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Began with PHX Airport 4* and $49, rejected. Added 3.5*, rejected. Added 3*, rejected. Added Tempe North, success! Confirmation states I saved 75%. Offer price:$49.00/night Adjusted room price (bid) with Hotel Fee Credit: $49.00/night Hotel fee:$0.00 Number of rooms:1 room Number of nights:1 night Room subtotal:$49.00 Taxes & fees:$11.96 Taxes:$11.96 Total charged today:$60.96 Total Priceline charges:$60.96 Total room charges:$60.96 Total cost: Total charged: $60.96 Savings: You saved 75% Property: Residence Inn by Marriott Tempe Downtown - University Amenities: Free Breakfast Free Internet (in Room) Pet Friendly Outdoor Pool Shuttle Non-Smoking Gym Handicap Accessible Business Center Used the PRICELINE link

First bid Downtown-Biltmore Estate, $35 - rejected, offered to award room if I increased my bid by $9. I declined. Added East zone, increased bid to $37 - accepted. Check-In Date: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 Check-Out Date: Friday, March 26, 2010 Hotel Name: Crowne Plaza Resort One Resort Drive Asheville, North Carolina 28806 828-254-3211 Summary of Charges Your Offer Price: $37.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 2 Subtotal: $74.00 Taxes and Fees: $16.88 Total Charges*: $90.88 I had researched successful bids for hotels of this category (3.5*) and was bidding with the hopes of getting the Crowne Plaza because I have a conference for work at this hotel those dates. So it worked out perfect! I normally use the PRICELINE link on this webpage, however it didn't dawn on me until I was posting this win that I forgot to use it this time. It'd been a few months since I had PRICELINE'd anything, so it slipped my mind. Sorry!

Bid $39 for 3.5* Tempe, received proposal to increase bid by $11. Rejected their offer, added Tempe South zone and increased to $41. Rejected. Added Airport zone and increased to $43. Accepted at Fiesta Resort Conference Center. Used PRICELINE link.

First bid of $15 for midsize accepted by Hertz. Picking up 12am Jan 30th, dropping off 7:00am Jan 31st. (1 day, 7 hours) Your Offer Price: $15.00 (per day) Total Rental Days: 2 days(1 days) Subtotal: $30.00 Taxes and Fees: $32.06 Total Charges: $62.06 Lowest Published Price: $133.59 Total Savings:* $71.53 (You saved 54%) Used the PRICELINE link.

Began bidding at $29, got message back stating that if I raised bid by $7 I'd have a deal. Rejected their offer, upped my bid to $30 and added Ft Mill/Carowinds, rejected. Upped my bid to $31 and added Airport (I have a flight the morning of the 17th anyway), rejected. Upped my bid to $32 and added Pineville - Accepted! Room Cost (avg. per room, per night): $32.00 (USD) Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Room Subtotal: $32.00 (USD) Taxes and Fees: $12.30 (USD) Total Room Cost: $44.30 (USD) Had sort of expected the Marriott Executive Park since so many get that property, but got this instead. Just stayed at the Marriott Executive Park the night before Thanksgiving and was upgraded to a Concierge Level room at check-in, which was nice. Had gotten that on PL as well. Hope this Renaissance property is just as nice; the pics look good. Used the PRICELINE link.

Thanks for your reply. I actually think that MOST companies still charge a drop fee, as evidenced by the rates I've found while doing my searches. For example, one company charges $24 for the day, but the final total is about $94. Another charges $26 for the day, but the final total is well over $100. I'm with you, though. It's not that I think the rate I already have reserved is bad, but I'm always looking to save a few more bucks where I can. I am equally conservative in that I will not be taking the chance to name my own price for this one, since I very well could end up paying MUCH more than I already have reserved.

I couldn't find any threads pertaining to this so I thought I'd ask. I am kind of afraid to name my own price for a car rental I need for 11/30 because I am picking up in MIA and dropping off in Orlando. The rental I currently have reserved with Alamo for $31 plus tax (Economy) does not have a drop charge. If I were to name my own price, would I be awarded a car with a company that has a drop charge, or does not have a drop charge? Certainly I would not want to do this if there is no way to guarantee I will not have a drop charge. What's more, I may not be able to beat what I currently have reserved anway. Thanks for any info.

