Ariana13xy

Hello again! I didn't see much price changes on either Priceline or Hotwire, and there was one particular 5* hotel to being offered for $83 on Hotwire and $89 on Priceline Express Deals. After looking at location overlaps on both sites maps, traveller reviews and the "regular price" the sites displayed, I concluded we were most likely going to get the "Hilton Vienna." We looked at TripAdvisor reviews and photos, and both concluded that in a city so full of unique places to stay, it didn't make sense to get a cookie cutter room in a middling chain hotel (#108 out of 368 on TripAdvisor). After taxes and Priceline/Hotwire fees, we ballparked being in the $100-$110 range per night, so we found several other hotels in that price range, finally narrowing it down to the Pension Suzanne and the Saint Shermin. I ended up booking the Saint Shermin through the Expedia mobile app for $103/night and was able to cash in $27.09 worth of previously-accrued points. We're excited! Thanks for the help! Now onto booking Prague and Salzburg... :-)

Hey BetterBidding Friends! It's been awhile! Linked to PRICELINE through BB's link, after reviewing the list of known participating hotels in Salzburg. Looking for a 5* in Salzburg from March 28 - March 30 (2 nights). Started with Salzburg West - Old Town Area (Priceline shows 5* hotels only in the "Salzburg West - Old Town" and "Central Salzburg" areas). Selected only 5* hotels. Bid $90. Rejected. Added Central Salzburg. Bid $92. Rejected. Added Salzburg East. Bid $95. Rejected. Added Salzburg Station. Bid $99. Rejected. Noticed that when I began bidding, a 5* Salzburg West - Old Town Area Hotel (amenities: Pets Allowed / Business Center / Restaurant / Free Internet, rating: 9.0 out of 10.0) was being offered at a 17% discount, marked down from $371 to $308. After two bids, I checked the Express Deals tab again, and presumably the same property had been further discounted to $289 (22% discount). No counter offers, however, were made by Priceline. I'll probably try one more time in a few days depending on price trajectories for my dates, but will likely go with something cheaper and charming-er! Cheers!

After extensive comparison between a number of different travel sites and determining that my usual route of Price.line wasn't going to fly, I decided to book one of Hot.wire's opaque Hot Deals. Used BetterBidding's links for all research and bookings. 3* Hotel, Myrtle Beach area Amenities: ResortFree ParkingFree InternetOceanfront hotelFitness CenterPool(s)Business CenterSelf service laundryGolf NearbyOn several different visits to the Hot.wire Hot Deal details page, a blue banner appeared saying that the last person to book had gotten the Patricia Grand. I was okay with staying there, but preferred the Best Western Plus Carolinian. Lowest going rate for the Best Western Plus Carolinian was found on Kayak/Priceline at $121.94/night for an "Accessible Double" room, and once taxes and fees were tallied, the total was coming to $438.56. The total for the opaque Hot Deal was $323.42 ($89/night x 3 nts, + $56.42 in tax recovery charges & fees). I decided that I couldn't justify the $100 extra for a less-than-ideal (Accessible Double) room, and that I was okay with the Patricia Grand. Instead, I was pleased to get the Best Western, at a much lower price, and will keep my fingers crossed that we can get a king bed rather than a double set-up. Hotwire does refer to some properties as Resorts and others as Hotels, but am not sure of the criteria used to determine which is which.

Used BetterBidding's PRICELINE links to place my first bid at $74 for Downtown, 4* property. Rejected, but offered guaranteed win if i increased my bid to $94. I declined. Went back to bidding - added South Side, placed second bid at $79. Rejected again. Added University, upped bid to $86, got the Omni William Penn. Very pleased - have always had a great experience at this property, which is very conveniently located to Consol Energy Center (hockey!). Not sure how it still has vacancy with a playoff game on Friday night and the marathon this weekend as well! Glad to get in at such a classy property at a reasonable price - $106.28 total!

Priceline Bias Alert... Okay, so we certainly enjoyed our stay - we had a much cozier room this time around, but it truly was cozy... just a bit offbeat to make it feel like "not your usual hotel room," in that we were in a corner room with two smaller windows, and a connector door that would have connected us to a much larger room. We were in a private hallway with a door to the elevator lobby that could have been closed and locked... as if we got the kids' room in parents-and-kids suite. However, check in was annoying because of the length of time they spent finding me a "Priceline-suitable" room. Upon checking in, the attendant loudly announced that I had booked through Priceline and then spent a ton of time coming up with a room with two double beds. I asked if we could have a king room, and she reported that unfortunately, all the deluxe king rooms had been taken, and that Priceline guests were restricted to deluxe rooms. However, she offered me a paid upgrade of $30 to a Superior King room would have put me in the class of rooms reserved for non-Priceline guests. I declined and asked if they had queen rooms, and after about 5 minutes of consultation with a fellow reception attendant, came up with the corner queen in which we stayed. Seemed like a lot of pomp and circumstance to ensure that I didn't get assigned a room "i didn't deserve through Priceline"...especially, as I mentioned, when I've already stayed in a corner king suite in the very same hotel on a cheaper Priceline bid.

