Bob24

I had a nice stay at this property. I see they call it a 4 star now. When I stayed in February, it was a 3.5. I asked for and received a complimentary upgrade when I was there so asking doesn't hurt. I got a nice sized room with a sitting area and 2 bathrooms! Granted, the bathrooms weren't huge, but for $59 a night I wasn't complaining.

Got this number 1 rated property a little while ago for $86 for a different KC stay. This time I started bidding at $66. It told me that if I went up to $86 they would let me bid right away without changing anything. I declined and added the sports complex area as a free re-bid zone. I bid $77 and got the Raphael again. I am really happy with getting such a seemingly great property for such a good rate. I used the site's PRICELINE link.

This is for 2011. I guess I am so used to writing 2010 on everything I goofed up.

I am happy with this as the Raphael Hotel is the #1 rated hotel in Kansas City on Trip Advisor. The only 4 stars listed for all of KC are in the Crown Center area. I usually bid for 4 stars in that area, but as long as Priceline still calls that dump the Hotel Phillips a 4 star, I will not bid that area for fear of getting stuck there. The Country Club Plaza area is very nice and I can't believe that both the Raphael and the Intercontinental are not rated as 4 stars. I bid $66 for a 3.5 star on the plaza. It sent me a counter offer saying that if I added $20 I could bid the same itinerary right away. I accepted that and am pleased. I did use this sites PRICELINE link.

I once checked the wrong zone and ended up winning. I called PRICELINE and informed them of my error. They charged me $25 and once I won the same dates in another zone I had to send them something. Then they refunded my money.

I have gotten a check in as early as 9am at a PRICELINE property. The place was a dump though. I had spotty success elsewhere for early check ins though. It just really depends on a whole host of factors.

I was VERY pleased with what the cat dragged in with this deal. The Pfister is the premier hotel in Milwaukee and is the hotel that the Minnesota Twins stay at when playing the Brewers. That bit of trivia is important because me and my brother are travelling to Milwaukee next June to see the Twins play and needed a couple of rooms. I started bidding for a 3.5 star downtown at $45. I didn't try 4 stars because I didn't want to get sent to the Ambassador. My bid was turned down flat. I added zones that I knew did not contain a 3.5 property and worked my way up. Finally, at $59, they let me know that they were upgrading me and putting me in the Pfister. I got on the Pfister's website and the rooms were going for $315 a night plus hefty fees. I paid a paltry $59! I got 2 rooms for 2 nights for $280 INCLUDING fees. With the Twins team and staff staying there and the fact that probably 15,000-20,000 Minnesotans make the trip to see them at Miller Park every year, I can't understand them letting a room go for so cheap. Oh well, I will take it.

Well, I would suggest that you use the PRICELINE link on his site and use the tips found here to get a room in the General Mitchell MKE zone. The 3 star Wyndham has been won several times for right around $40. It is a dump with horrible reviews, but it is cheap, parking is free and they have a shuttle. If you are looking for bargain basement lodging that may be your best bet. Assuming you mean October 5th, Hotwire shows 4 options for that date. There is a two star for $39 (bound to be nicer than the Wyndham), a 2.5 star for $48 (beware, only 45% would recommend), a 3 star for $53, and a 3.5 star for $99.

I have never gotten upgraded from Priceline. You are smart in trying to avoid that dump though. I have gotten the 4 star Hyatt Regency for as low as $41 before. Although, I don't know if I agree that it is quite a 4 star, the Hyatt was certainly leaps and bounds above that cesspool the Millenium.

I got 3 rooms here for a group of us that was going to a Twins game at Kaufmann Stadium. The check in process was smooth and the people were very friendly. We were all able to get rooms on the same floor. The rooms were nice sized, clean, and well appointed. The bathrooms were also larger than I am used to seeing in hotels The windows were wall to wall and floor to ceiling and the view was nice. The beds were pretty comfortable as well. Soundproofing was standard fare for a hotel. When the person in the next room coughed, I thought he was next to me. The common areas were nice and clean. My only complaint was the elevators. I have never experienced waits that long before and once you got an elevator, it was hit and miss if all the buttons would light up. Overall, it was a good experience and I will stay there again.

