Priceline Hotel: 3.5* Las Vegas (Convention Center) The LVH - Las Vegas Hotel and Casino

[TravelPhotographer]

Before using PRICELINE link above to bid on 7-night stay late March, early April:

1. which zones are within walking distance of monorail?

2. are certain star levels less likely to have resort fees?

(planning to bid 3.5*, maybe 3*)

3. other than airport zones, do properties typically have

free airport shuttles? are there airport buses to strip?

(for example, this previously reported winning bid is both

within walking distance of monorail & has no resort fee,

according to its website:

3.5* Las Vegas (Convention Center) The LVH - Las Vegas Hotel and Casino $28

& would be a great win in my case, too)

Thanks in advance for any related advice!

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Please click each of these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links, then reply to this thread and we'll have a look at your post above.

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

Thanks.

[TravelPhotographer]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Please click each of these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links, then reply to this thread and we'll have a look at your post above.

Clicked both!

[Romelle]

Besides Priceline bidding, you'll want to keep an eye on the Priceline Express and Hotwire deals.

When bidding, Priceline has started to show some "guaranteed amenities", which means that any hotel in that particular zone at that particular star level will have the amenities. However, PE and H tend to show more amenities so that will be helpful for your needs.

Hotwire shows resort fees now, which will also be helpful.

Click here for quite a bit of useful info on general Las Vegas transportation. There even is a nice Monorail/Tram map.

Romelle

[TravelPhotographer]

> Hotwire shows resort fees now

Thanks for info! Where does that amount show?

Clicking "Show Me" for a property & then under "Your Trip Summary"?

Is resort fee mixed in with "Tax Recovery Charges & Fees"?

PRICELINE

HOTWIRE

Update: OK, I see where it shows up now!

My only bidding strategy to avoid resort fee, as I see it now,

is to go for this 3.5* zone, which states on its website

that it has no resort fee & hope for same $28 range win...?

3.5* Las Vegas (Convention Center) The LVH - Las Vegas Hotel and Casino $28

[AaronJB]

If you click on "see details" and then scroll all the way down on the detail page, there's a "Know Before You Go" section. That will include the *approximate* resort fee.

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

[MurtleCake]

LVH is the only off strip place with a monorail stop, but you can't guarantee you will win that. All the strip zones also access the monorail. But word of advice/tip. Nobody uses the monorail, it's expensive and inconvenient, and the stops are in undesirable hotels. Most people either walk or take a cab.

There are also monorails between a few of the neighboring properties.

There are no free shuttles (well some from hotel to hotel). Everyone takes cabs in Vegas, that and walking are really the best way to get around.

I'd factor in $28 a night for resort fee. That's the max, all 5 stars and several 4 stars charge that.

[thereuare]

My only bidding strategy to avoid resort fee, as I see it now,

is to go for this 3.5* zone, which states on its website

that it has no resort fee & hope for same $28 range win...?

Keep in mind that the star rating you select is the minimum that you are willing to accept, so even if there is only one 3.5* hotel in a zone (and they don't charge a resort fee), you could always be upgraded to a higher rated hotel (that does charge a resort fee).

Also, with your stay being for a full week and therefore obviously including weekend nites, i think the chances of a 3.5* hotel at under $30 are not realistic unless you're dates are extremely slow for some reason. (but without firm dates there is no way to know how busy/slow your dates are)

Lastly, now that the Caesar's Entertainment properties have begun to charge a resort fee, there are very few instances on the strip where you can avoid the resort fee.

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

[TravelPhotographer]

2 days of bidding results using PRICELINE link above:

zone 6, 3.5*: $27,28,29,30($40 rebid offer),32,33,34 = fail

(expecting to win tomorrow at $35,36,37,38, see why below + $40 rebid offer)

zones less than 3.5* allowing rebidding = 1,3,14

Monorail 7-day pass online = $50, am travel photographer, not gambler/tourist, so monorail helpful & platforms may even offer photo views...?

Have several indicators that 3.5* Zone 6 = express offer in link below = LVH;

e.g., bidding "median retail price" = "express similar hotels" = $93;

The express offer is $39, so am using that as guide in bidding = $30,31,32,33, etc.

No 2012-2013 winning bid histories of 4* wins below $40, so hoping no bump up to 4* = resort fee!

PRICELINE EXPRESS

("SPRING" code = 5% off, brings this down to $304 total)

Still, any insights highly appreciated!

[Romelle]

Have you found the "Bonus Money Opportunities" yet? The area is in the "Tips and Tricks" section on this site.