Another Priceline success! Began bidding on Sunday night at 65 for a 4* on Wednesday night (6/13-6/14) in Rittenhouse Square, then added "dummy zones" as I increased my bid up to well-over $100. No takers. Finally also added in Historic District and lower my bids and worked back up again. No takers. Waited 24 hours and on Monday began bidding again in Rittenhouse, starting at $90, adding other districts, and incrementally increasing the price to $115 without success. Added in the Historic District and tried a few bids in the high 90's. Finally added in Convention Center area and lowered my bid back down to $85. They said if I raised my bid to $107, it would be accepted, so I declined, and upped my bid to $92. Accepted by the Loews Philadelphia Hotel. Stayed here once before through Priceline about ten years ago, and was upgraded to a beautiful corner suite with windows that ran from the bedroom area into the bathroom. Probably won't be as lucky this time, but that's okay... looking forward to returning. Used BetterBidding PRICELINE links, of course, to do my bidding and to do my zone/*-level research. Thanks, guys!

I don't know how I missed my dates, but I did! We will be in Philadelphia on May 19-20 (One night stay). As a follow-up, I advised my family member in the nearby hotel to put in an identical bid of $90 at Priceline, since they were booked at the nearby Courtyard (3*) for nearly $200 and had a reservation that could be cancelled without penalty. The family member placed the bid and also won the Marriott Philadelphia Downtown. With nearly 1,400 rooms to fill, I'd imagine that this property would accept quite a few more bids at that price! I also referred said family member to Better Bidding - they said they had always been scared of using Priceline, and I mentioned what a great resource you guys are and how it's always helped me bid confidently (and cited my 5* Venice hotel win of a few years back as evidence of how the site can help). Hopefully they'll be joining the site soon!

Used BetterBidding's link to PRICELINE. Started bidding at $90 for 4* properties in Rittenhouse Square/Business District; bid was not accepted. Added Convention Center - Mid Center City and rebid at $90. Was accepted by the Marriott Philadelphia Downtown. Based on the reviews I'm seeing of the hotel, and the fact that this puts us close to family at another nearby hotel, I'm pleased. However, I'm wondering how low I could have gone for this property, seeing as how a few commenters on here have won it at $75 (but not in a while, it seems). Oh well, it's $15 - better than paying the $189 that the lowest price downtown 3* is going for on Expedia! Thanks BetterBidding!

Hi there! Used BBidding's PRICELINE link to bid for a Baltimore hotel on New Year's Eve. Began bidding for a 4* in the downtown area at $75. Incrementally raised my bid by $5, adding Glen Burnie, Baltimore West, and Baltimore Stadiums. No dice. Changed star level to a 3.5* and began again at $70. Got a counter offer of $84. Went back, added Owings Mills, and increased bid for a 3.5* to $75. Accepted by Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor At Camden Yards. This is my second stay here through Priceline. First stay (which I failed to report) was back on May 6th for $83, and due to the fact that the hotel was booked full that night (O's game) and that we most likely were the last people to check in (after midnight), we were given a great one-bedroom suite! No Priceline-bias that time! Can't say I expect a lovely suite again, since they probably won't be booked to capacity, so I think we'll check in at a normal hour this time. Thank you, Better Bidding!

Have been bidding for three nights in a row now using BetterBidding Links. First night (Saturday) could not get three nights' stay together in a 4 star for under $125. Tried splitting my bid - 11/11-11/13 instead of 11/10-11/13 - and could have gotten $85, but decided not to go through. Second night (Sunday) went as high as $130 for a mixture of two and three nights, and nothing accepted. Third night, tonight - bid $87 for all three nights right off the bat (should have started lower?) - got the Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh on the first try. I've stayed in nearly all the hotels in Pittsburgh, but never this one, so I'm interested to say the least! Cheers, BetterBidding!

Didn't take me long to come back with an update! Using the BB PRICELINE link, I bid $85 for a 4* in Millenium Park - Loop - Grant Park - rejected. Added on the Skokie area, upped my price to $90, and tried again. Rejected. Third time was the charm, at $93 per night - Palmer House Hilton. We're pleased to get something a bit more "unusual" than the standard Marriot/Hilton/Hyatt fare you often get on Priceline (even if this *is* a Hilton property) and excited about the historic nature and great location of this hotel. Have heard some good things from family, too. So YAY! Now to find the perfect deep-dish pizza... :) Thanks BB!

