emptynesters

Thanks Romelle! Good to know!

Tried again today. Jordaan - Canal Belt West - Ann Frank House - bid $78 - fail add Royal Palaca - Central Station - Dam Square - upped bid to $81 - fail add Canal Belt East - Plantage - bid $85 - fail. We'l try again another day.

Good point - thanks. The areas were, all selected on the one try,: Jordaan - Canal Belt West - Ann Frank House Royal Palaca - Central Station - Dam Square Canal Belt East - Plantage I'd like to keep a 4* at $80-85. Next time I'll try doing the areas adding one each time. Rusty at bidding. Regards, Emptynesters

There seems to be a paucity of information about AMS bids recently. I'll post my tries as I go along. This AM I tried, using the Priceline link (up, right, if you're looking for it) for a 4* in the 3 central areas for $78. Priceline's warning was $170. Likely will try again tomorrow a little higher. Regards, Emptynesters

Use the PRICELINE link. Bid ^69 for a 2.5 star, rejected with a 'you can bid again now if you bid $78', did so, got the room for tonight. Usurious taxes and fees added an additional $20.78. Still saved 21%. Amenities: Free Breakfast Pet Friendly Outdoor Pool Non-Smoking Gym Handicap Accessible Business Center

Adding the the usurious taxes and fees of $16.83, the total is $38.83. Tried $19 and $21 on other car levels (full, mid) prior to the win. HOTWIRE total on the same car would have been $45. Did use the PRICELINE link to get to Priceline for this one. PRICELINE was encouraging bids of about $5 higher for the re-bids on the cars for which I was rejected. Thanks to the BB staff and everyone who posts wins and rejects here - the intel helps us all. Regards, Mr. Emptynesters. (I formatted the post as the car rental area does not seem to have the 'post a win' button that the hotels do.)

Actual price after taxes et al came to $80 (resort fee!). Ended up Hotwiring after multiple Priceline attempts at $80 for the Museumquarter-Vondelpark. This one showed as freewifi and business center. 4.0 Tripadvisor and 95% Hotwire recommended.

The Emptynesters used the PRICELINE link but got wimpy and selected a PRICELINE EXPRESS deal for the Quartier Latin - we got deux rooms at the Hotel Cardinal (was hoping for Acte V) at an advertised rate of $82/night. Total cost, w/trip protection ($5/room/night) was $100 per night per room. Merci BetterBidding! Amenities were bed choice, free internet, and non-smoking. Ended up with petit dejeuner gratis too! Mrs. Emptynesters had a strong preference for the Latin Quarter and a hotel tout de suite (immediately)... Mr. Emptynesters would have been bidding on 4-stars around there, but why irritate the Mrs. when you don't have to.

Used the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links: Bids on 1/27 4* Latin $110 - rejected Add Opera East $115 – rejected Add St. Germain $118 – rejected Hotwire – Opera Quarter – 3* - $111 – bought - got the Hotel Acte V. Saved about $20/nite. We've done better, but Mrs. Emptynesters gets antsy if we don't have a room and she likes the Latin Quarter. When the Mrs. is happy, everyone is happy... Intel on Paris hotel prices is kind of sparse. Remember folks - post your wins and your rejected bids. Thanks. P.S. - There's not Latin Quarter option for Hotwire so I got as close as I could.

See prior win from today also. Went to Betterbidding again, used the PRICELINE link. Mr. Emptynesters bid $61 this time and a win. Still forks (restaurant) as amenity. They do have free wifi, but it's just OK, not blindingly fast. I do recommend the property. Heel groete!

Looked at Better Bidding, saw likely on NH AMS Centre near $60. Used the PRICELINE link, bid $58, rejected. Mrs. Emptynesters then used the PRICELINE link, logged in and bid $61 - win! Thanks Betterbidding. Amenity shown was forks (restaurant).

Checked Better Bidding, HOTWIRE, and PRICELINE EXPRESS Deals first. Used Express Deal for $62. Thanks Better Bidding.

Bid in AM for stay today. Checked Better Bidding, Hotwire, and Priceline Express Deals first. Initial bid for 2.5* was $42, Priceline came back with a 'one time only' bid $52 now and I took it. The $52 was the same price as the Express Deal and my suspicion is that it was the same hotel. Thanks Better Bidding.

