Neelee

Just checked Summerlin again direct via Priceline.com - 3* is the higest start rating As for EasyClickTravel.com - I don't know what to say about that. Sure enough, I just checked before creating this reply and there is availability. Average per night says: Check In: 10/18/2007 Check Out: 10/21/2007 Avg per night: $140.16 Rooms cost: $378.82 Taxes/Fees: $41.66 Total: $420.48 Still more than I care to pay for storing my bags and sleeping. OK, yes, I'm a major cheap-o.

I haven't had much luck with Priceline lately (San Diego), but willing to give it a try for Vegas after researching other travel sites. Class reunion is at the Main Street Hotel which is all booked up (coordinator forgot to reserve a bank of rooms :) ). From Google map, the Plaza & Golden Nugget seem to be the closest. Just booked my air last night so now needing a hotel. This is what I've found so far (Th, Fri, Sat) EasyClickTravel - no rooms available LastMinuteTravel - $87, $146, $146 Travel Worm - $89, $149, $149 Golden Nugget - $89, then says $129 avg per night (Fri & Sat probably $149) Travelaxe (Lodging.com) - $120, $120, $120 I guess I should book one of the above as a backup strategy. We won't have a car. Its been about 20 years since I've been to Vegas. I'd like to catch the Love show and maybe one or two others before/after the reunion festivities. From reading previous posts for around this date the winning bids ranged from $50 to $75. I'm willing to go as high as $75. I just checked Priceline's star ratings - Fremont Street Vicinity is 4*. So it looks like my free rebid zones are: LAS Airport 3* Nellis 2.5* Summerlain 3* I was thinking of starting off at $50, then upping $5 with each rebid. Or is there a better way? Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

Hi Thereuare, Just a quick update to let you know that I've used your strategy three times (including tonight) via SavingsBarn, all rejected. I'll keep trying. :)

Good evening, Thereuare - I tried the advice you provided on 3/27 to the tee - ALL rejected. Bummer! :) But I'm not giving up. I'll keep trying with you exact strategy and amounts you advised. I will also book a room close to T&C "just in case". Thank you for your assistance. I'll let you know the outcome.

Its been a while since I've been here and on Priceline. Seems PL has added several new zones. I'm making my annual trek to San Diego again, namely Mission Valley Area, more precisely Hotel Circle. The place the venue is held in is Town & Country Resort (500 Hotel Circle North). Attendees room rate is $139/nite, up $20 from last year and $20 less than hotel web site. On another bidding help site I saw that people had won for this location last year - so it must be new to PL. Winning bids ranged from $57 (May 2006) to $100 (August 2006). I'm loyal to this site because people are much friendlier and helpful. Anyway, with six (6) free re-bid zone, I'm a little dazed over how to proceed. :) Here are my options: Mission Valley 3* Six zones with no more than 2.5* Maximum bid $90 In the past, I've been advised to bid Mission, then add zone 1, if rejected, close browser. Then use Mission plus zone 2. Now with so many free rebid zones, I think I added up over 15 possibilities - perhaps seasoned PL folks can come up with more. But what is the best and most effective way to increase my chances without spending hours typing and rebidding? What's the best price to start with? Do you think my maximum is too low? Any advice would be helpful and very much appreciated.

Taking my chances on a last minute getaway from the heat wave we're having here in Oregon. Highest ratings: Eugene 3* (preferred) Springfield 2.5* (free rebid zone) Bidding action: 3* Eugene @ $41 >>> rejected 2.5* Springfield @ $50 >>> rejected 2* $52 >>> offered to pick a hotel of their choice. The choices they offered were not great deals compared to taking my chances with discount booklets found in the I-5 corridor rest stops, such as Room Savers (roomsavers.com). The most I wanted to spend was $50 but if I won with the additional $2 bucks, it wouldn't hurt the pocketbook that much. According to Travelaxe, 2* and 3* start at $80 and up. Individual websites such as Best Value Inn - Eugene best rate was $80, listed as a 3* with Travelaxe. Roomsavers.com offers a walk-in coupon rate of $37.99 (1 bed) I suspect the summer travel traffic as well as the weekend has jacked the prices up. Oh well... :)

Hotel website minimum is $86 According to Tripadvisor, both Expedia and Hotels.com wanted $98. Orbitz said no rooms available. Previous failed max bids for same time frame: $35, $39, $41 Finally tonight, first offer accepted: Clarion Hotel And Conference Center 2-star Yakima 1507 North First Street Yakima, Washington 98901 Check-In Date: Thursday, July 6, 2006 Check-Out Date: Friday, July 7, 2006 Your Offer Price: $45.00 Extend Your Stay Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $45.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $12.94 Total Charges: $57.94

Odd! I won my bid but in Anaheim! Strategy: Buena Park 3* (where I want to be) @ 35 >>> Rejected Added Zone 1 (Anaheim Hills 2.5*) @ 37 >>> Rejected Added Zone 2 (Laguna Hills 2.5*) @ 41 >>> Rejected Added Zone 3 (Seal Beach 2.5*) @ 45 >>> WON but the hotel I won is Doubletree Hotel Anaheim/Orange County I wrote to P/L Customer Service to inquire why. From what I can tell, Buena Park and the Doubletree Hotel Anaheim/Orange County is only 10 minutes apart. So really, not enough to squabble about. However, we wanted to be some place different since we already won the bid for Doubletree Hotel Anaheim/Orange County for the tail end of our 8 day trip (8/12 to 8 /16).