*FACEPALM* Now... after all these years... I get it. Oh well... amazing I've had such good luck so far! I actually had developed my own system. Dang. Thanks again... will let you know when I am successful.

Hello! Just completed my second round of bidding for a Chicago 4* hotel from 9/1/11 - 9/6/11, using Bbidding's PRICELINE links each time, of course :) ! I'd prefer to stay centrally, specifically in the Millenium Park-Loop-Grant Park or NMA-River North areas, and would certainly like to avoid the airports and suburbs. I've noticed that the Priceline's predefined Chicago "areas" appear to have changed - they now offer: Franklin Park Area Greater Chicago Hyde Park Lincoln Park Midway Airport Area (MDW) Midway Airport North Millennium Park, Loop & Grant Park Area North Michigan Ave - River North Area O'Hare Airport (ORD) North O'Hare Airport (ORD) South Skokie - Niles - Evanston While I've been able to ascertain that there are no 4* hotels in Skokie-Niles-Evanston and in Hyde Park, based on BBidding's boards, I'm uncomfortable adding Lincoln Park or Franklin Park Areas, as I'm scared they might now contain a 4* "spillover" from the Midway Aiport or North Shore areas. Accordingly, I haven't added them so I could get another chance at raising my price and bidding again. Thus far, my bidding strategy has been as follows: Round 1 - $73 for 4* in Millennium Park, Loop & Grant Park Area, Hyde Park (declined) - $76 for 4* in MP-L-GP / North Michigan Ave - River North (declined) - $81 for 4* in MP-L-GP / NME-RN / Hyde Park (declined) - $83 for for 4* in MP-L-GP / NME-RN / HP / Skokie-Niles-Evanston (declined) Round 2 - $85 for 4* in Millennium Park, Loop & Grant Park Area, Hyde Park (declined, but received a $105 Counteroffer from PL, which I did not accept) - $88 for 4* in MP-L-GP / Hyde Park (declined) - $90 for 4* in MP-L-GP / HP / Skokie-Niles-Evanston (declined) - $85 for 4* in MP-L-GP / HP / S-N-E / North Michigan Ave - River North (declined) - $85 for 4* in MP-L-GP / HP / S-N-E / North Michigan Ave - River North (changed dates to 9/1-9/4) (declined) Any tips on how to improve my bidding strategy for Round 3? My fiance would rather not split hotels, but I'm sure I can talk him into it if the price is right. Any insight into the "new" areas or into what it might take at this point for a 4* to bite on a five-day stay over Labor Day weekend? Your help is appreciated! Love you, BetterBidding!

Starting bidding by using site links to PRICELINE. Bid 1 - $55 for 4* Downtown: Rejected Bid 2 - $60 for 3.5* Downtown: Rejected Bid 3 - $65 for 3* Downtown: Accepted by Holiday Inn Historic District. It's too bad Priceline doesn't break its zones down a bit more, like Hotwire does - I'd have bid higher to stay in a zone that would have put me nearer to Rittenhouse Square. Either way, though, pleased to get a room at $158 after fees and taxes that's retailing for $299 over on Holiday Inn's website. Will hopefully not spend the difference in cab fare. Thanks for providing such a great resource.

Interesting! I also just got this email from HOTWIRE, which about made my heart jump out of my chest (I thought they were about to tell me that they were overbooked): Dear Ariana13xy, We are contacting you about your upcoming stay at Hilton Pittsburgh and Towers, Hotwire itinerary XXX. We have been informed that the Hilton Pittsburgh and Towers has changed its name to Hilton Pittsburgh. Please be assured that the star rating and amenities are the same. The hotel still holds your reservation and your original Hotwire itinerary confirmation with the Hilton Pittsburgh and Towers. Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may cause you. Our customers are very important to us, and we would like to ensure you have the best possible experience. Sincerely, Hotwire Customer Care Well, I'll have to report back on how it went, I guess!

