board in the room (I suppose we could have asked the front desk but we did not). Two things which surprised me -- 1) HSIA was not free (the hotel website indicates $9.99 per day but when I called the hotel they indicated it was free for condos); talking with the desk agent she ended up setting it up for free for us; 2) although it was very "hotel" feeling, the condo tower does not apparently come with daily housekeeping. They brought ample fresh towels upon request, but housekeeping apparently is either once a week or twice a week (but no housekeeping occurred during the 3 days we stayed). I don't mind not having daily housekeeping; somehow I just didn't expect not having it. Fortunately -- despite the fact that the Hotwire amenities list indicated a studio, our reservation was actually for a 1 bedroom oceanview -- which retails for $139/night, so at least I felt like we did have decent savings. The property itself is good for families - lots of activities. We enjoyed the heated pool and heated lazy river -- although it was 80 degrees, the heated pool was still welcome as the water in the ocean was too cold for swimming. It's literally on the beach, so getting to the beach couldn't have been more convenient. Overall - it was an ok-to-good property. We got a good price, got a decent quality room for what we paid. Had there only been 2 of us in the room we wouldn't have noticed the crappy sofabed. But it wasn't quite what I'd call 3.5* accomodations.

So using your HOTWIRE link, we did end up booking the property showing the following amenities. It's a new property not previously shown on your Hotel List, so please add this to your list. 3.5* Myrtle Beach area condo 10/14-10/17 $82/night Beachfront Property Studio Air-Conditioning Fitness Center Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Business Center 24-hour Front Desk Laundry Facilities (self-service) Condo Unfortunately the posted rate on the Westgate's website for a studio is $89 per night (i.e. this was not a very good deal and frankly I could have done better than Hotwire's rate with my AAA discount). I've tried calling Hotwire to complain but so far they were not receptive.

Thereuare - No additional amenities for the first hotel are listed. The second hotel listed has a complete list of amenities: 3.5* Myrtle Beach area condo - $78/night Condo, Beachfront, Studio, AC, Fitness, Pool, Restaurant, Business Center, 24 hr front desk, Laundry (Laundry is the new amenity added) The third hotel listed has a complete list of amenities: 3.5* Myrtle Beach North area condo - $82/night Condo, Near beach, Studio, Fitness, Pool, Restaurant, Business Center, Laundry, Golf, Tennis *Recommended in 85% of Hotwire Customer Reviews* So the addition of tennis seems to cloud the issue a little! Thanks!

After trying Priceline (with your link) and using free rebids unsuccessfully from $50 all the way up to $99 on a Resort for the weekend of 10/14-10/17 (3 nights), I'm trying Hotwire before going above $100. Appreciate any help you can provide to identify the following properties that do not appear to match anything currently on your list unless some of the 3* properties have been re-levelled as 3.5*. Prices shown are quoted for 3 adults. 3.5* Myrtle Beach area hotel - $55/night Resort, Beachfront, Oceanfront, Smoke Free, Fitness, Pool, Laundry, HS Internet, Golf 3.5* Myrtle Beach area condo - $78/night Condo, Beachfront, Studio, AC, Fitness, Pool, Restaurant, Business Center, 24 hr front desk 3.5* Myrtle Beach North area condo - $82/night Condo, Near beach, Studio, Fitness, Pool, Restaurant, Business Center, Laundry, Golf *Recommended in 85% of Hotwire Customer Reviews* All of the 3.5* properties in Myrtle Beach area and Myrtle Beach North area currently on your Hotwire hotel list have "tennis" as an amenity which is not listed here. I will use your HOTWIRE link to book if/when the time comes. Thanks!!

Thanks to rocc64, XT600, and hohogap for your tips on this hotel! We had a great stay. It was definitely a Marriott and I thought lived up to standards, although it could have been in any city in the world for its lack of local character (which is not really the point when staying in a Marriott, after all). We still felt this was a terrific deal at $85 a night given we couldn't have stayed for that price at anything close to this quality elsewhere in town -- particularly as there was a huge diabetes conference in town beginning the weekend we were there and we heard basically all the hotels were booked up. We didn't get to try the Restaurante Palma but really appreciated the reco as we were going to head over one night but ended up going into town for dinner. We were fine taking the 10 minute walk (downhill) to the Jardim Zoological metro station to go into town every morning. On the way back, since we usually got back after dark, we'd usually take the metro to Jardim Zoological and then pay 3-4 euros for the short taxi ride back to avoid the uphill walk in the dark. It was a cheap 8 euro (after tip) taxi ride to the Marriott from the airport -- no issues there. Thanks again to the betterbidding community!

