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Welldone Rumproast

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  1. Hi tsk - I've been to all the cities on your list but have always stayed near the airport in Paris and Rome, so I'll limit my remarks to Nice. Oh, also, for Paris, remind them that there are multiple train stations - trains from Paris bound to Nice (especially the TGV highspeed trains) *USUALLY* leave from the Gare de Lyon, which is over near the Bastille - this may not matter if they're more centrally located in the Left Bank area, still, they should be aware as they get ready to depart on the 27th For Nice, I notice that the TOBB 4* list includes the Le Meridien Nice. I stayed at this hotel in February 1997. The location is perfect as it sits right on the Promenade de Anglais, the road that hugs the Mediterranean Sea coastline, at the city center. The Old Town area, with the major attractions, markets and restaurants, is a five-minute walk away. The hotel website says that the train station is 2 KM away and that the hotel was renovated in 1999-2001 (it was in pretty good shape in '97 when I was there). There is even a casino on the ground floor(!) The LeMeridien website's low rate is Eur. 210 for your dates. Just as a comparison, the Four Points (which is probably a 3* in most ratings) further down the Promenade de Anglais has internet rates at Eur. 150 including late checkout. I *assume* that the rates for the LeMed and for the FourPoints are inclusive of VAT, while with PL you'd need to add taxes and fees. In my opinion, if you could snag the LeMed or other 4* for USD 100+ taxes/fees (like the bidded on TOBB did), it would be a pretty good deal One last thing to keep in mind: many Europeans head for the Riviera for their August vacations - so hopefully your friends' dates will just beat this mass exodus for the beach resort areas (Nice has a long coastline, although there are no sand beaches, instead it is a "rock" beach, still it is very popular. For reference: Today's Dollar/ Euro rate from OANDA.COM: FXConverter - 164 Currency Converter Results Saturday, July 19, 2003 1 US Dollar = 0.88723 Euro 1 Euro (EUR) = 1.12710 US Dollar (USD) Hope this helps......
  2. Bidding Strategy This bid is for a friend (I live in Broward County). She lives in the southern part of Miami-Dade county and has a Monday breakfast business meeting in the Miramar area at the ungodly hour of 7:45 A.M :) Knowing how bad the commute traffic can be, I suggested trying to get an inexpensive room via PL, so that she could avoid the stressful drive so early in the morning. BetterBidding had no bid history for the FLL Miramar zone, however, someone on TOBB reported a successful $40 bid for the HGI Miramar, a 2.5 * property. We checked the HGI website and found that the best available rate was $89 We next checked for possible re-bid zones and noted that there were no "true" free re-bid zones at the 2.5 * level in Ft. Lauderdale. However, the Coral Springs zone had only 2* and 3* and could be used *IF* we accepted the possibility that PL might upgrade to 3* and assign the Marriott at Heron Bay (the only 3* listed in the hotel list). Because that property is on a golf course, we decided that the chance of a PL upgrade was lessened and to keep it in mind for a possible re-bid. (Besides, if worse comes to worse, the drive from Coral Springs to Miramar is much easier via the Sawgrass Expressway and I-75, which has a 70 mph speed limit most of the way). Bid Progress (PL was accessed via the SavingsBarn portal) :o Initial Bid in the FLL-MIRAMAR Zone First Bid: $31 - Rejected We got an offer to rebid +$8 We didn't accept PL's offer, but instead, figured that our next bid should be $4 higher than the first bid We then added the FLL - CORAL SPRINGS Zone for our rebid Second Bid: $35 - Accepted! :) Bid Results Hilton Garden Inn Sw Miramar 14501 Southwest 29th Street Miramar, Florida 33027 Check-In Date/Time: Sun, Jul 20, 2003 / After 03:00 PM Check-Out Date/Time: Mon, Jul 21, 2003 / 12:00 PM Your Offer Price: $35.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $35.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $9.72 Total Charges: $44.72 HGI website lists a tax rate of 11.00 percent
