KenD

Hi - followed your Priceline NYOP link. I appreciate the info you provide and wanted to add to the database! I had assumed 4.5* in this zone would get me the hotel I won (or possibly TRYP by Windham). Placed a bid for $150 that was rejected. Added a second zone that had no 4.5* hotels and increased my bid to $160. That put the room at $598.20 with "taxes and service fees."Wasn't immediately accepted; took 15 minutes. I placed my bid knowing this hotel charged a $30/night resort fee. I was prepared to pay that in addition to my winning bid, but I was curious to see how Priceline would handle it and I was hoping that would be included in my final price. It was not. I'm a little miffed at how Priceline handles this. When placed my bid, the review page showed 3 x $160 for the three nights + $118.20 Taxes/Fees, total $598.20. AFTER I won, I was told that I'd pay $598.20 to Priceline and that I would be charged $103 at check-in. I assume Priceline relies on this fine print buried (IMO) on the review page: The credit card is required for any additional hotel specific service fees or incidental charges or fees that may be charged by the hotel to the customer at checkout. These charges may be mandatory (e.g., resort fees) or optional (parking, phone calls or minibar charges) and are not included in your offer price. I saved $82 off booking directly through IHG, and I'm staying at the hotel I wanted, but I probably wouldn't have given up my flexibility to jump on a better deal in the next week if I had known for certain my savings would only have been 10%. I can see where someone else who didn't know this was possible might be angry to think they were offering $600 only to find they "won"... and paid $700. Again, thanks for being resource for us cheapskates 😄 Ken

Followed your PRICELINE link. Started at $50 for EWR, 3.5*, rejected went to $60 and added zone 4, Jersey City West (has no 3.5*), rejected went to $65 and added zone 9, Union-Westfield-Clark (has no 3.5*), accepted. Thanks again for making this forum available.

I'm going to pass on this one. I may try again for 4* closer to travel date. If so, I'll open a new thread. Thanks again from creating this space where this info can be shared!

I may have answered my on question. Found (also through your Bidding Helper link) similarly priced room on Hotwire with a like match on your Hotwire hotel list. Thinking this is Millennium Maxwell House Hotel. Pretty mediocre reviews and on the out edge of the Downtown zone.

I found a room using your Bidder Helper link to PRICELINE Express. SEC championship is this weekend and the rate seems too good to be true for downtown. 3.5-Star Express Deal Hotel Downtown Nashville - Metrocenter Area Area March 10-12 $151/night for 1 adult + 1 child (age 10) Amenities include: > Free Parking > Business Center > Restaurant > Airport Shuttle > Free Internet > Indoor or Outdoor Pool > Fitness Center > No Smoking Rooms/Facilities

that's great. I did not know that tool existed. Got a question: on the alert tool, I'd like to be notified of ANY win that's 4* in Orlando-MCO. What should I set the "check in" and "check out" dates at so that I get that result? I don't want to use my actual travel dates if that would cause me to lose an alert that did not match those. Thanks, Ken

Thanks for the follow up. Senior moment: I knew that Hotwire required more "click-throughs" for the full list of ammenities and had forgotten. I've got a little time. I'll keep an eye on the board to see if someone reports a booking that sheds more light on this. Regards, Ken

Here's where I'm at. I've got a 5:30am flight on 6/9/15 so a room at the Hyatt, which is INSIDE the airport, would be sweet. Using Bidding Helper, I'm coming up with two 4* hotels in the MCO zone for one night, June 8th (2 adults, 2 kids). The first appears in both the Hotwire tab and Hotwire Easy View at $91 with these amenities: Airport shuttle, Fitness center, Pool(s), Restaurant(s), Business center, Internet access. 4.5* on Trip Advisor and 90% recommended. Second one appears only in the Hotwire tab at $125. Only amenities are: Free Internet, Business Center, Fitness Center and Restaurant(s). 4.5* on Trip Advisor and 95% recommended. I'm thinking the second might be the Hyatt. No shuttle? Could that be a "tell" for "in the airport." No pool, though... Hyatt MCO has a pool... Thanks for your thoughts on this! Ken

