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ZZyzx000

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Posts posted by ZZyzx000

  1. She is a bit Gestapo like over there but seems to be effecient IF you play exactly by her rules. I just had a post removed because I replied that I was refusing to research 3 different travel sites for the hotel rate of all the possible hotels for that date and place. Instead I stated the dates and the Zones and the star ratings and my high bids that were declined before I ran out or free bids.

    That was good information which gave a reader a place to start, where I had left off. and at the $40 and up range, I was above 35% of whatever the published rates would be.

    So she zapped the whole thread. Isn't it funny how she chastized you for cooperating with your girl friend's account? After all, the whole point of this board and TOBB is to hold as many winning cards as you can in the Priceline poker game. What about the free re-bid strategy? Surely Priceline doesn't advertise that as a way of beating their game?

    Maybe TOBB should delete all posts about free re-bidding?

  2. I bid $30 hoping to get the Courtyard and was counteroffered $38 by Priceline. I got the Wellesley and called immediately and asked for 2 beds. I was told it would be $10 more per day.

    Now it's not a good deal anymore. Last year I stayed at the Red Lion for $32 and it was fine. I did some more talking and was offered a free upgrade to a King size bed with a pullaway couch for no additional fees.

    So it should be ok. I've been getting a lot of Wellesely's lately. I prefer a standard room with 2 beds.

  3. Here's a good deal. Hotwire Savings club:

    http://www.hotwiresavingsclub.com/hsc/index.asp

    Once you join you have 30 days to cancel before they start charging you and your credit card.

    They have a bunch of discounts but the only one of interest to me is the resturant money.

    There are several chains including Outback (+ Carrabbas, Bonefish Grill, Flemings, Roys).

    You can buy upto $350 worth of gift certificates total and Hotwire will credit you back 20% or $70.

    They ship the certificates fast. Then you must wait for the credit to appear on your credit card statement. I thought this would take more than a month (thus they get to charge you $10 for the month in the savings club) but the rebate appeared in 2 weeks (it helps to have online Credit Card account so you can see it posted immediately).

    When the rebate is posted, call the savings club 800# and cancel your membership before the end of month one. Thus it cost nothing at all and you made $70. With Outback, they send you $25 certificates and at the resturants, they give you change in cash for any difference.

    There are also certificates for Darien (Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze) and Bennigans and maybe others by now. The $350 cap is for all resturants combined.

  4. I spent a lot of time trying to book a room last night for the week of August 28- Sept 5, 2004. The bottom line is you can't get a 1* for $50 anywhere. I tried all of Montery areas plus Salinas plus Watsonville and even Freedom.

    I also bid $60 for 2.5* in the same areas without success.

    I know the summer is their peak season, but after Labor Day I assumed prices would ease. I was wrong. Looking at Orbitz, etc, even the Dot-Head dives of Seaside are over $100. The Motel 6 in Marina is $55 and goes to $75 on the weekend!

    I do think I found the best deal: The Red Roof Inn in Watsonville is 28 miles from Monterey and was $45 and $54 on the weekend.

    Besides, It's close to Santa Cruz which is more interesting to me than Monterey. I used to live in Monterey and pretty as it is, it's a bit boring.

  5. I repeat one point: I don't use an agent to book a $169 a week dive. There are no savings to be had. Any discounter who promises big savings and then puts a Suburban Lodge on the platter is looking for trouble.

    edited by thereuare

  6. Another reason when requiring 2 beds to bid on 2.5* hotels and not 3*. The reason these hotels are so expensive in the 1st place is that they are used to gouging and nickel and diming the consumer. I prefer free local calls and dialup internet to $75 every time you pick up the phone and $10 a day internet and parking.

    In my case I called and was told I had 2 beds arranged. In the future I'll get the clerk's name and log the call in a record.

  7. I did try the double the difference guarantee but they weasled out by saying I booked for 6 nights instead of 7. Any fool knows they can check out when they want to after paying a weekly rate.

    So Hotwire was not opening their ears to my complaints. If they were I would have made this point: If a hotel is primarily an extended stay property, why not say so and quote a weekly rate? Answer: Because for $169 a week, there is not going to be any big discount nor any big commission for a 3rd party to make. Nobody is going to get a Suburban Lodge (who would want one anyways) for $100 for the week, so why does Hotwire even bother with them. All it does is tarnish their business. They lost me who stays 30 weeks per year in hotels.

    And I failed to mention that Last year I reserved a Suburban Lodge somewhere and called ahead to arrange a 2AM arrival with the front desk (security guard has the key). This done, when I arrived 1/2 asleep, the guard said the hotel was sold out and referred me to another place 20 miles away. This was a paid VISA reservation with their own reservation system. I contacted corporate management and wasn't even givven an apology.