This hotel is old. Being old isn't necessarily bad if the property is really kept up, but the age showed in spots here. The lobby is beautiful, but areas like the carpet look worn and tired. I was worried about the elevators since they are tiny (4 people per car max), but they proved to be very speedy. When I got to my room I was a bit disappointed. Apparently in the olden days people didn't need much space. The room was small without much free space. The windows were dirty and the trimwork was chipped and slightly rotting. The wallpaper was peeling in a couple of spots as well. That is not acceptable in a 4 star hotel. The shower had great water pressure, but beware of the tub floor. I noticed a rolled up bath mat in the tub, but didn't give it much thought until I stepped into the shower and my foot slide across the tub bottom like it was greased. Thankfully I caught myself and didn't get hurt. From that point on, I used the bath mat. There was some mold on the shower curtain as well and the tub caulking had mold spots as well. Again, not acceptable at a 4 star hotel. The TV was an old tube one and not a flat panel. The room had wood blinds, but I didn't see any darkening shades, so if you like to sleep during the day, the room will not be that dark. The hotel was quiet and the bed comfortable. You can only valet park at the hotel and at $18 a night and tips every time they get your car it can get expensive. But, the valet guys were nice and quick and earned their tips. I ate at the 12 Baltimore restaurant a couple of times and it was fine. The service and the people there were outstanding. Lots of international employees there, so some of the conversations can be quite interesting. The location of the hotel is great. It is really close to the Power and Light District so there is plenty to do. I only paid $60 a night through Priceline, so I didn't think that was bad. But, had I paid full freight I would have been disappointed. I would not recommend this hotel unless you get a great rate. I have stayed other places in KC that have been better and would steer my friends there if they asked for my opinion.

Before I stayed here, a friend of mine told me that the public areas of this hotel were nice enough, but the rooms were small and dumpy. He was spot on. I will preface my comments with saying that I got this property for $41 on Priceline so I can't say it was a horrible value since that is about what the room was worth. The staff was very nice and super helpful and allowed me an early check in. The public areas were pretty nice and the elevator was nicely done in frosted glass. But, when I got to me room, the tune changed. I walked into my room and the carpet was all wrinkly and in need of being stretched or replaced. The room was small and tired. Everything in it appeared way outdated. The sink was cracked and badly stained. There were miscellaneous scuffs and inperfections throughout the room. The room was on par with what I have seen with some rural motels. If you can get this place for $41 a night, I would consider it. Although until they do a wholesale remodel, I won't be trying it again. That being said, if you win this hotel, DEMAND a renovated room. Priceline calls this dump 3 and a half stars and if you get an old room, you will have a 1 star experience.

I didn't know quite what to expect from this property from reading the reviews, but I was pleasantly surprised. First off, I got this property for $41 on Priceline. You can't even get a flea ridden motel room for that around here. So, even if the lodging was just so-so, I wouldn't complain. Check in went pretty smooth. Parking was $17 a day which is right about the going rate. When I got to my room I was wondering if they earmarked the most undesirable rooms in the hotel for their Priceline specials (I wouldn't blame them if they did). I was on the 13th floor (they called it 14th) and was right across the hall from the vending area and the housekeeping closet. They said my room was a "limited park view" Limited was right. If I pressed my cheek on the window and craned my neck I could see a tree. My view was of the rooftop HVAC equipment and the ramp. However, I didn't get the room for the view. The hotel itself was in good, not great, shape. Some areas showed some dating, but not too bad. My room was nice sized. The bed was comfortable, The room was clean. The sink, closet and changing area were separate from the bathroom. There was a work desk with 2 chairs and another lounge type chair. The room had everything I needed. The business center was a joke. There were two computers for a 533 room convention hotel. The speed of the connection reminded me of the early days of dial up. However, I have seen this trend at hotels. It is my opinion that they want to get you to pay the extra money for the in room internet. If there were a ton of fast computers down in the lobby, what would be your incentive to pay the extra money? All of the staff members I encountered were nice and helpful. There were a few good dining options on site. There are certainly newer, nicer, and swankier hotels in Minneapolis but you aren't going to find their rooms going for $41 a night. I was pleased with my experience and would go back in a heartbeat, especially at such a great rate.

The Des Moines Renaissance Savery is a very good option when going to Des Moines. The hotel was in very good condition, especially considering it's age. The staff, from the manager to the bartender and shuttle driver were very nice. The room was outstanding. It had two bathrooms and a small seating area. The construction was better back in the old days so this hotel was more soundproof than most. I was impressed. The stay was not perfect however. Upon getting into my room, I sat down on the couch and looked across at the ottoman in front of the chair. The front of the ottoman had some unfortunate looking stains that I recognized as the "residue of romance": It was after all Valentines Day weekend. Anyone could have missed it though, so even though it was a tad disconcerting, I just grabbed a towel from the bathroom, soaked it, and gave the fabric a good cleaning. This got out the stains. I had a nice dinner at the lounge. The food was good, but $5.50 for a bottle of domestic beer in Des Moines? After that experience I left the hotel for my meals and libations. The bartender, Matt, was very nice and had a great personality. He obviously doesn't set the drink prices. The main issue I had was what they passed off as a "business center". It was one computer with a credit card machine hooked up to it! Using the computer was a whopping 59 cents a minute! That was low brow and something that I am not used to seeing when I travel. Overall, I would stay again and would recommend to others.

