Atko

Just to finish this thread off, in the end I decided that for that sort of money I couldn't take a gamble, as location was really important for me in London and I was preferring the Riverbank. Went with a deal on Hotels.com. They had a 48hr sale and I got the 5* Royal Horseguards Hotel in Westminster area at 40% off. Would have preferred HOTWIRE rates (as I paid a bit more than I wanted to) but I really wanted location, location, location in London and I needed to finalise a hotel. Thanks for your assistance and sorry I went with "the competition" on that one.

This one always appears on Hotwire amongst the Edinburgh (City Centre) hotels for about $91-$93. Ammenities are: Complimentary breakfast and internet. With those ammenities I'm presuming it's a Holiday Inn Express, of which there are 3 in Edinburgh: City Centre, Royal Mile, and Waterfront. Each have 4/5 T/A so even if that appears, it doesn't help. The matching hotels identified in your list of hotels are Royal Mile and Waterfront. I don't want to get Waterfront because I want to be in the city, so I would prefer either Royal Mile or City Centre. I think I can be pretty well guaranteed it's not Waterfront, because at $91 per night, after taxes that rate would be more expensive than booking directly with the Holiday Inn Express Waterfront themselves, and Hotwire have their "Lowest Price Guarantee". Do you agree, and if so, is it a 50/50 bet as to the two remaining ones, or is one more probable? At that Hotwire rate, I'm only saving $20 in total for the two nights if it's the Royal Mile which is hardly worth the exercise ... but I would be saving $100 if it's City Centre (compared to Holiday Inn Express prices) which is much more of bargain. Do Hotwire put up hotels where the saving is only a mere $20? If anyone has any experience with either, are both equally convenient and comparable if I got either, or is one better than the other? Thank you.

Thanks for that. Now I can stop wondering about those "Hotwire Reviews recommend" numbers too. I'm going to hold off booking just at this moment, and am just going to keep watching prices and other hotels for a while longer. London certainly isn't cheap!

This one appears to regularly come up, and at around this price for my dates, since I've been searching for a London hotel. Amenities are always: Restaurant, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Business. 4/5 T/A. This obviously matches both the Riverbank Park Plaza and the Victoria Park Plaza. Both hotels look great, and I probably wouldn't be disappointed with either, but I'd really prefer the Riverbank Park Plaza. I see both hotels have been won recently with these ammenities which doesn't help. HOTWIRE used to show the T/A rating out of a particular number of T/A reviews which helped. But I see they've stopped doing that since I last used HOTWIRE. Obvious question I know, but is there any other way of narrowing it down, or what's yours or anybody's best guess? Any help appreciated.

Amenities: Shuttle, Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Business. 3.5/5 - T/A. Thanks again guys! The hotel I wanted. It was just as per your hotel list. I used your HOTWIRE link to book. Once again thanks Better Bidding! What a fantastic resource!!!!!!!

Just received Four Points By Sheraton Brussels (Louise Avenue) for $70 per night 3/2/11-3/411. Thrilled. It was the one I was hoping for and a great bargain. Amenities shown were: Restaurant, Fitness, Business. 4/5 Trip Advisor. Just letting you know however that it is now on Hotwire as a 4* hotel, no longer 3.5* as in the Hotel list. I hope that info can help someone else too. PS Sorry guys that in my haste I failed to use your link. I haven't used Hotwire/Better Bidding for a while and am just reaquainting myself with it all. I had great succes with your help and Hotwire in the US, and am now using it for my England/Europe holiday and will use your link for my all my other bookings.

Our dates now appear firm for Washington (Space shuttle was indeed officially brought forward by a day today). We will be checking in on 13 May and checking out on 15 May (2 nights). Looking for 2 rooms, 3 adults total. I'd like to use PRICELINE as HOTWIRE looks just completely unaffordable. Can you suggest what and how I should bid to ensure I only get a hotel in either the Convention Center-Capitol Hill zone, or the White House-Downtown zone. Any hotel 3* or above would suit fine. Thanks yet again. (PS I'll miss not checking your site constantly once I've booked this last hotel - it's been quite good fun.)

