LoneStar

I have some Chinese friends visiting the US. I am recommending they obtain their hotels through priceline. Canadians and some others nationalities seem to have had success putting in a phony US city and zip code. Assuming they have a valid major credit card, is that likely to work for them? I also recall there is a Hong Kong-based priceline, so perhaps that is another option for them. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

I've pricelined both the Kaiulani and the Prince Kuhio (which I think just changed hands again) and I think you'll like the Kaiulani better. As they say in real estate, "location, location, location." We're getting to the point, though, that non-opaque promos -- particularly in Hawaii -- are becoming a real alternative to priceline. Travelzoo.com does a pretty good job tracking them down, and Smartertravel.com is also worth looking at. For instance, there's a promo at the Sheraton Maui for mid-April at $199. That's about the best folks have been doing on priceline lately for Maui, and you know what you're going to get. They also recently had a limited $99 promo at the Sheraton on the Big Island.

Yeah, there's been astonishing "inflation" on priceline Waikiki hotels. A couple years ago, these places were going for 65 bucks. At the time, I did think those were great deals. The good thing is that the Kaiulani is a good 3 star hotel. I particularly like its location. I doubt you could do much better on Waikiki these days. That said, I'm just not sure I would have been brave enough to bid when the non-opaque price differential was that small. We used to get a lot of horror stories of "bad" 3 star hotels on Waikiki. I'd hate to see that happen at $110. Glad it worked out for you.

Hard to believe $369 would be a discount. See previous threads about Hilton Kauai being available with the Entertainment Card for $90.

What's the price on HOTWIRE? Maui still seems like a bad value vacation destination at the moment -- unless you can snag a deal using points or timeshare presentations. Always worth checking out the ResortQuest Entertainment Card rates, too. If you have any flexibility with your island, I highly recommend going to Kauai instead and booking the Hilton $90 Entertainment rate. Kauai is as good or better than Maui, IMHO. Certainly no reason to pay 2 or 3 times the price for Maui.

Yeah, I think that's what Amerisuites is calling it now.

This property seems to heavily participate on priceline/hotwire (note the poster who just got it for $44 on Hotwire), and gets very good overall reviews. I was initially hesitant to bid for it because I thought it was further from Nashville than it is. It's really much closer to Brentwood than Franklin if you look on the map, and would be convenient for most Nashville visitors. FWIW, I initially tried to get something in the "closer in" 3 and 2.5 star zones for $40 or less. No dice. I also unsuccessfully bid up to $60 for the 4-star downtown zone (a Loews and a Marriott). With plenty of free rebids in Nashville -- and knowing this hotel was likely out there -- I went dollar for dollar, so $39 was the minimum they'd take. I've wanted to try an Amerisuites, so I look forward to my stay. With the free hot breakfast and the oversized rooms, it would seem like a very good value.

$48 bid rejected, so this was probably the best that could be done. Property doesn't get great reviews, but just had a renovation. There seem to be better deals downtown at the Hyatt Regency, but I needed the airport location. FWIW, I had previously been rejected for a $40 2.5 star and $35 2 star in this zone.

Well, it's Maui and priceline is always hit-or-miss. You're near Easter, so that's probably not helping. I do see some Kaanapali deals on HOTWIRE for those dates, but not at the 4-star level. Frankly, it's going to take A LOT of luck to stay at a resort on Maui for less than $200 at this point. Are you holding something else right now? I'd also call ResortQuest Hawaii (the former Aston) and see what they'd offer you at half-off using the Entertainment Card.

Ah, this place is back! I stayed there many years ago when it was a Sheraton. Here's an article about its tortured history. http://starbulletin.com/2004/02/12/business/story1.html My memory of the place is hazy, and I'm sure they've pumped lot of money into renovations. It's being operated by a quality lodging chain, Fairmont, so it certainly should be OK. It is definitely "remote" by Oahu standards, and that part of the island doesn't really have any tourist-oriented facilities (or a reputation for being tourist-friendly). That said, if you want an affordable alternative to Waikiki, it could be an option. I think most visitors would do better to stay in Waikiki (prices are up but the 3 stars shouldn't be much more than $80) and, if they want a more "pastoral" Hawaiian experience, visit a neighboring island instead. Very cheap interisland airfares (like $29 each way) make that a good option these days.

You have the right attitude, oneday! Enjoy your trip. :)

I've got more on your hotel, thanks to my Kauai bible, "Ultimate Kauai Handbook" (I'd urge you to buy a copy before you go -- about 12 bucks on line). It turns out I've stayed at this ResortQuest hotel when it was the Coconut Beach Resort (I think I even wrote a review in the hotel reviews section!). The Handbook says it was a "tired, neglected property" (true), but the new owners "pumped $24 million into it." They now say it's OK, but feel the room decor is "dark," they don't like the $7 self-parking charge, "the property could use some more plants," and the "their beach isn't very swimmable." From my own experience and what I can tell from the photos, this is a 3 star property while the Hilton would be 4 star. I do think it's a more than pleasant property, however.