I was just realizing that my last three successful bids have all been awarded a Marriott Hotel. It made me wonder if Priceline awards a certain brand more than others - or if it's just coincidence. For this Thursday (11/26) my 4* bid of $33 in Charlotte was accepted by Marriott Executive Park For Sep 3, 2010 my 4* bid of $105 in Copenhagen, Denmark was accepted by Copenhagen Marriott For Oct 9, 2010 my 4* bid of $84 in San Juan, Puerto Rico was accepted, and I was upgraded to the Marriott San Juan Resort I also used to think that the closer I waited to the check-in date to bid, the more likely to have a bid accepted. While this still may be true to some extent or in some circumstances, the last two bids are for check-in MANY months from now and the accepted bids are right in line with what I would have expected had I waited until closer to check-in. Just thinking outloud I guess, just wondering...

In recent weeks I'd been bidding $99 on a 4* for Copenhagen for a one night pre-cruise stay next September. I'd always usually get the "we have a great deal for you" screen asking me to accept a price anywhere from $14-$22 higher than my bid. Each time I would say no. But there aren't any free re-bids in Copenhagen, as there are no other zones from which to select. So basically, it's a one-shot attempt each time for a Copenhagen 4*. So today I decided I was going to increase my bid to $105 since I'd seen someone a few weeks ago say that their price was accepted. Sure enough it was accepted and, as anticipated, at the Marriott. Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: US$105.00 Subtotal: US$105.00 Taxes & Fees: US$33.61 Total Charges: US$138.61 I used the PRICELINE link.

WOW! Today was the first day possible that I could bid on a property for these dates. I had seen where someone else got the Conrad for $83 so I was thinking I might get the Conrad, but was more expecting that I wouldn't be able to get anything this far out. I am shocked, yet thrilled that my price was accepted. I already had the Conrad booked for $141 per night including taxes, so I cancelled that. First bid of $84 for a 4* accepted. Upgraded to the Resort Marriott San Juan. Great reviews on Tripadvisor and in the same general vicinity as the Conrad (reason we chose the Conrad was its proximity to the Pan American Pier where our cruise will be departing). Lowest price on their website for that date is $189. Used the PRICELINE link. Thanks, Betterbidding!

Started my bid at $28 and used my free rebids and increased by $1 each time. Accepted at $33. Used the PRICELINE link.

Need a hotel pre-cruise. Began my bid through the PRICELINE link on this page. Started at $55 for 4*, received offer to increase my price by $15. Declined, added Ft Lauderdale Beach zone and increased to $59. From the confirmation: Check-In Date: Friday, September 4, 2009 Check-Out Date: Saturday, September 5, 2009 Hotel Name: Renaissance Fort Lauderdale 1617 Southeast 17th Street Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316 954-626-1700 Your Offer Price: $59.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $59.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $14.43 Total Charges*: $73.43 Renaissance was what I was hoping for, the reviews look great and close to the port!

Don't I know it. I had a heck of a time getting my bid accepted for 3/7 - 3/11 and ended up splitting up my bid and booking the 7th separately. But I think some of the properties are beginning to realize they're going to have empty rooms, as the Hotwire prices had started coming down the last few days for the 7th. I got the 3* Harbor Court at the Embarcadero for $69 on the 7th on Priceline. Hotwire had what appeared to be the Harbor Court for $79. Various websites had the same hotel with two double beds for $87.20 for the same night.

I already had the Hotel Rex booked for this night for $95 but I religiously check rates on many websites each night to see if there are any specials or lower rates for any other hotels that I thought would be ok to stay in. I've noticed the last couple of nights that the rates on Hotwire have started coming down a little and tonight there was a 3.5* in the Embarcadero listed for $79. Based on the icons it was the Harbor Court. Earlier tonight I had also seen a special rate of $87 for the Harbor Court on several websites. So I thought I could likely get it for less on Priceline since that Hotel was listed on the Priceline list of winning bids. Started at $59 for a 3* in the Embarcadero Zone, hoping to get the Harbor Court - rejected Received a counter offer to increase my bid by $17 - I rejected the counter offer Added USW and increased to $67 - rejected Added USE and increased to $69 - Accepted Hotel Name: Harbor Court Hotel, A Kimpton Hotel 165 Steuart Street San Francisco, California 94105 Summary of Charges Your Offer Price: $69.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $69.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $18.09 Total Charges*: $87.09 I'm pleased that I did get the Harbor Court as I thought I might, it gets pretty good reviews on Tripadvisor. Granted we'll be there for just one night before transferring to the Parc 55 for the next three nights, but I'm as happy with having this place as I was with having the Rex originally. As some of you remember, the rates for my first night in San Francisco, March 7th, have been pretty high...thus the reason I had to split my bid. I used the PRICELINE link to start my bidding.