  3. To see the bid information for this stay, please click *HERE* Doubletree Club hotels are mid-level properties primarily aimed at the business traveler. Doubletree (the cHain includes 'regular' hotels and all-suite properties in addition to the 'Club' properties) is a part of the Hilton family. The "Club" name refers to a lounge and working area that is opposite the reception area. In addition to a widescreen plasma TV and a cash bar, there are two workstations with office supplies, a FedEx and UPS dropbox, and two mini-conference rooms and one wired desktop pc with laser printer for no-charge, first-come-first-served guest use. I was able to do online-checkin and print my boarding passes for the next morning's flight, a nice time-saver :o Hotel Location and Property The hotel is a non-gaming property. The six-story building looks to be maybe 4-5 years old and is in excellent physical condition. The hotel is located in a low-rise office park area immediately to the south of McCarran Intl. Airport, on the opposite side of I-215 (if you know where the Alamo/National car rental facility is, it is on the other side of the freeway). The shuttle ride takes under 5 minutes. If you have a rental car, the Strip is very close by, however, this location is probably not the best if you don't have wheels and want to "do" the Strip casinos and attractions). Airport Access The above mentioned shuttle is free and operates every 30 minutes on a 24 hour basis. They make scheduled runs on the half-hour, but, you can also use the no-charge phone in the baggage-rental car area to verify that the shuttle is on the way. Once you have all your bags, go to the center area between the two baggage claim sections. This area contains the rental car booths, the information booth and the above mentioned courtesy hotel phones. When ready, locate the BUDGET car rental desk, then walk past it to the escalator (or elevator) that is marked "DOWN TO ZERO LEVEL". Once on the zero level, exit the sliding doors and walk past the stretch limos to the far curb - this is where the shuttles pick up from. Kudos to the shuttle driver :) who offered me a icy bottled water when I got on board (it was 111 degrees when I arrived) Check-In and Check-Out Check-In was instant and friendly. My requested nonsmoking king was pre-assigned. Check early the next morning was just as easy. Room The modern room was of standard size. King bed, two lamps with good (flourescent) lighting, alarm clock-radio, desk with ergonomic chair, comfty chair with ottoman. TV was in the armorie, basic channels (maybe 15-16) including HBO, ESPN and CNN/CNN Headline). Nintendo games were available through the TV set. Phones were placed on the nightstand and also on the desk; both had data ports. Iron and board was in place in the closet, and a coffee maker with regular and decaf coffee and regular and herbal tea was also provided. Standard bathroom with good light and very good water pressure. Neutrogena soaps and shampoos and plenty of good-quality towels were provided The hotel is in the process of instaling wired high-speed internet in the rooms (estimated to be completed "in a couple of months"). For now, they have the option of wireless access in the lobby only for $9.95 per 24 hours (I assume this will be the charge for in-room access when it is ready). One quirk: the shower control was very confusing. To change the water flow from the bath fixture to the shower head, you do NOT pull on the lever, instead, you pull DOWN on a little ring that is hidden at the exact spot where the water flows out of the bath fixture. I'm usually pretty good at figuring out stuff like that, but even I had to call down the desk to find out the trick :) Restaurant There is a small Au Bon Pain restaurant in the lobby that serves basic breakfast items and sandwiched and salads throughout the day (I had a nice chicken ceasar wrap for about $5). There is also an Apleebees across the parking lot, and if you have a wireless notebook with T-Mobile service, there's a Starbucks with HotSpot service about 2.5 blocks away (the shuttle will drop you or it's a very easy 4-5 minute walk - open until 9 pm).
