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Well, here's a lesson on making sure you pay attention to small details when you are doing a re-bid. I originally bid for a 3* in Jersey City but was rejected for a full one week stay (May 13-20), but managed to get two blocks of 2 days at the Doubletree Club for May 13th-15th, and May 18-20th for $75 per night. After I was originally rejected trying to fill out the other 3 days for $125, I added the Elizabeth re-bid zone after upping my bid to $130, and got no luck there. I then dropped the price and star level thinking I might get the Courtyard in Jersey City (next to the PATH station), but forgot that I had added another area, so I wound up with a hotel room for 3 nights that may still work out, but I likely overpaid. Courtyard By Marriott Newark Elizabeth 87 Glimcher Realty Way Elizabeth, New Jersey 07201 Your Offer Price: $100.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 3 Subtotal: $300.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $54.86 Total Charges: $354.86 I would like to thank thereuare for his suggestions in his PMs on how this error on my part might still work. His knowledge of the local area was immensely helpful, and has helped mollify my wife somewhat. Final tally for 7 days in New Jersey instead of Manhattan was $600 ($708 all-in). Don't forget to use the savingsbarn.com website to link to PRICELINE. Since I would have paid $1208 plus taxes in New Jersey (or close to $1600 in Manhattan for maybe comparable accomodations), I will also be making a donation via Paypal, and encourage you all to do the same.

I wouldn't get too optimistic booking now for your desired prices in Jersey City. I myself am having trouble in Jersey City for the May 15-18 timeframe (or one week later for the same days of the week). I tried bidding $150 a night for a 3* for those days without luck.

I appreciate the suggestion of the Eastgate. I actually did have the Eastgate booked as an initial booking for the entire trip when I first bought the plane tickets. The cost was $189+taxes a night for an 8 day stay. I changed that after I got the split on the Jersey City Doubletree, which moved the cost up to about $229 at the Eastgate. Now that I have the JC hotel rooms, I've become a little reluctant to move from the Doubletree unless the financial incentive / luxury upgrade is there. It's going to be a hassle already to move from LGA to Penn Station and JC for check in, JC to Manhattan after our first two nights if we do a cross-river trip, back to JC for 2 nights, then staying in a Manhattan apartment the last night we are there (a family obligation that sprung up that cost me a night for a room at the Paramount I can't use now), then LGA early in the morning. I'll keep trying. At least everytime I try, SavingsBarn.com gets another redirect. :)

Just a quick question here - I am having problems booking anything right now in 4* for the May 15-18 timeframe for New York City, and 3* for Jersey City. I have reservations for May 13-15 and May 18-20 at the Doubletree in JC at $75 a night, and would be willing to move into the Big Apple for anything in the midtown/Central Park areas. I have bid as high as $145 for both places with no luck. I can be patient right now, as I do have a cancellable reservation at the Doubletree right now so that we don't have to move, but at $259/night for those 3 days, that is a little steep. I don't want to split these 3 days as we're already doing a split assuming we don't stay in JC. So I am wondering if there is a major major event going on that week that none of the hotels are opening up any inventory now, or if it is too soon to ask for 3 consecutive days at the beginning of a work week. Before I started looking at Priceline/Hotwire, I looked into Manhattan B&Bs, and was told by a couple of them that it was high season.

For the sake of $9 a night, I would just bid $75 and get the Doubletree if you want some level of certainty now. I have noticed that one can get either the Hyatt or Doubletree for the weekends at a $65-75 price. It isn't until you get closer to the actual date that you can get a great price early or mid week. I have two winning bids at the Doubletree for $90 a night all in ($75 + taxes) for May 13-15 and May 18-20.

This is part 2 of a desired one week stay in Jersey City. I already posted a successful bid for May 13-15, 2006 (Sat - Mon) stay for $75.00. I was trying to get the rest of the week, but found that bidding for the end of the week (Thu - Sat) was much more successful. Your Offer Price: $75.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 2 Subtotal: $150.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $30.78 Total Charges: $180.78 I changed the dates and added the Elizabeth re-bid zone to eventually get these two nights. Now, I will look into filling the gap later on. I was hoping to get the Hyatt on the Hudson, but again will not complain about the Doubletree. If I wait until later to try to book nearer the time we are there, I suspect that I will have better luck in booking the Doubletree or the Hyatt. But the wife is a worrier, so I guess I will settle now. By the way, I went through the Savings Barn website link to PRICELINE. Very seemless process to get to Priceline's website.