{phew}! Can confirm that this is the Westin Peachtree. This came up with the amenities I indicated in my previous post. I would point out that I believe this hotel has come up with "Indoor Pool" in addition to "Pool(s) on a few occasions. 90% Recommended Amenities: Pet friendly Fitness Center Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Business Center Internet access Spa Services In-room accessibility Accessible bathroom I did use the PRICE.LINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin my travel purchases

I am TRYING to follow your guidelines. My first post August 22 (and for which I didn't get an ID) was for a hotel that had different amenities than than the Sept 22 post started by Rob B (the indoor pool being the most identifying). I started posting on that thread since the hotels we were tracking had the same amenities. I was asked on October 3rd by AaronJB to start a NEW thread, which I did.

Using your Bidding.Helper tool, I'm getting a rate of $95 this morning for Oct 11-12.Currently, there are no 4.5* hotels on the pinned list. It was previously suggested that this might be the Westin Peachtree Plaza (which would be good for me) or the Sheraton (not so much). Sheraton web site indicates no rooms available for this weekend. Westin website has a best rate of $229. Amenities include: 4.5*, 90% recommended FULL AMENITIES: Pet friendly Indoor pool(s) Smoke Free Rooms Fitness Center Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Business Center Self service laundry Internet access Accessible for the blind Accessible for the deaf Accessible path of travel In-room accessibility Accessible bathroom Handicapped parking Roll-in shower

Any more intelligence on this hotel? It's now down to $85 for Oct 11-12. Westin would be awesome as I have dinner reservations there. Sheraton would be disappointment as I plan to make my downtown visit all walking and that would put me a half mile further out from the places I'll be visiting. Little more info... Sheraton's website indicates no vacancy that night. Ah ha! I thought... maybe the Westin... but the best available on any site I could find for the Westin was $229. Made $85 seem a little far off...

I'm finding this hotel available for October 11-12 at $104. The list of amenities is much long when using BiddingHelper (or clicking through further on Hotwire). 4.5*, 90% recommended FULL AMENITIES: Pet friendly Indoor pool(s) Smoke Free Rooms Fitness Center Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Business Center Self service laundry Internet access Accessible for the blind Accessible for the deaf Accessible path of travel In-room accessibility Accessible bathroom Handicapped parking Roll-in shower

Thanks for following up. I'm still seven weeks out from my travel date so I'll keep an eye on this forum. I suspect this is too far out to bet the best deal anyway. If I book it, I'll be sure to post a reply. Thanks, Ken

I went through old posts and couldn't find a hotwire post for a 4.5* hotel in downtown Atlanta. Any ideas? From Bidding.Helper, Hotwire Easy View: Saturday, October 11 to Sunday, October 12 $135 Amenities: Pet friendly Fitness Center Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Business Center Internet access Spa Services In-room accessibility Accessible bathroom

Got the 3.5* Hilton Garden Inn Orlando SeaWorld International Center using this site's HOTWIRE link $58/night. Best rate on Hilton's site was $99/night. Amenities: Free Parking Free Internet Fitness Center Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Business Center Laundry Facilities (self-service) High-Speed Internet Access Golf Nearby Accessible for the blind Accessible for the deaf Accessible path of travel In-room accessibility Wheelchair accessible Accessible bathroom Handicapped parking Roll-in shower Recommended in 80% of Hotwire reviews Customer Rating on Trip Advisor is 4.5 of of 5 Thanks again for the service you provide!

Holiday Inn Express (at 29th St), Three stars, Chelsea Madison Square Garden, $105/nt, Feb 3-4, 2012 Amenities: Fitness Center, Business Center, Complimentary Breakfast, High-speed Internet access This room was available for $85/night for two guests. While there are only two of us, I wanted to ensure I got two beds and entered 4 adults as my search criteria. I appreciate how helpful this forum is and made sure to help keep it thriving by booking my stay through your HOTWIRE link!

I don't know if an administrator needs to do this, but I can't find an option to edit my original post. I booked by hotel (and linked through this site... thank you). 4* Orlando (Airport MCO) Hyatt Regency $59 ... 4/20/10-4/21/10 (4 rooms)

Hey Yellowdog - thanks for reply and the clarification on the Hotwire % of reviewers. So it sounds like the only extra nugget of info here is Hotwire's reported TA rating compared the actual rating on TA for those hotels, right? In this case, they are different: Hyatt Regency is 4.5* on TA and Mariott Renaissance is 4* on TA. Hotwire reports that the $59 hotel is 4.5*, obviously pointing to Hyatt. Does that tend to be pretty reliable "extra clue?"

