TF720

I don't think I've ever seen the Grand Hyatt below $105 so you have probably done the best possible. Either way, that's a wonderful price.

Years ago I would stay out in Maryland then take the train in. More often than not the hotels out there have free parking. The catch is there are other costs as you have to get fairly close to the station, pay for a taxi, or pay (much lower) parking at the station. And then it's difficult to run back to the hotel for a break in the day... I found that with the travel time, parking etc. it was worth it to pay for parking at the hotel in the city.

I hit this place on Priceline a few years back and it remains the single biggest disappointment I've ever had with Priceline. The place was disgusting and the service was not just indifferent, not just surly, the staff was outwardly HOSTILE toward customers. Once a beautiful art deco gem the hotel dodged the wrecking ball in the 1990's and barely hanging on. Only the lower floors are open, the higher floors are still abandoned (G-d knows what kind of animals are living up there,) and the facilities have only the most basic of infrastructure. They are in such dire financial straights they were cutting back on electricity and the hallways were dark and dangerous. The worst part is since it's known as a "low budget" hotel it attracts low budget and lower brow customers. You will unfortunately be sharing time under the same roof with some very skeevy and scary people. Since they undoubtably pay very low wages they can attract only the lowest quality staff. I saw one staff member in a near fistfight arguement with a customer. The hotel isn't in the worst of neighborhoods but it sure isn't in the best either... I thank the Lord I was in there for only one night and since then I avoid any bids whatsoever in that Priceline zone for fear of hitting this place again. Since you are in there for only a couple nights I actually recommend you take the loss and try again in MTE for the Grand Hyatt for $105 or so. The money you lose on this "win" will be worth it.

The good news is you will have breathtaking views of Tour Eiffel every time you come and go from your hotel. I once stayed at the Hilton next door and regardless of how many times you've seen it you can't help being awed. A word of caution: Transportation is not the best in that neighborhood. The Metro is a couple blocks away and even then it's on an oddball line and you'll need to transfer at Etoile. If you plan to take a taxi be prepared for a long wait if it's rush hour. Most people staying at those hotels are in town for business and I started getting nervous about my morning trip to the airport when I had to wait in the taxi line for nearly 30 minutes. The neighborhood is otherwise quiet and peaceful.

I hit this place on PRICELINE a couple years ago and paid far more because it was the holiday season. The hotel is ok; the room was a large studio with a full kitchen. The room was dated but clean and acceptable. As I recall there was a problem with the valet parking tab. The parking company is separate from the hotel. I paid the hotel and when the valet returned the car he insisted I pay again. I even had the hotel receipt and he wasn't impressed. It took some time to get someone from the hotel to straighten it out and since they already had the money they were in no big hurry to help and they were far from concerned. Thanks!

While the hotel is in a residential neighborhood I doubt you will find any street parking. If you find a spot that's not restricted in some way or time limited you will likely be doing a lot of walking. I've stayed here a few times and always paid the valet fee. You have less security worry also.

I've done a fair amount of priceline for Paris over the years and I've gotten some great deals. My general observation on your region question is that for all but one region (Opera Quarter East - Les Halles) you run the risk of being rather far from the city center. Paris has a great transportation system and most of the wins I've gotten further out from the center are still in neighborhoods with nice Parisian ambiance. Even with a great Metro though, you could spend a half hour or more traveling to the places you want to see. Here are some specifics of some of my experiences: - I hit a 3 star in the Montmartre region across from the Moulin Rouge. I can't even remember the hotel name and it's changed now anyway but it was ok as far as quality and price. The distance wasn't bad and there was a Metro nearby but the neighborhood was raucus and, er, not "family-oriented." I'm glad my companion had a sense of humor because there were several embarassing walks back to that hotel! - Another time I hit the Meridian Montparnasse in the St Germain - Latin Quarter - Montparnasse region and that was nice, still in the city and since it was next to Gare Montparnasse the Metro connections and lines were plentiful. - I hit the Hilton in the Eiffel Tower - Port de Versailles - Montparnasse region and while the quality was good it was in a rather sterile neighborhood. It was great to be next to Tour Eiffel but there were few cafes and shops nearby and the Metro line was not very direct so many connections were required to get places. - I've not hit it but I often see horror stories where people get the Pullman Paris Rive Gauche in this region. Nobody seems to like it because it is way, way out from the city center. - My best success and my advice is to bid only on the Opera Quarter East - Les Halles region. This is the only region that does not risk being far from the city center and many of the famous sites are walkable. If your destination is not walkable then there are plenty of convenient transportation options. Bottom line: I try to bid only in OQE - Les Halles these days . In most cases everything I like is walkable from there and the ambiance, tourist spots and dining options are exceptional.

I've been at this hotel a couple times and it's nice. You are about four blocks from Dupont Circle and maybe 10 from Georgetown. Depending on what you are looking for, this is a good area. I enjoy the reataurants around the corner on 19th St and the relatively quieter and older neighborhoods on the side streets.

