ziggyp22

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Thanks for all the help. I have another question: are there 3.5* hotels(or higher) in zones that would be substantially cheaper and are easily accessible to the subway? I was thinking that if I could save a fair bit of money per night and be near the subway, that I assume can get me to most(or all) tourist attractions in NY, then that would also be good. If so, can you suggest any bidding zones, so I can research the hotels within that zone. Sorry, but this is my first time to NY and I am a little unsure of everything. Does that sound possible or are the 3.5* hotels(or higher) in other zones at a comparable price and not worth looking into? Thanks!

Thanks for the suggestions. I have tried to be patient, bidding the odd night, over the past couple of weeks, on a 4* hotel in TS, MTE, MTW, CPS, ESB, usually up to the $170 range. I've also tried 3.5* hotels in MTW, TS, MSG, and ESB up to the $165 range, but no luck. Unless I can save a fair amount between a 3.5* and 4* hotel, I likely will just pursue the 4* hotel. With 4* bids, I expect to eventually win the Kitano Hotel in the ESB zone. I checked HOTWIRE and the Kitano Hotel is listed for my dates for $205 per night, so I expect that a win could happen with slight increases in my bidding on Priceline. I don't want to be impatient with my bidding, but do you suspect that the price could lower as the date comes closer -- or is it just as well to go ahead and bid a little higher? Besides PRICELINE and HOTWIRE, is it worth waiting for a last minute deal elsewhere? The prices for hotels in NY are slightly higher than I expected. Thanks for your help!

I expected to win a hotel for about $145 a night, based on my preferred zones that include CPS, MTE, MTW, and TS. I set the hotel level to 4*, adding in five different zones that were less than 4*. The first night, I made seven bids that ranged from $85 up to $132 -- no luck, which didn't surprise me. Night number two, I reset my hotel level to 3.5* using the same four zones, but limiting my other bidding zones to three zones. I made ten bids ranging from $85 up to $136, still no luck. Night number three and I set the 3.5* level and same bidding zones again. I made six bids ranging from $132 to $165 -- still no luck. At the current bidding level of $165, including fees and taxes, I will pay $203 per night, which seems a little high for a room to simply sleep in....and I still haven't won a hotel yet. Are 3* hotels worth getting in NY? If so, should I remove any of my four main zones, due to poor 3* hotels? Is there much difference in the 3* and 4* hotels? Thanks!

I have since replied to that Port Charlotte thread. I think I am good to go with the hotel in New York though -- anything you wish to add, feel free. Thanks!

Thanks to all for your assistance, but I actually ended up renting a house after and never went the hotel route. The private pool, spa and house was just too appealing. Thanks!

I never did do the Port Charlotte trip in a hotel -- we actually rented a house instead. I was unsure of a budget, but expected to get a 4* hotel in one of the above areas for approximately $145 a night(or less). There are plenty of combinations of zones when looking for a 4* hotel(5 zones with less than 4*), so I can start the bid low and up it and eventually get a good deal, I suspect. Plus, I have lots of time to book. I will use the PRICELINE links to book the hotel. Thanks!

Hi all. I am not sure if I am posting to the correct forum(sorry if not). I understand the bidding process, but I want a 4* hotel in New York City and wondered what zones would be considered good to select for the main tourist areas? I was hoping to stay in Times Square area, but have since been told to avoid staying directly in Times Square, due to the hustle and bustle of the area. Originally, I thought MTW and CPS would be the best areas, but reading through the forum, I get the feeling that MTE is also a good area to bid on, and it is slightly cheaper. Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions. Thanks!

My wife and I recently returned home from this stay at Crowne Plaza. Everything went great. The Priceline booking made things very fast. The hotel itself was very nice and the extended pool hours were great -- a very nice stay. We were very pleased. We booked this hotel for $51 total. My brother and wife, last minute, decided to travel with us and booked the same room as us(two doors down from us) at the Crowne Plaza and paid $129 plus tax. I guess that shows that PricelIne is very good to use for booking hotel rooms.

$30 Universal Studios - Seaworld $35 Kissimmee and Universal Studios - Seaworld $39 Sand Lake Corporate Park and Universal Studios - Seaworld Universal Studios - Sea World 7800 Universal Boulevard Orlando, Florida 32819 407-355-0550 Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $39.00 Subtotal: $39.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $12.35 Total Charges*: $51.35 PRICELINE link used.

Hi all. I have been looking through the hotel list for Florida and cannot find any hotels listed for Port Charlotte, Florida. However, when I visit Priceline to bid on hotels, Port Charlotte is listed as a destination. Does anyone know the possible hotels available on Hotwire or Priceline(preferrably Priceline) for Port Charlotte? I actually would like to stay at La Quinta Inn & Suites Port Charlotte, but am unsure if it is listed on either site. La Quinta seems to list with both sites though. Thanks in advance!