  4. Strategy My need was for a room near McCarran airport before an early morning flight. Research (including the helpful post by BB memebr meowinkitty) indicated that the Doubletree was a good possibility. The DT was desirable as it is located 2 miles from the airport and has 24-hour free shuttle. I also became aware that there was a possibility thay a hotel a number of miles from the airport (the Courtyard Green Valley) might come up, but this being Vegas, I decided to "roll the dice" :) Bid Progress (via SavingsBarn portal) Initial Bid was in the LV Airport Zone First Bid: $32 - Rejected (offer to rebid +$8 noted and ignored) Added the Boulder Strip Zone for free rebid Second Bid: $35 - Accepted! Results Doubletree Club Las Vegas Airport 7250 Pollock Dr. Las Vegas, Nevada 89119 Check-In Date: Wed, Jul 16, 2003 Check-Out Date: Thu, Jul 17, 2003 Your Offer Price: $35.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $35.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $9.08 Total Charges: $44.08
  5. Hi Chen, With all that your friend will have on his mind as he prepares for the bar exams, the ability to stay so close to the testing site may justify foregoing PL savings (but just this once, of course) :) There is a hotel that is located at the WTC. The full name of the hotel is the Seaport Hotel World Trade Center. While the rack rates are quite high, they seem to offer a number of promotional rates that could lower the costs. LINK TO HOTEL HOMEPAGE (WITH LINK TO ONLINE RESERVATIONS) I looked at your dates in the online booking page and saw a AAA rate of $159. In addition, there are some packages with even lower rates that seem to imply that they are valid all seven days of the week (during the summer months). I wasn't able to view these in the online booking page, so you may need to call the hotel direct to check availability (keeping in mind that package rates may be capacity-controlled): LINK TO SEAPORT HOTEL PROMOTIONS PAGE Whichever way you go in regards to the hotel, here's wishing the best of luck to your friend the future attorney!!! :)
  6. The bid information for this stay is found HERE Homewood Suites properties, geared towards the extended stay market, are mostly of recent construction, and this property is no exception. The attractive low-rise complex is about 4 miles from the airport terminal complex. Airport Access The hotel provided free shuttle service; however, here is a warning if you are arriving late in the evening (as I did): their shuttle driver goes home at around midnight. The hotel will reimburse you for taxi fare, however, a) they do NOT reimburse the gratuity and :) securing a taxi isn't as easy as it sounds. Keeping in mind that many taxi drivers need to wait in a "holding pool" before they can go to pick up passengers, they might refuse you when they discover the short distance to your destination. In my case, I was turned down once but turned on the charm (yeah, right) and got the second driver to take me (the fact I promised a decent tip, not my dazzling good looks, was probably a greater factor in getting an acceptance) :o Check-In and Check-Out Check-In was efficient and friendly, and my cab fare was immediately refunded (the clerk asked me o get a receipt from the driver). I politely asked about HHonors and was politely turned down (as expected). The PL reservation was for smoking, but the clerk was able to find me a NON-S unit :) Check-Out was painless, and the shuttle back to the airport runs every half-four (during some hours they share a shuttle with the neighboring Embassy Suites). Room As per the Homewood Suites standard, the unit was a one-bedroom suite, with full "french" doors separating the living room/kitchen from the bedroom and bathroom. The living room was laid out like a small apartment: A small dining table just inside the door, behind which was a full-size refrigerator, stove, microwave and dishwasher. To the left was a sofa (sleeper) facing the first of two large television sets. The bedroom featured a king bed, desk and, on the dresser, a second large television. The closet area (with floding mirror doors) was across from the sink area, which also housed the hair dryer. The shower-tub and toilet were behind another door. Each room had a phone with data port. There was wired high-speed internet access (Wayport), which wss provided at $9.95. The charge applies from the time you first access until the hotel's check in time - in this cade, it would have been 3:00pm. Somewhat oddly, the Wayport connection was not at the desk in the bedroom but rather at the dining table. I'm not sure if this was due to the way the hotel building wiring was installed :confused: The good, the bad and the ugly: :D Good blackout effect for drapes :P Good lighting for reading and at the desk B) Lots of cable channels (extended stay places usually do better, since their target guest is there for a long stay) :) triple-sheeted beds, iron and board provided, plenty of towels and good-quality soaps and shampoo (though no separate conditioner) :) Good (but not super-powerful) water pressure Restaurant There is no full-service restaurant. The lobby area features a complimentary breakfast which was not too bad. A make-it-yourself waffle area seemed most popular. There was also a variety of juices, cereals breads and a limited amount of fruit. They also had what I'll describe as "pre-fab egg circles" - think of a small sausage patty (also served), and the egg was the same size and shape. Unfortunately, these were luke-cold as they were kept in an unheated serving dish (there wasn't a microwave). The coffee was very good and half-and-half was provided. Hotel Area The hotel borders a office complex, so there is no "city-life" around it. When departing, I saw a few restaurants just past the Embassy Suites that could be walked to (weather permitting).
