Priceline Hotel: HELP Marine needs a vacation

[gamecockinnc]

Hi-

I found this site last night and I need help....my husband is an active duty Marine and just received leave for the 4th of July. We want to do something to celebrate his being home, my birthday and our 10th anniversary and his 19 year in service but between the time I had a quote did my research and such the price went up....several hundred dollars. We travel a good bit but I only have used Priceline one time. I actually purchased a SUV that was hard to obtain and it worked out great :)

We have been to Cancun/Playa many times and spent a week at the Barcelo Maya last July with our young sons. We honeymooned in Cancun ten years ago so thought we would go back for a quick trip. We need to keep the price down. I had my price set for the Gran Melia or Presidente Inter on US Air for under $1800 but that price is now up.

Travel dates July 1-July 5th (4 nights/3 days)

Travel cities OAJ (Jacksonville NC) or if we have to ILM (Wilmington)

2 adults

I do not how much to bid for air....I have done my research but know when I break down my Apple Vacation quote or Expedia the air is not near $850 as shown....also not sure if we should bid hotel or resort???? I know the difference is amenities but we want a nice resort aka hotel.

So help us please bc I need to bid asap :) what should I bid for the air and should I bid 3 or 4 star hotel or go with Cancun resort?

Thanks and any help would be so appreciated :

GNC

[thenewbie]

Wilmington airfare looks to be around $650pp if you're willing to have 2 stops. Jacksonville airfare is over $850pp, so driving to Wilmington will save you $400 (before gas, etc). You could give priceline a shot, but with a short trip, it might not be your best option.

For hotels, Hotwire has some all-inclusive hotels relatively cheap. This way, your food and drinks would be included. Below are a few of their all-inclusive options:

Cancun 4* $178/night

Resort, Beachfront, Food and Beverages Included, A la Carte Dining, Airport Transfers Included, Water Sports/Ocean Activities Included, Evening Entertainment Included, Daily Activities Included, Pool(s), Spa, Fitness Center, Children's Activity Program, Tennis Nearby, Golf Nearby, Restaurant(s), Business Center

Riviera Maya 4* $183/night

Resort, Beachfront, Food and Beverages Included, A la Carte Dining Options, Water Sports/Ocean Activities Included, Evening Entertainment Included, Daily Activities Included, Pool(s), Fitness Center, Children's Activity Program, Tennis Nearby, Golf Nearby,Restaurant(s), Complimentary Breakfast

[thenewbie]

Just to add:

If you buy the hotel through hotwire, you can get a $30 rebate from the coupon in the Entertainment Book. If you don't have an Entertainment Book, you can buy one for $9.99+s/h through the support page above.

Also, if you're new to hotwire, you should be able to get $10 off per night using the code "GIFTCARD06"

[gamecockinnc]

Thanks, I just saw this Hotwire 4 star AI for $178 but am not sure what hotel it is.....any thoughts?

Thanks

[thenewbie]

Possibly GR Solaris when compared to the Hotwire Packagaes. Another possibility is the Dreams Cancun, but the Dreams lacks airport transfers. Someone else may want to double-check this one, or may have previous experience with it.

If it is the GR Solaris, this is from their Hotwire package description:

***FREE UPGRADE TO A DELUXE OCEAN VIEW ROOM BASED ON AVAILABILITY***COMPLEMENTARY ROUNDTRIP AIRPORT TRANSFERS BY CONTACTING WWW.CANCUNAIRPORTSHUTTLE.COM AT LEAST 4 DAYS PRIOR TO ARRIVAL. RESTRICTIONS APPLY. ***SPECIAL OFFER IS VALID FOR RESERVATIONS AND STAYS BETWEEN APRIL 29, 2005 AND JULY 7, 2005. ***TO REDEEM THESE SPECIAL OFFERS CONTACT THE HOTEL FRONT DESK AND SOL HA TRAVEL AGENCY UPON ARRIVAL.

If you do use hotwire, please use the link found on the support page and let us know what you decided. :)

[gamecockinnc]

Will do for sure and thank you!

[gamecockinnc]

One more quick question before I submit it I entered 2 adults the dates and went all of the way to the payment credit portion and I wanted to make sure that the $178 ($718) total 4 nights is for all inclusive for both of us.....I know it sounds like a silly question but I started thinking about it. On the other sites a 3-4 star AI in Cancun is $235 so I wanted to make sure the $178 per night AI is for both of us........what are resort fee's......Hotwire has a disclaimer about "possible resort fees"?

[thenewbie]

As long as you selected 2 people on hotwire, an all-inclusive price includes everything in the description for 2 people: food, drinks, taxes, tips, etc. I doubt that there are additional resort fees, but I'm not 100% certain.

If the hotel is the GR Solaris, it looks like it is a timeshare property so they will probably try to sell you their timeshare packages.

The following is usually not included: Beauty treatments and services, Optional or outside tours and excursions, Incidental purchases, Telephone, fax, and Internet access charges, Laundry and dry cleaning, Video and photo services, Babysitting services.

[thenewbie]

Also don't forget:

If you're new to hotwire, you should be able to get $10 off per night using the code "GIFTCARD06"