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One more thing - if you do end up staying at the Imperial Palace, the self-parking lot is terrrrrible. You'll have to walk 15 minutes to get to the hotel, and you may have a hard time finding your way back. Use the valet parking if you can - it's worth it! Oh, one more thing... since you're driving back and forth to LA - if you get hungry, stop at the Mad Greek in Baker. It's a really campy, fun little place with great Greek food and fresh fruit shakes. They also have burgers, fries, quesadillas, a bunch of other stuff... it's a must stop for me and my friends every time we go to Vegas (3 times in January!). :)

Hi! I've stayed at the Barbary Coast a few times, and it really isn't bad! It doesn't look all that grand from the outside, and it is a small property, but the rooms are very clean and comfortable, and they're quite nicely decorated. Last time I stayed there, they upgraded us to a suite for no reason, and that was very nice. The furnishings are all new and comfy. I've stayed at the Imperial Palace a lot, and it's decent, but the Barbary Coast is actually much nicer. I haven't stayed at the Casino Royale, but I'm going to guess that it's not so hot. I'd recommend sticking with the Barbary Coast, and ask to see if an upgrade is available when you check in - I've heard of other people getting upgraded too. The location is unbeatable, and it's a fun little casino. By the way, I don't know if I'm supposed to talk about other websites here, but www.cheapovegas.com has hilarious and very accurate reviews of all the hotels on the Strip and downtown. :) Have fun in Vegas!

Followed up! Sorry about that... I went ahead and tried bidding today because I wanted to have 72 hours to try again if I didn't get it. I didn't get it. Here's what I tried: Bid $38 for 3*, rejected. Added re-bid zone, increased to $40, rejected. Bix $38 for 2.5*, rejected. Any advice?

Hi! We're staying just one night, May 14th. We've booked 2 2-bedroom apartments at the Best Western Encina Lodge & Suites. It should be perfect for our group! It's a few minutes from downtown and from the beach, and the AAA rate was only $215, which is great since each apartment will sleep 6 comfortably. Thanks for your help!

Oops! Sorry for not following up! I checked out the reviews on the Best Western, and I decided not to go with that. I'm familiar with the convention center area, and there's not much going on there - it gets pretty desolate at night. I did follow the bidding strategy up to $80, but then I ended up going with my backup at the Ramada Inn Eastside. The AAA rate was $80.99, and the reviews were all strong. It's a nice little place - very clean with wireless internet access.

Hi! I need help with a bidding strategy for a 2.5* or higher property in the San Mateo area for February 9, for one night. I need 3 rooms for that night. Ideally, I'd like the price to be under $40/room. Thank you!!

We're looking for a 3* or higher, preferably a place with large suites, since there will be 10 of us, and we'd like to stay together. Being close to downtown would be nice, but by the beach would be nice too. Thanks!

Hi! I tried to look into bidding in Santa Barbara proper (not Goleta or Santa Ynez), but I can't check the box next to Santa Barbara - it's greyed out, not matter what dates I choose. Does Priceline not offer hotels in this area anymore? I'm going for one night with a group of girls for a bachelorette party. We want to stay near State Street, since that's where all the clubs are. Anyone familiar with the area? Can you suggest a place to stay?

I agree - between the two, I'd definitely go for the Mandalay Bay. That's a great property, and that's a really great rate. The Bellagio is pretty nice and all, but nothing that special. The Mandalay is sort of far down the Strip, but the new monorails are running now.

OK, I looked at the hotel list, and I'd be fine with the 2.5* Courtyard or Club Quarters. :)

Hi! So I'm taking a last-minute trip to NYC tomorrow and I need a place to stay for the night. I pretty much don't care where in Manhattan it is, as long as it's not in a scary or very outlying area. I'd prefer a 3* or up because anything lower in NYC tends to be pretty bad. I'd like this to be as inexpensive as possible. I found some decent-seeming backups for about $99, but can I save more? I've never bid in Manhattan, and I only have one chance! What's my winning strategy? :)

Hi! Finally booked the hotel. Looks like rates went down this week. Bid $45 on a 2.5* hotel, Palm Desert area only, rejected. Added Palm Springs area, bid $50, accepted: Courtyard By Marriott Palm Springs Your Offer Price: $50.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $50.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $13.03 Total Charges: $63.03 Best web rate is $149, so this is a nice deal. I actually wanted the Courtyard Palm Desert, and I was hoping that I'd get it because the rate was lower there ($129). But oh well! Just have to get up 20 minutes earlier. :)

Hi! Yes, the Hilton group (www.hgvc.com) has a property on the big island at Waikoloa. I haven't stayed there, but I hear very good things about it. I've stayed at many of the Hilton HGVC properties, and they are all up to, or exceed, the Hilton standard.

