dreinke

So I'm an idiot. I had checked the board here before, and somehow had it in my mind that the Downtown South Bend Marriott was a 2.5*. So I just opened up betterbidding.com and clicked through to PRICELINE. I put in my bid for a 2.5* for $40. Winner first bid $40 for the Courtyard by Marriott over in Mishawaka. Normally I would be stoked to get a Courtyard for $40 BUT..... the wedding reception I'm going to is in the Downtown Marriott so I was really trying to get that. So I come back to the board and guess what? I'm an idiot, it's a 3*. :) ALWAYS CHECK THE BOARD BEFORE BIDDING!

Our manager booked at the wrong airport. So we need a room last minute. Saw a couple of 3* wins in the $45 range, so started there. Lost Added 2.5* at $50. Lost. Added 2* at $55. Win. Midway is much tougher to get the super steals versus O'hare. Still, the Best rate I can find on the Marriott site is $109 (without taxes/fees). So that's 50% off of their best rate.

Yea, I had a brain-fart when I initially posted that thinking I had gotten the Marriott that is attached. It is very close though; sorry for any confusion.

I have a couple of associates who needed a room for tonight, as the rest of the people don't get in until tomorrow (then on to Champaign, IL). I saw a couple of bids for this hotel at $39; as opposed to risking not getting a win to save a couple of bucks I just went with the $39 bid. First Bid Winner!

After going all the way up to $95 on PL for New Years Eve, I bit the bullet and just crashed on a friend's couch. I got rejected up to $65 for 4* in River North and Grant Park. I saw this and couldn't pass it up. The rooms are fantastic and newly renovated (at least mine was). Flat screens in every room, and mini fridges (wet bars, but without sensors in case you need the space). One of the most comfortable beds that I've slept in ever. A stone throw away from Water Tower Place, and an easy walk to the Red Line. It was listed with a Fitness Center, Restaurant, Business Center and High Speed internet.

Lincoln Park (right down from Wrigley) can be really tough for hotels no matter how you pay for it. I would highly recommend bidding on Priceline in the River North area. Most of the hotels are within walking distance of the desirable Rush & Division Dining & Nightlife area. Most of them are also within walking distance to the Red Line which will drop you off right at Wrigley (as if you didn't know). I just got back from staying at the 4* Millenium Knickerbocker hotel right off Michigan on the North End of the Mag Mile. I got it for $69 on Hotwire after a few unsuccessful bids on PL. It was a great hotel and stay. My buddy got the Hyatt Regency for $61 for the same dates, but that is in the Grant Park zone and you could end up with a place much further south than you most likely want. Regardless with as much time as you have to plan, you should get a good rate. I would double check McCormick place to see what else is going on that weekend. ***The only word of caution. I have used Priceline many times to meet up with buddys all over; THERE IS NO GUARANTEE of getting a room with 2 Beds. So if you guys are cool with getting a King Room, which is more likely that not; then no biggie. If so, I would really check to see what's going on that weekend and even call some of the hotels to see how booked they are. Good Luck! Go Cubbies!

Even though this is a newly renovated hotel, I'm not sure I'm liking Priceline bumping Courtyards up to a 3*. I actually bid for a 2.5*, so I'm not complaining! I bid $40 yesterday and lost. $46 today for Central only 2.5*, won first bid. They bumped it up to a 3* (not sure there are any 2.5* in the Central area). This works out perfectly as we'll be having a conference right across the street on campus. I was worried we may actually get the Full Service Marriott Downtown which is a short drive away. So in the future if you're doing anything on-campus at SC, this is the way to go as you can walk to your destination and not have to worry about parking.

Two of our partners got delayed flying out on Friday. I checked the weather and figured their flight would get cancelled. ALL flights got cancelled and many were unable to secure lodging by the time their flight got officially cancelled until the next day. Luckily we booked on Priceline earlier figuring worst case we eat the money, but they did get cancelled and had a room for the night. Saw some recent winning bids for $50 at a 3* in this zone. $50 first bid winner. Hotel worked out great, but the shuttle was shut down due to weather and there were no taxis running at all. Luckily, they figured out an alternative (I'll leave this part out) but be aware of that in the future for this type of situation.

One of my Co-Workers decided to do the same thing. So we were able to put in another bid and got the same deal on another room 2 days later. $65 Hilton Airport Why anyone would ever pay full rate for a hotel room is beyond me?

Couldn't get a win for a 4* or 3.5* after trying for 3 days, even all the way up to $125. Dropped down to 3* and won on the first bid. Now I'm always a little cautious when you get a hotel that's not a national brand name. So I was like "oh great". I checked out the website and was pleasantly surprised. This hotel is much nicer than most 3*'s that I've seen/been to. It is very modern and sleek; HUGE rooms. Very close to Music row, and the Vandy Bar scene. Do note that it is a well known Gay friendly hotel for those that might be concerned with that (didn't bother me a bit).

