awebber

I'm sorry, I don't know how I missed that! It was Aug 9/10 (same-day booking). It was particularly good for a hotel that was sold out. :) The confirmation also offered additional nights at same rate. BTW, I don't know when they booked but the same friends had the same hotel for $65+fees for the night before (and it offered more nights at _that_ rate too!, bu tthey didn't think they were staying). I don't have enough info to make a formal post on that one though if I can get their confirmation email I'll post it. =aw

Rejected at $90, added a zone and got it for $100 + $18.82 in fees. When I was doing the research on regular rates, Expedia first said "3 night minimum" and when I changed to 3 nights it said sold out. A call to the hotel directly said they're sold out tonight. Yet there it is on Priceline! Forgot to use your PRICELINE link, sorry. =aw

Requested elsewhere, the confirmation email is timestamped [December-17-08, 4:09:53 PM] =aw

Sorry, I thought I added that during the editable period:

BTW my advice to the OP is that if it's $77 on HW, you could start at $50 or $55 on PL and work up. I think my best ratio was $50 on PL when $66 on HW. There doesn't appear to be another 4* in the PL zone and one time we got this property on PL when bidding for 3.5* (to show our disdain for their no-longer-smoke-free pool area). Of course use this site's PRICELINE or HOTWIRE link either way. =aw

Renaissance for sure, I just added it to the FL list (sorry I didn't search earlier). Amenities: Smoke Free Rooms, Fitness Center, Pool(s), Restaurant(s), Business Center, High-speed Internet Access Ironically we only used the HW pricing one time (Priceline had run us up to $63 and Hotwire was $66) as PL pricing was usually lower than HW, or HW didn't have it. Used the link from this site though not sure I always remembered to as one gets excited when trying to grab a room. :) =aw

4* Hotel - 1 room, 1 night Renaissance Boca Raton Hotel 2000 Northwest 19th Street Boca Raton, Florida 33431 (561) 368-5252 Check-in date Wed, Dec 17, 2008 Check-out date Thu, Dec 18, 2008 Hotel rate per night: $66.00 Nights: 1 Rooms: 1 Subtotal: $66.00 Tax recovery charges & fees: $13.59 Total price: $79.59 Prices are in $USD. Nice to see this property on Hotwire, it's been on Priceline for a few years. =aw

I haven't tracked down the individual differences, but it looks like "Fort Lauderdale (Boca Raton)" is more up-to-date than "WEST PALM BEACH - BOCA RATON" (e.g. Hilton Suites now 3.5* in FLL and 3* in WPB). Thanks! =aw [To follow up on my own post, when I search for "Palm Beach, FL" on hotwire.com I get several zones but none is Boca: West Palm Beach - Pal... (3 hotels) Palm Beach Gardens - ... (5 hotels) Palm Beach (2 hotels) Singer Island (1 hotel) Jupiter (1 hotel) Central Palm Beach (1 hotel) so maybe Boca isn't Palm beach and the WPB section can be removed?] Thanks! =aw

As requested in another thread, I'm following up to say we didn't stay at any of these hotels, we went with staying with family. =aw

I think that's the case anyway, the greater risk is getting a different hotel. Does the extra-night feature have any intelligence in the PL service fees? One we were looking at had the PL fees the same within 10c as the Hotwire fees, each was around $13.50 for a one-night stay based on testing the PL waters (if it accepted our test bid the total would be $13.49 more). Hotwire on a 3-night stay is only $9/night extra and I'm making a slight assumption that PL would be similar. I've got an upcoming stay of 1 or 3 nights. If I bid it as a 1-night then go back later and bid it for the other 2 nights, I think it will cost more than a single 3-night bid and less than 3 1-night bids. If I let PL give me a second night on the 1-night bid, will it charge a full $13.50 again, or a reduced amount for the second night so the total is the same as a 2-night bid? Hope that's clear. Thanks! =aw

That was a misleading response from me. The "new" 3* Suites I IDed (probably) but does anyone have insight into the 6-icon 3.5*? I'm guessing Marriott, though I could be wrong. =aw

Sorry, I see from the pinned list that this is Springhill Suites, and $139 for retail is about right. The hotel is fairly nice but too far north for us. =aw

Thanks for the message. Let's say Dec 27 (it's not firm yet). I notice there's a 3* Suites hotel (7 icons) which I didn't think was there before. But that surely can't be the Hilton Suites, with a price of $92 and retail of $139? We usually end up at the Renaissance either on Priceline or Government rate, but I wouldn't mind going back to the Hilton (which was a Radisson when we stayed there in 2002). =aw