    That aside, My ratings of a Suburban Lodge are accurate: 1/2 star. What others rate them is their opinion. But if you're comparing them to a LaQuinta or a Comfort Inn, they are not in the same league.

    And a bit like apples and oranges. Compared to Extended Stay, if Extended Stay is a 2 star (and that's being generous to them), then Suburban Lodge is a 1 star and Homestead Suites are a 2.5 star and Candlewood Suites are a 3 star.

  8. Here's one you want to avoid. An ancient hotel that's falling apart. $10 a day to park or use the meters on the street if you want to risk getting mugged. Certainly a nice car wouldn't last the night on the street. Bums and beggers on every street corner. Stay in South Beach and live a little. This place is a dump.

    Radisson Miami Hotel

    Miami Downtown

    1601 Biscayne Boulevard

    Miami, Florida 33132

    305-374-0000

  9. Why would they offer this room for 6 nights for $75 in the heart of their busy season? I don't know but it must have been a mistake. I called right after making the reservation and arrainged for 2 beds and ave them my roommates name.

    Weeks later when I arrived, the clerk said there was no way I was getting 2 beds for that price. I explained I had a roommate and that this was pre-arrainged. The manager was unsympathetic and offered to arrainge a refund from Priceline. She did this on the phone and then rented the room for $150 to the next bloke in line.

    Because of this and several $10 a day parking charges at 3 star hotels, I have quit bidding Priceline 3 stars. 2.5 stars do me fine as I'm happy with a Marriot Courtyard or a Wellsely.

    Doubletree Guest Suites Naples

    12200 Tamiami Trail

    Naples, Florida 34110

    239-593-8733

  10. A fine hotel in a nice setting. 2 room suite but only 1 bed. The couch pulls out if you can stand it.

    Free breakfast wasn't woth much: all carbs and the orange juice was horrible. The waffles stuck to the grill every day and they never got any non-stick spray.

    Full kitchen so make your own breakfast. A good deal.

    Wellesley Inn And Suites

    Austin North

    8221 North Ih35

    Austin, Texas 78753

  11. The place is ok but I travel with a roommate sometimes and require 2 beds. Previously I have called the Priceline hotels directly and arrainged this but here they demanded another $15 per night for 2 beds and even had a Priceline upgrade form preprinted at checkin. So it was $40 a night for 2 beds, not $25. The $25 is good for 2 people and 1 bed.

    Homestead Studio Suites Birmingham/Perimeter Park South

    12 Perimeter Park South

    Birmingham, Alabama 35243

    205-967-3800

  12. See my other post about the Surbaban Lodge I was assigned by Hotwire as a 2 star hotel . Lol. It was for 6 nights and they charged me $24 more than what the weekly rate was if you booked that place by yourself.

    I wanted a refund but after getting turned down several times I tried to get double the difference back ($48) and was turned down because my reservation was for 6 nights, not a week.

    I tried to argue that anybody who thought they were reserving an extended stay weekly (mostly) property whould simply take the cheaper weekly rate and check out early. In fact if you walked in the door, I'm quite sure the clerk would give you the weekly rate automatically for a 6 night stay.

    That's because they know we're not complete morons and would figure it out before checking out and cause a stinko.

    Which is of course what happened with me and Hotwire and I need someone to tell me if they are worth the agrevation. I hate the bait and switch they pulled on me. What's the solution? Never bid on a 2 star on Hotwire? What about 3 stars? Any turkey hotels in that category?

  13. I'm driving to Louisville in a couple weeks to stay a week at the Senior PGA Golf Championship. I figured I could stay in my van Sunday night after driving there and then get a room for 6 nights. I usually use Priceline and only used Hotwire once before. It seems Priceline has more hotels and better deals.

    So when I crapped out with Priceline I checked Hotwire and saw a 2 star offered for $32. I remembered that Hotwire ratings seemd to be more liberal than Priceline's so I clicked the 2 star icon and it said 'comparable to a LaQuinta or a Comfort Inn."

    Good enough, I bought the room for 6 nights for $219. Then came the bait and switch. I was assigned the SUBURBAN LODGE! These places are 1/2 star at best and have office hours more like banker's hours, once weekly maid service, and are TINY and full of construction men who all fire up their deisel puckup trucks at 5:30 AM.

    Not only that but you get the same room for 1 week for $169 plus tax on their web site, on their 800# or simply by walking in the door.

    I made all these arguements to Hotwire and asked many times for them to bump it upstairs where someone has the authority to issue me a refund. It took 2 daily emails and several phone calls plus a complaint to the BBB of San Francisco and the Federal Trade Commission and finally after 3 weeks someone promised me a refund. It was too much work and I still have a bitter taste in my mouth. Why couldn't they listen to an experienced traveller who was telling it like it is?

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