Bob7

Bid $85 for 3*, rejected. Added free re-bid area (Miramar), increased bid to $95, rejected. Next time will try for 2.5* airport.

I'm also thinking of dropping down to a 2.5*. TOBB lists the Courtyard as 2.5, but BB doesn't list any reported 2.5's yet.

Bid $65 for 3* FLL (optimistic huh?), rejected. Added free rebid area Miramar for $75, rejected. After the wait period I'll try again with higher bids.

I'd love to get it for $65 but I'd go to $95. Also, I want to find out what PL's $5 cancellation insurance covers, couldn't find it quickly on their site, maybe it's buried there somewhere, or would someone here know?

Thx for your other tip about FLL Hollywood having a Resort class. Ready to bid for a 3* FLL airport Friday March 9, just wanted to check that my only free re-bid area is Maramar with no stars above 2.5? (What happend to you Troy in the other post? ... you should be in on this too.) Nice $65 win posted recently at the Sheraton, and on a Fri! Last minute tho', not like mine. -Bob

Wondered why FLL Hollywood is not a free re-bid area for 4* attempts? It's highest star is 2*. (Getting ready to bid 3* FLL Airport, and wanted to use Hollywood and Miramar as free re-bid areas.) Thx, -Bob

Did you mean $95 per room or total for 2 rooms?

The 3* Marriott Marina in FLL downtown is now the Fort Lauderdale Grande according to their web site.

Well we decided to give up on bidding. At PL we could end up with the Renaissance with 2 double beds instead of the 2 Q's we want. And Hotwire at $116 USD could be the Doubletree that goes for $139 CAN direct, so no savings there. And we could book 2 queens at the Courtyard direct for $119 CAN, we've been there before, pretty nice place, free parking. Thx for all your prompt and detailed help, you gotta win the "web site customer service gold medal" :-) We'll be back next trip. -Bob

Ok, I found the Hotwire glitch ... when I enter 4 guests I don't get offered a 4*, but when I enter 2 guests I get offered one. But it's not the previous one with the Laundry icon, that's gone now, and the amenities are fitness center, reataurant, high speed, pool, and business center, for $1 less than before at $116. Any idea of that's the Doubletree, Hilton, or Sheraton? The DT is $139 CAN for 2 on their own site, so $116 USD on HW for 2 would be about the same price. But that would be a nice deal for the Hilton ($189) or the Sheraton ($409).

It's 1 night, any of Aug 28, 29, or 30.

I dawdled too long, today there are no 4*'s being offered any of my 3 dates :-( And we don't want to go 3* because of the Brock Plaza using 1 bed special mini-rooms for PL and HW. Do you find that sometimes rooms will open up later on HW when this happens?, or am I sunk?

Duh, you must have wondered why I was expecting to get the Marriott or Renaissance through Hotwire, when those aren

Well 2 double beds wouldn't be terrible, the other couple does fine in one of those, and we'd probably put one of us in the other and order a rollaway, we're used to sprawling around a king at home. The worst rooms at the Renaissance have 2 doubles, and all the Marriott rooms have either 2 gueens or 1 king, so we could likely talk them into the 2 queens at checkin, so I'd prefer to be given the Marriott, and if I knew that was the Hotwire one I'd go for it, but it could be the Renaissance which has all types of rooms with 2D's. On the Hotwire 4* offering for $117 I clicked Hotel Amenities and none of the icons were for kids activities, just the ones listed above. I was surprised that a 4* would have coin operated laundry for guests, maybe that feature would tell which is which, I'll check to see if both offer that. Our dates in order of preference are Wed Aug 30, or Tues Aug 29, or Mon Aug 28.

THe Hotwire hotel ammenities are resort, pool, business center, high speed net, fitness center, restaurant(s), laundry facilities, spa services. Pretty generic for a 4*. I agree, about $20 more is worth knowing you have bedding for 4, but even though Hotwire lets you input 4 people, I don't know if that means they guarantee 2 beds. Our game plan with one bed was to order a rollaway and also use a portable foam bed we keep in the car. I guess that turns a nice 4* stay into a camping category? :-)))

We want a 4* in Niagara Falls Canada on a weekday, under $100 would be nice to beat Hotwire's offer of $117. Their hotel is ID'd as a 5 minute walk from the new Casino, maybe the Marriott? The other one on the BB hotel list is the Renaissance. There are 4 of us but Priceline won't let you enter that info like Hotwire will, they only promise a room for 2. So the bedding could be a prob if we end up with 1 Queen or King. So for a bidding strategy, I've ID'd the 2 areas with no 4* as St. Cath-Thorold and Welland to use a free re-bids, and I see 3 people on TOBB have got 4*'s weekdays this summer for $85 and $95, thinking of starting at $85. I'm also able to change the date twice if necessary (total of 3 dates). Is there a maximum number of free re-bids if dates and areas are changed? Does it matter if I use date changes or area changes for free re-bids? Thx, -Bob

Used the Priceline Hotel link on SavingsBarn.com Bidding goal: 4* at Boston a/p for less than $75. First bid: 4* only, Boston (Logan a/p - Revere) area only, $60 bid rejected, but PL offered an immediate one-time only rebid if I would increase the bid by $17. I ignored that offer and clicked on rebid with new criteria. Second bid: 4* only, added Medford area (no hotels above 2.5*), $65 bid accepted, won Hilton Boston airport. Taxes and service fees: $15.84 Room rate on Hilton site: $179 Thanks to BB for bidding advice.

Duh, forgot to use the SavingsBarn link. Sent a PayPal donation. Many thanks.

First bid: selected Logan only, 4* only, $60 rejected. Rebid: 4*, selected Logan and added Medford area (no Medford stars above 2.5), $65 bid accepted. Total additional "taxes and service fees": $15.81 Room rate on Hilton site: $169. Thx to BB for bidding advise.

Started at $60, got the Hilton for $65, thx! Only needed to add one area for one rebid. I guess I should do a new post showing the facts in the title and steps in the body of the post?

Ok, I selected each Boston area one at a time for the list of stars, and 3 areas don't have any hotels above a 2.5 star: Brighton, Medford, and South Boston. Thx for the bidding advise. -Bob

Thx for all the good ideas. I finally got my flight so I know my hotel date for sure, so I

My only criteria is that it be a 4* with free airport shuttle. PL's set price page for 4*'s only shows the Hilton and Hyatt, but I don't know how large their "airport" area is, and whether I might get stuck with something too far away but still classified as airport. Do you think that could happen? -Bob

Great site, terrific support as always. Would you please confirm that if I win a 4* PL bid for this area that it will be either the Hilton or the Hyatt Harborside? Date will be Friday July 14, heard Fri

Pat are you still here? You listed free parking at this hotel, but they charge $18.70, it's on their web site and I called them to confirm. (Maybe they figure the parkade is nice enough that you'll want to sleep in yer car :-( -Bob