RZzz

I wanted a hotel by Waterloo Station, so I picked the Westminster zone, with first bid at $85, declined, added Mayfair-Soho and re-bid at $90, and got the Doubletree by Hilton London Victoria. Wrong train station, but I don't have to get on the Tube during rush hour to catch my train at Waterloo so it'll do fine.

Hi, I'm attending a conference 06-09 November 2012, at the Monona Terrace Convention Centre, so location is more important than price, I'd preferably like to get the Hilton Monona which is attached to the convention centre, however the BB amenity list (sometimes) matches for both the Hilton and the Sheraton, which is a much longer distance away from the Terrace. So, I'm worried that either bidding on Priceline or going through Hotwire might get me the Sheraton, not the Hilton (and the current Hotwire 3.5* availability includes free parking, which suggests the Sheraton is available, not the Hilton). Alternatively, I'm thinking of bidding on Priceline for the 3* Hyatt, which is a reasonable walk, and is the only reported 3* for that zone, so I should be able to get it (whether or not I can swing 2 double beds is also another issue!). RZzz

Hi, Other than the Airport Shuttle amenity, the Hotwire amenity list matches that stated in the BB amenity list for Clarion; given that the Clarion website itself states 'free Airport transportation', shouldn't this nonetheless be added to the BB amenity list for Clarion Madison?

Hi, I'm currently looking for a multi-night stay in Madison WI in the Capitol-University area, Hotwire currently has a 3-star advertised which includes an Airport Shuttle amenity, the current hotel list only has Clarion as a 3-star, with no Shuttle indicated in amenity list. I just checked the Clarion website, and it states that this location offers free airport shuttle, so this amenity should be added to this hotel.

I've been trying to bid on a one night stay for the 23rd, and been unsuccessful even on bids up to $160. Is something going on in London for the 23rd-24th? RZzz

I've got to agree with chorltongary on this one [having been trying to book a London stay for this last little while, I'm familiar with all manner of websites for booking hotels in England...] - the .co.uk and .com versions of Priceline show a discrepancy on the western border of the Chelsea zone, in this case the area of discrepancy happens to be where the Millennium Copthorne Chelsea is located! On the .co.uk site, the Chelsea border ends just east of the railroad at Fulham Rd, and the hotel is just west of the railroad at Fulham Rd. Based on the Priceline.co.uk site, the Chelsea FC stadium and hotel site do not lie within any Priceline zone (neither Hammersmith, nor Kensington, nor Chelsea). I think this is something for the BB moderators to note in a post somehow [if it hasn't already been done elsewhere in the forum] - within the Priceline hotel list for London-Chelsea-Knightsbridge? While BB's forums and hotels are clearly concentrated on US destinations and users, BB's community includes international users and there are international Priceline sites (such as co.uk), and there's going to be issues if there are discrepancies amongst the Priceline websites but (presumably) ultimately the booking follows whatever priceline.com has. RZzz

I'd say based on Priceline maps that the Chelsea FC grounds are in Priceline's Hammersmith zone. If Priceline doesn't respond in a timely fashion, I assume you'll be complaining to your credit card company. If Priceline didn't hold up their end of the transaction (give you a hotel in the zones you bid), then 'they didn't deliver the goods or services you got charged for' - which is one of the circumstances where you call your credit card company and dispute the charges. If you complain to your credit card company, include the Priceline zone vs [Google maps, other 3rd party mapping site] screen shots when making your case. And I'm no lawyer - just another consumer who's been there, had something like that happen to me, done that.

I am writing this review from my overnight stay at this hotel in October 2010. Part of the Millennium Hotels & Resorts group, the Copthorne Hotel Effingham Gatwick hotel is located about a 15 GBP taxi ride away from Gatwick Airport. There is a much cheaper (4 GBP) shuttle from the hotel to the airport that runs once an hour, with one stop at the Copthorne Hotel London Gatwick, and takes 20 minutes to reach the airport - it wasn't clear at the terminal where you can catch the shuttle from the airport to the hotel. There was a vast parking lot beside the hotel, it would appear that a lot of travellers stay overnight and park their car long-term before embarking on their flight. The hotel lobby, hallway and room decor and furnishings/bathroom fixtures leave a lot to be desired - it would appear that the furnishings and carpeting are several decades old. The hotel lobby, hallways and rooms themselves are rather spacious. Internet access is an extra charge. I did not have time to frequent the hotel's restaurant, pool, golf course, tennis courts or health club, so I cannot comment on their quality.