Thereuare, Thanks for the alternate suggestion - definitely good for the price and do-able! But I checked out the size of the suites there however and they look just a bit too small for the 3 of us - will keep it in mind though if all else fails. It is the National Mall that we want to be near. Our dates may have just moved forward by a day because we are watching a Space Shuttle launch before we fly to Washington, and it looks like the launch may now be a day earlier, moving our whole stay in Washington one day earlier. I think the only way I'm going to be able to afford accomdoation in Washington is with PRICELINE (unless a much better HOTWIRE deal comes up in the meantime.) To close off this thread, can you please give me a rough idea of what you think I could successfully bid for up to about 3.5* to 4* for around our dates in Convention Centre - Capitol Hill, or White House - Downtown zones. (Sorry if this is broad question - I'm just trying to plan ahead and like I said I will probably only know our exact dates very close to the actual stay because they're subject to the Space Shuttle taking off.) Thanks. Atko.

PS If I tried PRICELINE instead to try to make the hotel a bit more affordable, which PRICELINE areas should I look at to again be close to the National Mall and Air and Space Museum, and what do you think I'd have to bid for around a 3 - 3.5 * hotel? A maximum I would want to pay would be about $120 p/n (this converts to $170 aussie dollars which seems really high just for a hotel room!). What would a bid up to that amount as a maxium get me in Washington do you think?

Hi again, Looking to book my last hotel for our around the US trip starting in a week. This time Washington DC. I'm trying to identify 2.5* (South of Mall) Amenities: Fitness Pool Restaurant Business High Speed Internet Golf Tennis T/A 3.5/5 100+ reviews 5/14-5/16 $151 I realise that this property is not yet positively identified (someone has previously asked about it) but I'm looking for a best guess. I'm thinking its CAPITOL SKYLINE HOTEL. Trip Advisor for Capitol Skyline currently shows 3/5 (not 3.5/5) from 100 reviews. The location matches, and Fitness, Pool, Restaurant, and Business Centre amenities match (though I can't find mention of Internet, Golf or Tennis as amenities). It's also in your list of HOTWIRE hotels as 2* with no amenities supplied by user. Couldn't find any other hotels on Trip Advisor that seem to match. I'm specifically looking for walking distance to the Air and Space Museum, so I believe I'm looking for South of Mall or White House Capitol Hill areas only. Prices seem extraordinarily high for my dates. The only hotels that seem remotely affordable in these areas are down around this star rating. Any idea why so expensive or is this typical for Washington (it's more than I paid for 4* Times Square hotel!) Am I looking in expensive areas - should I be looking further afield. We're only in Washington for 2 nights and just want to be relatively close to the National Mall and the Air and Space Museum in particular so we can make the most of our spare time when we're not on our tour. Thanks fior any advice you can give, Atko.

Thanks thereuare and dbeth, I've booked it as well and it is Palazzo. Really looking forward to 5* luxury for our Vegas stay. Once again your site has been invaluable (and it's great that other posters offer help as well! The Better Bidding community is a friendly lot). PS: Once again, I used your HOTWIRE link. Atko.

Dbeth, Thanks for your help and letting me know on my post that it was indeed Palazzo (it's a very friendly site this one!). I've followed your lead and booked as well. I reckon we've got a good deal for our dates. I've been checking constantly every day for the past month and prices seem to be pretty high for our dates specifically. While people may have got 5* hotels for less, I've discovered that HOTWIRE prices are very date specific and I read in one of someone else's posts where someone said that there is a convention co-inciding with our dates which might be pushing prices up. I'm just as thilled as you!!!! Have a great holiday. Thanks from down under. Atko.

Yellow dog, 'dbeth' and I just happened to both be asking about the same hotel at the same time :) . 'dbeth' read my post and confirmed on my post that the spa icon was indeed there as well under the show all amenities. Ive gone ahead now and booked it as well and also can confirm it's Palazzo. Very happy!!!! Atko.

