sibley

Gah! This has been the toughest trip to plan. It's a vacation (for a change), and I've read reviews at TripAdvisor until I can't see straight. We'd really like 4* beachfront, but I want to keep it at $150/night, so I'm not sure that's realistic. I'm open to bidding advice, property suggestions...whatever y'all can offer.

Slim pickins...only three properties listed. Can anyone ID these? I'm concerned about resort fees at the 4*. 4-star hotel in Waikiki Beachfront Resort Resorts offer a complete destination experience. Facilities generally include a spa or fitness center, one or more swimming pools, and superior dining options. Depending on location, recreational activities may include water sports, golf, tennis or skiing. Coastal resorts usually boast ocean views or beachfront access. Note: A resort fee may be charged. Beachfront Property is located on the beach. Restaurant(s) Property offers at least one restaurant on the premises; hours and days of operation may vary.Pool(s) Property offers at least one pool area; hours and dates of operation may be seasonal. Fitness Center Guests have access to exercise equipment; an additional charge may apply.Spa Services Guests have access to a spa facility or spa services; an extra charge typically applies. Children's Activity Program Property offers supervised programs, events or activities for younger guests; an additional charge may apply.Golf Nearby Property is located within walking distance or a short drive of at least one golf course; an extra charge typically applies. Tennis Nearby Property is located within walking distance or a short drive of at least one tennis court; an extra charge typically applies.Business Center Guests have access to business equipment and services; an additional charge may apply. 3-star hotel in Waikiki Central Near Beach Property is located within easy walking distance of a beach.Pool(s) Property offers at least one pool area; hours and dates of operation may be seasonal. Laundry Facilities <amenity names only please... not descriptions> 3-star hotel in Waikiki Central Near Beach Property is located within easy walking distance of a beach.Restaurant(s) Property offers at least one restaurant on the premises; hours and days of operation may vary. Pool(s) Property offers at least one pool area; hours and dates of operation may be seasonal.Tennis Nearby Property is located within walking distance or a short drive of at least one tennis court; an extra charge typically applies.

This is our first trip to Hawaii, and planning it has been exhausting. I need to get the hotel nailed down and I have read so many contradictory reviews on so many sites that I have no clue where to begin. I was hoping for less the "Manhattan with sand" look that Waikiki is famous for, but we're staying there the full week, so we just have to make the most of it. Gotta have 3*, would really prefer 4*. On the beach would be fab! I can live with close to the beach too. I want to be in walking distance of well, everything, because we refuse to rent a car. Does nothing good to the holiday mojo. Where should I be starting 3* and 4* bids? How do I avoid getting resorts?We've only got a month, and I feel I need to get this squared away.

True enough! It's a nice place, and I have a fabulous view. Cab ride to the client site is a bit longer, but not enough to worry about.

Details for this stay: Your Offer Price: $65.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 5 Subtotal: $325.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $56.69 Total Charges: $381.69

I was so happy about my win that I forgot to include the details. Here they are: Your Offer Price: $61.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $61.00 Taxes & Service Fees: $16.07 Total Charges: $77.07 I thought there was a way to see the amenities even after you book, but maybe that's Hotwire.

Yes, I made the bid this afternoon...probably within 30 minutes of when I posted it here. I really did it on a whim since the Hotwire offer I had planned on bidding for disappeared. I was pleasantly surprised when the first bid was accepted...so I decided to try for next week, and I got that on the counterbid (as posted in another thread). All in all, a very productive bidding day for a relative newbie. :)

First bid of $51 rejected, but immediately offered a challange bid (I'm sure it has another name) at $65 and got it.

First bid of $61 accepted

It is listed as a Customer Favorite. Next week is my last week in Philly, so it might be fun to stay in the touristy end of town. I'll report back when I book it.

That's a great way to make people grouchy--coffee maker but no coffee! :) There is a package of coffee in the room, but I don't drink the stuff. It does say that additional packages are available in the vending machine. I agree with you--tacky. I'm in a clean, non-smoking room tonight. I think these kind of properties are hit-and-miss. When I moved my mom from OH to GA she was in an extended stay place for 6 weeks until she closed on her new house. However, it was brand new and had an excellent desk staff. My experience has been that airport hotels of all ilks are often not well maintained. I think they rationalize that people are just staying there out of necessity and will tolerate mediocre accommodations.

Looking for an identification on this one. At $69/night it sounds like a good deal. 4* Hotel Historic District - Waterfront This Hotel features the following amenities: Restaurant(s) At least one restaurant is located on the premises. Restaurant hours may vary. Pool(s) Property features at least one pool area. (Note: This amenity offering may be seasonal. Please check hours/availability directly with the property.) Fitness Center Exercise equipment is available for guest use. An additional fee may apply. Business Center Guests have access to business equipment/services.