A search in Boca Raton returns three hotels: 3.5*, 3*, 2*. The 3.5* has 6 icons, while the list pinned here offers 5 and 7. The six are Fitness, Restaurant, Internet, Pool. Golf, Business. Price for late December is $134 ("$75 saving"). I'm guessing this is the Marriott not the Hilton Suites, but I'm not sure. Can anyone shed some light? Thanks! =aw

Not a huge insight, but I can confirm the Radisson Suites became the Hilton Suites several years ago. The Radisson Boca Bridge is also not a Radisson any more. =aw

Thanks for the suggestion! I went ahead and tried it but stopped at U$70. It wasn't worth going higher because I discovered the GOVERNMENT rate for a third day (just decided to add) at the IC on Front (where I assume I'd end up) is $239! So I'd have to move for the third day. I'm going to stay at the Radisson Admiral, I can get one night for 30K points, pay $159 for another, and then take the third at either 60K points or $159 again. I'll be sure to check in here again the next time I need a place though. =aw

Okay thanks, I will probably stay at the Radisson this time, I was frustrated by them wanting 60K for an award night, then I figured out I could get one night for 30K (the other night is 60K) and the client will pay the other. I may go look at the total cost of Hotwire for the IC on Front St., just to compare, but I've got so many Radisson points I take every opportunity to use them (just not double, i.e. 60K!). =aw

Sorry for the stupid question, but how much of the extra $21 is taxes and how much is fees? I'm looking at $110 on the Hotewire site and C$159 for government rate. Of course the government rate will have 15% taxes tacked on. Does Hotwire collect GST unlike Priceline? I don't want to end up paying C$159 to Hotwire. Thanks! =aw

Thanks for the info. I can see how another site might do that. They know (from here and probably elsewhere) what hotels are available on Hotwire, offer for the same price, then try to beat on Priceline? I guess it couldn't hurt to try Priceline for a 4* though I'd be a little disappointed to end up on Bloor Street or the Harbour Castle. Thanks for the tip, any advice on bidding strategy? I know free re-bids and stuff. =andrew

Hotwire quotes $110 for a 4.5*, I assume from info here that it's the IC on Front street: "Restaurant(s), Fitness Center, Spa Services, Business Center." U$110 is about C$135 plus the credit card gouge. I can get that hotel for C$159 on a government rate (plus taxes of course). Another site will give me a "4*" hotel for C$139 those nights. "Hotels that we use: Hilton Toronto, Sutton Place Hotel, Intercontinental Hotel Toronto - Yorkville, Metropolitan Hotel, InterContinental Hotel -Toronto Centre, Le Royal Meridien King Edward , Sheraton Centre Toronto, Westin Harbour Castle". I infer they're offering the IC on Front Street. Haven't tried Priceline, but another site has reports of U$75 and U$110 for this hotel on these days. The latter price is from a later bid. Can anyone suggest what I should do? Should I take the government rate so I know I won't end up a taxi or subway ride away? Give Priceline a shot but hold out for <$90? I'm going to the Wellington/John area. Any thoughts much appreciated. =aw

Needed a room for tonight (6/24) and best I could find was a government rate C$159 at most of the 3* and $179 at the 4* downtown. Decided to try Priceline. Determined I get SEVEN free rebids on 4* (only the Airport zone has a 4*) and TWO free rebids on 3*. With a target of U$85 I decided to bid on 4* 50-55-60-65-70-75-80-85. Refused at $50 but was offered an immediate rebid at $64. Smelling a rat, I figured that meant I'd get something for $63 or less. Added Brampton for $55, refused. Added Don Valley for $60, accepted at U$60, Intercontinental at 220 Bloor W. I was hoping for the King Eddy or Hilton for proximity to the Yonge subway, but Bloor St. works really well for other purposes. Free high-speed wired internet in the room was a bonus, $7 for 1L of naivE water in the room was laughable. The only downside was they put me in a smoking room but I was too tired by the time I figured it out (no ashtrays) to make them move me. Extra fees was U$11.94, the hotel did not charge the 3% tax or anything else at checkout. andrew

No way is this a 3*, certainly it's the best of the hotels likely to come up in this zone, but I'd say it's 2.5* at best. andrew