Looking for your reassurance that this is Palazzo. Ammenities: Resort Suite Casino Fitness Pool Restaurant Business High Speed Internet Spa (No T/A rating) 5/16-5/18 $167 (Appears to be the same hotel that the previous poster 'dbeth' is looking at. 'dbeth' didn't mention the Spa icon but may have missed it because it appears after selecting "Show all Ammenities".) There would be 3 adults in total staying in the room. (I only get this hotel when entering 2 adults. If I enter 3 adults I instead get a match for Venetian wanting $269!) Am I right that this looks like a pretty good deal for a 5* suite? (I was originally looking for 2 separate normal hotel rooms at the 4* level, but at this price I would appear to be getting a 5* suite for less than some 4* rooms I've seen lately, plus we can all fit into the one suite instead of paying for 2 separate rooms). Do you agree that this would be the way to go. PS. After booking, can I ring the hotel and be upfront and tell them that there's three of us staying in the one suite so we don't have to pretend at check-in (because I'm with my elderly Mum and Dad). By telling them in advance that there's three of us, would we benefit at all by getting a suite that suits 3 people, or are they all just the same. Thanks again from down under.

Thanks Colfax and Galus50 for all your help again! Got the 3.5* Marriott Fishermans Wharf (2 rooms) for $85 on PRICELINE using your link, and my parents and I are thrilled. What a huge saving off the regular room rates!! 1st bid $65 for 3.5* Fishermans Wharf - rejected (Staring bid upped $10 from yesterday's attempt) 2nd bid $70 for 3.5* Fishermans Wharf and Civic Centre - rejected. 3rd bid $75 for 3.5* Fishermans Wharf and Civic Centre and Marina-Lombard Street - rejected. Instead of getting instant responses, I started to get messages saying it was still being processed and to click the button below for the status of my request. Got just a little bit lost here because I seemed to be waiting a lot and couldn't work out whether I should try again (because it told me not to) or continue waiting, and then I had trouble checking the status (translated - I didn't know what I was bloody doing!), so I finally threw in a bid at $85, adding South San Francisco, and immediately got a result that my offer was accepted for the Marriott! Out of interest I may well have got it for the $80 which is precisely what you suggested, but I don't mind at all - what's $5 with those sort of savings? I'm thrilled because like I said I haven't seen ANY 3.5* Fishermans Wharf hotels on HOTWIRE for a quite a while, the last being the HYATT way back on about March 27 for $125 p/n I believe from memory. As you said as well, I also ultimately got a 3.5* hotel for less than the 3* Holiday Inn on HOTWIRE. (Just Washington DC and Las Vegas to go now.) PS Thereuare - I'll be listening out for those 'singing' seals.

Sorry I said 72 hours, I meant 24 hours.

Colfax, Sorry if my question is stupid - just when I'd got the hang of HOTWIRE, now I'm a damn newb to PRICELINE. I bid like you suggested for a 3.5* Fisherman's Wharf hotel. First bid $55 - rejected. I then added a zone where there were no 3.5* hotels and increased the bid to $60 - rejected. I then added another zone where there were again no 3.5* hotels and increased the bid to $65 - rejected. I then added another zone where yet again there were no 3.5* hotels and increased the bid to $70 - rejected. Now what do I do as obviously it locks me out? Do I wait 72 hours and get another chance? If so what can I enter then seeing as I've run out of things to change?

Looking for a 3.5* hotel in Fisherman's Wharf, 5/18 - 5/21 (2 rooms/3 adults total) I haven't seen any of the three 3.5* Fisherman's Wharf hotels (Hilton, Hyatt, or Sheraton) come up lately in HOTWIRE for my fixed dates which are 5/18 - 5/21 (3 nights). I'm requiring 2 rooms for 3 adults in total. We leave Oz for the US in two weeks time and I'm trying to get our hotels booked before then. I see the 3* Holiday Inn all the time for around $86, but not the 3.5* hotels - any of which I think I'd be more than happy with. I check constantly throughout the day, and with all sorts of combinations of occupants, but with no luck. Can the gurus be of any help at all? I really only want to stay in the Fisherman's Wharf area. I've got the hang of HOTWIRE - but I have never tried PRICELINE and am completely unfamiliar with it. I see your advice to the last poster which is on a similar subject. Do I need to venture into PRICELINE to get a 3.5*? If so, would I still be likely to get Hilton, Hyatt or Sheraton on PRICELINE - and can you suggest a stratedy. I'd only venture into the unknown of PRICELINE if I was confident I was going to wind up with one of the these three, otherwise I may eventually take the 3* Holiday Inn so I at least know what I'm getting. All help appreciated!

