heinous

Hmm... I suppose that's possible... I don't know. Well, I've resigned myself to this bid, and my sister is being really nice and saying that she doesn't mind staying so far. :) I'll just be super super careful in the future and make sure I look over the contract page before I submit. :)

November 4-7 Bid on Palm Springs area. Bid $65 for 4*, rejected Added 3*, rejected Added 2.5*, increased bid to $80, accepted at the Residence Inn Palm Desert Here's a new hotel for the list!

$65 was my first bid for this trip. :) After looking around at different posts, that seemed like a safe bid. The room is for an engineer who's traveling to Ramsey and really wanted hi-speed internet in the room. We're on a tight budget, and Priceline came through! Thanks again to everyone here! And yes, I will drive for a long way to get good food. I always love going to those little local places that serve very regionally-specific food. :) It's a great joy in life. And I'll be back in Ramsey next week.

Oh, sorry! I always post the details of the bid after I'm done, but since this one was a mistake, I didn't. Here it is: November 4-7 Bid on Palm Springs area only. Bid $65 for 4*, rejected Added 3*, rejected Added 2.5*, increased bid to $80, accepted. However, it was accepted at the Residence Inn Palm Desert, which is in the other area! I don't know what to do about this... They sent me the contract page, but I could swear (and so can my sister, who was sitting next to me) that I did NOT check that box! :)

Stayed one night at the Hyatt Islandia on 10/30. First off, this is definitely NOT a 4* hotel, and Priceline should really change its rating on this one if it wants to keep an honest reputation. The hotel lobby is ok, but small and crowded. There's not much room around the front desk, so it crowds up quickly. The front desk staff were fine - there was no mention of Priceline. Actually, I called a few days ahead to make a room request, and they took the request without any mention of Priceline. They fulfilled my room request upon check-in, at no extra charge. So we got a Business Class room in the tower, with a balcony facing the harbor. The hotel looks older - there aren't the nice touches to the buildings and landscaping that you might expect to see from Hyatt. Lots of yellow and dried up palm trees around. The room is a decent size. The furnishings are strictly 3* stuff at best. The bathroom is fine - there's a tub with a shower and one sink. They provide soap, shampoo, and conditioner only. Since I had a business class room, I had a big work desk. The beds are fairly comfortable with nice pillows. The balcony is small, but quite private; you really have to lean over to see anyone else's balcony. Problems: 1) The bathroom doorknob was broken - my friend got trapped inside for a little while until we figured out how to get it open from outside and in. If he had been alone in the hotel room, he might have been stuck for a long time. 2) I was lying on the bed when I noticed a black thread right next to my arm. I picked it up, and it had a needle attached to it. I guess someone had been sewing on the bed before? Anyway, I barely missed getting stuck with it - dangerous, especially for kids. 3) We couldn't get the A/C working for a while - it's confusing. Then we got it going, but it never got really cold. 4) Parking lot is pretty small - when the hotel is busy, it's very difficult to find parking. We got back from dinner around 9:30pm, and we got the last spot. Overall: A decent place to stay if you want to be really close to Sea World. However, not a place to stay for a romantic or relaxing getaway. The overall feel of the place is a little bit run-down, and you get the feeling that the staff doesn't try that hard because they get all the Sea World traffic anyway.

Hi! OK, so yesterday, I bid on a hotel in Palm Springs, in the Palm Springs area only. But when my bid was accepted, it was in the Rancho Mirage/Palm Desert area! Now, I had considered adding this area as a free rebid zone for 4* but then I realized that it wouldn't work because of the Resort category. So I did NOT add this zone - I just added star categories and re-bid. When my accepted bid came up, I Backed up in my browser, and when I got to the request page, the Rancho Mirage zone was clearly NOT checked. I called the 800 number, and they said that I DID request it, and they sent me a copy of the contract page that I initialed. It's true that I may not have looked over the contract page that closely before I hit Submit, but I know for sure that I did NOT check the box on the request page for Palm Desert. The woman I talked to at Priceline was totally not helpful. She sent me the page, and said there's nothing that can be done, and hung up. Has this ever happened to anyone before? Is there anything I can do? I booked this for my sister, for a conference, and the hotel is 15 miles from where she needs to be. :)

By the way, this is a new hotel for the list! :) Oh, and THANK YOU to thereuare for the recommendation to Kinchley's Tavern. That was some awesome pizza! I went with a colleague, and we looooved it. Such a great little place to go, and so different from the places I usually end up when traveling. Thanks again, as always, for all your wonderful help and advice. It's so appreciated!