I've been curious about something and am wondering what your thoughts are. Does Priceline award different hotels in a particular zone for the same star level based on the amount of the bid? In other words, let's say someone made an initial bid of $80 for a 4* in the USW zone of San Francisco and it was accepted at the Parc 55. Then let's say someone else made an initial bid of $90 in the USW zone for the same date, location and star level, but that bid was accepted at the InterContinental. Is there any correlation to the dollar amount bid for a 4* and the hotel awarded? I've seen some people win the Le Meridien or the Palace (different zones, I know) for $89 which is higher than my win for the Parc 55 for $82. Had I bid $89 during my bidding, would I have been more likely to have won the Le Meridien or Palace? I hope this isn't a dumb question, but it's something that I've been curious about recently after seeing people's higher winning bids than mine, and that they've been awarded different hotels. At the same time, I've also seen winning bids at the Parc 55 for less than my winning bid, so I know it does of course have to do with availability on a particular date...or waiting until closer to departure to bid when they're scrambling to get rid of rooms.

Hey Beav, Where do you find such deals and discount codes? I searched the Expedia site just to see if I could find it to watch for future deals, but couldn't find a specific deal written out as you stated. Not saying it doesn't exist, but thought I might find a link or topic for an $83 sale at Le Meridien. Not finding it specifically.

Yea, I couldn't believe I found that rate for the Rex. I even emailed Hotelres.com to make sure it was legit since all other websites had the Rex for $199 that night. The woman said it was an exclusive rate they had with the Rex (I guess since Hotelres is a local Bay Area company). I called the Rex and confirmed they had my reservation, and asked her to confirm the rate. "$95", the reservationist said. I don't even think Hotwire can beat that rate that night, if the hotel I think I'm seeing on Hotwire is the Rex. And I thought the original $119 rate I had a few weeks ago, which was a 40% off rate, was good! I did check further dates and they have the same rate all days in March and all days in April. Not sure beyond that. I hadn't posted this information on this link for the 7th because it wasn't a Hotwire or Priceline win, so wasn't sure it would be appropriate. You must have found this info out from my other posting "More San Francisco Deals" on the Hotels link further down the homepage! Thanks for completing this thread!

Oh, but you see, that alone wasn't enough for Sheryl. I, too, was banned from B-F-T, likely because I usually forgot to user her link. I never once bellyached about something I was awarded on Priceline, never once asked for bidding assistance, never once indicated I was going to challenge anything. For years, I contributed my winning bids to her site. And then all of a sudden one day, I was banned without warning or explanation. She can keep it. I was mad at first but I'm over it now, especially since there are CIVIL, KIND, CARING human beings running this site. I will GLADLY make my winning bid contributions (although few and far between) here. Thank you BB!

I recently had to book a one night stay for March 7th in San Francisco because I could only get my price accepted if I dropped the 7th (got the 8th, 9th and 10th on Priceline) because of a convention in town. For the 7th, I came across and booked a phenomenal deal at the Hotel Rex on the Hotelres.com website. The rate for a Queen or King Deluxe room is $95 per night plus tax. ALL OTHER websites I've checked, including the Hotel Rex website, have the Rex for a minimum of $199 that night. I looked at the availability calendar on the Hotelres.com website for the Rex and the entire month of March showed $95 for a Queen or King Deluxe. I'm not sure of the price beyond March. The Rex seems like a very well-rated hotel according to Tripadvisor.com. I've also seen a promotional rate of $69 for the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway through Travelzoo.com. The date of March 7th that I input for my stay was available at that rate, but I didn't book it because it's further from BART and further to get to our Priceline hotel (the Parc55) the following day. I hope it was ok for me to post these deals here for others to see. To those of you who monitor and provide this site, thank you for a great resource!