Saw another win for close dates at this rate and gave it a whirl. Tried 2 days ago and did not win at $70, but got 3 rooms on the first bid today. This is a great hotel in a great part of Boston.

I have to apologize for not posting each win. We recently acquired a company in Boston and have made 5-6 last minute trips in which we've used Priceline. I do not remember the exact dates, and don't have the e-mail confirmations anymore. However, we have had 4 wins at $70 or under in Cambridge; 1 was for $60. We've gotten the following hotels. All of which we're great. Marriott Doubletree Hyatt

Needed a hotel because we're going to the Sixers game at night then flying out early the next morning. So it made more sense to stay than to drive down and back twice. Bid $70 on a 4* first, then added 3.5* for $65 and won. ( I saw a 3* in the area on HOTWIRE for $59, so I had that as a backup plan) Got the Hilton at the airport which couldn't be any better! Now all I have to do is wakeup and walk over to the terminal. SWEET! thanks better bidding.

Gosh do I love PRICELINE! I actually spoke with the Sales Manager of this hotel, as we booked a block of rooms through her, and are renting Meeting space as well. This is the only 3* hotel I saw getting a winning bid in the area, so I figured we had a good chance of getting it. I was rejected at $85 for 6/3/08-6/4/08, so we really wanted to take a shot at getting the Hotel Deca since we couldn't stay downtown for the next 2 nights. 3* University Area- First Bid $101- win. The sales manager I spoke with promised me that the lowest rate she could offer is $139/night, after me verbally knocking her down from $179 for tonight and $219 on Thursday. I guess I'm no match for PRICELINE and the collective power of betterbidding.com! Don't forget to use the links up top to book your rooms.

Below are all of the features that I found posted for this hotel. Colonnade - Inverness Hotel This Hotel features the following amenities: Laundry Facilities <amenity names only please... not descriptions> Please note that Hotwire cannot guarantee the level of services offered at a property and/or if services are operational at the time of visit. Services may be closed due to seasonality reasons and/or may

Saw the La Quinta on Hotwire 2 years ago for $43. There was a 2* on Ho.twire for $49 today, which I'm guessing was it. I read other reviews, and wasn't sure whether PRICELINE had it as a 2* or 2.5*. It's a 2*. Bid $45 for 2.5* in Tuscaloosa. Rejected Added 2* for $46, Won. Their best available rate online for tonight was $70. As always I used the PRICELINE Link from this page to save even more money.

This hotel was booked through Howtire using the link at the top of the page.

The guest who stayed here was very displeased with the accomodations. The hotel has seen better days apparently. It is an extended stay so there was a kitchenette, but for a one night stay not really necessary. There was no trash can in the room and no Soap at all. No soap? Try to avoid this one if it's possible.

Bid $50 in Auburn for a 2* and was rejected. Couldn't risk not getting a room, so went up to $65 and won. The guest who stayed said the room was adequate. Had a Free Breakfast. No Gym and no elevators, so if you have difficulty getting your bag up and down stairs, be aware. Anything acceptable in this part of the country is hard to find.

Was really trying to get the Hotel Deca in University area. Started at $70 for 3* in University area. Re-bid $81 for 3*, added downtown. Won Also, tryed another bid for $85 - 3* for 6/4/08-6/5/08 in the University Area and was rejected.

I've read a couple of posts on PRICELINE with people stating wins in the $40's for a 2.5* in Inverness area. Opened with $45, 2.5 Added Airport, $49 Added Pelham, $53 Added Zone 3, $55 Added zone 6 (forget what it's called), $59. All rejected, so I had to jump over to HOTWIRE. Saw a 2.5* for $53. Tried booking it 3 times, and it kept saying this was no longer available. Got really annoyed and just booked the 2* for $42. Homestead Birmingham - Perimeter Park South.

After 2 days of unsuccessful bids on PRICELINE I had to bite the bullet and jump over to HOTWIRE. Even though it appears a little dated, it looks nicer than some of the dumps that are in Carbondale.

My sales rep said the Fairfield was pretty nice and in good condition (saying alot in this part of IL). However the Internet wasn't working and the Staff was unable to rectify the situation. If you just need a clean bed/place to stay this should work fine, but if you have work that needs to be done via Internet you may want to check another option.

Needed a room for Carbondale, Il (Southern Illinois University). They only have 1 star rooms available on PRICELINE for Carbondale. Bid $30 and was rejected. Did a new search for Marion, IL (roughly 20 mins away), bid $50 for a 2* and won. Tried extending it one more night after checking the hotel's website, but was Denied. Will Have to figure it out tom.

We needed to book some rooms for a conference we are hosting at USC. The Marriott is essentially the nicest hotel in Downtown Columbia. Thanks to Everyone who had posted here as it helped me determine my bidding. We could not risk not getting a Downtown location, so we had to make a safe bet. Bid $60 for a 3* Downtown. Won first bid for 9 rooms. Prob overpaid, but got exactly what we were looking for.