flyme2

Being an inquisitve type, I downloaded Netscape and ran as simultaneous a comparison between IE and NS as my typing skills could muster. I alternated the order of use, ie. NS first, IE second, then IE first, NS second, etc. My findings: NS beat IE 22 times out of 28 tries, the remaining 6 being ties. Least savings was $1, most was $12. Previous posters have documented property comparisons quite well, so I don't feel I have to add to the glut. Bottom line: Take 5 minutes (high-speed) and download the free Netscape browser to save $$$ on all your HW reservations. What's the downside? You needn't make it your default browser.

I believe the minimum bids being accepted by the Hyatt Princeton more recently have been creeping up into the low $40's.

I believe the OP is describing The Hyatt Regency Princeton in NJ. BTW, it is not a Grand Hyatt. They do, however, offer a shuttle service to downtown Princeton, Princeton Junction train station and nearby malls and offices. This service, as well as free parking and easy access to RT 1 make its location that much more attractive.

Couple of comments: In regards to the Sheraton Waikiki, these $115 rooms are in their lessor "Manor Wing" and can usually be booked on Starwood's website by requesting queen bedding. They also offer an $85 rate in the same wing for seniors. The Manor Wing is a part of the hotel built over and around the front entrance. Rooms are simple, a bit motel-like, but you still have access to the same hotel facilities as guests in the main building. I have noticed that Honolulu hotels seem to release inventory to PL and HW much later than in most North American cities. I would assume that they don't have the same number of last minute guests or walk-ins that properties in the lower 48 usually have. It's kind of hard and/or expensive to do a spur of the moment trip to a relatively small island thousands of miles from the mainland. It's not like you can just pack up the car and go! :)

There are always exceptions to any rule, and I've found a few good deals with my 2004 Entertainment books. The Hyatt in Deerfield, IL had a great $42.50 Entertainment rate that I was able to use a couple of times when PL wasn't being cooperative. The Chicago Hyatt has an Entertainment rate of $79.50 that people have been able to get at various times of the year. Oddly enough, both properties aren't mentioned in the book's hotel listings. I always call the hotel toll free reservations line and ask if an Entertainment rate is available. Anyone can do this before committing to purchase the book. Another great use of the E book is to match up restaurants participating in the Dining Rewards (formerly I-dine) programme. I used this tactic to fulfil my NW FFF partner requirements. It's great when you get 50% off a meal with a bunch of FF miles thrown in. This year I purchased my 3 books in July for $10 apiece and $5 shipping. My $35 investment is still paying me dividends, and I intend to make good use of my Hawaii book next month. They paid for themselves after my first couple of hotel nights. The restaurants offered may not be amongst your favourites every year, but amongst the hundreds offered, there will always be a few that are more than acceptable, and if not, use some of the coupons to give the kids Wendy's, Domino's or Dunkin' Donuts treats. I've used dry cleaning, car wash and Walgreen coupons without any problem and for decent savings. They're not at all like the bogus car rental coupons that offer $$ off only inflated rates. Anyone who doesn't get at least 2 or 3 times the cost of their book back within a couple of months, isn't really trying.

thereuare As usual, thanks for your kind efforts. Dates are 09/24-09/26. The following quote was taken from their website.

I'm still helping the relations with their big New England trip. I suspect that this 2.5* may be the Tage Inn. Amenities (6): Restaurant(s) Fitness Center Complimentary Breakfast Business Center Spa Services Laundry Facilities (self-service) I've done my homework, and the hotel does offer all of the above-mentioned amenities. Yes, even a spa! "Swim spa" actually, is that a fancy way of saying hot tub? HW has it for $74 on the day I'm considering, PL has accepted bids for $60, and the hotel website has a rate of $109.

I've had a Hyatt claim rejected, not because of the room type, but because the lower rate included tax and breakfast, whereas the Hyatt rate didn't. IIRC, both rates were fully refundable. Their logic defies...you know, logic. :)

It comes as a great shock to me. I had no idea he was ill. Though I've not been a board member for more than a couple of weeks, bturner13 and I shared some pm's that managed to display his wit and kindness while making me feel quite at home in these new surroundings. If there is indeed a hereafter, I hope he is aptly rewarded for all his good works.

