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There is also a home Steeler game on 12/6, so it will be probably be difficult to get a good price for a downtown hotel that weekend; Springhill Suites is closest to Stadium - adjacant to PNC Park & within walking distance of Heinz Field - but it is not on the reported list of Priceline hotels; Sheraton is not in downtown, but is in the Priceline downtown zone - it is across the river from downtown - but there is a boat dock close to hotel where there are riverboat shuttles to the Stadiums via the Gateway Clipper fleet; if you have a car, you may want to consider the Greentree zone as an alternative - within several miles of downtown and Heinz Field, and easy access via the Parkway West through the Fort Pitt Tunnels.

Since HOTWIRE will only show 1 listing for certain star level hotel in each zone, it is possible that another 3* hotel in that Universal zone is offering a better rate than Hyatt Place. Or the Hyatt Place may not have the need to place any rooms for your dates to HOTWIRE, at least at this time. I think its best to just monitor the Hotwire listing as they can change. I know for my short stay in January 10' I believe the Hyatt Place Universal is available, but it was not a while back. Also, the Hyatt Place at the Convention Center (SeaWorld Zone) I believe was previously available, but now there is another 3* hotel listing in that zone. If you mean the Christmas Holiday season in Dec 10', you have a long time to check the listings and hopefully the Hyatt Place will appear at some time for you at a good price.

Update - bid on Priceline last night up $ 18 (or approx $224.00) total, and not accepted. The Hotwire Price had rose to $ 282.00 yesterday, but when I check this morning it was down to $ 237.00. I re-checked Budget and the price for Intermediate Car had dropped from $ 363.00 to $ 257.00. I made new reservation with Budget, and canceled the previous one. I am still hoping to get in the $ 200.00 range and/or change the car from intermediate to standard or full-size. Budget prices for cars larger than an intermediate were in the neighborhood of $ 400.00 and higher. I will still monitor prices, and if possible make the purchase through this sites links to PRICELINE or HOTWIRE.

Rooms should be tight for that weekend because of a Steeler Home Game and Pitt's Homecoming Weekend. There are no HOTWIRE listings for those dates. If you can get a 3* or above on PRICELINE, it may be tough to get a good deal. There are only 3 listings for hotels in Cranberry zone on this board, one of which is a 3* - the Hyatt Place. I would suspect the 3.5* that is reflected on PRICELINE for your dates - but not reported here - may be the Marriott, which is a newer hotel. I have been there for daily conferences, but never stayed there. Seems like a very nice hotel, but I was never in the rooms. The Four Points, which is reported as 2.5*, is a large hotel. It has been there for a while - I also been there for daily conferences, but never stayed there. Somewhat surprised it is a 2.5* rather than a 3*, but maybe the rooms need refurbished.

I need an 8 day rental in mid-January (16th thru 24th); currently have a reservation for a mid-size car through Budget at $363 which I made a month ago, and at that time HOTWIRE was basically the same price; recently noticed that HOTWIRE now has as a price at $ 263 (or about $ 23.00 a day); I thought this might be a good time to bid on Priceline (although since I am 3 months from travel, I am a bit concerned an Airline may change a flight time); I tried some bids unsuccessfully on PRICELINE over the weekend between $10 and $ 15 (Priceline was recommending I bid in the $18 to $ 21 range, depending on the size of car and date I was bidding); a $ 15.00 dollar bid would have taken me to around $ 200 total; I have not obtained a car rental on HOTWIRE or PRICELINE before and was not really expecting to get a good deal until about a month to 2 weeks before travel; any recommendations on whether I should wait until shortly before travel or increase my bids on Priceline at this time until I get up to the Hotwire Price; is it common to get a good price on a car this far before your travel date?

There was more recent reported win for the Rosen Shingle Creek for the dates of 10/2 to 10/4 at $ 70.00, on Priceline for a 4*. It looks like the win was reported post-stay on 10/8.

Congratulations - looks like this hotel is great recent addition to the Priceline hotels in the Lake Buena Vista-Downtown Disney zone, and the price is great for a 3-1/2* in that area. If you get a chance, let us know what the hotel is like when you get back. Have a great trip.

Part of a week long trip, which will include a 1-1/2 days in Orlando before a 3 day Disney Cruise on 1/21. I believe the Westin appeared on Hotwire for my trip several days ago at prices between $69 and $72. I had been bidding unsuccessfully on Priceline for a 3-1/2* in the DTD-LBV zone and also for a 4*in the Universal-SeaWorld zone on a number of occasions before today. Started bidding today at $ 45.00, and increased in increments of $3 or $ 4. The $ 61.00 was going to be my last bid today - I believe it was my 6th bid using the re-bid zones. The location should suit our needs - probably going to DTD on first night, then the 2nd day will be either SeaWorld or Universal. There is a $ 18.00 mandatory valet parking fee at this hotel, but still happy with the price for a 4*. Used the PRICELINE link on this site for the bid.

