Hotwire Hotel: 3* Los Angeles (Glendale-Burbank-Universal City) Holiday Inn Burbank

[slats77]

Hi

we are after some help this time for hotels in santa monica. We are limited to budget and would like to get the best hotel available at $100p/n.

Is this a reasonable price for something of atleast 3* in this area? 4 nights, Fri 18th June and out on Tues 22nd.

can you please advise the best way to bid

Thanks

[Colfax]

I think a 3.5* or 3* for $100 or less on Priceline sounds very possible. We'll find out when you bid.

But before strategy...

1) Is one bed enough? Priceline only guarantees double occupancy, which could be a room with one bed.

2) Also the zone's name is "Santa Monica-Marina Del Rey", not "Santa Monica". Are you allright with winning a hotel anywhere in the zone, including Marina Del Rey or Venice areas? If you only want Santa Monica bidding on Priceline is risky.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links for your purchases.

[kalikana]

Good luck! I have been trying to get a 3.5* hotel in Santa Monica/Marina del Rey for 6/21-6/22. I've bid up to $125 now, and still no luck. :)

[slats77]

One bed is sufficient, we are on our honeymoon from Australia :-D

Venice beach or Marina del Rey wouldn't be a problem. My only concern would be of getting the courtyard mariot in Marina Del Rey which we probably dont want, but if its a last resort then we will have to.

so should i start at a 3.5 star which would avoid the courtyard mariot hotel Marina Del Rey? what do you suggest i start at, and would there be any re-bid options or do i have to wait the 24hr hours between bids.

Kalikana - perhaps with our dates being that its a longer stay we may be able to get it cheaper ?

your help is apprecited

Thanks

[Colfax]

Congratulations on your honeymoon, slats77.

If you don't want the Courtyard, currently rated 3*, the only way to avoid it is by bidding 3.5* or higher.

I think your bidding limit of $100 for 3.5* is too low for these dates. Hotwire has a 4* for $189, 3.5* for $179, and 3* for $142. PRICELINE usually beats HOTWIRE on price, but not by a $189 vs $100 margin.

kalikana already got rejected at $125 for 6/21, so you'll have to bid that high at least. Priceline could get $100 inventory closer to your dates but no guarantee.

There are other hotels and locations that might be romantic for a honeymoon too. Any interest in splitting your bid---like two nights at the Roosevelt or W in Hollywood or someplace in Beverly Hils, and two nights in Santa Monica? Or you want one place all four nights?

[slats77]

thanks for the congrats we are super excited!

There are a couple of places in MDR that are even 2.5 star that we wouldnt mind staying at, holiday Inn ?

We are open to the suggestion of splitting our bid and staying 2 nights in west hollywood and 2 nights near Venice beach. Our plans for the 4 days in LA will be Santa Monica pier, Disneyland, Hollywood, what would you suggest as being the ideal location. We wont have a vehicle either.

Thanks again

[slats77]

perhaps even 2 nights in downtown LA then 2 at MDR/santa Monica, I suppose anywhere close to the subway would be better

[Colfax]

Our plans for the 4 days in LA will be Santa Monica pier, Disneyland, Hollywood, what would you suggest as being the ideal location. We wont have a vehicle either.

Before you're ready to bid I think you need to consider a little more where you'll be staying and when.

It's about 30 miles from Hollywood to Disneyland. How were you going to get there without a car? Disneyland will fill a day, or longer if you want, so you may want to consider spending a night at a hotel near Disney/Anaheim, if you go there. Is renting a car for the day you visit Disney an option?

Minus a car Universal Studios might be easier to visit than Disneyland because you could stay in Hollywood and take Metro (LA's transit train) direct from Hollywood to Universal. LA's public transit isn't extensive and many popular tourist destinations, like Santa Monica, aren't served by Metro. (There are buses to almost everywhere but they take longer than train.) Metro does connect Downtown LA and Hollywood and Universal Studios though.

There are other ways to get from LA to Disney without a car (cab, shuttle, public transport) but you'll need to do some preplanning first, decide which day you're going to Disney, and how you're going to get there.

[slats77]

thanks Colfax.

This 4 night stay in LA is the last of our 4 week trip in America, after disembarking from a 4 night Baja Mexico cruise we would have handed back our hire car.

At the beginning of our trip we have 2 days booked in LA - Holiday Inn Burbank this is when we will do the Universal Studios tour.

I think it might be worth having 2 nights in Santa Monica/MDR and then 2 nights in downtown or Hollywood. We would probably take a shuttle to Disneyland.

We might decide once we get to LA and spend the 2 initial nights where we are going to stay for the 4 nights when we come 4 weeks later

Thanks for your help on LA, will post a thread in San Franscisco as that is what I have to book next

[Colfax]

I think it might be worth having 2 nights in Santa Monica/MDR and then 2 nights in downtown or Hollywood. We would probably take a shuttle to Disneyland.

I like the idea of splitting. Winning four 3.5* nights in Santa Monica for $100, including a Friday/Saturday, doesn't sound likely.

You're more likely to win Sunday/Monday in SM though than Friday/Saturday, the two busiest nights. Are you willing to reverse the order maybe and stay in Hollywood or Downtown Fri/Sat, and Santa Monica on Sunday/Monday?

Hollywood Roosevelt or the W would be fun honeymoon hotels, imo, and Hollywood's a good location with no car. They'd probably cost more than your $100 limit though, maybe $120, if they're available. If you like the idea though you could pay $120 (for example) the first two nights for a Hollywood 4* and $80 the last two, in another zone, still staying in budget.