There are a couple threads there that may still be working - good for some bonus money toward one's bid. There are of course some requirements - I think one of them is a 3 nights stay.

And then when you are in Priceline, it is worth checking the "My Rewards" area. Rather randomly (but not very often) Priceline puts bonus money there. No discernible logic, but it does happen.

Romelle

[TravelPhotographer]

Thanks! 50 bonus dollars added to my account for tomorrow's bidding!

I was planning to start bid at $34 for 7 nights.

How do I work in (5) 10 bonus dollar nights?

Am I forced to do two separate bids, 5 nights & 2 nights?

Can I adjust single 7-night bid to be 7x$34 = $238 or greater?

e.g., bidding $27 would be seen as $37-37-37-37-37-27-27 = $239 > $238 = 7x$34?

If first bid fails, can bonus dollars be used on rebids?

Thanks in advance!

[Romelle]

When you have the bonus money and are bidding more than 5 days, PRICELINE divides it by the number of days. If you are bidding 7 days, 50/7 = $7 and some change. So bid all 7 (or whatever your stay is) at once. If you bid $40, PRICELINE will treat your bid like a $47 bid. But your credit card will only be billed the $40 (plus those fees and taxes).

If the first bid fails, the bonus money should stay there. I've had it vanish, but then when I closed out and came back in it reappeared. Don't give up on it.

The money you got might be only good for 24 hours, but that is until midnight the following night, so if the timing is right you can squeeze in two bidding sessions.

And if neither one works, give it a rest for a couple days and see if you can trigger a fresh batch.

Romelle

[thereuare]

Please post the zone names and not the numbers as the numbers will change whenever PRICELINE adds, removes, or renames a zone and also, if i read Zone6 i have no idea what zone you're bidding unless i go to PRICELINE and do a Las Vegas search... if you post 'Convention Center' i know immediately what area you're bidding and can quickly but the rest of the post in perspective.

What are the dates of your stay?

A reminder that you can still use bonus money along with the board's link as follows:

1) click the bonus money link and enter your email to deposit the bonus cash into your account

2) close the current browser

3) use a link on the board to access PRICELINE

4) go to the MY PROFILE >> MY REWARDS link at the top right of their home page

5) use the bonus money link in the MY REWARDS section of your profile (not a link from an email) and bid as usual

Thank you.

[TravelPhotographer]

Using PRICELINE link above!

The LVH - Las Vegas Hotel & Casino

3000 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, NV 89109 | 702-732-5111

Check-In: Tue, Mar 26, 2013 / After 03:00 PM

Check-Out: Tue, Apr 2, 2013 / 12:00 PM

Rooms: 1 room

Summary of Charges

Room 1

Bonus Cash:

Per Room, Per Night $7.14

Offer Price:

avg. per room, per night $29.00

Rooms: 1

Nights: 7

Room Subtotal: $203.00

Taxes & Fees: $42.28

Total Charged to Card: $245.28

Bidding (add $7.14 bonus cash to each bid): $27,28,29=win!

$245.28/7 = $35.04/night after all fees & taxes! Thanks!

Of interest was that pre-bid this was displayed:

"Guaranteed Amenities: Indoor or Outdoor Pool, Fitness Center, Business Center"

yet I read on TripAdvisor multi-complaints of a charge for using Fitness Center.

Out of curiousity, am going to print guarantee & ask at desk about it!

If anyone familiar with LVH knows which tower has best upper floor rooms,

advice appreciated!

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Glad to see you found a nice deal within your desired budget and are happy with the results.

I don't have any first hand knowledge at this property to recommend a certain tower, but i'd tell the front desk that you're a photographer and see if they can put you in the best location for some photo ops. Also, note that the guaranteed amenities are amenities that are on-site... not necessarily that they are offered for free.

Thank you for sharing your win and using the PRICELINE links on the board to begin your bidding.

Enjoy your stay.

[TravelPhotographer]

Follow-up:

Got rm 2008 first night with badly stained rug;

requested & got moved to rm 2739 six nights, no issues;

LVH has "Go Green" opt out of maid service in which one can

decide daily to instead receive voucher for $8 food or $10 gambling;

(Go Green not available on check-out day)

still OK to exchange towels, request toiletries, etc. from maids in hall;

so one is only giving up made bed, vacuuming, bathroom wipe-down;

my $34.04/night total was reduced to $24.04/night total for 6 nights!

($8 food, no $2/night maid tip); not bad for a guest doing no gambling!!

[AaronJB]

Nice deal and glad this was a mostly enjoyable stay.

Thank you for the follow-up review.