micheles

just nearly freaked out when checking the site tonight - i saw this topic and read the dates - panic!!!

we need the car for august 5th to august 20th and i posted the dates here as july....

quickly checked with priceline and i made the booking for august - so an error with the posted dates (sorry) - i thought i'd made another priceline boo boo.

this matches the facilities for the westin - i previously 'won' this on priceline for the 26th march to april 1st

the prices in hilton head have really shot up recently - is the sun out or something?

is this the hotel policy or a new wyndham policy - as it has been honoured in the past when i have stayed in boston (booked through priceline)

disappointing

hi sorry for the delay in the reply - missed the previous post

additional days parking direct with the hotel are around $10.50 so would be considerably more to book the parking direct with the hotel if not buying the package - 15 x 10.50 = lots of dollars

:)

after trying for resort hotels up to $91 and 2.5* up to $61 over the past few weeks - decided to bite the bullet and go for a 2* (it is only to sleep in after all) as we expect to arrive quite late and leave for the airport after breakfast next day

so $45 first bid at this level and it was accepted

previous bid today - $91 for resort and $60 for 2.5 * to no avail

so hilton head plaza suites hotel

1 x $45

taxes and fees $12.18

total $57.12

all nights for this trip are now put to bed.

i did remember to book through savingsbarn.com

thanks for the information lonestar

faster pickups will make a difference - as it is such a long day travelling from london via atlanta (i know that BA do a direct flight but delta have much better deals)

looking forward to returning to arizona.......

hi

you are quite right - the fees were nearly $250 with a $450 rental rate

last year we got a premium car quite last minute for $20 which seemed a good rate - i suppose i expected to pay quite a bit more for a minivan so didn't freak out at $30 - we needed just over the two weeks and the last day is the real killer - on hotwire it hiked the daily rate from $35 to $51 - one extra day - this seemed to be ridiculous

having invited my son's girlfriend to join us on holiday this year, an invitation that was accepted, the reality of travelling with an extra person hit home - we are a family of five so girlfriend makes six - problem with car hire...?

the cost of minivans is quite high and the rates were coming out at over $900

the best rate i could get on hotwire was $35 + taxes etc for fourteen nights and an extra night at around $60

priceline was $30 for fifteen days so

15 x $30 $450

taxes and fees $246

total $695

I read somewhere on this site about the extortionate airport fees for car rental in phoenix - i now know what they mean

anyway we are quite happy with this rate - less than we had expected :)

i don't know - i might be even more spoiled by then

i'll look it up

thanks

i am now trying to tie up my last loose end

bid $71 for a resort in hilton head for friday 7th april - rejected

no where else to go with the bid at present as no free bids in this area ( i don't really want a 2.5 *) so will leave things for a few days and try again

any advice where to pitch my bid?

hotwire has a 3.5 star resort at $149 and a 4* at $140 (presumably the westin and the crowne plaza) - i already have the westin from 3/26 - 4/1 (booked months ago at $69 with hotwire)

bidding started at $85 for resort in international drive area - rejected - again a counter offer of +$22

decided to add disney (resort) and went up to $90 - rejected

added 4* and went up to $93 accepted

so one night at $93

taxes and fees $19.61

total $ 112.61

priceline are selling this for $219 for this night and $229 for my other night (saturday april 1st)

the customer reviews are good (10.0) on priceline :)

i'll let you know

finally getting to the end of booking hotels for this trip - just one night in south carolina to go......

opened bidding today with $85 - international drive area (resort) rejected but offered a rebid if i added at least another $22

decided to try disney area and bid $93 resort - rejected and added 4* and went up to $96 accepted

gaylord palms resort - $96

taxes and fees $20

so total $116

the :) hotel site has the same night for $229 + taxes

i had previously bid up to $120 for international drive/disney area for 3nights beginning saturday 1st without success

tried for a premium car with priceline for $24 (refused) and a luxury for $27 (refused)

happy with a fullsize for $23 - so around

we have decided to tag a trip to the florida keys to our south carolina trip

having looked at priceline and hotwire for weeks and been staggered by their prices - i was close to giving up

i have bid for both key west and key largo on priceline up to $120 with no luck - although i wasn't too surprised as the hotwire prices have been $200 +

we decided on key largo and tonight i made one bid on priceline (hotwire had a 3* condo for $192 and a 4* condo for $362) - my bid was for a resort and i bid $140 which was accepted

so total cost - $140 x 4

taxes/fees $ 83

total cost $ 642

it is the marriott which i notice has a few special rate rooms at $199 which maybe the reason the median price mentioned on priceline for resorts in this area is now $199

by the way priceline hotel site has the same hotel at $339 a night - they aren't offering the marriott $199 rate

i'm pleased with the rate and the hotel and am really looking forward to this trip