A number of failed bids led Mrs. Emptynesters to a mild panic (London! Summer! No rooms!) so we went with the Express Deal. (Mr. Emptynesters would have kept bidding for a new more days!). I'll try to post the bidding history, but did fail in that area for a 4 star in the $65-72 range. Successful 'Express Deal' was made on Saturday, 4/27. We did use th ple link. Thanks everybody for posting wins and losses - good intel means good bidding.

Used the BetterBidding PRICELINE link. I may have had a failed bid the day before - I'll look at my log and try to update this later if I did. At any rate this is about 1/2 the advertised rate.

This is the best Mr. Emptnesters could do as Ms. Emptynesters was tired of waiting. I'll post the bid history laater, viel laater... Thanks to those who post the intel on bids and wins and the BBiding staff!

The bid hsitory - next will come the 4/14-4/17 saga.. (Used the PRICELINE link, above) The win is at the bottom, 3/30. Best rate on NH site was e367 w/tax, our net was $268, saving $202! Thanks BB! 3/28 Emptynesters Dad evening (open at 2300 next) AMS 4/12-17 - aiming for a 5* Canal for a bargain (or a 4* for a cheaper bargain). Tonight's bid history... AMS Canals – 5* Canal area - $91 – rejected Added Schipool - $95 – rejected Added North - $99 – rejected Added Museum - $109 – rejected Added East - $111 – rejected AMS Canals – 4* $75 - rejected Add east - $79 - rejected Add north – 81 - rejected Add museum (has 4*) - 81 – rejected 3/29 1530 – Emptynesters Mom 5* Central canal Dog, food, weight 8+ (symbols!) 91 Add Schipol Same 5* 99 Add north 105 Add east 111 Add rembrandtplein 116 3/30 – Emptynesters Dad – appx 0730 5* Canals – 101 dog food weight 8 Add schipool – 112 Add north – 125 Now 4* Canal – 91 Add East – 101 Add North – 115 – Got NH Amsterdam Centre

Thanks! My goal was a 5* in the Canal area for not more than $125, failing that a 4* for not more than $90. I did a check on the rack rates (NH downtown)and they were about 25% higher on the weekend so we're thinking of bidding on 4/12-13 and 4/14-17 separately, lower on the 14-17, potentially higher on the 12-13.

AMS 4/12-17 - aiming for a 5* Canal for a bargain (or a 4* for a cheaper bargain). Tonight's bid history... AMS Canals – 5* Canal area - $91 – rejected Added Schipool - $95 – rejected Added North - $99 – rejected Added Museum - $109 – rejected Added East - $111 – rejected AMS Canals – 4* $75 - rejected Add east - $79 - rejected Add north – 81 - rejected Add museum (has 4*) - 81 - rejected Advice welcome. Regards, Emptynesters

Bid tonight (using the PRICELINE link above) for the 4* at $83 and got the Movenpick 4/8-9. Good reviews lately on Tripdvisor - kind of a screwy location but affordable compared to the $199 rack rate. We tried $71 a couple of days ago. I'll be trying for some additional days the next week and will advise how we do. Regards, Emptynesters

Priceline - 3/24 - AMS City Center for 4/8-9. Tried $78 for a 5* (what the heck, why not - we've got runway), then after reject tried $71 for a 4*. Failed again. Will likely try tomorrow a little higher on the 4*. Also considering a 3* from Hotwire for $113 incl internet and breakfast.

Linked from Better Bidding, used PRICELINE EXPRESS Deals instead of bidding (that way I knew I was getting free parking and internet). There is still a $10 add on from the hotel, but PRICELINE did warn me about it prior to committing. Thanks Better Bidding!

$56 for a Courtyard by Marriott. Pricelined. Retail on the hotel site was well over $100. Thanks.

Bid $66 for 3.5* in San Diego Del Mar - rejected. Added Coastal, bid $65, got the Hyatt. Nice hotel, free parking. Thanks for the intel BetterBidding. Will you please make the Better Bidding PRICELINE link easier to find. I'm never sure which one is the right one. P.S. - The bid was that AM at about 10.

Tried $70 with friend, got rejected but PL offered to let us up bid to $92. Tried at $85 on 4* and got it right away. Rack rate $230.