Hotwire Hotel: 3* Tampa (Westshore - Tampa Airport TPA - South) Mainsail Suites

[captn]

This is the first time I've used this (or any other) site to bid on travel...so sorry for the rookie question. I'm looking to stay at a downtown Tampa hotel the first weekend of March but I'm not seeing many winning bids for Tampa. (none downtown and only one in Tampa)

Am I perhaps not looking in the right place for winning bids? Or perhaps I'm looking to bid on my travel too early? Or perhaps March a bad month to bid on hotels in Tampa or Florida for that matter?

Any assistance or insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

What are the actual dates of your stay? What is your desired star rating and maximum budget (per nite before fees and taxes) for this trip?

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

[captn]

Thanks for the reply! I'm planning to be in Downtown Tampa 3/2-3/5 for the Gasperilla Distance Classic...then heading down to the Florida Keys 3/5-3/9. Looking at the 3.5 star hotels and to spend between $50-$75 per night....although to be honest I was hoping to see what bids were winning to help me decide what kind of budget to set.

[thereuare]

Your budget will likely be a little short for Tampa and probably a LOT short for Key West (assuming that is the location in the Keys you were considering). HOWEVER, to keep things organized, we'll use this thread for the Tampa leg of your stay, please start a NEW TOPIC for the Key West leg of your stay.

For Tampa, i'm guessing a 3.5* will likley be closer to $75-$100, but if you want to stay closer to your budget you may want to consider the Airport TPA-Westshore zone, which usually has some of the best values in this region.

Let us know your thoughts and how you'd like to proceed and we'll take it from there.

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

[captn]

I'm looking to identify a Tampa Fl. Westshore Condo that's appearing on Hotwire for $77 per night from 3/1 to 3/4. The Condo is listed at 3 stars. I've done a little research...could this condo be the Mainsail Suites Hotel & Conference Center? Hotel.com lists this as a 3.5 star property...but do the star listings on Hotwire always match what other sites post?

[captn]

After doing a little more research it appears this could also be the Chase Suite Hotel...but this property is only listed as a 2.5 star hotel.

[AaronJB]

Please keep all posts regarding this stay within this thread. Just to confirm, are your date/s 3/1-4 or 3/2-5?

Additionally, please confirm the full list of amenities showing with the listing. Hotel services do not all use the exact same hotel ratings.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[captn]

The dates are 3/1 - 3/4. The amenities are Suite, 1 Bedroom Suite, Fully-equipped Kitchen, Suite, airport shuttle, fitness center, business center, free parking, pool, 24-hour front desk, fully equiped kitchen, daily housekeeping, restaurant and laundy facility.

[thereuare]

The dates are 3/1 - 3/4. The amenities are Suite, 1 Bedroom Suite, Fully-equipped Kitchen, Suite, airport shuttle, fitness center, business center, free parking, pool, 24-hour front desk, fully equiped kitchen, daily housekeeping, restaurant and laundy facility.

Some amenities are repeated above, and i believe you may be missing one or two, can you please confirm the amenities that HOTWIRE associates with this property and we'll take a look.

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

Thanks.

[captn]

The partial list of amenities that appear on the property overview are: Suite, 1 Bedroom Suite, Fully-equipped Kitchen

The complete("see all") list of amenities that appear on Hotwire are: Suite, airport shuttle, fitness center, business center, tennis nearby, 1 bedroom suite, free parking, pool(s), 24-hour front desk, fully equipped kitchen, daily housekeeping, restaurant and laundy facility (self service)

[captn]

Confirmed. This property is the Mainsail Suites Hotel & Conference Center. Booked for $77 per night via Hotwire. (...this property was listed briefly at $71 per night early this morning...)

Just curious, anyone know how the trip cancellation option works that's offered during the Hotwire booking process? (It was offered for just $10 for this trip) Does this option allow you to cancel for any reason?

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Hope you're pleased with the purchase and this property works well for your plans.

As with any insurance policy you should read the full terms and conditions for which you're covered, but generally speaking you can't cancel for 'any reason' (ie- don't like the hotel received) and it mostly covers health/sickness related issues.

Thank you for sharing your win with the board.

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

Enjoy your stay.