Hi! I've stayed in condos and hotels in Waikiki all my life. Many of the mega-resorts on Oahu now have a timeshare condo property right on-site. I stayed in a condo in the Hilton Hawaiian Village, and I had access to all the resort amenities. If was a great balance. I loved having the condo; my sister and I shared with my parents. We had separate bedrooms, but one common area to have family time. We loved having a living room with a big TV and DVD, and having the full kitchen and dining are were great. We always had cold drinks on hand, and we could whip up breakfast and snacks for the whole family without having to spend major money on bad resort food. You can save a lot of money with that kitchen, especially with 3 kids. Check out www.hgvc.com (Hilton) and www.vacationclub.com (Marriott). In my experience, these condos are new and very well furnished. They can be booked directly through the chain (or you can find owners who want to sell their time), and you won't have to sit through the sales pitch. However, if you don't mind spending the hour to do that, you could save lots of money. FYI, the Moana Surfrider is beautiful (have brunch on the veranda!), but it is an older hotel, so be sure of which room you're getting. I've known many people who have gotten tiny, older rooms with no view, whereas others have much nicer, newer rooms. Have fun!

Hi! I just wanted to add my two cents on Vegas - I'm a frequent Vegas traveler. In fact, I'm leaving next week to spent New Year's there again! I can't wait! The Luxor is a good place - the tower rooms are better and newer. People like the pyramid rooms for the novelty of being in the pyramid, going up the diagonal elevators, and having one side of your room slanted because of the pyramid shape. The spa is quite large and well-equipped on the women's side, so it's a nice place to hang out even if you don't get a treatment. However, don't consider the King Tut museum when comparing packages. It's sort of interesting, but extremely small. It really depends on what you're looking for out of your Vegas experience. If you want the whole mega-resort thing, then Luxor is a nice-ish one, with cool themed pool areas. But I wouldn't call it mega-luxury unless you get one of their nicer suites. If you're just looking for a cheap place to stay, then Imperial Palace is right in the middle of everything and reasonably priced. I am personally a big IP fan because of its location and price - but I go to Vegas all the time and am done with the big resort stuff. I just need a place to sleep for a few hours. The IP is not attractive or impressive, the pool area is small and silly, and the service isn't great. I also used to be an event planner and booked rooms during Vegas conventions. My best advice is to not book anything un-cancellable now unless it's a ridiculously good deal. The week before the convention, prices usually drop because no matter how big the convention, there are more rooms in Vegas than can be filled. Looking at your itinerary, you're only spending 2 separate nights in Vegas. I'd suggest that, especially since it's for a special occasion, you find something you really like on the Strip. The Golden Nugget is fine - it's the nicest place downtown, but downtown Las Vegas isn't necessary to see. It's not what you'd think of when you think of Vegas. They've improved it quite a bit and it is much safer at night now, but if it's your first time to the area, driving around and figuring out the parking there can be a bit of a hassle, especially since you're arriving so late. The Fremont Street Experience is ok - it's just a flashy light show. There are better free shows at the Bellagio and Treasure Island. Also, downtown is a 15-20 minute drive north from the Strip, and the airport is just south of the Strip. The Strip will be crowded, but it's just one long street, so you won't get lost. Plus, there's just nothing like driving up the Strip at night for that Vegas experience. You should be able to find something on the strip for around $169. Once you get to your hotel, you won't want to take your car out again until you leave. Once you're on the Strip, pretty much everything is walking distance or a very cheap cab ride. Cab ride between the Strip and downtown is probably around $20. OK! That's my 2 cents! More like 200! :)

Hi! Didn't win yet, but wanted to post my bidding history: Bid $65 for Resort in Rancho Mirage, rejected Added Palm Springs, rejected Bid $65 for 4* (includes Resorts) in Palm Springs, rejected Added Rancho Mirage, raised to $68, rejected Bid $45 for 2.5* in Rancho Mirage, rejected Added Palm Springs, rejected. Any suggestions? I know I have a few more bids lefts before the 1st. Will the prices go down closer to my date?