Using your PRICELINE link, after about 10 days of bidding (curse you, no free rebid zones) - finally got the 4* Marriott Lisboa for Sept 8-Sept 12, 2011. Offer Price: avg. per room, per night US$85.00 Rooms: 1 Nights: 4 Room Subtotal: US$340.00 Taxes & Fees: US$32.56 Total Charged to Card: US$372.56 Pretty good reviews, and nice to have a Marriott property, even if the location doesn't appear to be as centrally located as I might have liked (we won't have a car). Best available rate at marriott.com is 135 Euros / USD195 per night not including taxes, so I'm very pleased to have gotten this rate. Additionally, no hotwire deals for Lisbon existed below $200 per night (opaque!). Based on previous wins, thought while bidding on 4* I would get either the Holiday Inn Lisbon or the Holiday Inn Lisbon Continental, both of which seem closer to the city center. I started bidding at $60 per night, then increased in increments of $4-5 to eventually land at $85. Around $75, I started getting "if you increase your bid by $22" or "if you increase your bid by $13" opportunities to immediately rebid, but declined. Interestingly, the "average price per night for a 4* in this area" shown by Priceline as a reference point for these dates varied GREATLY, from $122 per night up to $243 each day. I guess this reiterates the fact that this is not usually that relevant towards the eventual winning price. Thanks again to Better Bidding!

Using your PRICELINE link, started bidding at $50 for a 3* in New Haven. Free rebid at $55 using the only free rebid zone (East New Haven) for 3*. Two days later, rebid starting at $60, rejected but got the offer to increase by $15, then used a free rebid and was accepted at $65. Offer Price: avg. per room, per night $65.00 Rooms: 1 Nights: 2 Room Subtotal: $130.00 Taxes & Fees: $28.38 Total : $158.38 Block rate at the Courtyard for the wedding I'm attending that weekend is $119 a night, while the published best available is $139, so I feel like I'm getting a great price. Thanks again!

Think I waited too late to book, as others appear to have gotten 4* hotels around this time period when booking several weeks ago for around $70-75. Using your PRICELINE link, I started with 4* in Universal/I-Drive North, at $50 and rebids up to $95. I then started with 4* Sea World/I-Drive South at $50 with rebids up to this bid of $97. Along the way, I also tried 3* and 3.5* in both I-Drive zones (independently) from $45 with rebids up to $85, but decided to spring for the extra $10+ to move back up to a 4* hotel. Along the way, got "please increase your bid by $15-25" on the 4* on all star levels (4*, 3.5* and 3*) at around $85. I had started my bidding earlier this week and got the same "please increase your bid" at around $60, so I'm guessing the delay (while waiting on travel companions to firm up their plans) may have cost me an extra $20 or so. Oh well. The Peabody's published rate is currently $200. I've never stayed at a Peabody so it's still a decent deal for a new experience. Hotwire appeared to be offering the Peabody (4.5* with the right amenities, which matches your Hotwire list) for $109. Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $97.00 Subtotal: $97.00 Taxes & Fees: $20.89 Total Charges*: $117.89

Using your PRICELINE link, started bidding 3.5* in Towson at $49. Rejected with counteroffer of increasing your price $14. Wasn't interested in increasing $14. Added Hunt Valley & Timoniuim for a free re-bid at $53. Rejected again. Restarted bidding for a 3* in Hunt Valley & Timonium at $50 and was accepted. Your Offer Price: $50.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $50.00 Taxes and Fees: $14.54 Total Charges*: $64.54 Rooms start at $103 on Crowne Plaza's website. Thanks!

