Priceline Hotel: 3.5* Los Angeles (Redondo-Manhattan Beach) Crowne Plaza

[Colfax]

I was trying to win the 3* Residence Inn, bidding the day before stay, and I thought $45 was a ridiculous lowball bid over Labor Day weekend. I intended to use rebid zones and bid up to $65 or $70. To my great surprise $45 was accepted and upgraded to 3.5*---even though the Crowne Plaza was showing Sold Out on its own website.

I don't want to sound ungrateful about winning the Crowne Plaza, which is a nicer place than the Residence Inn, but at ResInn breakfast, parking, and internet are included while the Crowne Plaza charges $22 parking, $9.95 intenet, and breakfast in CP's restaurant is around $12 with tax/tip. So a $45 bid accepted by ResInn really costs $45 (plus tax), while a $45 bid accepted at Crowne Plaza ends up costing around $89 (plus tax).

Over the years I've had exceptionally good luck in avoiding the 3* to 3.5* upgrade in Manhattan-Redondo, where it happens pretty often. This was the first time I got upgraded, and I guess I was due. I enjoyed staying a new neighborhood, trying a new hotel, and having the harbor and pier across the street. But given the choice I'd still prefer the ResInn without all the addon fees.

Winning bid placed through the BetterBidding PRICELINE link.

p.s. To update the LA Hotel List, the Redondo Pier Inn has been downgraded from 2* to 1*.

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success. :)

Sorry to hear you didn't get the RI, but glad you enjoyed trying a new property.

Thank you for letting us know about the change with the Redondo Pier Inn so that we can update the site's Priceline Hotel List.

Thank you for sharing your win and please use the site's PRICELINE or HOTWIRE links to start your purchases and searches.

Enjoy your stay.

[Colfax]

Forgot to mention...

I don't like connecting rooms and usually when I check into a hotel I ask if any nonconnecting rooms are available. At hotels that have connecting rooms Priceline guests are prone to getting them, especially when the hotel is sold out, as the Crowne Plaza was.

At checkin the desk clerk told me all that was left was connecting rooms. Not only was my room connecting, it was connecting on both sides, to two different rooms. I've never seen that before anywhere.

So yeah, $45 was a good deal, but not a good deal I want to repeat. :)