That's the kind of suggestion I was looking for! So Hotwire says it's a 4.5* on Trip Advisor and that it's recommended in 90% of reviews. Hyatt Regency shows up on TA as 4.5* with a 94% recommendation rating vs. Renaissance which has 4* and 70% recommended. You liking the Hyatt? One more nugget: Hotwire says there are over 500 customer reviews and TA shows 201 for Hyatt and 74 for Renaissance.

The only 4* hotels in Orlando-MCO are the Hyatt Regency and the Marriot Renaissance. The pinned list indicates that they will show the same amenities. I'm seeing a $59 rate for a 4* in this zone on Hotwire, but I want to wind up at the Hyatt, which is the only hotel in the zone located in the terminal. Anything I can do to help nail this down? As a side bar, my father got a $42 room at the Hyatt last month w/ Priceline. I'd like to go that route, but the Hyatt is 3.5* on the pinned list for Priceline and I think there are maybe four hotels in the class/zone, so I think I'd diminish my chances even more of getting the hotel I want. Thanks for any suggestions you might have. My travel date is 4/20-4/21 and I'll book 4 rooms. Regards, Ken

3* Charleston-North Amenities: Suite Complimentary Breakfast Pool(s) Laundry Facilities Kitchenette Airport Shuttle Fitness Center Business Center High Speed Internet Access I was looking for a room in the Charleston-North (airport) area and this came up on Hotwire for $54/night for two guests 9/21-24. The suite would be great as we're traveling with an infant and fridge to store breastmilk would be a big plus. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

Bid $71 for 3* St. Pete Beach (hoping to hit Sirata Beach Resort) added South St. Pete (no 3*) at $81 added Treasure Island (no 3*) at $91 accepted best rate on their web site was $179. Nice savings.

Strange experience. I booked this on 2/4. $35 was my first bid. I was counting on the Residence Inn and it came through. I needed a room from 2/5 until the middle of the following week, but I wasn't sure exactly what day my departure would be. I booked for Saturday to Monday with intention of adding more days after my schedule firmed up on Sunday. I knew there was a risk doing it this way, but it seems like the NOTHING else has been coming up for other bidders in this region at 2.5* other than the Residence Inn. Damned if last night the extra days (2/7 - 2/9) didn't cost me $92 AND I had to change hotels to the Hawthorn Suite! Grrr... from the address, it appears that it's almost next door, but who wants to switch hotels? I'll repost this info along with my second successful (?!) bid. First bid - $35 - rejected. Didn't feel comfortable adding other zones. I had read one tip that suggested adding Santa Monica because, even though rooms are available at this star rating, the prices are generally so high that it won't result in a winning bid, but I couldn't afford to take that chance. Second bid - $50 - rejected. Had my wife bid. Third bid - $70 - rejected. Had a co-worker bid a third time. After my third bid was rejected, PL gave me a "special" one time opportunity to bid again without making any changes so long as I bumped my bid up by $22. Getting worried at this point. Additional nights at the Residend Inn on Marriott's web site are $159! Fourth bid - $92. Accepted, but at new hotel! grr...

After lurking here for a while (and getting lots of great tips), I decided it was time to become a "citizen" and contribute. Strange experience. I booked this on 2/4. $35 was my first bid. I was counting on the Residence Inn and it came through. I needed a room from 2/5 until the middle of the following week, but I wasn't sure exactly what day my departure would be. I booked for Saturday to Monday with intention of adding more days after my schedule firmed up on Sunday. I knew there was a risk doing it this way, but it seems like the NOTHING else has been coming up for other bidders in this region at 2.5* other than the Residence Inn. Damned if last night the extra days (2/7 - 2/9) didn't cost me $92 AND I had to change hotels to the Hawthorn Suite! Grrr... from the address, it appears that it's almost next door, but who wants to switch hotels? I'll repost this info along with my second successful (?!) bid.