  7. UPDATE :) The Gold Passport points for my incidental charges posted last night, with a night/stay credit posted as well (goes to renew elite status). Also, I wanted to say "THANKS" to BB member zbenye for answering some questions and providng guidance concerning the Hyatt promotion :)
  8. Hi thesqueegeekid, The area around the hotel isn't super-scenic :) Having said that, the rooms on the Third Street side look east and, if your room is on a high enough floor, you might be able to see the Milwaukee River (I think it's too far away to see Lake Michigan but I'm not 100% sure). Another factor for the rooms on the Third Street side is that they're farthest from the elevators and farthest from the ice machine/vending machine room). BTW good news - my Gold Passport points just posted (points for my meal) and a night/stay credit was posted as well :) :o
  9. Hi Ringman - First off, congrats to your son on his achievements :) - a very close friend had (until recently, see below) a son involved in gymnastics, and I am very aware of how much time and effort the athlete AND the parents put into the pursuit of this great sport. I put up a review of my stay HERE I will update the review to verify that the Gold Passport points did indeed post (this is my first Hyatt/Priceline stay). The "conventional wisdom" is that Hyatt, Marriott and Starwood will give points for incidentals, while Hilton policy is not to give any credit or points whatsoever (of course, that is not to say that people shouldn't try, as training in individual hotels is "uneven", to say the least). ===== About my friend's son, the young man started at age 6 and made it to Level 5 (or was it 4?) and went to the "Future Stars" at Colorado Springs. But between age 12-13, he "hit the wall" and ended his participation in the sport entirely. The boy is a straight-A student so I think it was a combination of burnout and puberty :)
  10. The bid information for this stay is found HERE The Hyatt Regency is a modern business/convention hotel in the center city area of Milwaukee. The Midwest Airlines Center (convention center) is across the street and two arenas (the US Cellular Arena and the Bradley Center, where the Bucks play) are diagonally across the street as well. Airport Access Van shuttle service is USD 10.00 (USD 2.00 savings if you buy a round trip). There is also a transit system bus line (Route #80) that stops within 3-4 blocks of the hotel for USD 1.35 per direction (I took the van because of number of bags). Physical Building The 18-story building looks to be about 20-25 years old, but the interior spaces (public areas and rooms) look as they have been recently refurbished and everything is in good conditioin. The hotel features a rectangular atrium around which all of the rooms are situated. Check-In and Check-Out Check-In was efficient by a friendly clerk. A double-bedded, non-smoking room was pre-assigned. I presented my Gold Passport card, and the clerk entered my GP number into my record without any fuss or problem ( I will update this post when my points (hopefully) are posted). Check-Out was just as efficient. I verified on my receipt that my GP number was indicated at the bottom (it was). Room The room was standard-sized, based on my experiences in major-chain city hotels. Basic features included the following: work desk with swiverl chair two phones (desk and bedside), both with data ports Good blackout effect for drapes Good lighting for reading and at the desk Medium-sized TV with full complement of 20-25 cable channels triple-sheeted beds iron and board provided plenty of towels and good-quality soaps and shampoos The good, the bad and the ugly: :) Very Good Water pressure with Moen shower massage head :D Excellent matress comfort :P No noise from hallway :) No highspeed or web-style internet access :) No In-Room Coffee maker Restaurant The lobby-level restaurant (I think it was called the Pilsner) offers both a buffet breaksast (USD 9.95 including both coffee and juice, good if not exceptional). A la carte selections are also available. The restaurant serves Starbucks coffee B) both regular and decaf. Service was friendly (they bring a full pot of coffee to the table, which I really appreciate in the morning) :o This restaurant serves lunch and dinner, and dinner is also served in the revolving restaurant (i think it was called Polaris) at the top of the building. I didn't eat at either, but I looked at both menus and they are (smartly) divided between sandwiches and smaller entrees (USD 8.00-10.00) and more elaborate dishes (USD 16.00 to 25.00). Hotel Area One side of the hotel is situated on "Old World Third Street", where there are a number of German-oriented shops and restaurants. There is also a vertical mall "The Grand Avenue" with full-service restaurants and a food court, is about one block away.