I did call Hilton to see what was going on and it turns out your nights ARE available on the Entertainment Card rate for $90. I guess you reached an incompetent agent. Unfortunately, given the non-changability of priceline reservations, there's not much you can do at this point. I guess this is a lesson in double-checking when a telephone sales agent says "no." People are human, and they make mistakes. On the positive side, I think the hotel you received is somewhat similar and your Hawaiian experience should be comparable. For others, call back if the first agent says "no." I find the Hilton rez staff to be only marginally trained. Be prepared to spell "Kauai" for them.

Glad you had success on Kauai. I am surprised the Entertainment rate did not work. I know a couple of people who have recently booked it for April and May. I guess they could have pulled it, or some days are not available. We'll see what sort of luck other folks have.

I guess it's buried in a Honolulu thread, but THE value place to stay right now on Kauai is the Hilton Kauai Beach Resort available thru 1-800-HILTONS at the Entertainment Card rate of $90 (some room types are a few dollars more). As long as you can get this deal -- and I think it's wide open -- it's pretty much nuts to bid on priceline for Kauai. The other good deal is the Waimea Plantation Cottages (WPC) also available using the Entertainment Card. Right now, I'd really only recommend that to families -- you'll get a small house instead of a hotel room -- or lovers of "Old Hawaii." Don't get me wrong. WPC is a great place to stay, but it will cost you twice what the Hilton is going for and -- for most folks -- has worse location. As the OP has found, Priceline is currently useless in Kauai. I wouldn't bother. The deals just aren't there right now.

The only problem with that is, to my knowledge, Entertainment rates cannot be booked on their website. You have to call the 1-800-HILTONS number. It's a strange quirk. The only major hotel chain that allows internet Entertainment books -- at least that I'm aware of -- is Holiday Inn.

It it not a mistake: the "rack" rate at that property is just low these days, so 50% winds up a great deal. You found one of the best hotel deals we've seen in Hawaii this year! Congratulations. I have confirmed that this rate is available on many other nights as well, so others can also take advantage of it. It goes to show that when it comes to booking travel, you never know: the technique that is the cheapest 90% of the time still doesn't work all the time. FWIW, the Hilton seems like a more than decent (albeit not spectacular) property. It has just been "reflagged" a Hilton, after being a Radisson and a bunch of other things, too. A significant amount of money has been spent there lately, and the renovations are apparently complete. I myself am mulling over whether to commit a couple days to the resort on an upcoming Hawaiian vacation. From what I can tell, there are currently no priceline/hotwire deals in Kauai that can compete with this rate from a value perspective. So I think most folks would be happier booking the Hilton direct.

I stayed here for $56/night on priceline during Cologne's Karneval weekend -- an astonishingly good deal given the crowds which descend on Cologne during that time, and the hotel's excellent location a block from the big parade route. While my positive experience at the hotel was no doubt influenced by the good deal I received, there is also a lot to recommend the hotel for an "ordinary" stay in Cologne. The previous reviewer provides a nice summary of the hotel. The rooms are a little on the small side (by U.S. chain hotel standards at least), and I wouldn't try to get more than 2 or 3 people into a room. They are nicely furnished (my furniture was in good shape) and the beds (good mattresses, fine linens) are almost luxurious. You can tell the property was built 20 years or so ago, but they've done a pretty good job of keeping the hotel in good condition. I've heard some people shy away from booking this hotel because of it's perceived "inconvenient" location. Nothing could be further from the truth. True, it is about a 10-12 minute walk from the Cathedral/Main Train Station, but it is a very pleasant walk if you take the pedestrain shopping streets (Hohe Str. to Breite Str.). You can also easily reach the Cathedral/Train Station by the U-bahn subway line 50 yards from the hotel (Friesenplatz stop), but I can't imagine why you'd do this -- unless you were transferring to another train at the station and had luggage. Indeed, from the Cologne Airport, the total travel time from the airport to the hotel is little more than 30 minutes, including the transfer. The fare is also only 2.30 Euros, with one ticket good on both the S-bahn (the airport train) and the U-bahn subway. The Fresenplatz U-bahn stop is also convenient to get other places in Cologne, although I suspect most tourists would simply walk to most tourist destinations. I also think the Friesenplatz area is a good alternative to the more crowded and more touristy Cathedral area (which, as I mentioned, isn't very far away). Frisenplatz is the City's #1 entertainment/dining locale, so there are some great places to have dinner within a couple hundred yards of the hotel. One of the city's most famous beer halls, Paffgen, is directly behind the hotel. It features the excellent local beer, called Kolsch, and all the traditional German dishes. For an inexpensive non-German meal, the nearby Farmers Restaurant is reminescent of an American-style chain steakhouse with low prices and good steaks. As the previous poster noted, the hotel's own restaurant has some good promotions. Currently, there is a 15 Euro price for your choice of schnitzel with sauce, sides, and a drink. Quite tasty. Sadly, breakfast in ridiculously expensive at the hotel (21 Euros for the buffet), but there are nearby bakeries with good breads, pretzels and sandwiches. Try the little bakery on Apostelnstr., less than 5 minutes walk from the hotel. You can also pick up 2 "Berliner" jelly donuts at various chain bakeries for 1 Euro. The hotel offers free morning coffee and tea in the lobby. If traveling during Karneval or even over a Saturday night, I might ask the hotel staff for a room NOT facing the back, where many of the local bars are. The noise isn't terrible, and the windows are insulated, but you'll still hear some street noise. In general, the hotel staff is excellent, and will go the extra mile for you -- like printing out your airline boarding passes if you ask them to. The basement pool area with sauna and steam room is also definitely a plus. I didn't have a car with me, but limited street parking and nearby garages were available, along with the hotel's own (expensive) garage. I'd ask the front desk for parking suggestions. Overall, this is a solid 4 star property and, at current priceline rates, a tremendous value.

