hookedontravel

Thanks everyone

Update: We decided that due to the prohibitive prices, we would prefer to stay in the cheaper area of Petulama instead of Napa / Sonoma. Also, to avoid Flamingo Resort on PRICELINE, we decided to book our hotel through HOTWIRE as the prices were relatively decent and we were sure that we would be able to get Doubletree based on the amenities shown.

Results as follows:

$76 per night, 4* Santa Rosa - Rohnert Park - Petaluma

Hotel: Doubletree Sonoma Wine Country

Amenities: Fitness Centre, Pool, Restaurant, Business Centre, High Speed Internet

Note that this is different (order) frm the amenities listed on the Pinned HOTWIRE link to hotels in California. I was able to identify this hotel because another member has just updated his win on the forum. So you may want to list this as the alternative combination of amenities :)

We got the hotel room through your HOTWIRE link :) Thanks so much for everything

Thanks for the clarifications Colfax. After taking a reality check via your comments -sheepish-, I think realistically, our maximum budget for 1 night stay in Napa/Sonoma will be about $100. We are actually driving up from the coastal area to Napa and thought we would put up at night in Napa region. Our itinerary is pretty fixed and we are headed to SF after Napa so don't think we will want to stay in Fisherman Wharf that night although that was a great suggestion.

Like I mentioned, we are not too fussed about the areas that we are staying because we are not particular about our wines or the wineries we go to and are just looking to spend 1 nice night in wine country, to be able to experience the peaceful and serenity of the wine region. We will be driving up so I guess (and hope) that even if we don't stay in Napa/ Sonoma per se, we should be able to get around places in Napa / Sonoma easily (I hope we dont run into weekend traffic!). We don't mind 3* hotels for $100 (if at all possible).

What say you? Thanks in advance!

AaronJB: Thanks. Based on the past bids I see on this forum, I guess my max bid will be about $60 a night?

Gallus50: Thanks for the tips. I will look at the towns you have recommended. Given the 2 night stay policy in Napa over weekends, I guess I would be better off using PRICELINE than to source for deals on hotel websites.

Hi everyone

It is going to be my first time in Napa / Sonoma Valley and I am a bit befuddled by the areas listed by Priceline because they all look the same to me (Napa, Fairfield, Petulama). Which is the best area to stay in versus which is the most touristy area? (I heard that Sonoma Valley is actually nicer if you want to get away from the crowd.) I am not fussed about the type of wineries which we are close to - basically, we want a lovely place (3.5*-4*) for a one night out in the valley (If I may just add, we are honeymooners).

As usual, we will use the PRICELINE link to bid for the hotel as is what we have been doing with our other purchases :)

I would try as follows:

At the 4* level you have FOUR re-bid zones. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.

Select 4* USE...

Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $95

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

NOTE: there are others who know the area better than i do, and i don't know your plans to know why USE would be the best location for your nor have I looked to see if it is still offered, but if you haven't done so i'd look into the Le Meridien... just a few dollars over your budget, many of the reviews mention a great location, and it ranks 15th out of 250 hotels in the area based upon userfeedback... can't say it would work for your needs, but certain sounds like it has the makings of a 'great' hotel experience.

Thanks. I did a lone bidding round for 4* USE up to $95 as suggested and wasn't able to get any deals. So I decided to extend my options to 4* USW.

$70 USW, USE

$75 added Marina

$80 added Civic Centre

$85 added South SF

Accepted by Parc 55 hotel, which was good because it's a stone's throw away from Hertz rental counter. I used the PRICELINE link from this website. Thanks for all the help.

We would like to get ourselves as close to Union Square itself as possible (as far as our budget can take us that is). It would also help very much if we are close to a BART station or a cable car station. I know it sounds like I want everything but it's the last leg of our honeymoon and would like to end off in a great location, good hotel (without bursting our wallets :))

My current maximum bid for USE on Priceline is $95. About 1 month back, I went up to $100 and still didn't get a room. Should I wait for about another 2-3 weeks before I start bidding again (once again with a maximum bid of $95), or should I go low and start bidding at $70 upwards for USW? The reason why I am gunning hard for USE instead of USW is because I think some hotels in the USW region under Priceline can fall into the Nob Hill area, which is a bit too far for us (I understand this is clearly segregated in Hotwire but the rates in Hotwire are quite high too). Am I right to say that? If not, grateful for advice 'cos we have not been to SF.