Hi all. I just got back from my PricelIne Las Vegas trip, staying at Trump International for Aug 4th up to and including the 9th. I wanted to give an update of how things went, my room, etc. I was a little disappointed that I didn't win the Palazzo or Venetian, but I figured that Trump had to be a great hotel, so I went there with an open mind. I went to check-in on the 4th with $20 between my credit card and ID ready to try the $20 trick. However, the Trump hotel had no record of my win through PriceLine. They contacted PriceLine and worked it out -- it was a keying error on Trump's side, so things were fine. For my trouble, Trump updated my room to the best available, so I never got to try the $20 trick, but thats fine. As for the room and hotel, it was a great hotel: very clean, upscale, and the service was great. The room, especially the bathroom, was very nice. I honestly cannot say anything negative about the Trump Hotel. Perhaps having a casino in the hotel would have been nice, but I knew that risk before bidding for 5* on the North Strip, so I was fine with it. It is a little walk to the Strip, but only about 5 minutes -- a good way to work off the endless buffets and eating that I did :) I guess the only drawback is the restaurant at Trump is very expensive and I never once ate there. I think the hotel is geared more towards business travelers than personal travelers. Overall, I was extremely pleased with my experience and won't hesitate to use PriceLine or Hotwire in the future and, especially this site. This site helped to open my eyes to a whole new world of travel. Thanks to everyone for their help. Hope you all enjoy your trip(s) at least half as much as I did. Thanks!

Thanks very much for all your help. I won't hesitate to use this site again when I travel. My only regret is that I never found this site sooner. I will be sure to spread the word to people that I know traveling. Thanks again!

Any knowledge of the $20 trick working at Trump International? I have searched over the net and cannot find a single reference to anyone trying it at Trump in Las Vegas. I did read that someone tried it in Trump at Atlantic City and got rejected, so Trump may have this banned at his hotel. Although, I guess if you can be conspicuous enough, then the employee may help out. Thanks!

Hi all. Just a follow up to my earlier Priceline Las Vegas TrumP International post. I needed to book a Saturday night stay only. I was hoping for the Venetian or Palazzo, but never lucked out. I expected the price to be a little higher for a Saturday night, but it was a little more than I expected to have to pay, but still much cheaper than anywhere else, including Hotwire. Here is my bidding process for a 5* hotel on the North Strip for Aug 9th - 10th: North Strip= $130 (*rejected*) site suggested $249, so I jumped up my bid a fair bit North/Nellis = $160 (*rejected*) North/Nellis/Airport = $170 (*rejected*) North/Summerlin = $178 (*rejected*) North/Summerlin/Nellis = $188 (*rejected*) North/Summerlin/Air = $193 (*rejected*) North/Summerlin/Air/Nellis = $200 (*rejected*) North/West Strip= $205 (*rejected*) North/West Strip/Airport= $209 (*rejected*) North/West Strip/Airport/Nellis= $215 (*rejected*) North/West Strip/Nellis/Summerlin= $220 (*rejected*) North/West Strip/Airport/Summerlin= $224 (*ACCEPTED*) Finally -- LOL -- that took a few hours as I pondered if this was worth it. After checking some lower star hotels, I still made out great in comparison to prices. I also used your provided PRICELINE link to bid. Thanks!

Hi there. I am new to the board too. However, I think just limiting the bid to the Venetian is tough enough, let alone the room type. I would actually like to know how to ensure that your bid is accepted by the Venetian. From what I understand, your bid is for all 5* hotels in that particular zone(North Strip), so you also have the possibility of getting Palazzo or Trump. Chances are that you will get Trump, from what I have read. I wonder though, and this might help you, if you didn't start the bidding real low and it was acceptable to all three 5* hotels(Venetian, Palazzo, Trump), how is it decided which hotel that you get? Could you start the bidding a little higher to get the Venetian, then try the $20 trick to get your 4 person suite? That is a huge gamble though. You can't base the trip on hoping that the $20 trick will work. I am sure someone more experienced with PriceLine and/or Hotwire will help you out. Hope I gave you some help and some things to consider. Thanks!

I don't know if I would have the guts for the $20 trick. I think I would feel awkward, though I would bet that it is commonplace to the front desk staff and they couldn't care less that you would try it. I recently won the Trump International in Las Vegas. I haven't heard anything on if the 20 trick works at Trump, but I have read that the hotel rooms are never full, so it would appear to be the perfect place to try. I wish there was a fairly easy way to go about trying it without the possibility of awkwardness. I think if I just handed the credit card with the $20 and asked for complimentary upgrades, then that wouldn't be too bad. I wonder would they have an issue with upgrading from a PriceLine room? Would they think that I have already done well enough? I have no idea what kind of room I am getting from PriceLine anyway. Do I find out when I get there?