My experience in Asia is the hotels are consistently 1-2 star levels lower than the US. In fact, I also hit the Amari Watergate back in January 2009 for $61 but I was bidding for a 4-Star. Like the person below I wasn't expecting this hotel. It was acceptable though, but maybe a 3.5 or 4-Star. Stay away from the breakfast buffet - it turned out to be about $50 for two! Holy crap! Overall, Priceline just doesn't work in the places I've visited in Asia: Bangkok, Phuket and Shanghai - the prices were not much less than what you can get on-line, as others have mentioned here.

They indeed have plenty of free parking and a 10 minute shuttle ride to and from the airport. I've stayed there a couple times and they not only don't quibble about the parking they are very accomodating. They even brought the shuttle over to the airport just for me at 2 AM one lonely night when it was about 10 below. The airport terminal has one of those banks of courtesy phones with direct lines to area hotels - you can call the Doubletree directly when you return. Be sure to tip the shuttle driver - he saved you a ton of parking fees.

Bid date 1/19/09. 5* $61 - Riverside-Silom, no joy. Added Siam Square, $61. hit Amari Watergate. Reviews seem good but I'm a bit disappointed: - This one of those cases where the hotel didn't, and still doesn't, show on the Priceline 'full price' listing. - It's not at all near the Sky Train. - The price is only a bit less than the rates shown on other sites such as Hotels.com ($75.) It should be ok but I probably spent too much. My normal Priceline strategy is to look at the 'full price' rates and start bidding at about 40% of the lowest. There were two 5* for about $150 (Westin and Marriott.) I also consider history on boards such as this but for Bangkok there isn't much out there. In the future I may adjust my strategy to consider other quotes, such as Hotels.com and work off 40% of those. Bottom line: I probably still got a good deal but probably could have done better.

You have the correct hotel. There is another Hilton at Times Square. It seems odd there are only two reviews on Trip Advisor but hotels often make changes to their names and that throws off Trip Advisor's database. I've stayed at the one on 6th Ave (Ave of the Americas) and it a good hotel. You also got a pretty good rate. It's in a nice location and the service and amenities are 4-star levels. I asked for and received a room upgrade a couple years ago so it's worth asking. Enjoy.

Hi: No, they didn't whack me with any extra fees. In fact, I even got bonus hotel points for whatever program they are in (Starwood?) They had a cute gimmick at check-in where you roll a couple dice and they credit your account with points varying on the dice roll. I recommend you sign up for their points program and give it a try. I always try this on my Priceline wins and most hotels don't give you any points but a couple will.

Yes, you probably could have gotten a theme hotel for the same or less but you still did very well with the Westin. I stayed there a couple years ago and was happy with it. They did try to put me in a crappy room in the basement but after insisting on a better room I got a great one with a wonderful view. That was the only complaint and they made it right. The hotel is only a block off the strip and that is a much shorter walk than between many of the strip casinos you will walk between. The Westin's quality level, rooms, service, etc. were good and I was pleased with my stay. You got a good deal and you should have a great time in Vegas!

Forgive me if there is a discussion somewhere else here but I wanted to ask about changes to Priceline's Name Your Own Price option for airfare. It seems they have always made it difficult to bid on airfare but now it seems all but impossible. In the recent past, after making a bid they would direct you to a page where you can rebid after making changes on aircraft type (jet vs. non jet), number of connections, etc. Now they take you to the outright purchase page and I can't seem to find a page to make the alterations and rebid. I can obviously go back to the beginning and start over but the snag is there doesn't seem to be a page where one can select the jet/non jet thing or the number of connections. The flight I am considering at the moment will never have less than two connections and it would be rare to have a jet option from the smaller airport I am flying from. The default bid option in Priceline is jet aircraft and maximum of one connection so my bid is 100% guaranteed to fail. Perhaps the moderator can direct me to a discussion of Priceline's new airfare procedures or offer some insight. Thanks.

The Best Western is STILL a dump and they treat you poorly. That being said you can in fact park there and walk to the terminal. A friend and I stayed there once and they charged us over $80 for the extra car - more than the room cost. I have two times hit the Doubletree 3* which is about a 10 minute ride from the airport. I see it is now a 2.5* but it is 10 times better than the Best Western. For about the same price (I think I hit in the $60 range) you get a much better hotel, way better treatment and you can stay in their lot without quibbling. They have a free shuttle service to and from the airport and are very responsive. My advice is to try for the 2.5 and 3 in the East Syracuse zone and chances are you will get a free shuttle to the airport. Avoid the Best Western at all cost.

The neighborhood is great - I've stayed at this hotel twice, when it was the Wyndham. Much of the area is other hotels and residential and it is tree-lined, unlike downtown where the JW is. In August downtown will be like a frying pan with all the concrete and asphalt. Just around the corner on 19th and M are many restaurants such as Smith & Wollensky and Famous Luigi's. Georgetown is a bit of a hike, maybe 20 blocks, and will be tough in August.... A 5-10 minute walk up New Hampshire gets you to Dupont Circle where there are more restaurants, pubs, and the DC Metro. The hotel is actually a converted hospital! You wouldn't know it though except for the huge elevators.... go figure... It's a very good hotel and you will enjoy it. I agree you will definatey want a pool but few hotels in DC have one. The best is the Omni Shoreham. You got this place for an incredible price and I would be very pleased if I got it.