duncan36

Just a FYI but the Suite icon on HOTWIRE can mean just a standard extended stay room with a kitchen. This is because hotels dont seem to like advertising the fact they have kitchens so Hotwire lets them put the Suite icon instead.

This property lists the following amenities: Fitness, pool(ha), business center, laundry, high speed internet. It is however an Extended Stay property and has a kitchen despite not listing it. I wouldnt call it acceptable in the 2* class let alone the 2.5* class. The pool is there only to get a checkmark, it looked broken down and the entire pool area is about the size of a large bath-tub. The property is weird it has 3 or 4 seperate buildings. There is a rent-a-cop walking the halls so obviously they have had crime problems. The lobby looks really nice but dont get your hopes up the rooms are dumps. I saw roaches in the room, the carpet is worn and stained in spots, the place is dark and outdated, there was a stain on the bottom part of the mattress, the arm chair fabric was torn and the arm rests were black with dirt. There are some strange characters prowling the halls at times. Just not a place anyone wants to stay. On a brighter note on HOTWIRE in Austin in the 2* class there is a hotel in the Arbouretum that lists a kitchen. The only one in this location that does. That hotel is a Candlewood Suites and its really nice, spotlessly clean, comfortable. The fact that a 2* hotel is that much better than a supposed 2.5* hotel shows how messed up the ratings are in my mind. There are some hotels on Hotwire/Priceline getting away with murder. What star rating do you have to bid on before you're assured you wont be staying in a dump? 4*?

Even more shocking is this hotel is rated as 3* on Orbitz with almost all positive reviews. (obviously a whole lot of shilling going on.) In fact all the booking sites have positive reviews of the place which is impossible. However the reviews on Google maps seem accurate as do the ones on Trip Advisor. That should warn people to absolutely not trust the reviews on the booking sites to make up their mind on what hotel to book at.

I dipped in the well one too many times apparently. I was getting Candlewood Suites in the Arboretum for $27, this hotel is up to 2.5* standards IMO. Crestwood suites however is a sub 1* hotel that somehow got into the Priceline computers as 2*. I think the city is putting up homeless people in it, there was some strange and some insane characters around.(no joke) The hallway on the first floor absolutely stank the lights were out in the hall. My room absolutely stank and the chair in the room would go unclaimed if left beside a dumpster it was unbelievably filthy and smelly and infested with bugs. The only saving grace was there was no vermin in the bed and I didnt get infested with bed bugs for the one sleepless night I stayed there. When thats the only positive comment about a hotel thats scary. I was scheduled for several days but managed to get a refund from Priceline after some protestation, the hotel gave in without a fight apparently as the desk staff knows full well how horrible the hotel is. So really as long as this hotel is in the Priceline computer at 2* no one should risk going for that star rating in the Arboretum. If you happen to get this hotel you should immediately call and demand Priceline take this hotel out of their computer at 2* and put it at 1*. Which is a shame because this area is a great place to get a bargain 2* hotel. I've stayed at a lot of budget/bad motels and this was the absolute worst.

This isnt on the main list for Austin so if you can add it I'd appreciate it. I think this particular hotel used to be a 2.5* hotel, it certainly felt like a 2.5* hotel. The room was spotless and the linens high grade. A big step up from the 2* Extended Stay motels in the same region!

Priceline has no state to state restrictions and unlimited mileage. Pricelines agreement supercedes that of the car rental agency. So even if they had state to state restrictions they wouldnt apply since you went through Priceline.(note reservation has to be made with the name your price function, NOT the 'select from a list' selections.)

Just a FYI I finally got a response from Priceline: Apparently this isnt true if you just pick a rental company from the list at the set price. So this is actually an advantage of the name your own price deal.

Well I wasnt trying to cast aspersions I realize things are fluid. Just letting everyone know so it can be added to the list.

If you drive from your hotel towards the University on that road theres a bar district on the right across from the University called Northgate. Northgate If thats your sort of thing you can find beer/spirits and good bar food around there in abundance. If you want a good meal the best restaurant for the price its also near Northate its called Cafe Eccell. The town is awash in chain restaurants but this is the place to go for a good meal at a decent price. In a big city for the quality the price would be 50% its quite good. Cafe Eccell Theres also downtown Bryan, a German guy is opening a huge German restaurant/Irish pub there. Might be open by the time you're in town, also theres some great hole in the wall Mexican restaurants down there. So if you want Tex-Mex thats the place to go. La Salle The LaSalle hotel is downtown, obviously not on Priceline. So its something to keep in mind if you go to B/CS again. Really though the rates for it are reasonable and its the place to stay in Bryan/College Station. If you click on the link it has the location of downtown Bryan on the map, and also what restaurants are downtown.

This Hotel isnt on the Lubbock listing on the listing of what hotels are available there.

I am thinking about renting through priceline for an out of state trip. I understand Priceline offers unlimited mileage but I was wondering if out of state driving is included or if you have to pay extra? Thanks.