I stayed here over 6 years ago and was less than wowed with the property. The staff was great, but the property and room were dated. I am happy to report that they have done some nice touch ups and remodeling and now it is on par with other Marriotts. The room was nicely appointed, clean and comfortable. It was average sized but laid out well. The restaurant was nice but not outstanding. I don't understand why hotel restaurants do not stay open later, especially when there is a big event in town and people are pouring back in after a concert. Even just a limited menu of pizzas and burgers would be nice. I got this hotel and the Renaissance Savery down the street for $51 on a third party website. At $51 a night, both were very good deals. I would rate the Savery as a nicer property with nicer rooms, however if you need access to a business center and would like more reasonably priced dining in the hotel I would pick the Marriott. Both are actually Marriott properties. As an added bonus the ramp across the street is free on the weekends. Valet parking at the hotel itself is $18 a day.

It has been my experience that the 4 star is the Hyatt Regency. Not a bad property actually. The 3 and a half star that seems to be won most often is the Millenium. That place is a dump. I won it before for $41 and felt like I paid about $31 too much.

The Millennium is a dump. I won it for $41 a few months ago and calling it 3.5 stars is overrating it by about 2 stars. DEMAND a renovated room. The others, like the one I stayed in, are worthless.

Smoke Free Rooms, Fitness Center, Restaurant(s), Business Center, High-speed Internet Access, Golf Nearby are the the amenities listed. I knew it was the Delafield Hotel since not only is it the only 4.5 star property in the area, none of the other properties are even 4 star.

I originally Pricelined a room near Milwaukee for this trip and got a flea bag 3 star with horrible reviews for $48 bucks. I have worked too hard to lay my head down in some dump for even one night. So, I decided to just eat the cost and get lodging more in line with a man of my means. I did some research and found the the 4.5 star property in Delafield was The Delafield Hotel, a boutique property with big rooms and lots of amenities. The reviews are almost all exceptional. I got it for $114 using the HOTWIRE link from this site.

I got the dumpy Wyndham Airport MKE for $48, which after reading the reviews sounds like about $47 too much. I started the bidding at $41 and got this booby prize when I bumped my bid to $48 and added a zone. The nice thing is that I will only be there 1 night and shouldn't be in the room for much more than sleep. I used the PRICELINE link from this site.

I tried my luck and got it for $55 for my stay. Looks like a nice property at that price point. I have stayed at the Westin across the street and that was great. Hopefully this will suit my needs. I have now won the Hotel Phillips, Westin, and the Hyatt in the Crown Center area. I believe these are the only 3 four star properties in the bid zone. I used the PRICELINE link from this site.

Won this property and was walked the first night to the Brown Deer Candlewood Suites. Called PRICELINE after the trip and they refunded me half my money (for the night I was walked).

This board might have just put a couple hundred bucks back into my pocket. I had two reservations through Priceline to the Courtyard by Marriott outside of Milwaukee. When I got to the hotel, they said they couldn't honor either of them and I was "walked" from the 3 star Courtyard to the 2 star Candlewood Suites a couple of miles away. The thing is that they never told me that I was only being walked for one night. I got the hint though when the maid at the Candlewood tried to get into my room TWICE before 11am despite my do not disturb sign being on my door. When I called down to the desk, I asked when they had me scheduled to check out and they told me in 45 minutes! I asked the Candlewood if that meant that Marriott had a room for me. They called and Marriott did indeed have a room ready for me. I was on vacation and had been out until about 3am the night before. I really didn't want to get up and pack my stuff and go back to the Courtyard, but what choice did I have other than staying at the Candlewood on my dime? Because I had read on this board that Priceline doesn't like it when their guests get walked, I called Priceline customer care and told them all about my experience. They profusely apologized and opened a case with their resolution department. I am supposed to find out within 48 hours what, if anything, they are going to do about it. I am aiming for a full refund on both reservations.

$41 bucks doesn't even get you a Super 8 or Motel 6 in these parts. But, it got me the 4 star Hyatt Regency. Admittedly, the Hyatt is not a gem of a property compared to a lot of the other downtown Minneapolis offerings. Obviously the other properties are getting better occupancy rates since the Hyatt is now forced to basically give their rooms away. However, at $41 a night it is a steal.

The X factor is the Best Western Kelly Inn. Calling that place downtown is a mistake and calling it 3 star is another mistake. Going through Priceline can often get you the Hilton Garden Inn, which is a nice enough property. The Holiday Inn Select is literally right across the street from the Xcel Energy Center. Any of the DT St. Paul offerings would be good with the exception of the Best Western.