BamaGuy

This was a tough one. Started bidding a couple of weeks ago, and expected to get the Doubletree for around $40-$45 as I had on my last two trips to Tampa. Not only did it not turn up, nothing was accepted on a 3 1/2-star bid up to about $60. Also tried 4-star properties, bidding up to $75 with nothing being accepted. Same with 3-star at $50. Today I noticed that Hotwire had a new 3 1/2-star hotel at $64 that most likely was the Crowne Plaza. Knowing that Priceline often has the same properties at a bit less, I bid $40, $45, and $50, unsuccessfully, until winning at $52. Haven't stayed here before, but looking forward to it. It's still a very reasonable price (best non-opaque deal seems to be $109/night). Here are the details: Summary of Charges Room Cost (avg. per room, per night): $52.00 (USD) Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Guests Per Room: 2 Number of Nights: 2 Room Subtotal: $104.00 (USD) Taxes and Fees: $21.26 (USD) Total Room Cost: $125.26 (USD) As always, I used the PRICELINE link provided by betterbidding.com. Thanks for your service.

Got an e-mail from Priceline offering a $5 bonus. Started bidding on a 3.5* hotel at $30 (+ $5). Used free rebids until $35 (+$5) was accepted. I stayed here in March for $45/night, so got a little better deal this time. Totals as follows: Room Cost (avg. per room, per night): $35.00 (USD) Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Guests Per Room: 2 Number of Nights: 1 Room Subtotal: $35.00 (USD) Taxes and Fees: $12.30 (USD) Total Room Cost: $47.30 (USD) Used your PRICELINE link as usual. Had to click the link in the e-mail to load the bonus into my Priceline account, but then used your PRICELINE link to log in again.

To get the coupon, go to this website: http://philadelphia.centralparking.com/, then key in the address for your property (Marriott is 1201 Market Street). The closest lot is on Sansom (only .17 miles away from the hotel). You'll see the link to print the coupon. Looks like the most you would have to pay would be $18 for 24 hours, and could be as cheap as $5. The valets there were very nice and didn't mind my paying for a day and just leaving the vehicle there. Good luck.

To follow up on the parking situation, as mentioned the Marriott valet parking with in-out privileges was $50/night. I didn't really need the in-out option so I checked the info mentioned by the above posters (thanks!) and also some info found on TripAdvisor.com's FAQs for Philadelphia. What I found was fairly amazing (to me, anyway). I found a printable online coupon for Central Parking, and printed off a couple of them. Since it was the weekend (I got there about midnight on a Saturday night), there was a special weekend rate. I had to get something out of the vehicle about noon Sunday, so I went ahead and settled up for the first day. I expected a rate of about $20/night, but with the coupon it was only $5! On Monday, roughly 24 hours later, when I claimed the car I used the second coupon and it was another $5. Total cost for about 36 hours was $10, and the parking lot was only 3 blocks away at the corner of Sansom and 12th. Hope this helps save somebody else some money.

Got an e-mail from Priceline offering a $5 bonus. I was bidding for a stay the following night, which certainly could affect the available inventory of rooms. Tried bidding up to $80 on a 4*, with no success. Switched to a 3.5* and began at $40 (+ $5). Used free rebids until $53 (+$5) was accepted. This is a couple of bucks cheaper than the winning bid I got for the Marriott recently, so I'm happy with the deal. Unless they have changed policies, a full hot breakfast buffet is included, making this an even sweeter deal. Totals as follows: Bonus Cash: Per Room, Per Night $5.00 Offer Price: avg. per room, per night $53.00 Rooms: 1 Nights: 1 Room Subtotal: $53.00 Taxes & Fees: $16.24 Total Charged to Card: $69.24 I used your PRICELINE link.

Got an e-mail from Priceline offering a $6 bonus. As my travel plans had firmed up I decided to go ahead and try to lock down something. Tried bidding up to $79 on a 4*, with no success. Switched to a 3.5* and began at $44 (+ $6). Used free rebids until $54 (+$6) was accepted. I had seen $60 as a winning bid for both the Sheraton and the Marriott, but I was hoping for the Marriott as it's a better location for us for this trip. Totals as follows: Offer Price: avg. per room, per night $54.00 Rooms: 1 Nights: 2 Room Subtotal: $108.00 Taxes & Fees: $26.38 Total Charged to Card: $134.38 I did use your PRICELINE link this time. Had to click the link in the e-mail to load the bonus into my Priceline account, but then used your link to log in again. Now I've got to figure out a more reasonable parking arrangement than the hotel's $50/night valet service!!!