I stayed at the Millenium Bailey's Kensington for nearly a week in October 2010 on work-related travel. The location is outstanding - it is mere metres from the Gloucester Road tube station, which also has one of the new Barclays bike rental locations out front. There are a number of restaurants of with a variety of ethnicities, quality and price within a one-block radius, along with a grocery store if you wish to save money by purchasing food from there instead. Upon arrival I was offered a room upgrade along with breakfast and internet for 25 pounds a night, which I immediately accepted as I had expected to pay 10-15 pounds a night for internet access anyways - perhaps not such a great deal if you are not in London for business and don't need ample access to the internet. The room I was given was abundant in size, with elegant furniture, wardrobe and king size bed, and the bathroom was also large, but with a layout such that there was a lot wasted floor space. The tub was large and deep such that I enjoyed a couple of relaxing baths during my stay. As some reviews on the Tripadvisor website note, the sound of slamming doors is a bit of a problem - my own door was quite thick and heavy so when I let it shut on its own it built up quite a lot of momentum and slammed with considerable force and noise - it took a few occasions before I had to remember to ease my own door shut for the courtesy of other guests. If you're on vacation and sleeping in, this might be an issue as people (like myself) heading off to early business meetings might forget to ease the room door shut. The breakfast was buffet style, so there were ample amounts of food but not of noteworthy quality, and I really did get sick and tired of a full english breakfast each morning by the end of my stay. I wouldn't recommend purchasing it as a standalone price (versus bundled with internet and a room upgrade) as it was very expensive for what was being offered. There were plenty of restaurants within a one block radius offering a wide variety of breakfasts for very reasonable prices. I was extremely satisfied with my stay, and would stay there again.

Hi, I expanded my search to include Kensington area bids, for which I was successful for the 16-21 May period of my London stay. bidding history: $120 - Kensington-Earls Court - rejected $130 - added Hammersmith (free re-bid zone) - rejected - closed browser $140 - Kensington-Earls Court & Wembley (not a 4* zone) - rejected $150 - added Hammersmith (free re-bid zone) - accepted [this bidding strategy for 4* is laid out in another thread, came in very handy as I could get in 3 re-bids at 4* instead of 2 re-bids] $150 for 5 nights = $750 USD Taxes and Fees: $165.40 USD Total: $915.40 USD A bit farther west in Kensington than I was hoping, but its near the Tube line I need and the TA rating is 81% so it should be good, and the neighbourhood is very lovely to walk around in the evening. RZzz

bidding history: $120 - Kensington-Earls Court - rejected $130 - added Hammersmith (free re-bid zone) - rejected - closed browser $140 - Kensington-Earls Court & Wembley (not a 4* zone) - rejected $150 - added Hammersmith (free re-bid zone) - accepted [this bidding strategy for 4* is laid out in another thread, came in very handy as I could get in 3 re-bids at 4* instead of 2 re-bids] $150 for 5 nights = $750 USD Taxes and Fees: $165.40 USD Total: $915.40 USD A bit farther west in Kensington than I was hoping, but its near the Tube line I need and the TA rating is 81% so it should be good, and the neighbourhood is very lovely to walk around in the evening. (I'm also copying this post to my other thread about 4*/5* bidding advice) RZzz

Hi, London (Westminster) Crowne Plaza St James win for 8-15 May 2011 is incorrectly showing in the following weeks beyond 15 May. RZzz

More than happy with the hotel room for the price I paid, but I didn't have time to explore or enjoy the hotel amenities.

Yup - but the hotel room and amenities looked quite amazing - if I had been staying as part of a weekend vacation stay I would have been okay with the price...

3.5* - Miami (Airport MIA) 18-19 Feb 2011 (1 night) Doubletree Miami Airport Convention Centre $201 (yeah, yeah, I know, but I was booking this the night before for an overnight flight layover, and was desperate to find a 3.5*-4* close to the airport) Hotwire listed amenities: airport shuttle fitness centre pool restaurant business centre internet access

3.5* - Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde 13-14 Feb 2011 (1 night) San Juan Puerto Rico $112 Hotwire listed amenities: Beachfront Casino Smoke Free Rooms Fitness Center Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Business Center Laundry Facilities High-speed Internet Access

04-05 Nov 2010 (1 night) 3.5* - Copthorne Hotel Effingham Gatwick London - Gatwick Airport $59 Hotwire listed amenities: fitness centre pool restaurant business centre internet access tennis nearby I arrived late to catch an early morning flight. It is a fair bit of a taxi ride to get there. I thought the room decor was quite lousy, didn't get a chance to use any hotel amenities so I can't comment on that, but for $59 I can't complain much. RZzz

Millenium Bailey's London - Kensington-Earls Court 13-18 Oct 2010 (5 nights) single occupancy $129/night Listed amenities: restaurant business centre internet access I thought the hotel was great!