Got this on the first try! Pretty good rate for a Doubletree during the business week. And with free Wi-Fi access in the rooms! :) Thanks again for all the help from this board!!

Hi! Got this on our first bid! :)

Hi! Got a hotel! After looking at the list of 2* hotels, I decided to go down to 2* because the hotels listed were good properties. Here's my bid history! For 10/27, one night: Bid $40 for 3*, rejected Bid $42 for 3* and 2.5*, rejected Bid $45 for 3*, 2.5*, and 2*, accepted at 2* Days Inn. Internet rate for the Days Inn is $62.70, so this is a bit less. Total with taxes and fees is $58.01. I probably could have gotten it for less, but I'm not very good at bidding. :)

Hi! Need help with a bid for one night, Windsor area only, 10/27-10/28. I only want 3*, 2.5* at the lowest. Any advice? Looks like $35 is about right? Thanks! :)

Hi! Just wanted to post my unsuccessful bids. :) I bid on 10/16 for a hotel for 10/20-10/22, in the Mahwah-Ramsey-Allendale area only: Bid $45 for 3*, rejected Bid $37 for 2.5*, rejected Bid $30 for 2*, rejected. I tried to bid again today, but it wouldn't let me, saying that I had to wait 72 hours. Today should be 72 hours, right? Thanks for your help, though! I will definitely try the pizza place and the Chinese buffet. :)

Either is fine... the Wellesley Inn is ok, but slightly depressing. But I'd still stay somewhere equivalent for less. But I guess I'd rather get something better for the same price. Thanks for the restaurant tip! I'm a food lover, and I can never find anywhere to eat! I don't know the area well, so all I can find are the chain restaurants on the highway. I'll definitely check it out next month! Oh, also off topic... I stopped by Bottle King last time I was there. It looked (and sounded) from the street like a low-rent liquor store, but I was so pleasantly surprised! It was a really lovely wine shop with a great cheese counter and a lot of interesting bottles. That was a great find right on the highway. Thanks for your help! :)

Hi! I've been loving Priceline (and this board) so much lately that I thought I'd try bidding for my hotel on my regular trips to Ramsey for business. I normally stay at the Wellesley Inn in Ramsey, and I get an Entertainment rate of $50. I don't know if I can beat this using Priceline, but if I can get something a little better for the price (like with high-speed internet), then it would be great. I do want to stay in the Ramsey area since I'm there to meet with a company located in Ramsey, but I will have a car, so I can drive a few miles. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

The Hollywood Roosevelt is newly renovated, and the decor is upscale and modern, with an Asian twist to it. Some people don't like the new look, but the hotel now caters to a young and trendy crowd who will appreciate it. The valet parking service is $18/day with in and out privileges. The service was professional and quick, and the valets gave us helpful directions also. Front desk staff were very courteous and professional, no mention of Priceline. We requested a non-smoking room with two double beds, and we got it with no problem. When we had air conditioning problems at 2:30am, they sent someone up within five minutes to adjust it. He was in and out in a minute, was very polite, and didn't stick around for a tip. We had a room with 2 double beds (#828), and it was roomy enough for four people. The furniture is new and sleek. The mattresses themselves were old, and we could feel the springs throughout, but the bed linens are fine. The TV is a good size, there is a mini-bar with the normal ridiculous prices, and there is also a little CD stereo which is a nice touch. The bathroom is smallish, but sufficient. There's a big shower, but no tub. The shower drained a bit slowly. The Davies Gate shampoos and soaps are great - much better than typical hotel stuff. There were Q-tips, a magnifying make-up mirror, and a hair dryer. The location of the hotel is great for visiting Hollywood and West Hollywood. It's right across from the Chinese Theater and the Hollywood and Highland complex, so there's plenty to do and see around there. If you drive, the neighborhood is fine as the driveway for the hotel is enclosed and private. If you walk, you might see some homeless people, but the area is pretty busy at all times, and you won't be bothered much. The pool was under renovation when we were there, but we didn't need it anyway. We enjoyed our stay thoroughly, and we would definitely go back. It's a fun, classy place, and while it is a quiet hotel overall, we weren't frowned upon at all when we got back late, some of us very unsteady on our feet. However, it is an older property, so the room sizes and features may vary a great deal. Be sure to request what you want early on.