Planning a trip to see Bama play Penn State, and can't get a room anywhere close to State College. Got the $5 per room per night bonus bucks e-mail from Priceline, and decided to try my luck for Harrisburg. Didn't see a whole lot on the forum about winning bids for Harrisburg, but was pretty sure that Hotwire had the Sheraton for about $70-75. Knowing that we can sometimes win on P-L for a good bit better than what Hotwire's price is, I started the bidding at $45 + 5 bonus. That bid was rejected, but after adding the Carlisle area and bumping up to $50 + 5 bonus, the bid was accepted. Very happy to get the Sheraton at this price; total with taxes was about $63. Sorry I didn't use the PRICELINE link here (I almost always do), because I'm thinking I needed to use the link in the Priceline e-mail to get their bonus. If it's possible to use the link here and still get the P-L bonus, someone please let me know and I'll definitely do that next time.

Stayed there just this past Monday. Although I was quoted $36 for valet parking by Hyatt's toll-free number, when I arrived it was $38, plus tax. Including the slightly over 20% tax, it worked out to over $48 total. Self-parking was a few dollars less, but no in-and-out privileges. Otherwise, everything was first rate. Hope you enjoy your stay.

Was very happy to get this for this price, as it seemed that most 4* properties in Vancouver go for at least $95/night. I didn't make the reservation until really late on 6/12, after the clock had already struck midnight in the eastern time zone. After reading about the last three pages of entries, decided to start at $85, and move up in $5 increments; to my surprise the first bid was accepted. Really nice location, and even though it was through PRICELINE they accommodated my request for a room with two beds on an upper floor (partial water view). Only negative was the really high cost for valet parking, which was about $48 including Canada's exorbitant 20% tax rate. Used the PRICELINE link provided, as usual. Room Subtotal: US$85.00 Taxes & Fees: US$20.89 Total Charged to Card: US$105.89

Needed two rooms for just the one night. After perusing the board I saw that the Hyatt on Wacker comes up fairly often, usually at prices from $70 to over $100. I knew I had about 5 free rebid zones so decided to start with a bid of $60/room. To my surprise the bid was accepted. Total for the the two rooms for one night is $146.58. As always, used the PRICELINE link to place the bid.

Thanks for the info on the rooms facing north. Wanted to add that I contacted the hotel a couple of days after winning the bid, and requested rooms with two doubles if possible. They replied that they already had assigned us two doubles; perfect!

Originally wanted to stay downtown, but had no luck getting rooms at a good price; there seems to be something going on Saturday night as the Hyatt was completely sold out on their website. Anyway, changed our target to stay closer to Surly Brewing as we are attending an event there for the weekend. First bid of $40 was accepted for two rooms for two nights. Total including taxes and fees is $189.92. Already called the hotel to request two-bedded rooms and they advised there would be no problem. As always, used the PRICELINE link. Thanks for the service that you provide!

Needed two rooms. Started bidding at $40 per room, went to $42, and then won at $44 with free rebids. Total for two rooms for one night, including taxes and fees, was $108.76. I was hoping to get one of the other 3.5* properties closer to the capitol, but I understand that the Sheraton operates a free shuttle to that area. I used the BetterBidding PRICELINE link to place the bids.

Started by bidding on Resorts in Waikoloa-Kohala at $75 (hoping to get Hapuna Beach Prince, reported earlier at this bid). Rejected. Added Hilo and bid $85. Rejected. Got out and started a completely new bid for Resorts in Kona. Bid $80. Rejected. Added Waikoloa-Kohala and bid $90. Got the Marriott. Pretty happy with this, as the best price otherwise seems to be $169/night. Still had one free re-bid by adding Hilo, but didn't need it. Price details: Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $90.00 Subtotal: $270.00 Taxes & Fees: $45.51 Total Charges*: $315.51 From the Marriott website: "Resort Fee is $20 plus tax per room per day, and includes daily self parking for 1 car, daily half-day snorkel rental for 2, unlimited in-room high-speed internet access, and unlimited local and long-distance calls to the U.S. mainland and Canada from your room." Used the BetterBidding PRICELINE link. Thanks for a great website.