I'm looking for a room for a friend. He has a wedding to attend on the morning of the 2nd, so he just needs a place to stay on the night of the 1st. The wedding is at the Marriott Desert Springs hotel, which is in Palm Desert, so he definitely wants to stay in that area. I showed him the hotel list, and he wants to stay in the 2.5* range in terms of type of hotel. Cheapest possible price is the objective, since he'll just have paid an ungodly amount to stay in Vegas for NYE. I figure, since there's plenty of time, I can just start bidding now at the price I want and see what happens. Any advice?

Wow! Congratulations to thereuare, and all my best to your family! My sister is checking into the hospital tonight, and by tomorrow, I'll be an aunt for the first time! I hope that we will be as fortunate as you to have such a lovely, healthy baby! Congrats again!

Hi! I'm looking for a room for one night in the Palm Desert/Rancho Mirage area only. Cannot accept Palm Springs. For some reason, rooms are extremely expensive for that night. Is Palm Desert a big New Year's hotspot? For example, the Residence Inn PD is showing as $219/night. What should I expect to bid? Since I have the whole month, should I just start trying now? Thanks!

:) Thumbs up on the chicken parm hero!! That was definitely worth the trip. I probably didn't need to get the large, but I ate it all anyway! They use good bread and they toast it in the oven so it gets all nice and crispy. They put in plenty of chicken and cheese. Very yummy! The large is pretty big, and it's only $6. Thanks again to thereuare for the recommendation!

OK, I bid again today. I couldn't bring myself to raise the bids because my backup at the Wellesley Inn is just such a good deal. Bid $55 for 3*, rejected Bid $50 for 2.5*, rejected Bid $30 for 2*, rejected My cancellable backup at the Wellesley Inn is the Entertainment rate of $49/night, which totals to $111 with taxes. That's equivalent to a $45 Priceline bid. It's not the nicest place, but it's clean, and the breakfast is pretty good. It's a good deal for anyone who might be looking for a place in this area and can't get a Priceline deal. I'm planning to go for the chicken parm! :) I've never had one, so I'm intrigued. Thanks again to everyone here!

I agree that in general, the books aren't worth as much as they used to be, but I always get my investment back just using the discount movie coupons. The Regal Theaters coupons were for $5.50 movie tickets last year, which is a good $4 off every I go to the movies. The hotels discounts are hard to get in general, but the Wellesley Inn line does honor it, so I get at least $50 off per night when I stay there. I have used the car rental coupons to good advantage as well. I got my for $15 this year, and I'll definitely get my money's worth. Thanks for the tip on the Chicago Hyatt! I'll have to try that! :)

Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions! I usually find better prices on Priceline, so sometimes I forget about Hotwire, but I'll check those out. I did look into the Radisson Paramus - it shows that it's 20 minutes from where I need to be. That's still a little far for me in the mornings - I'm not a morning person. Thanks for the suggestion though! It does look like a great place. I'll let you know what I end up doing! Thanks again to everyone!

Hmm... looks like a nice place - and they have hi-speed internet! :) But I think it's a bit far for me to go. I have early meetings, and I tend to run late in the mornings because I'm on Pacific time. I think I'll shoot for the Doubletree Mahwah or the Residence Inn Saddle River. By the way - I posted the Doubletree Mahwah win last week - did you add it to the list? Thanks again for all your help! You're great! :)

Hi! So I'm bidding for Ramsey again. Just tried: November 8-10 Bid $55 for 3*, rejected (PL offered to let me add $15 and rebid same zone, but I declined) Bid $50 for 2.5*, rejected I can wait 72 hours to bid again. Any suggestions?