Greentree Radisson has quick access to Parkway West and very close to Downtown Pittsburgh through the Fort Pitt Tunnels. If driving during rush hour driving times (especially in the early AM going to Downtown), give yourself plenty of time as the traffic will move very slowly on the Parkway even though you are traveling a short distance.

The Hilton Convention Center looks like a new hotel that was just scheduled to open in August, 2009.

1st attempted yesterday at $ 40.00, then $ 45.00 (only 1 re-bid zone available); starting bidding today at $ 50 & was accepted. Happy with results - was hoping for either Residence Inn or Courtyard. Trip is just for quick visit to the campus with the family. I do not think much is going on sports-wise that weekend. Total cost was $ 62.03. Lowest rate on the hotel's web site for that night was $ 119.00.

I would check the Hotwire rates - that may give an indication of what type of demand there is for hotel rooms that weekend for making a starting bid on Priceline. The Penguin game should not have big effect on hotel rooms other than the visting team & personnel traveling with the team. The Steeler game probably will. Is there any other areas you can stay other than Downtown? Oakland may be an alternative for you even if you do not have a car. There is public transportation by bus from Oakland to Downtown, and it is a relatively short distance away.

Hotwire listings will not indicate whether the hotel has shuttle service to the theme parks; best you can do is identify hotel(s) through the hotel listings on this site or this board, and then call that hotel to see if they provide shuttle service and if the frequency of the shuttle service will meet your needs; majority of hotels in the Seaworld-I-Drive South zone are around the Convention Center, which is about a 1 to 2 miles North of Seaworld; the Comfort Suites matched above is on Turkey Lake Road; Turkey Lake Road runs parallel to I-4 & is on the other side of I-4 from International Drive and Universal Blvd., where the majority of hotels are located; if you will not have a car, one concern with this hotel may be whether there are restaurants within walking distance; if you call the hotel, I would also ask what is within walking distance. Good luck with finding a hotel that meets your needs and budget.

I hope the Best Western Airport works out for you - I am not familiar with it, but it may make we wonder that it is a 3* and the Amerisuites NE in the same Airport Zone which another poster reported as a win yesterday was a 2-1/2*

I think trying to target any hotel on PRICELINE is very difficult. Since the Courtyard in West Homestead has not been reported on Betterbidding, it is even more of risk in that you can not be sure if this hotel has ever been available through PRICELINE. THe only thing in your favor is that is an area in which there are not that many hotels. However, the way Priceline has defined the zone it is not possible to bid on a West Homestead hotel to the exclusion of the West Mifflin hotels since both areas are placed in the same bidding zone.

My guess would be the Crown Plaza in Bethel Park by the South HIlls Village Mall. I do not think any of the hotels in the West Mifflin Area - SpringHill Suites, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Inn & Extended Stay America could be a 3-1/2*.

I was checking Priceline zones in Orlando for my trip in January - it looks like the WDW zone has been split into Maingate-Celebration zone and a Downtown Diseny/LakeBuena Vista zone. THis may make it a bit easier bidding - especially in the resort level.

The Springhill is likely the best bet in this area. There is also a Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn and Extended Stay America, all within a 1/4 mile of each other. All of these hotels are relatively new, with the SpringHill probably being the newest. There is also a Holiday Inn Express about 2 miles further down the road from these 4 hotels. I believe the HIE opened most recently, but it was not a new building - was a hotel a long time ago, then transferred into a personal care home and then to the Holiday Inn Express. I have never been in it, so I cann't comment on what it is like. The West Homestead part of this area is about a 15 minute drive from the other hotels - there is a Courtyard there, which is the only hotel I can think of in that area. The Springhill is the only reported hotel in this zone, but there may be others available on PRICELINE. There is always a risk you will get a hotel other than the one you are hoping to get.

I think it is possible to get a good deal this far out, but more likely closer to your travel date. When I run my dates in mid-January for Orlando on HOTWIRE (compared to running dates for October, November & December), I see less total hotel listings, there is not a listing for the primary star level and zone I am interested and prices for some hotels I believe I have identified for January compared to the other earlier months are much higher. However, I do see some good deals - but mainly at the 3* and lower ratings. I have made some unsuccessful bids on Priceline in the WDW zone for my dates in the price ranges I have seen for other successful bids on this board and have not even obtained a counteroffer at this point. For a couple overnight stays I have in early October in Cincinnati and Columbus, I did make bids on PRICELINE in late July and mid-August respectively, and I feel I got pretty good prices in both instances. I have also not noticed any significant changes in the Hotwire prices for these stays from when I made the succesful bids on Priceline compared to now (I am about 2-1/2 to 3 weeks outs from these overnight stays). Although after I made the succesful bid on Priceline for the Columbus overnight stay, I did notice that a listing I was looking at on Hotwire did drop about $15. It is still $6 higher than my Priceline bid, but it is a hotel (if I have identified properly) I would have preferred to the one I won on PRICELINE. I do not think it hurts to look early on HOTWIRE or make bids on PRICELINE early at a price you would be happy, but I think for my Orlando trip I am still a little too far away to get the deal I am hoping I will get.