Flipphone: Wouldn't your brother & s/o be more comfortable at the 3* Hyatt for less money? It's been going for anywhere from $42 to $50 USD on Priceline. It has a pool, is directly connected to the Metro and the Complexe Desjardins Mall and is right across the street from Place des Arts. The Y may have been recently refurbished, but its only real advantage is its proximity to the Crescent Street anglo bar scene. The Hyatt is closer to the francophone resto/bar area on rue St. Denis, Chinatown, Old Montreal and the gay village. My only experience with staying at a Y was years ago in Waikiki. I was travelling solo on a triple miles mileage run, two weeks before a bonafide Hawaii trip with my wife. She allowed me to go, provided I could do the whole thing for $750 or less. Airfare was $500, so I had little choice in those pre Priceline days but to stay at the $29 Y. Location was alright, the private room was tiny and dorm like, painted battleship grey and the toilets and public showers were down the hall. Best of all was being awoken in the middle of the night by cockroaches crawling all over me and the bed. When I complained about it the next morning (I'm not squeamish), I was handed a fresh can of Raid. Ah ... good times...

I've used them in the distant past with a fair degree of success. As thereuare has stated, you must pay attention to the added fees and service charges. A winning $1 bid for a 7 day stay in a condo or hotel is never $1, but $1 + $195 (the usual fees/taxes for a 1 week stay) + $15 (processing fee to US addresses or $25 for some Canadian cities to over $50 for Central America and Europe). When you do the math, the $1 seven day stay, for a US resident will actually cost $211, or $30 a night. A bargain for sure, but not as much of one if the bidding gets too high. Unfortunately, ignorance and over-enthusiasm on the part of the bidding public has caused there to be far fewer bargains than in the past. A dubious tactic that Skyauction often uses is to offer an airfare or cruise with travel within a certain time period (say Spring 2005) and then tack on additional surcharges for most dates. This means that the winning bid will have this fee tacked on if you can't fly or sail on the 1 or 2 dates that don't have surcharges ... if those dates are or even were ever available. Better is to stick to date specific offers. For example, this recent auction OCTOBER 13, 2004 MERCURY Sensational 11- Night California & Mexico Cruise Roundtrip from San Francisco aboard Celebrity Cruise Lines was won for $525 + tax and port charges of $244.00 per person + $15 processing fee (for US residents), totalling $776.50 per/person. Looking at this same cruise using my favourite cruise agency CVC I can purchase it outright for $842.53 (all in). Using Skyauction resulted in a savings of $66.03 per person. A savings, yes, but not the bargain the $525 win would have many bidders believe. More often than not, cruises are overbid. For example, CARNIVAL INSPIRATION November 18, 2004 Extraordinary 4-Night Western Caribbean Cruise Roundtrip from Tampa was won for $250 + tax and port charges of $122 per person + $15 processing fee (for US residents), totalling $379.50 per/person. CVC has this cruise for $299.05 (all-in). The bidder actually overpaid by $80.45 per person. It all boils down to a couple of basic rules: Do your homework. Don't bid unless you've done the research and have pricing. Read the fine print. Scour the description page and note all the terms, restrictions and fees that will apply. They're always there, in plain view, just often overlooked. Then add the $15 processing fee. I've found the best bargains are longer (11 day +) cruises and 7 day accomodations ($1 bids). The bid per night hotel stays are sometimes the worst as there is always a $32 tax and service fee surcharge per night.

Thanks TravelGuy. Let's see you've stayed at 3 of the 4. My guess would be: [1] Hyatt [2] Candlewood Suites [3] Doubletree Am I close? Is the Courtyard missing from your portfolio?

Thanks for your help. Anywhere between Sep 21 and 24. I actually don't live in the NYC area, but I had cause to frequent the area quite a bit in my youth, back in the early seventies The first hotel I ever paid for, at the ripe old age of 17, was actually the Holiday Inn in Jersey City that used to sit opposite the entrance to the Holland Tunnel. Cost me $24. I think the property still exists as the Holland Motor Lodge. Who would have thought, 30 years later, that $37 would get you a hotel of the Hyatt JC's calibre?