Based on other bids posted: - cheapest winning bid for Hesperia is $120. I've already bid at $120 for Westminster and not received the Hesperia. - other winning bids for 4* Westminster have ranged from $98 to $120 for the PP Riverbank, PP Victoria, PP County Hall, Crowne Plaza St James So for now I'll start low ($90) to aim for The Grand at Trafalgar Square in Mayfair-Soho (given past successful bids at this price range), and then include Westminster in bids from $100 to $120 (adding the two free re-bid zones for my $110 and $120 bids). RZzz

Hi, yup, the Hesperia London Victoria is in Westminster. I'm taking a break for a few days before I return to trying to bid for 4* hotels in Westminster and Mayfair-Soho. RZzz

I split up my 2nd week in London, sought a hotel just for the Sunday night, and I got a 4* for May 15 2011 (this bid history posted on forum elsewhere). 4* London (Westminster) - Hesperia London Victoria bid history: $100 - Westminster $110 - Hammersmith (free re-bid zone) $120 - Wembley (free re-bid zone) $130 - Mayfair-Soho - accepted at Hesperia London Victoria I have attempted shorter 5* bids (Mon 16 May to Fri 20 May 2011) for central zones, unsuccessful so far: $140 - Westminster $150 - added Mayfair/Soho $160 - added Wembley (free rebid zone) $170 - added Regents Park - North London I tried 4* bids for 16-21 May in Mayfair-Soho. $100 - Mayfair-Soho $110 - Hammersmith (free rebid zone) $120 - Wembley (free rebid zone) $120 - reduced time period to 16-20 May. Unsuccessful. I'm now leery of bidding higher for Mayfair-Soho or Westminster, as I don't want to get the Hesperia London Victoria again - is it in Westminster or in Mayfair-Soho? The Priceline map has it in Westminster, but other bids posted in the forum and the Priceline hotel list have it as Mayfair-Soho. I'm holding off on trying 4* bids for a shorter 16-20 May time period for the Westminster and Mayfair-Soho areas, if anyone can clarify if the Hesperia London Victoria is Priceline's Mayfair-Soho area or Westminster area, I'd appreciate it. RZzz

Sorry, change to be made, looking at the Priceline maps, I think the Hesperia should be in the Westminster zone. Any way an admin can change the topic heading/subheading?

4* London (Mayfair-Soho) - Hesperia London Victoria bid history: $100 - Westminster $110 - Hammersmith (free re-bid zone) $120 - Wembley (free re-bid zone) $130 - Mayfair-Soho - accepted 78% recommend on TA, sooooo, meh, we'll see.

5* London unsuccessful bid 15-21 May 2011 Westminster, Mayfair-Soho, Regents Park-North London Spurred on by another user's $160 win at the 5* Marriott County Hall, I gave my own 5* search another shot. Bids were unsuccessful: 15 May - 21 May 2011 $160 - Westminster $170 - added Mayfair-Soho $180 - added Regents Park-North London $190 - added Bloomsbury-Marble Arch (free re-bid zone, if no longer has 5* according to hotel list) $200 - added Hammersmith (free re-bid zone) $210 - added Kensington-Earl's Court (apparent re-bid zone for 5*, as 5* no longer popping up when this zone alone is picked) $220 - added The City-London Bridge (free re-bid zone) - stopped there, I decided on a limit of $220 for 5*, and I don't want the Wyndham Grand Chelsea Harbour or the Marriott West India Quay. I'm thinking it is the length of the stay that isn't doing me any good, but I don't want to split the week up as possibly changing hotels and checking out mid-week and taking all my stuff with me to my work-related stuff for the day would be a pain. Good luck to fellow travellers trying to bid for 5* in London!

Hotwire search for 4* Kensington - Earl's Court 15-21 May 2011 produced $143 - fitness, restaurant, business centre, internet, with "We are still gathering reviews for this property" So, this could be the Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn Kensington or Hilton Olympia. I just checked at Hotels.com and Expedia.com, they are both offering the Hilton Olympia for $158 for the 15-21 May time period. The Crowne Plaza is $146/night for the same period at Expedia.ca, $150/night at Hotels.com. The Holiday Inn Kensington Forum is being offered for $195/night at Hotels.com, $189/night at Expedia.com. Any chance the HI might be the Hotwire hotel given it is the only hotel where Hotwire offers a cheaper price versus Hotels.com and Expedia.com? In my (limited) previous experience, Hotwire always offered 25-30+% better prices than Expedia, hotels or booking. Any idea if this line of logic is reasonable and correct?