Back from the Hollywood Roosevelt, and we loved it! It has been very recenetly renovated, and I know some people take exception to the modernized look of it since it's supposed to be a hotel with history. However, we really enjoyed the new decor - it is tastefully done, and it gives the hotel an upscale feel. I called early to request a non-smoking room with two double beds, and they fulfilled our request with no trouble. The room was a good size, nicely furnished. The bathroom was a bit small, but sufficient, and again, nicely done with new fixtures and good little amenities. The beds themselves were not of good quality - the linens were fine, but we could feel the springs through the mattresses. Perhaps they haven't updated those yet. The location of the hotel is great - right across from the Chinese theater and very convenient to Hollywood and West Hollywood. The valet service ($18/day) was quick and good-looking to boot. :) Front desk was very pleasant and professional. We had trouble with our air-conditioning at 2:30am, and they sent someone up within 5 minutes to adjust it. Overall, a lovely and professional hotel. We even met some people in the elevator who had just been married there. We would stay there again in a heartbeat. Thanks again to everyone who helped with this bid! This is the greatest board ever! PS - Didn't see any ghosts... :)

Done! We bid $100 for Hollywood and were accepted at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. I've heard pretty mixed reviews about this place, so I have my fingers crossed! From what I can tell, this is a pretty high bid for a 3* in Hollywood, but this is a really congested weekend. I actually saw this hotel on HotelKingdom.com for $101. :) Here's another hotel to add to your list for Hollywood too. I'll be sure to post a review afterwards. Thanks again to everyone for all their help! :)

Got the Hyatt Regency Orange County for $28/night! :) First bid $25 for 3* in Disneyland area only, rejected. Free re-bid adding Seal Beach area, increased bid to $28. Accepted! Thank you to everyone on this board for all your helpful posts! That's how I knew what to do!! PS - I was offered a "one-time opportunity" to re-bid for the Disneyland area only if I increased my bid by $6. I decided not to do it - just used the free re-bids. I'm glad I didn't!

OK, I just found out why everything's sold out. The Emmy's are in Hollywood on Sunday, 9/19. So for everyone who might be striking out on bids, that might be why.

Thanks for the tip, Cheezhead! That's too bad - it's a nice place. Incidentally, the girl who I'm staying with is also a Cheezhead. Everyone calls her Cheez - I didn't even know her real name for years. :)

Well, I just made a $116 reservation at the Holiday Inn Hollywood, which is a 3* Priceline property for the Hollywood area. So I guess that's my alternative. I was thinking about bidding $89 in Hollywood only, and if I get rejected, adding WH/BH and trying $75. What do you think? Thanks again for your help!

I don't know... cry? :) Well, do you think that I should try for more? I guess there isn't much information for the Hollywood area except for Cheezehead's friend's bid. Do Saturday night check-ins usually cost more? This is a hotel just for a fun night out, so we didn't want to spend that much. Thanks again for everyone's help!

OK, I did all of the above and got rejected. :) My friend (who's staying with me) then tried to bid just in the Hollywood zone at $85 for 3*, but she was also rejected. We don't want to bid more than $80 in the BH/WH area because we're afraid of getting the Doubletree Westwood, which is too far from where we'll be. I have one more friend who can bid for me... what should I do? $89 in Hollywood only? Thanks for your help!!

So are you allowed to have 4 people in a Priceline room? Do they charge extra? I'm willing to bid in both the Hollywood and WH/BH areas. I'm looking for a 3* or 4*, maximum price of $70. I've seen a lot of people get the Hyatt West Hollywood for around $55, and that's my goal. Thanks for the help! Christine

Thanks for the info! Is that the Renaissance at Hollywood & Highland? That's a nice property - I'm surprised it's rated 3*. OK... So I need a room with 2 double beds, for one night, 9/18. I want to be in Hollywood or West Hollywood. Can anyone advise me on a bidding strategy? I'm such a newbie. :) Thank you!