Tried to book for 4 days out of a total 7 day stay in either the Hyatt on the Hudson or the Doubletree. First bid of $65 rejected, droped one night. Did the same at $70 and rejected, and did the same for $75 and accepted. Considering the best rate on the Doubletree website was $179, I won't complain here. Now, I will wait a bit to see if I can get this hotel for longer and pay a few extra bucks or even get the Hyatt on the Hudson. Your Offer Price: $75.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 2 Subtotal: $150.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $30.78 Total Charges: $180.78

Cost is a bit of a concern, but I could be convinced if we didn't have to move

Yes I have. The main concern is really not having to change hotels more than once.

I could go for the CPS or Upper West Side so long as we didn't have to go too far north. I don't really want to go beyond 125 Street. I don't want to change hotels more than once unless we could get something close to Union Sq or Chinatown. I have relatives to visit in those areas.

Any suggestions on bidding strategy and likely destinations for preferably a Theatre District establishment (or as far south as Union Sq) for the May 13-21 time period. Our budget is around $150-175 a night. Thanks in advance

If it were me (a regular visitor to NYC), I would have no problems with either one. But I am doing some checking for some NYC rookies who would rather be near the well known areas in case they lose their bearings. I don't know if the Beekman would work for them since it seems a little far from the subways. I think the Dumont would work, but I would have to check on it a little more.

Trying to identify this Hotwire "Customer Favourite" that is in the Theatre District. Thinking if booking for Sept 28 - Oct 2. Price listed at $275/night. Amenities: Restaurant(s), Pool(s), Fitness Center, Business Center. It seems hotels in NYC for September and October are going for an arm and a leg.

Including all fees and taxes, the total cost of a 3 day rental was $122.30 USD. The price of the car rental isn't too bad, it's the taxes that will kill you. Hertz' own website quoted $210.25 CDN all in, and using an exchange rate of 1.2100, it works out to about $173-174 USD. I've always hated renting cars at YVR. Bad enough you have sales taxes totalling 14% (7% each for national and provincial sales taxes), plus a 14% concession recovery fee, and daily licensing fees, etc.

This isn't a bad place for what the price. For $35 a night, I stayed at this motel style establishment. The room and washroom was clean, the beds were comfortable, and the free high-speed net access was a nice touch. While there isn't anything close within walking distance, this shouldn't be an issue if you have your own vehicle. This La Quinta is right next to the 405 freeway, and the access point is less than a quarter mile away on Harbor Blvd. If you travel south on Harbor, you'll run into several food establishments, department stores, grocery stores, etc. The only issue I had with this place is that it was hard to find the entry point into the parking lot. This establishment is in an industrial park, so the lighting in the area left something to be desired, and the neon sign advertising where to turn in was not working.

While I was happy to pay a $45 bid for a night (Mar. 3, 2005) at this hotel (it wound up being about $59 all-in), I would not be overjoyed if I got this place again the next time I need a room at LAX. While I admit checking in at 11 pm likely limited the choices available in inventory, the room we received with 2 beds was about the size of a postage stamp. The bathroom was equally cramped, and it was hard to maneuver in a room with four large suitcases. Housekeeping was being kept busy, as when I asked the front desk during checkin to send someone to at least spray the smoking room down, that it would have been a half hour wait, as the three people checking in ahead of me were also looking for that. It was only luck that a housekeeping unit was working on a suite on our floor that we asked the maid to come in with her spray bottle. I also read somewhere that free high speed wireless internet access came with the room. That is wrong. There was a patch cable sitting on the desk with a $9.95 charge per 24 hours. The only unsecured wireless access I picked up didn't get me anything. As mentioned earlier, I would not be thrilled to get this place again if I knew there was better value for the same price or a little higher elsewhere. If you are looking for a place to sleep before your next flight out of LAX, this is an adequate place to go. Just hope for better.

Started out at $40, and rather than try to refine it too much, bid $45 and got it. Total all in with taxes, etc. of $58.70. Radisson lists on their website at $109.

Booked on Priceline. Wouldn't take a $30 bid, and accepted $35. La Quinta's website has an online price of $62-80 for all rooms.

Thanks for the post. I would like to use Priceline as opposed to Hotwire, but I am a Canadian citizen/resident. Although Priceline uses a Canadian (William Shatner) as their principal spokesman, and you can book Canadian hotels, Canadians are still second class people in Priceline's eyes.

I am looking at booking a room near LAX on March 3 using Hotwire. What has come up for what I am budgeting for is a 3.5* "Customer favorite " with amenties: Airport Shuttle, Restaurant(s), Pool(s), Fitness Center, High-Speed Internet Access, Laundry Facilities (self-service) listing at $66.00. Based on the list of hotels, it's reasonable to think it's the Crowne Plaza? The other one is a 3* with just a pool and fitness centre at $55.00. Only 3* is the Four Points Barcelo at Culver City. Think I've got this one nailed? Thanks much!