  11. Interesting - back in early 2000 I was at this same hotel and had to pass through three verification checkpoints (the first one a block away from the hotel) to gain access to the lobby. It surprised me because the checkpoints had not been there when I left that morning. Turns out that Pres. Clinton was giving a luncheon speech at the hotel (he flew in and out the same day so he did not stay as a guest). I know that certain hotels are favored by the Secret Service because of ideal security setups etc. When I lived in LA presidents always stayed at the Century Plaza, and they always use the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.
  12. First bid at $29 was rejected Second bid (added Kansas City West) was accepted at $33 Homewood Suites by Hilton
  13. The mention can be seen at: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/vacations/d...oyager-side.htm
  14. Hi mzjones34, Here's one consideration to take into account as you prepare to bid: During your dates, there is a large Unitarian Church convention at the Hynes Convention center. The two 4* hotels listed on BetterBidding (the Westin and Sheraton) are adjacent to the Hynes Center. I also found the following on the Unitarian Universal Association site: Special Housing Announcements The Sheraton Boston, the Official Headquarters Hotel of the UUA General Assembly, and the Marriott Copley Place are now offering NEW lower rate structures for families and groups coming to GA. These new rates are retroactive and will be extended to all guests who have made reservations within the GA housing block. To receive these discounts, you must make the reservations directly with the hotel and notify them that you should be included in the General Assembly room block. Boston Marriott Copley Place 110 Huntington Avenue 617-236-5800 Hilton Boston Back Bay 40 Dalton Street 617-236-1100 Omni Parker House 60 School Street 617-227-8600 Sheraton Boston 39 Dalton Street 617-236-2000 Westin Copley Place 10 Huntington Avenue 617-262-9600 At the Sheraton Boston, you can now reserve a double, a triple, or a quad hotel room for the one price of $205 per night. The price of a single room has also been lowered to $195. The Marriott is now offering a flat rate of $181.00 for singles, doubles, triples and quads. There is no longer an extra charge for additional guests (up to four) sharing a room. There's no way to know for sure how this meeting will affect availability, but please keep that gathering in mind as you make your bids. Good luck and enjoy your trip! Source for Boston meeting schedules: http://www.jbhynes.com/Hynes_events.asp?year=2003
  15. This hotel is very conveinent to the MCI terminal complex (about 2 miles). A free shuttle service is provided (note: the shuttle does NOT come at regular intervals, however, there are free phones near the baggage exit to use once you have collected your bags). Due to the remote location of MCI relative to the main city attractions (downtown, Country Club Plaza, Crown Center, etc.) you would need a rental car to get around. THe hotel itself looks to be about 20-25 years old, but seems well-maintained. The building is maybe 10 stories high. Check-in was efficient and friendly. I asked if I could include my HHonors number but was (gently) turned down (this was expected as HH policy is adamant about NO HHonors credits on prepaid stays ). I was assigned a first floor room which turned out to be an accessible room. The room itself was quite small, with only a full-size bed (in order to allow wheelchair access on the sides - a larger bed would have precluded any wheelchair movement). So you may want to check with the desk before receiving your room assignment if this will be a problem (I was by myself so it didn't matter). Although the room was not labeled as non-smoking, there were no ashtrays present and there was no residual smoke odor :) Otherwise, the room was OK - window (with security bar), two comfortable armchairs, clock radio, TV with lots of channels (ESPN, ESPN Douche, HBO, Cartoon, History, CNN, Headline, etc). Web-TV style internet for $9.95 for a noon-to-noon period. No high-speed access for laptops, only dataport on the