Just booked 2 rooms, 2 nights (5/21 and 5/22), for $79 per room/per night and got Hyatt Regency! Thanks a million Yellowdog. I read the tip you gave to the last poster and it worked a gem! I originally searched for 2 rooms with 3 adults in total. It came up with a 3.5* with the following ammenities: Pool, Restaurant, Business Centre, Internet. These ammenities don't match any identified hotel. Using Yellowdog's great advice he gave a previous poster, I searched again for 2 rooms with 3 adults in total, but this time I added two "ficticious" children as well. It then came back with a different 3.5* hotel for the same price, this time with the following ammenities: Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Internet, Business, Golf and Tennis. T/A rating of 4/5 from 280 + reviews. Using your fantastic site this left me with no doubt that it was Hyatt Regency (The T/A rating obviosuly distinguished it from the Hilton which has the same ammenities). Thrilled!!!!! Thanks again for a great site and your excellent tips. I used your HOTWIRE link.

G'day again. Just finishing off this topic. I wound up taking a Travelzoo offer for a 4* hotel - the Millennium Broadway, TIMES SQUARE. ($169 for May 7,8,9 and $149 for May 10. The offer didn't originally include my first night, May 6, but I rang the hotel and they reduced their normal rate for that night down to $199 for me). Deal was for 2 Superior Rooms on the higher floors and works out to be $171 on average before taxes per night/per room. Did a lot of research mainly with the help of your site and this looked to be a good deal so I took it, but I will keep checking out your site between now and then and I can cancel if a better deal comes up on Hotwire which I'll book through your link. LA (which I booked through you) and NY done, now I've just got Orlando, Washington, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Anaheim to go! Thanks for your help so far - I check the posts everyday for those areas and it's all very helpful and interesting.

Will be staying in Orlando for 3 nights in May and am looking for 4 - 5 * accomodation. Will be booking two rooms (2 adults in one room, 1 adult in the other). What would be your best suggestions for particular hotels or areas to look at for quality/value? Our main reason to visit Orlando is to view a Space Shuttle launch set for that time. Possibly won't be going to theme parks at this stage, as we will be going to Disneyland and Universal in California. Just want really lovely accomodation. Thanks. Will be looking for a cancellable back-up as well if you can suggest any details available (due to possibly having to make changes to our itinerary if launch is delayed). Would consider any reasonable prices as it's only for 3 nights.

Thanks for your thoughts. Tough decision because it looked like a good deal, but you've convinced me to continue waiting for something else. If nothing else comes up between now and our trip and it's offered again I'll take it at the last moment for location, but at this stage I think I'll wait for a 4 star property to come down in price a bit as I think that's probably what I'm looking for. Also, I'm not actually looking for triple occupancy in each of the two rooms. There would be two people in one room, and me in the other room. Question - in the search details of HOTWIRE, I understand that entering one or two rooms can return different results, so I always do both each time. When I enter two rooms, how many adults should I enter? Is it asking how many PER ROOM, or is it asking how many IN TOTAL. When I enter two rooms, I change the number of adults from two to three (meaning three in total) or does it think like you have and think that means three adults PER ROOM?

3.5* Midtown Central - Sheraton Manhattan? 5/6 - 5/11 (5 nights) $119 2 rooms. 3 adults total. Smoke Free Fitness Restaurant Business Hi-speed Internet Trip Advisor rating 3 out of 5. 460+ reviews. Last reviewed March 2009. Looking for assurance that this is Sheraton Manhattan before committing. Am on a very special once-in-lifetime trip from Australia to the US with my parents and want to stay near Times Square in a nice hotel. Would appreciate your opinion on this deal and the standard of this hotel Thereuare (or any other helpful readers of this post!). I have read the mixed reviews on Trip Advisor, but I wonder if some people just too fussy and whinge? This would be the most I want to pay because with the exchange rate it equates to $200 AUD per night/per room with taxes included - which is at the top of our budget. My research on Better Bidding and Hotwire suggests $119 is roughly about the lowest I can expect the Sheraton Manhattan to go for so I'd appreciate any board members comments. Thanks from down under.

Thanks for asking, but I've checked out the Disneyland North hotels on the web and I think I prefer the hotels listed in Disneyland South. Sorry again about misreading the ammenities on this one - must have just got excited (I don't like wasting your time having to read and reply. I try and only post for the hotels I'm actually ready to commit on).

Two rooms. 3 adults total.