Yes, I saw their offer to extend the stay by a day for the same price. I did click the button to do so, and indicated a one day earlier check-in date, but it came back and said they didn't have a room for that night...which I kind of figured they wouldn't since I was having such a hard time with my original bids with the check-in date of the 7th. Thanks for all the help guys. I'm a pretty well-versed Priceline user thanks to sites like this. I never used BB until I was banned from TOBB. I didn't know about it really. So glad there's an alternative for me to consult and post my bids to.

Been bidding the last few days to no avail. Finally decided to take the 7th off my request and bid with a check-in date of the 8th for 3 nights (thought I'd do the 7th separately, even if it means moving hotels, which we're fine with since I couldn't get my bids accepted for check-in beginning the 7th). Bid $75 for the Embarcadero zone - rejected added USE and $79 - rejected added USW and $82 - ACCEPTED Hotel is Parc55. Will book the 7th separately somewhere else since the rate at the Parc55 on the 7th is $329 (and that is a 40% discounted rate for that night!). Thanks for all your help, everyone! Oh...and I used the PRICELINE link!

Colfax, thanks so much for your breakdown of this, I really appreciate the time you spent to research and lay this all out for me. That's kind of what I suspected also, and am actually seeing when I do a conventional rate check on other websites for those nights. The first and/or second night I'm seeking is much higher than the remaining - like I said, I think there's a convention or something. At any rate, I'm going to keep trying for the 4* but will be very happy with what I've got reserved if it doesn't work out. As you implied and I've seen, there are MANY 4* properties that have less favorable reviews than the 3* Rex. I will let you know how it works out in the next month. Thanks again!

Thank you! I will definitely try to remember to post my bids through the PRICELINE link. I made a mistake in my title and couldn't fix it - we're really checking out on the 11th, so it's 4 nights. But just the same, it's a longer stay than just a night or two, so your assessment that longer stays are sometimes more costly probably still applies. I do check Hotwire, but rarely use them because, as you said, it has also been my experience that PRICELINE beats HOTWIRE. But it's good to know that my $89 bid was probably not far from a win. Yea, I knew the Rex was a 3*, but I'm not sure that I want to bid on anything less than 4* because in looking at the reviews on Tripadvisor for the 3* properties, some are listed way down on the popularity list - I don't want to risk getting one of those properties and being stuck with it. I was happy to find the Rex for the price I got, seeing the reviews on Tripadvisor. If I could bid and get the Rex, I'd be happy, but I know nothing is guaranteed. Although there are 4* in the SOMA zone, I have heard that the SOMA is a more questionable area as far as quality, safety, people on the street, etc. This may or may not be true, as I suppose any area in the city could be questionable. Thank you for your information, I'll continue to look around and try my PRICELINE bids - through the link on this site, of course!

I have been trying for weeks to secure a room on Priceline for a 4* property in San Francisco for 4 nights, checking in March 7th. My desired zone is the Embarcadero Area, but I'd also accept USE and USW. I've seen people post winning bids of $75 to $82 in the last few weeks, but I can't get my price accepted. Today I tried again for a 4*, and my sequence went like this: Embarcadero/$75 Add Fisherman's Wharf/$79 (free re-bid) Add USE/$79 Add USW/$79 Add Civic Center/$82 (free re-bid) Add Marina/$85 (free re-bid) Add South San Francisco/$89 (free re-bid) All rejected. I do think there is some sort of convention going on the first 2 or 3 days of my stay, so perhaps Priceline has no availability. Also, I don't really think I'm willing to bid the days separately, as I don't really want to have to change hotels during my stay should I be awarded different properties. But I'm wondering if the closer it gets to March 7th, maybe Priceline inventory might be freed up? Rates are kind of high at most of the more desirable hotels during the first couple days of my stay. I do have a cancellable back-up at the Hotel Rex for $118 per night - I'm glad I have that at this point! What might be your suggestion - keep trying and maybe the closer it gets, the better the chance? Thanks much!