Hotwire Hotel: 4.5* Florida Keys (Key West) Hyatt Regency

[cclaser]

We are in dire need of a getaway. My wife booked airfare for 1/24-29. Any great value hotel recommendations for this timeframe by bidding on priceline? We will figure toe something. However, we are flexible and would like to find a higher end hotel at a good rate. Thanks for your input!

[thereuare]

The dates in your topic title indicated a February stay but the dates in your post indicated January.

Please confirm your dates of travel and let us know your expected budget and we'll try to have a look at some options.

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

[cclaser]

Yes January. I goofed in the title. Thanks!

[thereuare]

... and let us know your expected budget and we'll try to have a look at some options.

???

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

[cclaser]

We would like something on the beach. We are very flexible about location. I was just hoping there might be some good properties at a discount. We can go up some, but I would like to be close to 100 per night

[Romelle]

A good start would be to look at MAPS and HOTELS.com under Tools above. Knowing the conventional rates helps a lot in devising a strategy. Think loosely 50% of those for a starting bid.

Then take a look at HOTWIRE (upper left hand corner here). This can serve (again - loosely) as a cap to your bidding. It also would let you select by amenity for something like "beach front".

Using the above information, decide what star level you want to seek.

Then some map work with PRICELINE until you have a list of acceptable bidding zones in FLL and MIA. The Keys tend to be much more expensive, but you certainly could explore them too. Watch out for that Hollywood zone in FLL. It looks like it has a lot of beach frontage, but it is possible to get a hotel there in the bottom left corner of that triangle.

You can of course bid both cities in the same day, one at a time.

You've got enough time to have a bit of fun with this bidding.

You are talking 5 nights. Any chance you'd want to stay in two different locations, splitting the bid into 3/2 or 2/3?

Do click through the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links here, as the successful bids via that are what generates this board's revenue.

I'm a member, not anybody official, but dealt with a similar search a couple years ago. Thought I'd offer up my approach to an open-ended situation.

Romelle

[thereuare]

We would like something on the beach.

Is this a mild want... or a need?

With PRICELINE bidding there won't be any way to ensure a beachfront property... if this is a 'must have' then HOTWIRE would be a better option and choosing a hotel with a Beachfront amenity (or Near Beach if this too is acceptable) amenity listed.... OR you could also try PRICELINE EXPRESS to see if anything with Beach in the description is shown.

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

[cclaser]

Yes, I would consider two different locations. We would ideally get a spot on the beach. I will click through your HOTWIRE links to see if there are any options. If I can't locate something over the next week, we may just head to the Keys. Thank you for the input!

[thereuare]

Let us know what you find and we'll take it from there.

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

[cclaser]

I'm looking at a HOTWIRE 3.5 star 85 percent hotel in key west. 1/25-1/29. Does anyone know the property? Do you have any other good FL keys recommendations during that timeframe? Thanks!

[Romelle]

If you post back the rate and the amenities possibly one of the moderators can give you an educated guess as to what the property might be.

There are only 4 Hotwire 3.5* KeyWest hotels reported so far. They are in the hotel list at the top of the Hotwire-Florida area. If you compare the amenities offered for your hotel vs the ones one the list you might be able to make your own deductions. The moderators have further info and long-time experience but sometimes it is possible to do by oneself.

Romelle

[thereuare]

I'm looking at a Hotwire 3.5 star 85 percent hotel in key west. 1/25-1/29. Does anyone know the propery? Do you have any other good FL keys recommendations during that timeframe?

If you post back the rate and the amenities possibly one of the moderators can give you an educated guess as to what the property might be.

... and please use the requested PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin all your bidding, searching, and travel purchases.

Please clck each of the links above before replying.

Thanks.

[cclaser]

Clicked both PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links.

Amenities. Free parking, pool, laundry service, smoke free rooms, restaurant.

[thereuare]

I'm looking at a HOTWIRE 3.5 star 85 percent hotel in key west. 1/25-1/29. Does anyone know the property?

Amenities. Free parking, pool, laundry service, smoke free rooms, restaurant.

I'm not currently seeing this property offered when searching HOTWIRE for your dates... are you still seeing the above on your own search? If so, are you searching HOTWIRE for more than one room or for more than the default 2adults/0children?

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

[Romelle]

thereuare,

I saw it out there earlier yesterday (2/0 default), but it isn't there right now.

cclaser,

While its amenities list was longer and not in the same order, all the ones you noted were the same as The Inn at Key West. So not as probable as a perfect match, but suggestive. (thereuare and AaronJB have a few other detection tools so their guesstimates are more reliable than mine.)

I do know Hotwire offerings can change very rapidly, and one that goes away often comes back. If you liked the looks of it, do keep checking. Key West is wonderfully unique, IMHO - Hemingway's House, those sunsets, .... just the general ambiance. And the drive to get there almost reason to go.

And while I'm at it, if you see something you like on Hotwire don't hesitate very long.

Romelle

[cclaser]

Oh we'll. I will keep trying. Is the cheeca lodge available with hotwire or priceline? That looks nice. Any recommendations on Key West?

[thereuare]

You can check the Priceline Hotel List and Hotwire Hotel List and see that the Cheeca Lodge has been reported to the board thru both services.

However, while in some areas it's easier than in others to target a specific property, the Key West area is very difficult to get great deals. Realistic expectations would favor seeking out a good deal at a hotel in this area rather than trying to get a specific property.

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

[cclaser]

Current thinking is to stay two nights in the middle keys. 1/24-26. And 1/26-28 in key west. What priceline strategy would you suggest for the middle keys nights - resort level. We are thinking about using AArewards points for the two nights in key west. Thanks!

[thereuare]

Not sure i'm following...

Are you looking to make two separate bids, one for 1/24-1/26 and one for 1/26-1/28?

If so, for the first set of dates, which zones (by PRICELINE name) are you willing to accept and what is your maximum bid?

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

[cclaser]

Well. Thinking of I bid 1/24-26 in the middle keys. The other dates we are thinking of using AA rewards.

[thereuare]

...which zones (by PRICELINE name) are you willing to accept...

???

... and what is your maximum bid?

???

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

[cclaser]

Any zone south of Key Largo. 150-175 max. Maybe a little more if we knew the specific property. But that's not likely with priceline. Thanks!

[thereuare]

To avoid any confusion, please as requested, list the zones by PRICELINE name that you are willing to accept.

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

Thanks.

[cclaser]

It looks like that is Key West, Marathon, and Islamorada. Thanks!

[thereuare]

I'm guessing that $150-$175 will not likely be enough for a Resort class property for these dates.

If you want to give it a try, there are no Resort class properties in the Marathon zone, so we won't include that when bidding.

When biding Resort you have ONE re-bid zone. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.

Select Resort Key West...

Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $140, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select Resort Islamorade...

Bid $120, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $140, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select Resort Key West and Islamorada...

Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $155

If the above is rejected wait 24 hours from your last bid, use this board link to re-access PRICELINE, and re-try:

Select Resort Key West...

Bid $160, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $165, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select Resort Islamorade...

Bid $160, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $165, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select Resort Key West and Islamorada...

Bid $170, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $175

Any questions feel free to ask.

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

Good luck and let us know how it goes.