Thanks, thereuare, for your quick reply. I would hope that the property would turn out to be the Candlewood Suites, as it's a great property with a lot going for it ... location, free parking, kitchenettes, etc. If it were for myself, I wouldn't hesitate for a second. But after boasting about the great PL and HW deals to be had, I'd hate like heck to have to wipe the egg from my face. Another possibility ... please, please prove me wrong, is the Ramada Limited, also on Tonnelle. It does have a fitness center and offers laundry facilities.

You are correct, sir! I guess some of us aren't as altruistic as others when it comes to points. :)

I've been trying to help some relations with a trip to NYC, and as a backup plan, in case the terrific Hyatt isn't available on PL for their, as yet undecided dates, I've gone to HW. On HW, a 2.5* property has popped up without fail, often the only property to show up at all, other than the Hyatt. I am pretty certain it's the Candlewood Suites, but I'd love someone to be able to verify my assumption. The thing that worries me is that it "SUITE" isn't among the description/amenities listing. Last thing I want is complaints from in-laws about being stuck in the Econo Lodge on Tonnelle. Here's the description for any of you would-be sleuths. Any help would be greatly appreciated. 2.5* Hoboken-Jersey City Fitness Kitchenette Laundry

The 3.5* Radisson in Niagara Falls, ON (Canada) has altered its listing and is now as such: Restaurant Pool Fitness Center Business Center

Thanks. theruare, for that very important reminder. In addition, don't forget: I almost made a fatal error thinking the $1,000 limit was per refund.

Sep 02-Sep 06 Hyatt: $139 X 4 = $ 556.00 + taxes $ 51.05 = $ 607.05 Hotwire: $254 X 4 = $ 1016.00 + taxes $ 97.95 = $ 1113.95 DD: $254 - $139 = $115 (Difference) X 2 (Double) = $230 X 4 (Nights) = $920.00 (Refund) Net cost: $1113.95 - $920.00 = $193.95 or $58.49 per night (all taxes + $10* daily Hyatt Resort Fee incl) It's unfortunate that you must pay the taxes on the original Hotwire price ($1113.95), but I don't think that anyone could argue that this is anything but a great deal for a very nice property. *Hyatt tacks on an additional daily $10 resort fee that is separate from whatever room rate you've paid whether it's booked with Hotwire, Priceline, Hyatt or any other agent.

Amazingly enough, my same deal is available Aug 26. Anyone who can should take advantage of this fabulous deal. $267-DD($256)=$11. Wish I lived nearby.

Well, folks, here's one that may pay off big...or leave you with a big fat hole in your wallet. Hotwire shows what I assume to be the Peabody (area, * rating & all amenities match up) on Aug 22 for $395 (same price as the hotel's website). Easyclicktravel.com has a superior room for $349, yet an executive king room for $109. The things that are turning me into a coward: the room types might not be a match Easyclicktravel is displaying "on request" which means they may not have availability I'm not sure how quickly Easyclicktravel responds to availability requests, but if they allow cancellations, this might work if you book with them first and then try Hotwire. $572 credit would yield a net gain of $177 and a night at the Peabody (or not :) ). Who's got the guts to try?

Looks like the 4.5* Waikiki Beachside property that comes up is the Hyatt. Amenities match up with those of the vacation package and are: Beach Access Restaurant(s) Pool(s) Fitness Center Business Center Spa Services Laundry Facilities (self-service)

Looks like I was perhaps the first to stumble onto this deal. I booked on July 18 :) Hotwire e-mailed me their refund notice on July 20, but not before a few bounced e-mails left me wondering whether or not my DD request was lost in cyberspace. An e-mail to Hotwire support resolved the problem as they manually entered my request before the 48 hour deadline. First time using Hotwire and the DD has made me a believer in Santa Claus. I was following the rate changes for hours before I pounced. I missed a high rate of $276 by waffling. Rates hovered between $231 and $233 and when I saw $267, I grit my teeth and accepted. The fact that Hotwire still shows this property over the $139 Hyatt rate makes me wonder how many people don't check the rate once they've gotten confirmation of what hotel they've been assigned. Wouldn't you assume it to be second nature to at least go onto the hotel's website and confirm you've gotten a good deal? Or does Hotwire like handing out refunds like candy? I don't follow their logic, but I would assume they're coming out ahead somehow. My only regret is that Priceline stays elsewhere dictate my only being able to spend a single night here. :)