Using your PRICELINE link, tried to replicate a previous poster's success with the Embassy Suites at $50/night, started bidding this 3.5* at $45. Rejected at $45, rejected at $50 using Franklin Park as a free rebid. Accepted at $55/night using Lincoln Park as a free rebid. Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $55.00 Subtotal: $110.00 Taxes & Fees: $25.02 Total Charges*: $135.02 Rates start at doubletree.com from $109, so it's a pretty good deal (though would have liked the Suite and free breakfast of the Embassy Suites).

Using your PRICELINE link, I bid $8/day on Economy but was declined. $9/day adding Compact was accepted. Your Offer Price: $9.00 (per day) Total Rental Days: 2 days(1 days and 17 1/2 hours) Subtotal: $18.00 Taxes and Fees: $20.10 Total Charges: $38.10 Pretty good deal, as Hotwire had $10.95/day on Economy for total $41.25 as best available price.

Using your PRICELINE link, started bidding at $90. Used all the free rebid zones to increase bids at $3-4 each increment. Started seeing counteroffers to raise the price $22 at $101; finally was accepted at $111. 1 night: $111 Taxes/fees: $27.21 Total = $138.21 Best available rate on hilton.com = $229, so I'm quite happy with this price. Love the flexibility with all the free rebid zones available in NY! Thanks to betterbidding as always!

Weekend (3 day) rental, pick up at RDU. Using your PRICELINE link, got this on my first bid. 3 days x $12/day = $36 plus taxes of $17.96 = total of $53.96. This is better than HOTWIRE's best price of $15.95/day = $64 including taxes, and Avis.com's best rate of $130.96 (inclusive of taxes). Probably should have started a bit lower, but thought this was already lowballing vs HOTWIRE's best rate and other posts posted here.

Whew! Started bidding 5 weeks ago at $75/night. Increased in intervals $80, $85, $90. Held around $90 noting that others had recently won this hotel for around $80, less than a week before their planned stays. Earlier this week at a $95 bid received a counteroffer to increase by $22. Increased from there by $2/night until $103. This hotel was more difficult given no rebid zones, so it required a lot more patience -- and it was starting to come down to the wire. I did use the PRICELINE link to support this site. Thanks! Won at $103/night; total = $123 including taxes. Best available rate on ichotels.com is 165 Euro = US$235 before taxes. Great deal!

Using your PRICELINE link, won the Hyatt Regency (again) for one final night at the same rate as my other stay (5/17-5/19) before flying out from HNL ... did the same rebidding process starting at $100/night. $153 including taxes. Thanks!

Using your PRICELINE link, started bidding at $100/night - rejected. Using free rebids: $105 $110 $115 $120 $125 - started getting the offers of increasing by $22 $126 $127 $128 $129/night accepted - Hyatt Regency Waikiki. 2 nights x $129 = $258 Tax/fees = $42.70 Total = $300.70 Best available rate at Hyatt.com = $225/night I can't seem to find anything online about a resort fee being charged here? Thanks again to your site for the very helpful info -- I knew that several other people had won this hotel in this same price range for stays in May.

Hmm, this is unexpected. Using your PRICELINE link, won this resort on my first bid. I'd thoroughly researched, and saw that the best ANYONE had won a resort in Waikoloa on this site was for $125/night at the Marriott (with a few Marriott wins recently upwards of that). Thought I'd start at $120 since I only really had 1 free re-bid, but won this right away... I was expecting the Marriott, but I'm not unhappy with the Hilton, just aware from others' reviews that the complex is HUGE. Now I'm wishing I'd started at $110 or $115/night... Still, it's a great rate and I'm happy with it, given Hilton.com current rate is $239/night. Total win: $120/night x 2 Taxes/fees: $39 Total price: $279 Anyone have recommendations on which tower to ask for upon check-in to get the best deal? Lagoon Tower sounds closest to the guest parking area, but it appears Ocean Tower may have an executive lounge with free breakfast? Not sure if that applies to only some (not all) Ocean Tower rooms.