Here are the combinations I tried tonight (via Savings Barn) , ALL rejected Mission @ $57 add Sorrento @ 61 add N. County @ 65 add E. County @ 67 CLOSED browser Mission + National City @ 69 add Miramar @ 71 add E. County @ 75 CLOSED browser Misison + San Ysidro/Mex. Border @ 69 add E. County @ 72 add Nat'l City @ 75 All rejected. I might start taking this personally! :)

Additional strategy needed. P/L added more zones to this area making my head spin the the possibilities. :) I am trying to get Mission Valley area (3*) because of the event we are attending during this time at Town & Country on Hotel Circle. Tonight, before bidding, I noticed P/L added two more zones or changed zones which now gives me 5 free rebid areas compared to the original 3. Mission Valley 3* >>>> This is where I want to be East County 2* Miramar 2* National City 2* North County 2* San Ysidro/Mexican Border 2* Sorrento Mesa 2.5* I can probably play a bunch of combinations but I'm not experienced enough to deal with so many options. Does any one have any advice? Max is $75/night for 4 rooms Thank you in advance!

In February 2006, when I started bidding for Mission Valley area, there were only 12 zones. Last week or so I noticed that PL added another 2.5* zone. TONIGHT, as I was preparing to rebid after my 72 hours, I noticed that Carlsbad is gone! That was one of my free rebid zones. There are now a total of 14 areas to bid on. As the FAQ for this site warns, always check the zones and star levels before bidding. Instead of the original 2 free rebid zones I had back in Feb. 2006, I now have two additional ones to play with Happy bidding everyone!

Thanks, Thereuare! Tried your suggestions tonight to no avail. I'll try again in 72 hours using different version of the adding of zones similar to what you suggested for Mission Valley.

This is the first leg of our trip before we head to San Diego (which I am still diligently trying to bid on!). I would like to stay in the Buena Park area because it is at the half-way point between Universal City and Santa Ana. We will be visiting family in Santa Ana for part of the trip. I just checked my options on Priceline considering the star levels appear to have changed since Summer 2005. Buena Park is 3* Free re-bid zones as I see it (tonight) are: Anaheim Hills 2.5* Laguna Hills 2.5* Seal Beach 2.5* For the last leg of our trip, returning to Anaheim (8/12 to 8/16) I got the Doubletree 3* in Anaheim for $47/nite. Looks like the prices for Anaheim are much lower than San Diego. Anyway, does anyone have any suggestions on how to work this deal? Max price $50 From Travelaxe, I see that 3* like Knotts Berry Farm is $99/nite; Holiday Inn Buena Park $109, Embassy Suites $140 Thank you all!

Your advise is well taken and very appreciated. Even though the dates are far off, I'm anal enough to want to have it planned ahead. I already won a bid for the car and Anaheim stay for the same time frame, via PriceLine. My frustration lies in the fact that PL won't give "it" to me now, like they did with the car and Disneyland. I bid and won those last month - for August! Anyway, I have been thinking about what you wrote, and you're right. Why be greedy with my $10 bucks? I know the Doubletree charges at least $10/day for parking. Then we have to haul our butts over to T&C for all day parking. So now we're up to $20 day. STILL, much less than the group rate of $135 plus $10 parking at T&C. So I'm looking at spending $100 day for a two day stay in Mission Valley. Hmmm.... $200 vs $300 ($135/day room + $10/day parking) ??? Like you said the average price in this area and time frame are upwards of $150 for a 3*. Even Travelodge, within walking distance of the T&C, is asking $130/night! And I know from experience that place is a dive and noisey (its right under the freeway). So after my 72 hours are up, I will up my bid to max $75. Thank you for your insight and advise. That was the slap of reality that I needed to motivate me. I'll keep the board posted of my on-going saga. Hopefully, my next post is a win!

Rejected again! I'm starting to make this a personal mission. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Ok. I checked again tonight and Carlsbad was still 2.5* Unfortunately everything I tried was rejected. It could be it's too early or I'm doing it wrong. I feel its too early. Here's what I did tonight - all rejected Zone A - Carlsbad 2.5* Zone B - Miramar 2* Zone C - Mission Valley 3* (this is my area) Zone D - Sorrento/Mesa 2.5* Selected 3* because I want Hotel Circle area Bid #1 Zone C @ $57 > Rejected Added Zone B > Rejected Closed browser, start again Bid #2 Zone C & Zone D @ $63 > Rejected Added Zone B > Rejected Closed browser, start again Bid #3 Zone A and Zone C @ $57 > Rejected Added Zone B @ $62 > Rejected Added Zone D @ $65 > Rejected I probably have another combination in there somewhere, but its late, and I need to get to bed. I'm open for suggestions. Thank you everyone!