When you decide what zones you want on what days let us know and someone can suggest strategy. Or ask if you have other questions.

[slats77]

Thanks Colfax we have decided to leave the booking of the LA hotel until we actually in LA for the 1st time, we will then know which area will be better suited to us.

Thanks again for your help and im sure you will hear from us again in a few weeks :-)

[slats77]

Hi im looking for a strategy for 4 nights accommodation at commerce-Norwalk hoping to get the doubletree suites as they offer free parking.

Strategy for a 3* and above hope to get all in price of $70 per night if possible? Im looking for the best possible hotel for the lowest price.

we will also probably require a 2nd room for my parents for the 6/18-6/20 how should I bid for this, do it seperatly?

Thanks

[Colfax]

slats77,

A moderator will merge this with your other thread for these dates. In your other thread you said you won't have a car in LA. Is that still true? C-N-R would be a difficult place to stay without a car. People choose Commerce because their party has multiple vehicles and they need free parking, or they want to be near the casino. Absent those reasons it's not a very charming area for a honeymoon.

You can probably win a 3.5* Downtown for less than $70, and there's a lot more to see and do Downtown, with better public transportation than Commerce area.

Your thoughts?

[slats77]

we actually will now have a car and dont really want to be in the thick of everything.

Our plans will be to visit Santa monica pier, disneyland and citadel outlets perhaps.Open to staying at Manhattan beaches as well if you think??

our aim is to not pay for car parking and the cheapest possible at a 2.5 to 3*

[slats77]

can you also provide a strategy for burbank area as well, we would be ok to stay back there, last time we stayed at the holiday Inn burbank and just noticed that was on the list priceline hotel list. The citadel outlet shopping isnt so much an important place, we will likely to be doing the santa monica/ venice beach, and hollywood/beverly hills attractions.

thankyou

[thereuare]

I've re-read this entire thread and at the moment am still not clear as to which zone(s) are acceptable... can you please porvide them in a reply to this thread, along with your minimum star rating and maximum bid, and we'll advise accordingly.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[slats77]

zones are burbank-Glendale, commerce-norwalk. zones that have free car parking and wifi available as we will have a car.

Dates are 1 x room for 6/18-6/20 (my parents) and 1 x room for 6/18-22/6 (for my husband and I).

Target budget is $70P/N inc tax if possible but will go to $80. Goal is to get the best hotel for our budget.

Activities we will be doing is Hollywood/Beverly Hills and Santa Monica/Venice Beach

Thankyou

[Colfax]

Dates are 1 x room for 6/18-6/20 (my parents) and 1 x room for 6/18-22/6 (for my husband and I).

So two rooms for 6/18-6/20 and one room for 6/20-6/22? If you want to be at the same hotel as your parents you're going to have to do two separate bids---a bid for two rooms the first two nights, and separtately a bid for one room the last two nights.

It's possible you'll win a different hotel for the second leg and will have to move once.

Please affirm if this overall plan is allright and if it is we'll work on two rooms for 6/18-6/20 first, since it's coming up sooner.

I'm still confused about your itinerary and plans. Earlier you wrote:

At the beginning of our trip we have 2 days booked in LA - Holiday Inn Burbank this is when we will do the Universal Studios tour.

Which two days do you have booked at Holiday Inn Burbank already? Are you talking about 6/18-6/20 or some other dates?

[slats77]

we previously stayed at the holiday inn burbank when we first arrived in the USA (28th May) and are happy to stay here again if we can get it for the right price. We would like to do 2 seperate bids, 1 for my parents 6/18-6/20 (2 nights) and 1 bid for our booking 6/18-22/6 (4 nights) We would like to stay at the same hotel for the 4 nights and not move.

thankyou

[Colfax]

We would like to do 2 seperate bids, 1 for my parents 6/18-6/20 (2 nights) and 1 bid for our booking 6/18-22/6 (4 nights) We would like to stay at the same hotel for the 4 nights and not move.

If you bid your four nights and your parents two nights separately you and your parents could win two different hotels---even if you place two identical bids in the same zone. Is that allright?

we previously stayed at the holiday inn burbank when we first arrived in the USA (28th May) and are happy to stay here again if we can get it for the right price.

You can't just bid for the Holiday Inn Burbank. You could win any 3* or higher in the B-U-G zone. And all the other 3* and higher in B-U-G zone, other than Holiday Inn Burbank, charge for parking.

I still want to talk about your zones some (but not too long....your dates are six days away now). But before that can you affirm that you're okay with the possibility of your parents and you winning two different hotels?

[slats77]

Hi thanks for your help but decided to book with hotwire. 6/18-22/6 for $79 per night and the other room 6/18-6/20 for $83 per night we are happy as its at holiday Inn burbank Media Centre with free parking and wifi

We used your HOTWIRE link

thanks

[Colfax]

This turned out pretty well, I think. Congrats!

You got a hotel you've stayed at before and liked.

Free parking and internet.

You and your parents are at same hotel.

And nobody has to move.

Nice job!

Can you please post the Hotwire icons from your HI Burbank purchase?

Thanks for using the board's HOTWIRE link, and have a good trip.

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Glad to see you're happy with the results and this property works well for your plans.

Can you please add a reply to this thread with the amenities shown before your purchase... you can still view this information by going to HOTWIRE and clicking the MY ACCOUNT link near the top right of their home page.

Thank you for sharing your results and using the HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your purchase.

Enjoy your stay.