MrB

I ended up not booking but have kept an eye on Hotwire for a possible future trip to Delhi thanks in part to their non-stop automated notifications of new deals in locations you have previously searched for. For others searching for Delhi I have now seen the Metropolitan Hotel & Spa disclosed as a recent win in the 5* category in addition to the Kempinski / now Leela Ambiance. I thought this additional information might be helpful to someone.

Continuing to monitor HOTWIRE as I get closer to my date of stay. Disclosed amenities are now missing the high speed internet and the Hotwire guest rating for location is now 4.2 instead of 3.5 and sometimes I see the location rating as high as 4.7 for same date but everything else including price, tripadvisor ratings and the # of guest reviews (5) is the same. When I search different dates I no longer see the earlier hotel with the 3.5 hotwire location guest rating no matter what date I search and it was common throughout the schedule when I was searching before. When I saw the 4.7 location rating I thought this was a different and better located hotel and got excited but I am now doubting that conclusion. Are Hotwire guest ratings really that variable or random that the location rating can vary from 3.5 to 4.7 with no change in # of reviews? I totally understand the "last person got" limitation which by the way is still the "no longer in existence" Kempinski Ambiance which makes me think there are not a lot of Hotwire users for Delhi. Just strange the variability in their own disclosed guest ratings.

Thanks for the suggestions. I was thinking the CP hotel myself as well but Hotwire gave me one of their book now notices indicating the last person got the Kempinski Ambience Hotel, so aside from the fact that hotel is no longer a Kempinski and is now a Leela hotel the location and other attributes would seem to fit this one. The name change could also help explain why there were so few Hotwire reviews instead. I understand that there is no guarantee this is the Leela and this could be any 5 star win not the one I am looking at but I think that would now be my guess. Looking at the Leela it's a very well reviewed hotel but the location is not as convenient as even the more remote CP Rohini as that hotel at least had a metro station very close by. I tend to prefer a metro and public transit to the hassle of dealing with cab drivers but Delhi might make me change my mind, we will see. Thanks again and will post what I end up doing.

Looking at a 5* star hotel in New Delhi, India for October 10 to 15 but same hotel would appear to also be available on many other (or almost all other) dates with similar amenities and at the moment is the only 5* listed when I check many future dates through to 2017, Hotwire reviews are positive with 85% recommending but this is based on only 5 reviews so suspect. Tripadvisor rating is 4.5 stars (301-500 reviews). Amenities shown are free internet, free parking, business centerPool(s)Restaurant(s)Self-service laundrySpa services. Hotwire reviews give it 4.5 overall with similar or higher ratings in other categories except for location which is only 3.5. Rate is US$37 with taxes and fees of US$24.77 which must be higher than usual due to rack rate on which taxes on based in Delhi plus the amount of Hotwire discount disclosed is almost 75% but I know this discount is not tied to this specific hotel so can be misleading but is a general indicator. I am thinking this could be a good deal just not downtown as the Hotwire New Delhi area is fairly expansive. I would have also thought that I could easily identify it through normal checks but nothing matching this one is coming up with a similar tripadvisor rating or # of reviews so could be a new listing and/or a non-chain hotel. Can't seem to get it to come up in a combination package with either air or car but if new they may not be packaging it yet. Any suggestions would be appreciated as I would have thought this would be an easy one for me but it is not!

Bid up to C$125 (circa US$110) and got this great, new Times Square hotel. Best location, great hotel. Wifi extra though. Rack rate for the stay on other sites was in the $300s+ so good deal. I could also spot this in Express details (9+ rating) for around US$145 and knew there was a 6% express discount so started much lower. Same hotel was available on Saturday night but I hesitated extending my stay or re-bidding and then the express rate significantly spiked up on me before I could lock in. I ended up at the Westin Grand Central for C$112 instead the next night, lower rate but also lower hotel, not as great or well located as the Hyatt. FYI - the Hyatt has an ice machine and full mini-bar type refrigerator for your personal use (no sensor charges for touching a coke) so I give it an extra star and would definitely pay more for this hotel for its quality and excellent location - I even had a view of Times Square and with a little positioning could get free wifi at times from the hotel across the street! Wifi in the lobby was free, just not as convenient. I used the [url=http://www.betterbidding.com/clicks/click.php?afsrc=1&id=40]PRICELINE[/url] link!

