ploughman

3.5* Sheraton Music City near BNA airport (McGavock Pike) 3 nights 12/31/10-1/3/11 $45 ($35+10/nt. Entertainment 2010 bonus cash). Got it on the first bid, so may actually be a bit lower. Priceline also added a $35.01 slug to the $105 out-of-pocket, and I gotta believe some $20 of it is their cut. My backup deal was likely a 2* like Crossland Briley for $140 a-i on entertainment.com with $50 rebatable, so I spent $50 extra over 3 days for a much nicer place.

Got this one on first try, so it might be possible to edge it lower.

2* Best Western Mardi Gras (Las Vegas convention center area) for $30/night ($20 + $10/nt. Entertainment PRICELINE bonus cash). Total out-of-pocket damage for the 3 nights: $79.32. Very beatable for weekdays, but this is a booking for a Friday/Saturday/Sunday, so I can't complain too much.

Dates were March 15-17 (i.e. nights of March 15, 16), so it was fairly short notice. I guess that had gotten truncated from the original title.

Very pleased with this one, as it came at the tail end of laddered bids adding zones, and I was down to 2-star-plus nearly areawide for $30/night + $10 Entertainment bonus cash, so it was great to get upgraded to 3*, even if out in the hinterlands. 2-day all-in total $77.24. Tough to get deals in FLL in March, so it was extra-nice.

Bif for one night (Sat. night) only. Previous bid at $28 for 2*+ in Boca was rejected. Added Deerfield & bumped to $30 and this one came up, Plaza Hotel & Suites. Am cautiously optimistic.

Got this one on the second bid at $34+5 bonus cash ($39) per night for the nights of 5/29 and 5/30 (a Friday and a Saturday). $84.94 all-in for both nights outside the $10 bonus cash. I think it's near the floor because a $32+5 bid for the same zone failed; I was sort of "aiming" for this hotel.

I think I'm at or near the floor based on the bid sequence to get there. It's a Saturday night.

Looked it up on Trip Advisor and the reviews aren't promising. Nothing like the feeling when you get a hotel via Priceline and then read TA headlines like "disgusting!" and "Worst motel in America"

Hopefully it'll be at least a little better than that. Good location, and I know about the mildewy-room syndrome you often get in Florida.

Could be there's some kind of event messing things up with rates. Prom season and graduation time can be a hazard there.

Amazingly, they even gave me a bay view room on the 7th floor for my stay at $46. Nice sunset views. I think all the nearby road construction is hurting them in the short term and may have a lot to do with the rate.

4* Grand Hyatt Tampa Westshore $46 4/17-4/19 (a Friday and a Saturday night). Got it on the second try after $43 rebuffed & I added Tampa North zone (both at 4* and higher).

I think this is only the second 4* I've ever landed through PL, the other being years ago in Singapore at a place I think was more like 3*.

This is my first post here! Am an experienced PL user, though, going back to 2000 or so. My forte is 2*-places with hopes for low $30s and even sometimes $20s. That very often means "extended stay" places if booked via PL, but those generally work out fine.

My usual MO for the TPA area is to try to get something like the ESA in Clearwater for high $20s or low $30s, but I'll sometimes try climbing the star-rating ladder (as here) if I see something ritzier going for low cost. Am definitely a budget traveler and tend to really bottom-fish.