:)

i had previously bid up to $85 in this zone but was unsuccessful - left it three days and tried again - noted that some lucky bidder had won the sofitel for $93 previously

opened the last round of bids at $90 rejected and then added luton free bid at $93 and accepted

i will book the car parking soon to get the discounts that would add up to the cost that some companies charge for hotel and parking - so nothing lost in the end (i hope) :)

just booked an airport hotel for london gatwick

hotel aurora - $93 + tax = $117 (around

well my 72 hours is up so i tried again

following pretty much the same bidding pattern as last time (seaworld + everywhere else except disney area) - resort hotel

same results - nothing - this time bidding up to $125

i also bid up to $97 in seaworld area for 4* + adding a couple of free bids - nothing again

will wait a while and see what happens next time

yes I think i did - being a priceline customer has never been an issue

i also said what sort of room i would like etc

you sign up on line - give them your number and i think they then put it together with your booking

it shouldn't take too long to get it organised

enjoy your stay - i love boston

i forgot to say - wyndham by request is free to join

we stayed here last july - 19th - 21st - paid $99 on priceline

the rooms are amazing

we were upgraded to the venetzia tower - i just asked the check in girl - she said it was extra - we also asked for rooms with two beds - that was also extra - but as she had trouble locating two rooms near each other and we had to wait a few moments she waived the extra charges - NICE.

we were two adults and two children so one room would have been fine - we had sooo much space with the two suites - not rooms.

the hotel is huge but so plush - we didn't really gamble (a few slots) - as we had the children with us

we ate breakfast in the coffee type shop - the name escapes me - it was okay but not well organised

it was busy, busy, busy but what an experience - the hotel really is a destination in itself

hello

originally we were planning a weeks stay so a resort or 4* was important - my plans are changing and I was looking at the omni $136 which adds up to $301 for two nights (tax included)

we had also wondered about the 3* (international drive) that is coming up at $52

we only need two nights (at the moment) but would like a nice pool area and comfortable rooms - is it worth going down to a 3* in this area? i'm quite unsure although it would mean i could afford more for the hotels in key largo/key west (should i ever firm up those plans)

the keys is another story - watch this space....

thanks for your help and advice

this is an okay hotel - parking is a bit of an issue - watch out for the parking meters - we got a ticket parking overnight - they clean the street at four (ish) in the morning

there's an okay deli on the corner - mon to fri - for sandwiches/breakfast etc

i like the decor of this hotel - very grown up - we had a couple of corner rooms for one of our stays - out of the way and very quiet

if you haven't already - join wyndham by request - they leave fruit, snacks and beverages in your room for when you check in - they also upgraded us to the corner rooms (worth a try)

enjoy your stay

after looking at hotwire i thought i'd take a chance on priceline to see if i could get a deal - i couldn't

bidding went as - Seaworld/International Drive - resort $82 - rejected

next bid - add kissamee -$85 - rejected

add winter park - $89 - rejected

add west disney - $93 - rejected

add winter garden - $98 - rejected

add sandlake - $102 - rejected

and orlando - east $107 - rejected

and orlando airport - $112 - rejected

and downtown - $120 - rejected

this seemed a reasonably safe strategy as there are only two resorts that have been identified in seaworld area

tried 4* at seaworld - $85

+ kissamee - $89

+ maitland - $92

+ airport - $95

+ winter garden - $98

+ orlando east - $101

+ sandlake - $105

+ west disney - $109

+ winter park - $111

all above were rejected

I also tried WDW area following similar strategy and was rejected on every bid

I will try again in a few days but will probably then consider paying hotwire - a bird in the hand.....

i have used hotwire less frequently than priceline - it is the 'excitement' of bagging a bargain ( great when it works)

:)

thanks for the tip

the location is what makes this hotel worth a tad more - we stayed there when it was the meridien

so fingers crossed and will try again when my 72 hours are up

trying to sort out the travel arrangements and tried to book an airport hotel for march 25th with priceline

first bid - 4* $80 - rejected

second bid - using luton as free bid zone (only 2/3 stars here) - $85 rejected

was hoping for the sofitel - which is the new name for the meridien that was often won for around $70

will try again soon :)