Thanks! Here are the listed amenities for the Hilton Pittsburgh and Towers (3*): Fitness Center Restaurant(s) Business Center High-speed Internet Access And sorry for the double-post- I tried to stop my browser when I realized I had inverted the order of my bids in my description, but I guess the original posted anyway. Couldn't figure out how to delete my own posts... just edit. Thanks, BB board! And YES, I'm going to both games! Let's Go Pens! Here We Go, Steelers, Here We Go! :)

Used BB's links to access both HOTWIRE and PRICELINE. Bid three nights ago unsuccessively on PRICELINE: 3* Pittsburgh Downtown, West Mifflin - West Homestead, Pittsburgh South Side 3-Star $85 3.5* Pittsburgh Downtown, Pittsburgh South Side, West Mifflin - West Homestead Boutique $95 3.5* Pittsburgh Downtown, Pittsburgh South Side Boutique $89 4* Pittsburgh Downtown, Pittsburgh South Side $85 4* Pittsburgh Downtown $80 Checked HOTWIRE today and saw they were offering a 3* for $88 (total $207.83), so retried a bunch of bids on Priceline for no lower than a three star, keeping my bidding total lower than that of Hotwire. No accepts, so went with HOTWIRE's offer. Got the Hilton on the edge of the Point State Park. Pretty relieved, as prices are skyrocketing. Both Steelers and Penguins play that weekend, and Sat. night rooms are retailing $250-300. Thanks BB for helping me ID the Hilton and HOTWIRE / bid confidently! :)

Used BetterBidding's links to access PRICELINE and make all my bids. Started at $80 for 3.5*, bid rejected. Added 3* option, bid again for $85, bid rejected - PRICELINE countered with offer to get my hotel if I was willing to raise bid an additional $22 ($107 total). Declined, added 2.5* option, increased bid to $93. Bid accepted. The Simsbury Inn was the hotel I assumed we'd get, based on the map. We're booking for a wedding, and the wedding party had negotiated a group rate there for $169/night. The hotel's website & Kayak listed its standard rate as $259. Substantial savings - we got both nights, taxes & fees included, for $218.72. Happy Bidding, all! :-)

Using BB PRICELINE links, bid and won for 4* Barcelona hotel from Tuesday, March 23 through Wednesday, March 24. Began bidding at $95 for 5* in Airport, then added Las Ramblas and upped bid to $105. No dice either time, but got retort from PRICELINE for $186. Went back to the drawing board, starting with a new bid - $95 for 4* in Las Ramblas ONLY. PRICELINE didn't protest and did its search. Came back with offer of $136 for Ramblas 4* hotel. Declined, added Airport on again, and lowered price to $90. Bid accepted! Renaissance Barcelona Airport Hotel - $90 1 night - 3/23 - 3/24 Since we're flying out quite early the next morning, this works well for us! Very happy to get the price - which I know may seem otherwise high - because there's a massive foodie expo in BCN during this date and hotels are price-gauging. Thanks for helping me get the best prices for my Europe trip!

Room for Saturday, March 6 - Sunday, March 7 Have basically been attempting an entire three-week Europe vacation through Priceline. Have used BB's links for all bidding. Bid several days ago for a 5* Venice - $90, then 95$ - City Center, then added Lido to make the $95 bid. Both were rejected. Tried again this evening, $125 for 5* Venice City Center - rejected. Counter offer from Priceline to add $22 to bid to get room. Declined, added Lido district, and upped bid to $130. Was given room at 5* Hilton Molino Stucky for $130 plus taxes ($156.73 after taxes and fees). Although I'm not totally sold on location (on island off city center - 5 min. boat ride required), I'm excited to see positive reviews on TripAdvisor. Looking forward to our stay and first visit to Venice!

Have used your links to access PRICELINE. Am trying to obtain a hotel for 3 nights - March 8-11, 2010. So far, here are my results. - 2/6/10 - Placed $85 bid for Opera Quarter East - Les Halles (OQE) 4* Hotel. Rejected, no counter-offer. Did not re-bid. - 2/7/10 - Placed $95 bid for Opera Quarter East - Les Halles (OQE) 4* Hotel. Rejected, counter-offer of $187/night, plus $57.00 in taxes/fees (=$618 total). - Closed, reaccessed PRICELINE using BB's link, added Champs Elysees - Opera Quarter West and rebid for 4*/5* for $95 again. Bid rejected, no counter. Gave me regular Priceline hotel search travel results. Not sure if this means I can't bid again for another day, or not. - Got an email from Priceline inviting me to bid again. Reaccessed the site through your PRICELINE links. Bid $100 on OQE, CE-OQW, and St. Germain - Latin Quarter - Montparnasse. Rejected, counter-offer of $135/night, plus $42.99 in taxes/fees (=$447.99 total). - Added Batignolles - Montmartre - Republique and tried bidding again at $100. Rejected, and got the "Thank You for Naming Your Own Price - Unfortunately, we can't accept your offer. During our search, however, we did find special priceline rates available for your travel dates at the hotels shown below." message again.