phones. Nintendo games available as well. Bathroom was large and equipped with grab bars for accessbile use. Coffee maker annd hair dryer were in place. Shower head was a wand-style, however, the water pressure was only "moderate" :) Good-quality Neutrogena soaps and shampoos, and plenty of towels were provided. Housekeeping/cleanliness was very good. Iron and board was available in the closet. I had dinner in the restaurant - a scallop/shrimp fettuchini dish was quite good (needed just a bit more spice - the portion was generous). Very good service. I didn't have breakfast - the full breakfast buffet is $9.95 and a la carte options are also available). Overall impression: Well worth the PL price, but keep in mind the location if you don't have access to a rental car. The bidding information can be found at the following link: http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?act...T&f=109&t=1082&
  16. Success on the first try :) I was hoping for the HY due to the Faster Free Nights promo: Hyatt Regency Milwaukee 333 West Kilbourn Avenue Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. 53203 Your Offer Price: $40.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $40.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $11.51 Total Charges: $51.51 Notes: The HY website lists a USD 119 prepaid rate and USD 139 standard rate Processing time was about 45 seconds (on a Saturday morning) I linked to PL through Savings Barn - seamless, no problems :)
  17. A couple of notes to zbenye's post (and thanks again for the reminder) :) You need to be registered for the promotion BEFORE your arrival date(s). If you stay and are not registered you won't receive credit. On the credit card issue, the following is from the Hyatt FFN Terms and Conditions: To qualify, you must be a Gold Passport member, sign up for the promotion, provide your Gold Passport account number at reservation/check-in, be a registered guest, pay an eligible rate, and make full payment on a valid MasterCard card for each separate stay. One free night will be awarded for every two (2) stays between June 1 and August 31, 2003 at participating Hyatt Hotels and Resorts worldwide as long as your check-in date is on or before August 31, 2003. Stays at Hawthorn Suites do not apply toward Faster Free Nights Award(s). Only one credit will be given per member, per stay, regardless of the number of rooms. Stay means one or more consecutive nights at any participating hotel, whether or not the guest checks out and back in during such period. Back-to-back stays at a single Hyatt are considered one stay. Award stays do not qualify. It sounds like, as long as the payment is made with a valid MasterCard, it shouldn't matter whose MasterCard is used. In addition, the person staying in each room must have their own individual Gold Passport account - you can't credit both rooms to a single GP account.
  18. PS - Thanks :) for fixing the title line - I was trying to figure out how best to explain the PL-inititated upgrade from 2.5* to 3* The potential for upgrades is something we always need to keep in mind. My research here and over on TOBB (what I call the SARS-board :) ) led me to hope that I might get one of the two 2.5* all-suite properties (which with included breakfast would have been a better value). I was aware that others had also received the upgrade, so I took that into account as I proceeded with the bid (another factor is that a larger hotel like the Hilton might have more inventory to place into the PL availability bucket).
  19. I began bidding at $29; subsequent free re-bids at $31 and $35 were rejected until the successful bid at $36. Details: Kansas City Airport Hilton Kansas City Airport (MCI) 8801 Nw 112th Street Kansas City, Missouri 64153 Your Offer Price: $36.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $36.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $10.62 Total Charges: $46.62 The only bad thing here is that HiltonHHonors policy (unlike Starwood and Hyatt) is to NOT give points/credits for $$ spent on meals or other incidental charges :) I will still try asking the agent to enter my number at check-in time (nothing ventured, etc).