Interesting. Looks like Priceline changed the star level for Carlsbad from 3* to 2.5*. I wrote down the star levels when I started this quest back in February and have been checking and bidding every 72 hours since. Would it be wise for me to add this as a free re-bid zone now? Thanks for any advise.

Just a note to let everyone know that I have been bidding every 72 hours since my last post without any success. Yes, I am using the bidding strategy posted by Thereuare and I'm not going to give up. In the meantime, I advised my travel party ( I need 4 rooms) to reserve their rooms at the Town & Country Resort in Mission Valley, where the tournament is, "just in case". The least amount we will pay is $109 per room. Still alot by my standards, having been spoiled by previous wins via Priceline. I'm hoping for a win soon!

bbbb - thank you for your advice. Do you suggest I keep trying every 72 hours or wait a month or so and try again? I understand I have a few months, however considering its summertime and a popular time to visit SAN, I'm leary about waiting until the last minute. With that being said, I have read a few posts whose bids were successful just a week or two before their planned visit. I do plan to find somewhere close to the Town and Country Resort on Hotel Circle where the event will be held - just as a backup. The event coordinators tell me the best price they have for our group at the T&C is $109. That's a lot to pay considering I'll only have enough time to sleep in the room (maybe) Thank you for your assistance.

:) Just now tried the above...all rejected Phooey! Also had that same "glitch" where my 4 rooms changed to 1 room after the first rebid. Ended up starting all over again after hitting the [bACK] and [REFRESH] keys didn't work. I checked Travelaxe. Seems most rooms in that area are upwards of $125 for 3*. I'll try to find a backup hotel just in case. Now the 72 hour wait and try again. I'm open to other suggestions. Thank you again!

Thereuare - do you have any other suggestions for bidding this area? Thank you!

sfoster93 - If I had seen your post earlier, I would have bid the same - I got the same hotel for $58. Just out of curiosity, what are your travel dates?

I think I did OK on this bid. I read most of the posts including those from 2005 for around the same dates. Seems like $47 is the magic number. I was hoping for one of the Disney resorts, but this will do. Only 5 minutes from the park with a free shuttle. I needed 4 rooms for this trip (still working on San Diego) Needed Disneyland area and 3* or better. Unfortunately, Disneyland now only has 3* Hotel Name: Doubletree Hotel Anaheim/Orange County 100 The City Drive Orange, California 92868 Your Offer Price: $47.00 Number of Rooms: 4 Number of Nights: 4 Subtotal: $752.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $103.00 Total Charges: $855.00 There's also a $8 parking fee. Doubletree website lowest Internet price was $109 Other sites between $89 and $165 Strategy: Free rebids: Anaheim Hills (2.5*), Laguna Hills (2.5) & Seal Beach (2.5*) Started with Disneyland (3*) at $38 - rejected Added free rebid Laguna Hills at $43 - rejected Added free rebid Anaheim Hills at $45 - rejected Added free rebid Seal Beach at $47 - ACCEPTED Also wanted to mention an oddity. I started with 4 rooms. However, after I added Laguna Hills the confirmation page came back with only 1 room with my name. I had to hit [back] icon a couple of times for it to "refresh". This happened the other night as well when I bit on San Diego. Thankfully, now I'm taking the time to thoroughly read the confirmation page. From the sound of the reviews on Trip Advisor and this site, the Doubletree Hotel Anaheim/Orange is a great place to stay with things to do nearby as well.

:) Bummer, I bid exactly as you suggested, but both times they were rejected. Used the link from Savingsbarn.com Mission Valley 3* - $43 Added Zone 1 (Miramar 2*) - upped to $45 rejected Closed my browser session (cleared cookies, history and temp files) Opened Savingsbarn.com Started with Mission Valley and Zone 2 (Sorrento/Mesa 2.5*) at $50 rejected Added Zone 1 (Miramar 2*) at $55 rejected Also experienced an oddity on the rebids which caused me to hit the [back] button (on the browser) several times. After I entered my rebid info, the confirmation page only showed 1 room under my name instead of the original 4 rooms and names I started out with. Before starting my rebid, I needed to make sure I was bidding for 4 rooms/names. The P/L number remained the same. So, looks like Tuesday is my next opportunity to bid. In the meantime, I'll try my Wenatchee and Disneyland bids. Thank you, Thereuare, for all your help and suggestions!!

This was a weird win :) I used the link from Savingbarn to Priceline. Needed Wenatchee for 3/17 to 3/18 Wenatchee has up to 3* Yakima (Free re-bid) up to 2* Max I was willing to pay was $55 because I knew I could get a 2.5* with Roomsavers.com or some other coupon. I was not flexible on the dates Started my bid at $45 for Wenatchee 3* - rejected Upped the bid to $47 - rejected Added free rebid - rejected Closed my browser (Firefox) to try again for a friend. I accidentally opened IE6. Started the bid again for Wenatchee 3* at $45 Accepted on the first try!!! Wierd!! Your Offer Price: $45.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $45.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $12.94 Total Charges: $57.94 ---------- Price check - the following sites lowest price was $89 plus tax and listed Red Lion as 3* RedLion.com Hotels.com Orbitz.com Expedia.com Travelnow.com Priceline.com