Update - bumped into a fellow priceliner in the elevator and he told me he only paid equivalant of $89/night for a 3 night week-end so I did overbid. I needed one more night and had another 4 star hotel already booked at a fantastic cancellable rate (which was about the same) but this was too good a deal to pass up so I bid and sure enough got one more night for $89. They also recognized my status and bumped me up into a very nice suite plus amenities. Will come back here again at this rate.

Used the PRICELINE link. A new 5* confirmed property for the Board I believe. Available on Priceline for $365 + taxes for this date so an ok deal I guess at about 1/3rd the price, US$150 including all taxes and fees. I had previously been bidding without success up to $110 for 5* in all zones with no luck and needed a room for this week-end so started to up my bid tonight and got this on my first bid in this zone after bidding 5 or 6 other zones starting at around $90. I should have started with City sooner given this is a Saturday night stay and with all the other free rebids available at 5* but I was sensitive to lower successfuly bids in Westminster and some other zones and figured anything under $110 wouldn't likley fly for a 5* hotel in London on a week-end so I simply threw this zone into the mix later on without really thinking about this being a week-end in the City Financial District. I wasn't expecting Threadneedles but this 74 room boutique top 50 Conde Nast hotel looks quite nice and will certainly do. Hotwire's best rate for this date was a 4* City for $167 + taxes etc. so good savings on that 4*, plus I got a 5* property. The rate duirng the week is much higher so given its business location and small # of rooms I would think this is a week-end only type of price.

Hi - do you recall if this had a 4.5 star tripadvisor rating and a 95% Hotwire approval rating when you booked? I was looking at what I thought was a new hotel and think this is it. The 100% Hotwire approval is I believe the Hilton Canary Wharf, with the only other Tripadvisor 4.5 star ratings at the moment given to the Marriott apartments (which are generally much more expensive), the Mercure and one other apartment that is a lot further out and with few reviews that definitely doesn't look to be 4*.

Hi Thereuare. This must be in the key facts section somewhere, but reading this made me think of my owning bidding situation a couple years ago where I interpreted that the Hotwire RRP price was for a particular property and not an average for the category in the general area. The RRP price really stood out tome as there were a number of cheap 2 star hotels in the area but only one very highly rated boutique 2 star hotel that was at least double or triple the price of all of the others. When I saw the high RRP I mistakenly assumed it was for the boutique only to find out I paid slightly more than the walk-in rate for a comparative dump (I initiated a claim through Hotwire but gave up on this as the amounts were not large). Is there anyway to promote this more so others don't fall into the same trap? Most times area averages are likely close enough but there are exceptions!

Bid $95 with $5 reward cash. Stay is a long way off but I saw that the Amrath had gone for $100 last summer so I gave it a try for 1 night with the bonus cash. Bid $90 with no luck, then $95. Probably should have waited but no guarantee if I had. Very convenient location if not exactly a 5* hotel. Will need 3 more nights (and have more bonus cash rewards, so we'll see if I bid before they expire or wait until closer to the stay). Prepaid rates at the hotel were around 180 Euros when I bid, so less than half price so I guess I can't complain.

Hi Administrators - can you fix the dates as the OP meant 2 days not 2 years and this is impacting the Calendar of Wins. Thanks!

Hi: So sorry it wasn't what you wanted. The list didn't say "pool" so it was a chance. I still value the board very much but know there are chances and this wasn't an exact match without the pool icon. I was just there for lunch at David Burke's Primehouse which was great although not likely for kids (only $15.99 for a steak, shaken martini and excellent side!). The hotel is closely located to a lot though.