  20. Hi gleemonex, With Chicago (like Las Vegas) you always have to consider the possibility of conventions taking up a lot of hotel space. I checked the schedule at the Chicago Convention and Tourist bureau (link is below) and there are a few middle-sized meetings around your dates (about 16,000 delegates for the three largest). Since hotels often hold blocks of rooms until the convention enrollment is closed, this may be a factor in PL availability. http://www.chicago.il.org/smi/calendar.cfm
  21. Hi jopctjo, Many PL users in the Starwood forum on FlyerTalk have reported mixed results at this property. As thereuare suggests, a subsequent call may do the trick. Here's a suggestion: If you're not already a member, join the Starwood frequent guest program, which is called Starwood Preferred Guest (you can do so instantly at their website, http://www.spg.com - you will be issued a membership number online). Once you have your number, call the hotel and tell them you "want to add your SPG number to your reservation so that you can get credit for incidental charges". During this call, you can once again request your bedding preference. The St. Francis is a great historical hotel built in 1904. It survived the 1906 earthquake intact but was gutted by fire in the subsequent blaze and was immediately rebuilt. Trivia: If you go out the side door on the Post Street side, that is the exact spot where Manson follower Sara Jane Moore tried to assasinate President Gerald Ford in 1974 (thankfully, a bystander grabbed her arm and made her miss).
  22. Note than the following appears on the hotel's home page: * Hotel will be under renovation June 9 - September 19 with little or no inconvenience to guests.
  23. I have added a review of this property to the HOTEL REVIEWS Forum: http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?act...ST&f=421&t=955&
  24. Another factor here is that Four Points is running a major summer weekends sale (the "Celebrate Summer Sale") - I received a direct e-mail and it is also on their website. Note that the sale says "from $49" but in past Starwood-brand promos there are always some properties that are lower tan the stated minimum. The advantage besides the price, of course, is that these rates earn StarPoints :) http://www.starwood.com/fourpoints/index.html
  25. This first-class property is arguably the best hotel in the immediate area of Hartsfield Internetional Airport. It is rated 4* by AAA and 3* by Mobil. The hotel is literally adjacent to the north runways of the airport. There's a reason for this - the hotel was built on the site of the old Atlanta Municipal Airport Terminal (the old building was razed when the new Hartsfield "mid-field" complex was opened in the early '80s). The hotel is eleven stories and features an open atrium design with glass elevators in the center atrium area. The rooms are medium-sized and in excellent condition, with large picture windows and a step-out balcony. I asked for and received a room on the airport runway since I like watching the airport activity and because the sound doesn't bother me (the soundproofing is excellent, however, it is by no means 100% total, so be aware of this factor). The room furnishings include a large desk with data-port-equipped phone, along with a second phone bedside. The king bed had four soft pillows and was triple-sheeted. Lamps had bulbs with good wattage and an alarm clock-radio was on one nightstand. There was a very comfortable love-seat-size sofa as well (I forgot to look if it was a foldout sleeper). The large screen TV (probably 27" ) had about 35 cable channels, including the usual suspects (and including four ESPN options) :) Pay movies and 24 hours of internet via the TV (web-tv style, with decent reposnse time) are available for $10.95. No Nintento, though. The bathroom is large with shower-tub and marble sink area. The shower water pressure was good to very good (though not pummeling the way I like it) :o A good-quality line of "Bio" soaps and shampoos is provided. A coffeemaker is also provided, and iron and board are in the closet. Housekeeping is excellent and towels are aplenty. The Concourse Grill is the restaurant in the atrium area. I had breakfast one day, and the quality was very good, although the omelette station promised in the hotel book was not provided. $10.95 for the full (hot) option, $8.95 for the continental. Coffee was excellent. Coke products are sold in vending machines on each floor for only 75 cents (I wonder if Coca-Cola being HQ'ed in ATL has any thing to do with this) :) The staff was very friendly and has been trained to be very gracious. The person checking me in was especially good. Tip: If you don't have a car, use the hotel shuttle to get to the airport, where you can catch MARTA (the rapid-transit system) for many dining and tourist options. The basic fare is $1.75 for a single trip on the system (multiple-day options are also available). The shuttle runs every 15 minutes. When arriving exit baggage claim and go to the F parking area to catch the shuttle (the Renaissance shuttle will use one of the parking slots between F-1 and F-8). Lots of food options at Underground Atlanta (Five Points station), Peachtree Center and Lenox Square http://www.itsmarta.com/
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