Used your PRICELINE link. Started bidding at $13/day Economy (rejected), rebid using a different account for $15/day Economy (rejected), rebid at $16/day Compact and was accepted by Budget. Total including taxes = $47.92. Comparable rate on budget.com is $86/day (seriously?!?!?)= $201 incl tax/fees. Comparable rate on HOTWIRE was $21.95/day = $61 incl tax/fees. Note to those who saw my other thread about a 1-way rental from Hilo to Kona: decided to use my company corporate rate with National, Hilo-Kona 1-way for 5/19-5/21, then switch cars at Kona for 5/21-5/23 to avoid paying the higher rate for the full 4 days. This second leg of the car rental ended up being a good bit cheaper than we thought it'd be, with total car rental cost about $135. This is marginally more expensive than Hotwire's estimated Hilo-Hilo rate of about $120, and for $15 extra, we save 2.5 hours driving back to Hilo.

Priceline win, $10/day, first bid (used your PRICELINE link). Honolulu airport, 5/17-5/19/08 Total including taxes/fees = $35 for a compact car. Comparable rate on avis.com = $57. Comparable best HOTWIRE.com rate = $12.95/day, total including taxes = $41.89. Thanks to this board for all the help!

I'll be on the Big Island of Hawaii for 4 days in May, renting from Hilo (ITO) airport. I need the car from May 19 (afternoon) through May 23 (morning). I'm still debating whether to use the opaque services for pickup/dropoff from ITO as I'm considering doing a 1-way rental and returning in Kona (KOA). I may not need the opaque services if I can do the following: Renting for a week (5/19 through 5/26) appears to give me a better total cost (including taxes/fees) by about $50 vs renting just for 5/19-5/23 and paying for 4 days -- this applies for most of the major rental companies (booking through their websites or Expedia), whether I look at a 1-way rental or pickup/dropoff at the same airport. Is anyone aware of any fees that the rental companies would charge for returning a car EARLY? I would like to rent for 5/19-5/26 and then just plan to return by 5/23. Is there any chance that upon return they would recalculate my rate for the 4 days? ITO-KOA is not one of the combinations of cities that allows 1-way rentals for Name Your Own Price on Priceline. A check of Hotwire suggests I could find my 5/19-5/23 rental for about $125 if I pickup/return at the same location. If I can get a 1-way rental for about $50-75 more than this by using the weekly rate, I would certainly go for it (and so far the weekly rate through National by using VacationOutlet.com's discount code seems to be around $190). Thanks!

Using your HOTWIRE link, got Budget on Hotwire for $11.95/day for 3 days, 1/30/08 through 2/1/08. Compact Car @ $11.95/day x 3 days (2 days, 7 hours) = $35.85 Taxes & fees = $15.86 Total = $51.71 Tried bidding on Priceline to beat this price; yesterday a $9 bid was turned down (incl taxes/fees, total would have been $41). The calculation of taxes seems to have increased today, where a similar $9 bid would generate a total of $49, and a $10 bid would have totalled $59, so I stuck with HOTWIRE's lower overall total. Thanks!

Hotwire showed 3.5* with amenities matching Caribe Hilton for $129/night. While that rate looked pretty attractive, I thought I'd try to do better on Priceline. Using free rebids, started bidding on Resorts at $85 in $5-increments all the way up to $115 and won the Caribe Hilton for 2 weekend nights, 2/1/08-2/3/08. Hilton.com currently showing $206/nt as the best rate (full payment at reservation) or $249/nt no restrictions. Hopefully mixed reviews on TripAdvisor pan out well for us. I guess I still have the 12% resort fee to pay at check-out. I did use your SavingsBarn.com link to PRICELINE. Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $115.00 Subtotal: $230.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $58.32 Total Charges*: $288.32 Thanks!

1) started bidding 3* Williamsburg (Historic/Busch Gardens) at $57 - REJECTED 2) started over, bidding 3* Williamsburg (Center-Outlets) for $65 - REJECTED 3) free re-bid 3* Williamsburg (added both zones: Historic/Busch Gardens + Center-Outlets) for $67 - ACCEPTED $67 + taxes $17 = $84 total. Going rate for this hotel $94 + taxes per Crowne Plaza's website, so saved about $27. I'm nervous based on tripadvisor reviews of this hotel, but at least it's a pretty good deal.