Using the PRICELINE links from BetterBidding.com, I put in a bid for a Friday night stay in downtown New Orleans. I was initially aiming at a 4* property in either the "Downtown New Orleans" or "French Quarter-Canal Street" areas, and started out bidding at $85. After a few rejections and subsequent luckless rebid attempts, I finally tacked on the "Convention Center and Warehouse-Arts District" (which I'd been avoiding simply out of lack of familiarity with the area) and another couple of dollars, and landed the New Orleans Downtown Marriott at the Convention Center.
This property is completely fine for my purposes (I'll be in town for a professional conference), the location looks pretty good, and it's a good deal cheaper than any rack rate I'd found for a 4* hotel on this Easter weekend--so, in short, I'm happy!
Using the Priceline links from BetterBidding, I attempted to book a very last minute hotel room in NYC for the evening of the 13th. I initially targeted a 4* (or higher) property in Soho/Tribeca, Chelsea, or Madison Square Garden areas, but after bidding up to $149 with no luck, I added in the Downtown/Financial District zone. Knowing that I had a pretty strong chance of getting a cheap room in this area of the city, which is pretty quiet on the weekends,I dropped my bid to $131 and immediately got the World Center Hotel.
This property was perfectly fine for my needs--the room was small but clean, and perks like complementary chilled bottled water stations and "self-serve" amenity closets on every floor were a nice touch.
Needed a hotel for one night at the Philadelphia airport. Using the HOTWIRE link from Better Bidding, I bid on a 3* property with the following amenity set:
Free Parking
Free Internet
Airport Shuttle
Smoke Free Rooms
Fitness Center
Pool(s)
Restaurant(s)
Business Center
Internet access
Accessible for the blind
Accessible path of travel
In-room accessibility
Accessible bathroom
Handicapped parking
Roll-in shower
Ended up with the Wyndham Garden Inn, which (though not the Aloft, which I was hoping for) is completely fine for my needs! Thanks, Better Bidding!
Since Jamaica is kind of an iffy country in terms of safety and security for particular types of travelers, I decided to play it safe and stick with a straightforward booking through the website of a hotel I knew would be suitable for my needs and the comfort of my travel companions. Nonetheless, I appreciate the assistance offered by this board!
The "still gathering reviews" suggests to me that it might be a newer(ish) hotel, but yes, the Couples resorts are definitely a possibility. Will update when I decide what to do--thanks for your input!
I'm looking at a property in Negril (Jamaica) for the dates 7/1-7/5; rate is $314/night. This is a 4.5* all-inclusive property with the following amenity set:
Free Breakfast
Free Internet
Resort
Beachfront hotel
Free food and drinks
Free premium drinks
A la carte dining
Free airport shuttle
Free water activities
Free entertainment
Free activities
Airport Shuttle
Fitness Center
Pool(s)
Restaurant(s)
Self service laundry
Internet access
Golf Nearby
Tennis Nearby
Spa Services
Accessible path of travel
Any ideas? I'm wondering (hopefully) if this might be the relatively new Azul Karisma resort but know there are likely other matches in this area...all educated guesses appreciated!
Used the Priceline link from the boards to start bidding on a room for a few nights I'll be in Chicago this April.
Based on previous wins for 4* properties in this area of the city, I began at $65, was rejected, added Skokie-Niles-Evanston (no 4*s in this area), rebid $66, added Hyde Park (no 4*), rebid $67, and finally added Franklin Park (no 4*) and bid $68. Bingo!
This looks like a decent deal for this boutique property (though honestly I'm most excited by the high-end L'Occitane toiletries and free wireless Internet!), and I'm looking forward to checking it out.
This was a PRICELINE EXPRESS Deal on PRICELINE. I needed a hotel in Dupont Circle for two nights in January and after doing some research on this board, I used the PRICELINE links to purchase a PRICELINE EXPRESS Deal for a property that I was fairly sure was either the Omni Shoreham or the Palomar (which I was hoping for). Lucky me--I got the Palomar! I feel that this is a good deal, given that last time I stayed there I'd bid $92 (and this time I used the HOLIDAY discount code for an additional 5% off the listed Express Deal price).
The amenities listed were: Outdoor pool, restaurant, fitness center, business center, pets allowed. The property was listed as a Guest Favorite with a score of 9.0/10.0.
Got a last-minute invitation for a job interview at an academic conference happening in D.C. this Friday! I used the PRICELINE link from this board to start my bidding in the Dupont Circle-Woodley Park area, which is where I need to be. I also knew I wanted to stay at the 4* level--gotta get a good night's rest before the big day!
I bid $86 for a 4* and was rejected (though I got an offer--"if you're willing to raise your bid by $16, you can submit it again." Um, if I was willing to raise my bid $16, I could save myself the stress of bidding and just go to HOTWIRE!).
I added the Cleveland Park area (only has 3* and below)and moved my bid to $88, then was rejected and added Capitol Hill South and another $4 to get to $92. Success! I'm so happy with this win, as I'm a Kimpton InTouch member and get all kinds of fun perks from that chain!
Using the PRICELINE link on this site, I bid $90 for a 4* property in the Dupont Circle section of the city. Got it on the first try! Pleased to have gotten this property as it's conveniently located for my purposes.