Thanks for your help -- greatly appreciated! I went ahead and bid for a 5* in North Strip. I expected to eventually end up with Trump International, which I did. I ended up with a bid of $129/night being accepted -- I was pleased with that. Here is how the bidding went for a 5* hotel for Aug 4th - Aug 9th each time: North Strip : bid $100 (*rejected*) North Strip + Nellis : bid $105 (*rejected*) North Strip + Airport : bid $110 (*rejected*) North Strip + Airport + Nellis : bid $115 (*rejected*) North Strip + Summerlin : bid $120 (*rejected*) North Strip + Summerlin + Airport : bid $125 (*rejected*) North Strip + Summerlin + Airport + Nellis: bid $129 (*ACCEPTED*) Of course, I still have to go through the same process to get Aug 9th to the 10th covered( as we are traveling with another couple and chose the checkout to be the same as theirs, which is a day earlier). I will try a similiar method for the 9th. I am hoping to get a different hotel, but who knows? Thanks again!

Thanks for the help! I am going to try your strategy. Please let me know where to post my bidding and counter offers and results as I go through the process. One last question. I am ready to place my bid (through your provided PRICELINE link) and it is asking for the "name of the person who will be reserving each room. They must present a valid photo ID and credit card." I thought that I had to book both rooms for my wife and I and the other couple traveling with us, so should I use my name for both rooms or can I use my name for one room and the other male's name for the other couple's room, but use my card to pay for it all? We are arriving at different times, so I am not 100% sure how to go about this. Could you help with this? Thanks!

Thanks for all your help. I think I would like to try the bidding through Priceline, so I can have a crack at all three hotels. From what I have read here, Trump simply cannot match the Venetian or Palazzo. That is my understanding anyway. If I limit my choice to 5*, and exclude the South Strip as a zone, then I should get either Palazzo, Trump or Venetian. Am I correct is saying that? Please tell me how to proceed. What to start the bid at, zones to use, etc, etc. I would think that the rooms that I will eventually get will be much better than the Go Room with Strip View at the Flamingo and will also be comparably priced. I hope so, as I am planning to cancel my Flamingo booking. One last thing, these rooms, whether purchased through HOTWIRE or PRICELINE, are they the worst rooms in the hotel? Thanks!

Thanks for the reply. I clicked your link on P/L rebidding -- it all makes sense. I would like to get the Palazzo or Venetian, but I guess there is no guarantee. The only downside with Trump for me is that it doesn't have a casino, but I guess that is not a huge deal. I don't have a true maximum bid, but I am not going to pay an average of $200 a night since I simply won't be in the hotel room enough. I would be pleased if I could get away with $150 a night. However, looking at HOTWIRE, it appears that I can get Trump International for $143 a night. I checked for the 4th up to and including the 8th for a hotel with Smoke Free Rooms, Fitness Center, Pool, Restaurant, Business Center, High Speed Internet, Golf Nearby and Kitchenette. Perhaps, it is just as well to book on Hotwire. However, at least on P/L, there is a chance that we could get the Venetian or Palazzo. Do they bill your entire stay on the credit card upon booking through PRICELINE or HOTWIRE? I will have to use my credit card for both rooms to ensure that we get the same hotel. Can the other couple travelling with us actually use their credit card to pay at the hotel then and would only owe me the deposit?

Hi all. This is my first post on the forum. I am hoping that I am posting in the correct spot and am posting correctly. I have a few questions about Priceline. First of all, there are 4 of us(2 couples) traveling to Las Vegas August 4th. Myself and my wife are checking out on August 10, while the other couple are leaving August 9th. Here are my questions: 1) We would like to stay in a 5* Hotel preferrably the Venetian or the Palazzo. I was wondering how I go about this? I have never used Priceline, but from what I have read on this forum and viewed on Priceline, I would choose 5* on North Strip and start a failrly low bid and that would be counter offered. There is a possibility that I could end up with Trump International. Am I correct in stating that? What would be a good starting bid? 2) When I bid, do I start in one zone and keep adding zones(except the South Strip) and increment my bid, say by $5, and assume that I will hit one of my preferred hotels(or Trump International) eventually since the South Strip is the only other zone with a 5* hotel or can I continue just having the North Strip as my zone and go back and forth bidding? Doesn't a bid lock for a day if it is rejected? 3) Does having Friday and Saturday night as part of the bidding dates affect the price? 4) How do I book different check out dates for each couple? I assume that I would have to book the rooms and choose "2 rooms" from the dropdown to ensure that we all get to stay at the same hotel? One couple is leaving on the 9th and we are leaving on the 10th. Is there any way to have different check out dates or do we just both book to check out on the 9th and my wife and I book separately for the 9th and check out then on the 10th? 5) We currently have the Flamingo booked through their website at $828.70(taxes included) for Aug 4th to Aug 11th. Is there any chance that the 5* will be within a similiar price range -- average of $138 per night? I think that is about all that I have to ask(that I can think of)-- sorry for the long post. Thanks for any help that anyone can provide. Thanks!