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Used the PRICELINE link. Express Deal gave me a hint at $56. I bid $48 and got it. Decent Tripadvisor rating. Free parking, grab-n-go breakfast, I'm happy with it.

Needed another day, Friday, as my 3* Thursday $68 Best Western Scotts Valley hotel wanted $149 to add Friday (same as the advertised 3* express deal). Instead, I used the PRICELINE link. bid $122 for 4*, and got a counteroffer of $150. Interestingly, there's probably the same 4* on as a PRICELINE EXPRESS deal for $142. So the next day I bid $130 and it was accepted by the Chaminade. Santa Cruz wins are not often reported to the board, until just recently one came on for a day or two before my stay, which member's post helped greatly to hone me in. I'm glad the hotels I got and the area are participating in PRICELINE at this time that my small family and I need to travel and stay there. Hope the weather will be nice. Really looking forward to it.

If you recall, can you please confirm the amenities that were showing with this listing? Thanks. It's still there: Free breakfast, internet, pool, parking, business center.

Used the PRICELINE link. Saw 3* Express Deal for $68 for hotel rated, 7 out of 10, not any of the Santa Cruz listed hotels which 3*'s include Hilton rated 8 and BW All Suites in Santa Cruz also rated 8. Tried to bid $61, and it counter-offered $71, and then my rebid of $62 for 2.5* was unsuccessful. Close enough, I grabbed the $68 express deal and it turned out to be the Best Western Plus Inn in Scotts Valley at 6020 Scotts Valley Drive. At that price I tried to extend a day, and then declined the required $149 for the next day Friday. Happy with the Thursday deal, its location, and that it comes with breakfast. :) New entry for the board, too.

This was a winning PRICELINE bid so there were no amenities shown before the purchase, and I don't recall the amenities shown with the prior Express Deal listing, only the zone. Unfortunately the hotel "only had one-bed rooms available" despite the need and request for two, in which case they tried to work with us with what they had. Made it a bit awkward and not enjoyable to this property's potential. Nevertheless, handy to Universal CityWalk.

Used the PRICELINE link. Saw Express Deal dipped down to $98 for this expensive 4th of July vacation period in this zone. Bid $90 and it was accepted by the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn, which I guess is going through a name transition. I didn't see it won before or notice it was at that star level with its new name in that zone, so it came as a surprise. But it's Tripadviser rated 21 of 301 L.A. area Hotels, so looking forward :) (I was seeking Sheraton Universal as the more frequent property won in that zone).

Administrator, please move and retitle this to the El Segundo/Manhattan Beach zone where it belongs. Thanks.

Used the PRICELINE link. Saw 4* for $68 on express deals. Bid of $58 rejected. Rebid of $59 accepted. :)

Used the PRICELINE link. 4* Downtown Express Deal advertised for this Saturday date at $179 was high, and I didn't think I'd get a bid accepted for 4* rooms much lower. Set sights on 3.5* (Express Deal advertised for $102) and bid up from $80, which gave counteroffer of $102 so I knew I must be close. Rebid in increments and got $88 accepted by Hyatt's LA Hotel Downtown. Good location for us, near Weekend Dash F. Looking forward to LA Book Fair this weekend, which might explain why Downtown prices are higher than usual.

Bid up from $65 over several days in both San Jose Downtown and South zones. Appears to be an unprecedented-busy CA Bar convention period for Downtown, especially for the weekday portion, but I didn't want to split bids for the week/weekend and risk switching hotels in the middle of the stay. Was hoping for a Downtown, i.e. Fairmont, Marriott, etc. (but not airport DoubleTree) convention center hotel, and ended up where I thought I'd most likely be which is a very nice place although just a bit further away from the Downtown action.

Yes, the Ayres Hotel Manhattan Beach at 14400 Hindry Ave, Hawthorne. The fairly new zone is what caught me off guard and that was my mistake which cost $25 to correct, but fortunately not more. Thanks, again.

Administrator, it was actually the Ayres in Hawthorne, in the Inglewood/Hawthorne zone. Thank you for correcting.

Used the PRICELINE link. Bid of $60 received counteroffer of $72. Rebid of $64 was successful.

