davdaven

Made several bids tonight for a hotel in downtown Los Angeles, staying one Saturday night in a little over a month. Won the Marriott for $55. Bidding history: Started at $49 for a 4* in downtown only. Added 3.5*. Started fresh at $50 for a 4* in downtown and Lawndale. Added 3.5*. Started fresh again at $55 for a 4* in downtown and Culver City. Added 3.5* and won. Probably could have saved a dollar or two, but it's still a great deal at $18 less than the cheapest price on Hotwire. I used the PRICELINE link to bid. Cheers!

Follow up: We stayed at the hotel Saturday night and had a pleasant time. Had no trouble requesting two queen beds instead of one king bed. I was not charged a resort fee or a parking fee. There were no towels available in the pool area, and it took three trips into the hotel itself to request them before any were provided. Everything else was great!

Bid $99 for a resort in Palm Desert area and won a stay at the Renaissance Esmeralda this Saturday night. Tried bidding yesterday for $70, then adding Indio and increasing to $80, then adding Palm Springs and increasing to $90. No luck. Tried today with an opening bid of $99 and was accepted. This resort appears to charge a resort fee and a parking fee, which seems very suspect. Also, TripAdvisor ratings are mixed. However, I'll make the best of it! Used the PRICELINE link when booking. Thanks!

Hey, I noticed there is an Orange County section now. Don't forget to move this one. :)

2* Sedona - Sky Ranch Lodge $53 ... 9/27/09-9/28/09 Amenities: Airport Shuttle, Pool(s). I took a gamble and it paid off! The Sky Ranch Lodge costs $80/night through its Web site and other online sources. Although providing only basic accommodations, this motel-style lodge is highly rated on TripAdvisor (4* with 142 reviews) and was the property I planned to book. Add a new one to the list! :) As always, I used the HOTWIRE link to book. Thanks!

Looking at the night of 9/27/09, but it's available every night.

Amenities: Airport Shuttle, Pool(s). No TripAdvisor rating is provided. This listing is available every night for a 1-night stay in late September and early October. The only hotel I am aware of that offers an airport shuttle is Sky Ranch Lodge. Are there others?

The Knott's Web site lists the night's stay for $89. I attempted to book a 3* hotel in Buena Park using PRICELINE but was unsuccessful. I switched to HOTWIRE because the $49 rate was only $4 more than what I was willing to bid on Priceline. Hotel amenities: Fitness Center, Pool(s), Business Center, Laundry Facilities, High-speed Internet Access, Golf Nearby. Knott's charges $10 for parking. Most other area hotels offer free parking. I took this into consideration when bidding. Priceline bidding history: Yesterday - Bid $40 for 3* in Buena Park only, no win or counter offer. Added Laguna Beach (no 3* or higher in LB) and raised bid to $42. No win or counter offer. Today - Bid $40 for 3* in Buena Park only, no win or counter offer. Added Laguna Beach and raised bid to $43. No win or counter offer. Was going to add Huntington Beach and raise bid to $45, but decided to go with $49 rate on Hotwire. Hotwire rate has been fluctuating between $49 and $53 for the past three days. There was no 3* listing on Monday, when I first checked. I used the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to book this hotel. Thanks again!

The amenities listed are: Complimentary Breakfast Fitness Center Pool(s) Business Center Laundry Facilities High-speed Internet Access

$79 is a reasonable savings over the $99 rate if booked through the Drury Web site. Hey, $20 is $20! This newer hotel is highly rated on TripAdvisor and offers free breakfast, etc. Looking forward to my stay! Booked using the HOTWIRE link. Thanks again; this site is very helpful!

Tried bidding over 3 days before getting this. Was hoping for Hotel Indigo or Hyatt Place Ontario Mills (in that order) and not the Residence Inn, so I am satisfied! (I also like Aloft, but it is on Hotwire and not Priceline.) Hyatt Place Ontario Mills includes free parking, free wi-fi, free breakfast, free computer room with free printing, and free shuttle within a 5-mile radius, so value cannot be understated. The hotel is listed at $269 on Expedia for the night I am staying. Day 1 - Bid $38, rejected with $49 counteroffer, declined for fear of ending up with a 3.5* hotel. (I don't like Priceline's 3.5* hotels in the area.) Day 2 - Bid $40, rejected with $52 counteroffer, rebid $42 and added Corona, rejected again. Day 3 - Bid $49, offer accepted. Used BetterBidding's PRICELINE link when bidding. Thanks! P.S. This hotel isn't listed on BB's Priceline hotel list, I recommend updating the list.

Thanks! I totally forgot about using the PRICELINE link here until afterward, as it has been so long since I used Priceline. Sorry!

Bid $86 for and won a 5-star hotel in Brisbane. Had previously tried $70 and $80 for 5-star hotels over the last 2 days, as well as $75 and $80 for 4-star hotels. Taxes and fees bring total to just under $100 per night on a Friday and Saturday night in early May.

Bid $60 for and won a 3.5-star hotel in Pasadena on my first try. Occupancy tax in Pasadena is high--14% or so--so stay cost me $75.38 total. I did not select any other regions. Spending a Saturday night (one night only) in mid-December.