Used your PRICELINE link as always. Wanted Convention Centre area, thinking Hyatt likely but could also be Westin or Intercontinental too (all acceptable). First bid of $60 got a counter offer of $75 so I knew I was close from the start. Inched my way up by a dollar or two each time thinking half way would get it but I had to go all the way to $71 using my final bid before I would have to add the Downtown zone into the mix to keep bidding. Hyatt rate was $179 which I think is really high for this property with other comparables around $139 to $149. I may also try for Sunday night as it is cheaper on the Hyatt site at $159 and I may be able to go early - I tried $60 for Sunday just to test it and also got the same $75 offer. I also tried $60 and $65 in the Downtown zone with no luck but would prefer to be in the Convention centre area so stopped bidding that zone.

Used the link!. Tried to get the MTE W for the $90 that others were getting but no luck. CPS was convenient for me and I wanted to try this area so I inched my way up from $90 using free rebids and got the Loews for $110. Hotel rate was more like $349 at the time. Enjoyed the hotel - nice room on the 4th floor, wifi was available, free Starbucks coffee in the lobby and I got free calls too. Older hotel but nice with incredible water pressure. Brooke Shields was appearing in their Club at the time but I didn't see her while I was there.

Nice stay. The room was large and had been relatively recently renovated - shower/bath a bit old but the rest of the room new Westin style. Very comfortable bed. Room was next to the the Howard Hughes suite - no priceline attitude at check-in at all. A bit of a walk downtown but the boardwalk was great as long as it wasn't raining, and you could watch the float planes bring people in from Victoria for the day. Price was about half price.

I had a very last minute trip to Vancouver and literally bid as I was walking into the airplane. I had one swing before I got on board and bid $75 for that same night at 4 pm and got the Westin Bayshore. I was hoping for a hotel a little closer to downtown but this is ok under the circumstances as my next swing would not have been until arrivals in Vancouver at 9 pm.

Just got back. Had a great time and the nice lady at check-in upgraded us to an oceanview in the new hotel at no extra charge (best room before the oceanfront suites which an extra large balcony, number ends with 50). It pays to be nice when you ask! I see from another winner that Marriott Elite members may also be entitled to such a benefit and if you are such a member you also get free internet (otherwise $14.95.day). I don't think there is an easy way to get this status other than actually having enough qualifying stays which is tough if you book through priceline. We parked in the city lot right next door ($1/hour from 8 am to 6 pm, free otherwise) and had dinner at Gotham steakhouse in the Fountainebleau also next door - Miami Spice is on so they had a discounted set menu ($32 for three courses) plus they also had a promotion that allowed you to bring your own wine with no corkage fee., pretty good deal for such a fancy restaurant. This was the week-end that Chris Bosh got engaged and he was at Hakkasan in the Fountainebleau.

If you do rent a car, there is a Municipal parking lot next to the Eden Roc that offers reasonable day or hourly rate parking and is free after 6 so long as you get in before they start charging for overnight parking (say 5 pm) based on my last vist a year ago. There is also metered street parking that is free after 6 pm but you need to plug the meters by 8 am if I remember correctly. A little inconvenient if you are not an early riser but otherwise you can save some $. We have also enjoyed Fifi's place - a small restaurant with very good fish and seafood food and reasonable prices not too far north but not really walking distance as I recall. We are going to the Eden Roc again in a couple weeks, also at $97.

Used the PRICELINE link. Started at $65 and inched up. Interestingly, got two sets of free re-bids offers, one asking $15 and then later $20. I was thinking the hotel might have changed while I was bidding to do this and was hoping it was the Fountainbleau although no posted winning bids at this level (more like $115 + resort fee). The Eden Roc is fine, right next door and closer to the Municipal parking lot if you prefer that to valet (free parking after 6 if you get in before 6 but the last time I was there they had people making you pay to park overnight after about 5 pm). The pools are better at the Fountainebleau although they didn't seem to mind us visiting :) . I got this hotel cheaper last year at this time. Lowest hotel prepaid rate was $164 which is about the same as the Fountainbleau if you go to discount sites. I didn't have to pay a resort fee last so we'll see.

