Priceline Hotel: 4* Miami (Coral Gables) Hyatt Regency

[ImNew]

Ok..so it's no secret I'm new to this, since that's my name. :) I would like to be able to book a 4* hotel for a decent price for my week long visit to Miami. I'm interested in the South Beach area and/or the airport area. We would like to be close to the airport. Any help would be appreciated.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

The airport area and South Beach area are very different... what is it that made you pick those two areas? What type of budget are you considering?

[ImNew]

Well, to be honest, I didn't know they were that different. We are just looking for something near the airport. We will be renting a car. So we will be able to get around without difficulty. We are going to be renting the car from or around the airport, but plan to visit South Beach during our trip. It just seemed like a logical location to choose. Initially we were thinking of going with the 2* hotels (Days Inn etc.) but then a friend introduced me to Priceline. She's gotten some amazing deals, and I was hoping for the same. I think we'd like to stay in the $50-60 range.

[thereuare]

I would try to do a bit more research on where you want to stay and what you want to do. I'm not an expert on the area (so hopefully others will comment), but here is my take:

Airport - never a reason to stay here unless you're getting in late at nite (or have an early flight the next morninig) and/or a one nite stay pre/post-cruise

Beach - nice for families, 'mid-level' as far as value

Downtown - one of the best values in the area in terms of price to quality; however, not much in the immediate (except Bayside and the cruise ship terminal, which makes this zone the best choice for pre/post-cruise stays). A car solves the location issue, but parking is expensive so factor that in as well.

South Beach - very trendy and 'hip', lots of stuff that is walkable right outside your door, but such convenience, beach, and location come at a price of higher rates than much of the rest of the surrounding areas.

At any of the above zones, parking is an issue and usually comes with an additional fee.

[ImNew]

Well thank you. That really helps. I will have to consult with my other half, but the beach sounds good. I don't mind the families part, and we are looking for better value. The downtown area sounds good also, but I didn't know about the parking part, so I thank you for that. We will defintely keep that in mind.

[ImNew]

I just wanted you all to know that I bid on the Hyatt Rengency Coral Gables and was accepted with a bid of $55/night for the entire week. Remember, this is the July 4th long weekend, so I think we did pretty well since the prices for hotels almost doubled as a result.

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your win... glad you got something you're happy with and a great deal.

Was this your first bid in the zone on the day that you won?

Have a great trip!

[ImNew]

No actually we began with the following locations with no luck:

Miami Airport

Miami Beach

South Beach

Coconut Grove

We bid an amount of $49 and were rejected. We tried again at $51 and were rejected again. At this point, we eliminated the Miami Airport area and added in Coral Gables and bid at $55. To our surprise, we were accepted.

We did the same for a car rental out there too, and ended up with a mid-size vehicle for $23. Overall, we've saved a lot of money thanks to Priceline. We've stayed within our budget so that now we can SPEND SPEND SPEND in MIAMI!! The countdown begins!!

[thereuare]

...and added in Coral Gables and bid at $55

So this was your first bid in the (Coral Gables) zone. :)

[ImNew]

Yes, so I do wonder if I could have gotten something lower in Coral Gables, but I think I'm happy with the way things turned out. Can't be too greedy. :)