Used the PRICELINE link. Sweet location for Legoland visit.

Trying for 2 rooms in Downtown LA, I inadvertently rebid in the Hawthorne/Manhattan Beach zone and got $115 accepted by Ayres Hawthorne. I called Priceline, and they allowed me to cancel for $25 as long as I rebooked through them. I did through their non-opaque side. For others' benefit, here's what they initially wrote me back: Dear priceline Customer, We understand you inadvertently entered the incorrect information when submitting your recent Hotel request. We cancelled your current Hotel reservation minus a cancellation fee of $275.36, and issued a refund in the amount of $0.00. To obtain an additional refund of your cancellation fee minus a $25.00 change fee, simply follow the steps outlined below: 1. Please submit a new Hotel request with the correct information on our website at http://www.priceline.com. You can either name your own price, or choose an itinerary where the price and the hotel's name are already displayed prior to purchase. 2. Once you have a new, confirmed reservation, please call our automated system at 1-800-###-#### (when calling from United States). When prompted, simply enter the trip / itinerary number associated with your ORIGINAL (now cancelled) reservation (itinerary number redacted), followed by the phone # you provided when you submitted your request. Then, just follow the system prompts to provide us with your NEW itinerary number. Once our automated system verifies your new accepted request, it will refund your $275.36 cancellation fee minus a $25.00 change fee. It will also send you an email confirming this refund. 3. Please remember that you must correct the incorrect information you entered on your previous request in order to receive a refund. If your first new request is not accepted, you may continue to resubmit as many times as you would like (following the above criteria) until you get an accepted request. We are very happy that we are able to offer this cancellation to you; however, under normal circumstances, reservations cannot be changed or cancelled. Thank you for choosing priceline for your travel needs. Sincerely, The priceline.com Customer Service

Used the PRICELINE link. Noticed the same hotel going for $88 as a no-bid deal, and wondered if I could get it for less by bidding. Sure enough, bid up from $60 to $80, finally got accepted by my target resort hotel. Haven't been there before. Looking forward. Not sure about whether or not there's an extra or "optional" resort fee - if someone who stayed there can give me some feedback on that I'd appreciate it.

Used the PRICELINE link. First bid of $50 was accepted. We were there just a month ago and desired to return. Perfectly adequate place, with free parking and breakfast included, in a beautiful small town.

Used the PRICELINE link. Bid and re-bid repeatedly and at various S.D. star levels and zones (4* up to $115, 3.5* up to $95, 3* up to 85, etc.) for this pricey and "sold out" Summer Friday, finally getting accepted by Clarion South Bay. No free breakfast like at most 2.5 star hotels, but well reviewed on Tripadvisor and it should work for us. Both the zone and hotel appear new to Betterbidding's List.

Used the PRICELINE link. Grateful they now separate out Huntington Beach from the Newport Beach zone. More desireable, beach-across-the-street hotels in Huntington. Bid up from $100 to getting $105 accepted by Shorebreak Hotel. Love their location, rating on tripadvisor, and the opportunity to bring our dog!

Used Link. Bid up over a couple days from $46 (ignored counteroffer to bid $10 higher), adding Van Nuys zone, then second day got accepted at $49. Decent ratings, desireable location, free parking and breakfast will do the trick. B):)

Used PRICELINE link. Bid up from $43, also including Sorrento Mesa and SD Coastal zones. New hotel to add to Betterbidding's list. Pleasantly surprised with its Tripadvisor rating, breakfast, location....

Used Betterbidding PRICELINE link. Bid $61, not successful, then rebid of $65 accepted.

Used Betterbidding's PRICELINE link. Started at $57, crept up to $60 for accepted bid.

Used Betterbidding's PRICELINE link. Started at $55 for Long Beach, added LB airport and San Pedro, re-bid in small increments up to $65 over a couple days. From the high prices on non-opaque websites, seems like an expensive time in downtown Long Beach, so glad to be reasonably nearby.

Used Betterbidding's PRICELINE link. Bid for 4* downtown, started at $66, and over the course of a few days, dabbled a bit unsuccessfully up to $70 for 4* Rancho Cordova and up to $49 for 3* Rancho Cordova, then bid back again downtown up to being accepted at $90.