I am looking at getting a 4* hotel hopefully in the USE area. I have tried bidding several times but have been unsuccessful (up to $100). Am I bidding too early? The hotwire rates for these dates are equally expensive.

If it gets too expensive, I won't mind looking at 4* hotels in the USW area.

$50 ($61.88 all in) for Travelodge.

Fitness Center

Pool(s)

Restaurant(s)

Laundry Facilities

High-speed Internet Access

Golf Nearby

Tennis Nearby

I have been trying to bid for 3.5* Monterey-Pacific Grove for the past 2 days without success.

FYI: My bids for have $75 80, 86, 90 but I have yet to nail the win. Bah. I am hoping for Casa Munra but I think Hyatt Regency has been popping up quite a bit based on past bids on betterbidding website.

Will update the board again if I nail the win. I was using the Betterbidding PRICELINE link. :)

Me too. I have been on the lookout for good deals on SF for USE and USW on Hotwire for a while for end May :) Not sure why SF is so expensive. PRICELINE is cheaper but I am particular about the hotel as it is our last stop on our honeymoon. Sigh.

Good for you. I managed to get a room one week earlier (May 17 to May 21) for the same price about a month ago. However, I wasn't able to get that price for another room now

Per my previous post, I didnt manage to book this in time. Finally settled down to it and to my dismay, I think Venetian is showing for the same dates. (We like hotels with slightly more modern decor and we have been to venice :)). Anyway I managed to locate a code for the BELLAGIO, which worked out to be $105 inclusive taxes per night for a deluxe room - real nice as Bellagio and Wynn were our top picks (except that I dont think Bellagio feature heavily on Hotwire/Priceline)!

For anyone who is interested, use code: BSPR25. 15% discount on reservations made 30 days prior to check-in. 20% discount on reservations made 31-60 days prior to check-in. 25% discount on reservations made 60+ days before check-in.

Go to Bellagio

Will continue to use this forum to book stays for the rest of my US-Canada trip :)

I was too busy to book the hotel and when I checked today the price on Hotwire went up from US$115 to US$133 per night, which was too steep for me because I am arriving past 9pm on 17 May 09.

So I decided to try my luck with Pricelink:

$65 - Downtown Vancouver - rejected

$75 - added North Vancouver - rejected

$85 - added Langley - rejected

$95 - added City Hall - Accepted for Westin Bayshore at Coal Harbour :)

And I used the betterbidding PRICELINE link for the win! :)

4-star hotel in Downtown Vancouver Entertainment District for $111

Travel dates - 5/17 to 5/20 for 2 adults

Suite

Smoke Free Rooms

Fitness Centre

Pool

Restaurant

Business Centre

High Speed Internet

Kitchenette

Based on another user's info (Vancouver Westin Grand) it appears that this is the Westin Grand. However what threw me off, was the fact that Tripadvisor states 160 reviews whereas Hotwire states 140+ customer review. Is it again a case of not being updated or is Hotwire trying to throw us off its scent?

Will definitely use the betterforbidding site to book :)

Hi, I am looking to book a room for 2 adults on 5/26 - 5/28 (2 nights) and my search revealed this:

5-star hotel in Central Strip

Casino

Fitness Centre

Pool

Restaurant

Business Centre

Golf Nearby

Tennis Nearby

Spa

Rated 4 out of 5 stars, based on 1520+ reviews last review since Feb 09 on Tripadvisor

I was kinda hoping this was the Wynn (or Venetian) but it appears not to be? Wynn on Tripadvisor has 1,556 reviews. Is it possible that they have not updated the Hotwire website?

Thanks!