It is on I-Drive about 2 or 3 miles South of SeaWorld, close to Sheraton Vistana Villages. I recall driving by it in June. It looked very nice from the outside - a smaller size hotel than many of the hotels in Orlando, and it is located on quiet area of I-Drive but close to Disney and SeaWorld.

The Radisson seems like your best deal - if you are still going to Universal it is a little further to Universal than the others, but close to Disney. Sheraton Safari is very close to the entrance of Downtown Disney, and has good access to Universal. It is located by a very busy (traffic-wise) intersection. I have heard mostly good reviews about the Sheraton Safari. The other possibilities for your Hotwire inquiries I do not know much about. You may also want to check the hotel websites to see if there are any resort or parking fees. These are not included in your Hotwire purchase price, but sometimes the Hotwire listing, in bottom right hand corner of the page, will indicate if there is a resort fee. These are very common in the Disney area, especially hotels 3-1/2* stars or higher, but sometime also for 3* or lower. They usually range between $ 10 and $ 20 a night.

I would focus on the Universal-I Drive North Zone, the SeaWorld-I Drive South Zone and the Dowtown Disney-Lake Buena Vista Zone. The driving time between Universal Area and the Downtown Disney Area is about 20 minutes, but can vary depending on traffic. There are many hotels in all of these zones, and you should have a lot of choices on HOTWIRE between these three zones. If you are in any of these three zones you will not be far from Disney or Universal. I would check the HOTWIRE hotel list on this site to get an idea as to what star rating of a hotel you would be interested. I normally go up a 1/2 star rating from a star rating I am comfortable, since you may get the hotel you consider the worst in that star rating. Some hotels are easier to identify than others by comparing the amenity icons to the Hotwire hotel list on this site- some do not seem to match at all, others are easier to match because they may have an amenity icon(s) that is more unique. Also HOTWIRE will list a hotel as either a "hotel" or a "condo". The condos are not necessarily condos, but may be a hotel chain which has rooms set up in a condo style - separate bedroom and kitchenette.

That was my thought on these - but do not go by me as I am fairly new to this as well. I was not sure about Mona Lisa Suites as the current amenity list does not state it is a condo - but I am not sure waht else this could be. Caribe Royale as the advantage that there are no resort or parking fees - & it is also very close to Marriott World Center. You could probably get a better price by bidding the resort area of WDW zone on Priceline - but you will not know which resort you will get until after you have a bid accepted. You may also get the DTD Hilton, which some feel should not be in the resort category.

I would check the 3-1/2* and 4* hotels (and condos, if would be interested in a condo instead of a hotel) on HOTWIRE for the DowntownDisney/Lake Buena Vista area. Compare the amenities to the Hotwire list of hotels and see if you can identify. If you can not, make a post and somebody can probably help you out. The hotels in this area are either in Downtown Disney or Lake Buena Vista area which will be close to the Marroitt World Center. If you bid PRICELINE - I would look at both the Resort and the 3-1/2* in the WDW Zone. Your likely hotels on the Resort category are the Hilton DTD, Hyatt Grand Cypress, Gaylord Palms, Omni at Champions Gates or to a lesser extent, Marriott World Center. Some of these hotels/resorts maybe a little farther from Disney World and Marriott World Center than you may like. You can check for recent successful bids in the resort category - I think it will likely be in the $ 60.00 to $ 90.00 range. Most hotels in this category will also charge a resort and/or parking fee besides the room rate. The PRICELINE WDW Zone extends beyond DTD and Lake Buena Vista - it also includes the Main Gate and Celebration areas. The 3-1/2* category in this zone has 4 reported hotels - three are DTD hotels and the 4th is the Embassy Suites in Lake Buena Vista. There is no guarantee you would get one of these four hotels as star rating can change - a previously lower star may move into this category or a previously higher star may move down into this category, or you could win a hotel that was previously unreported to the boards. You can not identify a specific hotel on PRICELINE, or even one of a group of hotels. You will have to be satisfied with any hotel of that star rating in the zone you bid. You should have no problem getting the price savings you are looking for - even a resort or 4* hotel on HOTWIRE or PRICELINE should go for under $100 (but there may be a resort fee) for your dates.

Your dates are similar to mine - I would expect the HOTWIRE and PRICELINE rates to get lower as January approaches. I would keep monitoring Hotwire rates, and I would suspect (and am hopeful) that by November or December that there will be more good deals on Hotwire then than there are presently. The same should be true for Priceline as well.