I'll add just a couple of points. First, if you want to see all of the Big Island, it's definitely a good idea to split your stay between east and west. You can make a loop around the island, but I sometimes recommend folks fly into Kona and out of Hilo to avoid the extra driving. That's not always possible, however, and it sometimes results in a slightly higher car rental price (not everyone offers free drops between the two cities). I would never buy a Hawaii package from priceline or hotwire. There are countless ways to get car rental discounts in Hawaii, and I think you will pay more if bundled. As a general rule of thumb, try not to pay more than $30/day (before tax) for a midsize car in Hawaii. You can often pay less, especially on a weekly rate. I like staying in Volcano, but the only real reason to do so is to be close to nighttime viewing of the lava. If there's no lava these days or you're not interested in that, it's probably better to stay in Hilo IF you can get a good priceline/hotwire deal. It's about a half-hour drive up the mountain from Hilo to Volcano. I do find many of the b&b's in Volcano to be soemwhat atmospheric (and the town is cute in a rustic Hawaiian way), but they're significantly overpriced compared to a hotwire/priceline deal in Hilo! There's no reason to avoid priceline if you're worried about beachfront. As I said in another post, there are practically no hotels in Hawaii that participate in priceline that are not within walking distance of a beach. Other than the airport hotels in Honolulu, I can't name a single one! At the 4-star and above level on the Big Island, there would be exactly ZERO chance of getting non-beachfront on the Big Island. And you will generally save money on priceline over hotwire. The only real reason to use hotwire in Hawaii is if there is a specific property you want to stay in that can be identified, and there is a real risk of getting a less desirable property if you bid on priceline (or you want a condo-type property not offered on priceline). Otherwise, use hotwire prices as a guide for what to bid -- of course start WAY lower, since you've got many days to rebid. You will generally get hit $10 to $20/night lower on priceline. As thereuare noted, also check out the Entertainment rates to get an idea of what a good price is for your days. As far as "avoiding" resorts go, I generally offer that advice to people who insist on paying $250+ for a Hawaiian resort when the good priceline deals are unavailable. I don't think the hotels are worth that, and that's when it's worth seriously considering a 3-star place, an Entertainment-listed hotel, or a b&b. Unless you were really trying to save a buck, however, I would highly recommend a place like the Sheraton Keauhou in the $150 and below range, unless you are resort-a-phobic (in which case you should research and book a b&b or house rental from a non-opaque source).

Hawaii tourism is affected by the school calendar. June is therefore busier than May. As June advances and kids get out of school, it gets busier and busier.

I would recommend going on Frommers.com for a quick overview of Hawaii. While there is no guarantee of snagging a resort on priceline at any time (especially in Hawaii!), all of May should be somewhat off-peak. So as long as there isn't a convention or special event, your odds are good. There are no modern resorts on the east side (Hilo) of the Big Island, as that is the wet side. Yet, most folks (including me) enjoy spending time there. The island is big enough that, to see it all, you'd want to change locations at least once. The best guide to the island is "Hawaii Revealed," available on line for about 12 bucks. Once you get your bearings, feel free to ask additional questions.

In your situation, I obviously wouldn't buy an Entertainment Book unless you actually booked one of their "half off" hotels, but yes there are also some generally modest discounts on restaurants and attractions in the book. If you go to the Entertainment website, you can see what the discounts are. I recall there are books for some Canadian cities, too. In Hawaii, the restaurant and attraction discounts are heavily concentrated in Honolulu.

Isn't the Whaler still potentially out there on Priceline? That would make bidding in that zone very, very risky.

In reality are there any 4-star hotels in Hawaii NOT on the beach? Except perhaps something in Waikiki ACROSS from the beach, I don't think you'll find one. I agree that the OP needs to do some "destination research" before bidding, however. Frommers.com would be a reasonable place to start.

Unless something has dramatically changed, you need to call the hotel directly (sometimes a central reservations office has the rates, but usually only the hotel itself does). It would be nice to see Entertainment rates on the web, since the vast majority of them are NOT useful (50% off an inflated rack rate doesn't do any good). Hawaii, however, has generally been somewhat of an exception. And it's best to go to the Entertainment website to first see which properties are participating -- often, more hotels than what are listed in the book participate.