GraydonCarter

I did the Sleep & Fly at the EconoLodge near Washington National (Reagan) -- they have a shuttle service. Just sign a log at the front desk.

Here is a hint. They don't check the log, so on a couple of occasions I just parked and took the shuttle, without the overnight stay. Don't tell anybody.

In the past my experience has been on PriceLine that I am more likely to have my bid picked up by a 4-star hotel if I bid at the last minute, like the day before. This is certainly not scientific because I've only done it a handful of times, and really only in the Washington, D.C. (Crystal City) area.

I have tried to visit my Dad in Port Charlotte several times since the huricaines hit there and I am still having difficulty getting a room in the area. It isn't the residents hit by storm-damage who are taking all the rooms, although there are a fair number of those. It is the workers who have come in the perform construction, re-roofing, tiling, and landscaping.

Also note that a couple of Punta Gorda hotels have been wiped out. You can still (several months later) drive by the Punta Gorda Holiday Inn -- and it is "see-through" hotel, just the frame standing with no walls.

My dad has a small trailer in his front yard provided by FEMA, but there is no room in his inn, so usually drive over and back in the same day (I live on the other coast).

In past years I have always stayed at the Port Charlotte Days Inn, which is a terrific hotel, and gotten a good rate from the Days Inn website. I think in past years I may have paid over $100 per night.

The last trip at Thanksgiving I still could not find a room in the area, and I resorted to a one-star PriceLine bid in Fort Meyers, which is a good 1/2 hour from Port Charlotte. I got a fine room at the Howard Johnson Fort Meyers but I don't remember the rate.

I'm going to try again at Christmas this year, and after I read some bidding hints here at this site, I'll post my results.