Used the PRICELINE link of course. Started at $60 and increased slowly using all the free rebid zones and combinations for a 4* in Vancouver. Was counteroffered at $70 for an extra $15 for a free rebid but rejected this of course. I thought I would get it for $75 or $80 but it took $83. Rate at the hotel itself was $190 or so depending on the rate plan. I thought I would get the Hyatt but this will do. As a Delta privileges member I get free wifi plus other perks so that a plus (you can join for free). The hotel is also just around the corner from the Waterfront train station so its an easy and cheap trip from the Airport.

Based on my experience the Hunstville resort is Deerhurst but you never know. There are bidding strategies posted but basically you should start from Gravenhurst not Huntsville as it gives you the most bidding options. There is another resort in the area, JW Marriott Rosseau, but you would have to be very lucky to win it over Deerhurst!

Stayed here June 17 through June 19th for $150 for Thursday/Friday and $130 for Saturday. It was a busy time in New York (the hotel was almost sold out) so I was a bit surprised I got it for this price. On arrival I was upgraded to a deluxe king with no mention of priceline at all and given lots of coupons for free water bottles or coffee (very nice coffee, I would even pay for it!) in their lobby "7/11 style" store. The room was very nice. The bathroom was ok - large but divided into a very large sink area and small toilet/tub area - so small I was banging the door with my knee. This could use some renovation but was acceptable. The whole floor was undergoing a very extensive cleaning while I was there - beds/drapes out etc. with machines to clear the air of any odours. Some serious cleaning going on! There is no refrigerator in the room (open or pay) but a nice swivel flat screen tv. I was able to look at several rooms on the floor due to the cleaing that was going on - they were all similar but some had more "empty" space which I guess made them deluxe. The location for me was great. The bus from Newark airport is a half block way. Grand Central is next door with shuttle access to Times Square and subway and train access to almost anywhere - get the unlimited card for daily travel everywhere. The Oyster Bar in Grand Central is convenient for cafeteria style great fish and oysters. Try their boulliabase sandwich with bread on the side to get a great fish soup for under $7 (lunch only?) with a similar amount of fish to their $30 offerings (a great deal in New York!). The lobby is very nice. I would defintiely stay there again for what I paid vs. the $419/night rack rate for their non-deluxe room. On Saturday there was a street market on Lexington next door which was interesting and Esa-a-Bagle was within walking distance!

A friend booked this before I told him about this site. He told me had tried lots of combinations (CPS, TS, MTW, downtown, ESB, MSG) before getting this. The rack rate was $419 for the 17th and $299 for the 18th and 19th. He needed the 17 and 18 so bid this together and was pleased with the result so bid again for the 19th to stay longer following the same incremental bid routine and ended up with the same hotel. He thinks you may be able to bid a bit lower and still get it for the 19th as he added MTE as a free re-bid after most of the other locations turned up negative.

It can also mean a blow-up bed as I discovered in Miami downtown (it was still a good deal at a great hotel and a delux blow-up for sure but a bit of a surprise!)

Please post a brief review. The hotel looks ok (free internet) but not your typical 4* in London and some iffy reviews with a rack rate of GBP120 or so. I have seen quite a few new hotwire (and now priceline) hotels appearing in London and not all of these are deserving of their initial * rating and I know of at least one bidder who got a refund from hotwire although I can't remember if this was before or after their stay (I think before because the discrepancy was too obvious). I recently stayed at a superb 5* for not much more than this (booked through this site!) but have previously booked 4 star in London on priceline without hesitation but I may now lean towards 5* or hotwire in this star category given this hotel is a possibility.