Despite the bum leg, I am now motivated to move when I can. I don't have grand expectations of Extended Stays, but this one is a dive. :) It took a ten minute argument just to get my room--and I had my written confirmation. But, a room and a clean room are two different things. There were cigarette ashes on the floor in the bathroom and it just reeked of smoke. Particularly ironic since it's a non-smoking room. I had a little chat with the day manager this morning. They're moving my room, but I'd prefer to be elsewhere. Dahammer, I will indeed check out Rock Lobster. Sounds like a cool place. For now, I'm off to see where those room are becoming available.

As you suggested, Dahammer, I made some calls and kept a close eye on things. Got the same story everywhere--the conference from hell that has eaten up most rooms in the city. Thanks for the Septa train info. That's what I'm going to do. As it happened, I took a nasty tumble yesterday and injured my leg. I'm not up for multiple packs/unpacks this week. I'll stay by the airport, take the train, and be grateful that I fly home a day earlier than usual. As always, thanks for your advice and insights!

Stupid question time, Dahammer--where is the HOTWIRE link on savingsbarn? I was able to access that site, but I only found links out to individual hotel chains. What did I miss? You're right that my fall back position is going to be draining. Hopefully I can snag something closer.

It pains me greatly, but it's going to be cheaper to stay out by the airport and pay $40 day for taxis than it is to stay across the river and pay for a rental car and parking. (Not to mention the general frustration of driving in downtown Philly.) It's slim pickins, even by the airport. I booked the Extended Stay at their website for $74/night. It amazes me that one convention could wipe out basically every room in the city.

What the heck is going on in Philly next week? Absolutely no rooms available on Hotwire. I got this message: We're sorry, there are currently no results for the following neighborhood(s): Center City East, Center City West, Historic District - Waterfront. I bopped over to another site to see what was up and found even more weirdness. Here's the listing for a 2.5*. Comfort Inn Penns Landing Historic Area Lowest avg rate $755.50 Philadelphia, PA Room type Sun Mon Tue Wed Avg rate (per night) Standard room $199 $1332 $1332 $159 $755.50 $1332 for a Comfort Inn??? Not in this lifetime. :)

My guess is the Sheraton Society Hill...can anyone confirm? 4* Philadelphia (Historic-Waterfront) Dates: 4/10--4/14 Price $77/night Customer Favorite Historic District - Waterfront Hotel This Hotel features the following amenities: Restaurant(s) At least one restaurant is located on the premises. Restaurant hours may vary. Pool(s) Property features at least one pool area. (Note: This amenity offering may be seasonal. Please check hours/availability directly with the property.) Fitness Center Exercise equipment is available for guest use. An additional fee may apply. High-Speed Internet Access High-speed Internet access is available in guest rooms (An extra charge usually applies). Business Center Guests have access to business equipment/services.

Booked! Thanks, thereuare.

I'm trying to identify the following hotel from the Hotwire description. The offer price is $62/night (April 3-8 stay) and it's listed as a Customer Favorite. Center City West Hotel This Hotel features the following amenities: Restaurant(s) At least one restaurant is located on the premises. Restaurant hours may vary. Pool(s) Property features at least one pool area. (Note: This amenity offering may be seasonal. Please check hours/availability directly with the property.) Fitness Center Exercise equipment is available for guest use. An additional fee may apply. High-Speed Internet Access High-speed Internet access is available in guest rooms (An extra charge usually applies). Tennis Nearby Tennis court(s) are within walking distance or a short drive from the property. Business Center Guests have access to business equipment/services.

I'm good with the EasyClickTravel option. I'll post after I get everything arranged. Thanks, as always, for your help.

Budget, I'm thinking $120/night. This is a leisure trip (yay!) so we'd really like to be in the thick of things. I'm taking my mom, and she has pretty serious arthritis. She can walk around for a while, but I don't want to be somewhere that requires all of her energy just to *get* to the good stuff in the FQ.

Well, it made sense to me at the time. :) I knew the cert was not valid with opaque purchases. In fact, this particular cert is only good on a Fri/Sat or Sat/Sun night stay. The room I would book using the cert is $179/night. So, with the cert, it's $179 for two nights...or $90/night before taxes. The other two nights come into play because we're using miles for the airline tiks. The only available dates for air travel using my miles are 5-11/5-15. My plan was that the first two nights would be spent in whatever the Priceline hotel turns out to be, and then we would move to the IC to use the cert. I wanted to know if that strategy made sense overall, and what my bidding strategy should be for the two nights I'll bid for on Priceline. Hoepfully I've made my situation more clear this time...but if not, ask away!

Looking for a 4* in the French Quarter May 11-15. A few things... I have a certificate for a free weekend night at the Intercontinental when staying the whole weekend. So my first idea was to Priceline the 11th and 12th, then going to IC and using the certificate for the weekend stay, even though IC is not in the FQ. Then I saw that someone got the IC for under $70. I'd be paying $179 for two nights (balcony room). That's fine--but I really don't want to pay $179 for the additional nights as well. Any thoughts on a strategy--not only for how to split the stay but for bidding as well.

Cool! I will check that out. It's always nice to have recommendations on restaurants.