Looking for a one-night stay (2/16-2/17), I found on Hotwire a 5* property listed in the Center City West/University City area. I'm drawing a blank on what this property could be--last I knew, there were no 5* hotels in that city (and even the higher-end ones, like the Ritz-Carlton, the Four Seasons, and the Le Meridien all have restaurants, which this one doesn't).
Here are the amenities:
Indoor pool(s)
Accessible for the blind
Accessible for the deaf
Accessible path of travel
In-room accessibility
Wheelchair accessible
Accessible bathroom
Handicapped parking
Roll-in shower
Had to book two rooms for a last-minute trip to Philly. Only willing to stay in the Historic/Penn's Landing, Convention Center, or Rittenhouse areas, I began by bidding on 4* properties. When none of these bids were successful, I started a new Priceline session and began bidding on 3.5. Happy to have gotten this property for $65 as it's convenient for my needs and generally a really comfortable place to stay.
Using the PRICELINE link from BetterBidding, I placed a bid for a 4* hotel in the Empire State Building area, and got the Kitano on my first try for $109. I had previously attempted to find rooms around this area at this star level for a comparable price but with no success, but for the price I'll live with being in a different zone of the city!
I clicked the HOTWIRE link and am now replying to this thread...
I'm looking at a four-star hotel (not condo) listed in the Central South Beach area of Miami for three nights in January (1/18-21). The amenities listed are "near beach" and "restaurant," and that's it. Hotwire says it's "still gathering reviews" for the property. Any educated guesses as to what property this might be?
Using the PRICELINE link from the Better Bidding homepage, I started bidding for a 4* property in the downtown Philly area on a Saturday night when I knew the city would be busy because of several large events. When my initial $71 bid failed, I added a rebid zone with no 4*s and no 3.5*, in case I had to lower my expectations a little :) When a $75 bid failed for a 4*, I dropped to a 3.5* and lowered my bid to $63. It was accepted by the Marriott, where I've stayed many times before and have been perfectly satisfied.
Just adding to the chorus of happy Andaz guests--using the PRICELINE link from Better Bidding, I started with the price with which everyone else seems to have had success and, presto, got the hotel I had hoped for! With a rate this low, even the hefty valet fee doesn't bother me.
I should follow up on this long-ago post by noting that my stay here was great--I am a member of the Starwood rewards program which entitles you to a room upgrade, if it's available, and I ended up on a high floor with a nicely appointed room. The only downside was that the club lounge was closed on the weekends, so I didn't get to enjoy that, but for the price I was very happy! I'd highly recommend getting an SPG card to anyone who might end up at a Starwood property (which is pretty likely, using PL and HW)--even if some people refuse to honor it because the booking was made through a third-party agency, it's still possible that you'll end up with a nice receptionist who will.
After landing the gorgeous new Hilton Garden Inn Tribeca just a few minutes earlier, I tried to see if I could get a second room there for a friend. No luck--so I chose this 3* property with Fitness, Business, and High-Speed Internet in the Chelsea/MSG area. I ended up with the Holiday Inn--Manhattan 6th Avenue. Again, I don't recall seeing this property listed--all the 3* hotels in this area seem to have restaurants, which this one didn't--and again, I was excited to learn that this is a new (or at least newly-renovated) property which looks pretty darned nice for a Holiday Inn! Used the BB HOTWIRE link to make my purchase, too.
Using Better Bidding's HOTWIRE link to start my purchase, I found this 3* property listed with amenities Restaurant, Business, High Speed Internet Access. I hadn't seen this property listed as a potential 3*, but according to Hilton's website, that's because it's brand new. I'm pretty psyched to have gotten such a nice-looking property in a GREAT location!
Using the PRICELINE link on Better Bidding, I tried to get a 3.5* property for one night in July. I was hoping for the Marriott on Market Street, but ended up with the Sheraton which is on 17th and Race. The rules of this board prohibit "whining," so I'll simply say that I hope this property's improved since the last time I visited (and remind myself that the rate I'm paying should compensate for its shortcomings!).
Had a friend who wanted to join us in the city on the 12th, and I hoped I might be able to get the same hotel as I'd booked a few days ago. I gave it a try, using the links from Better Bidding, and ended up with another room at the Marriott for the same price--yay!
On a related note, Restaurant.com also has $25 gift certificates to both of the hotel's restaurants for 80% (making them cost $2), so now I'm set up for breakfast in the morning, too!
I'd been trying unsuccessfully for a while to get a room for this Saturday night in June, even bidding up to the $80 range for a 3*. Today I saw the post from Eyelanddoc who snagged the Marriott Downtown for the reasonable rate of $58 and I bid the same, hoping that the hotel would still have some availability through PRICELINE. Lo and behold, I got the Marriott, which I've stayed at countless times and am very happy with. Used the PRICELINE links from this site to place my bid.
4.5* New Orleans (Downtown - Superdome) Le Pavillon
in Hotwire Hotels - Louisiana
Posted
Using the Hotwire link from BetterBidding.com, I selected this 4.5* property in the "Downtown-Superdome" area of New Orleans for a rate of $101/night. I was pleased to find it was the Le Pavillion Hotel, and look forward to staying at this historic property (and enjoying its unique late-night tradition of offering peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches to its guests) when I head to New Orleans!
The amenities listed for this property include:
Free Internet
Smoke-free rooms
Fitness center
Pool(s)
Restaurant(s)
Business center
Internet access
Spa services
In-room accessibility
Accessible bathroom
Roll-in shower