Priceline Hotel: 2* San Diego (Oceanside - Carlsbad) Rodeway Inn Oceanside

[yossarian]

I am looking for something for 4 adults and 2 kids (grandparents and our family). A suite-style hotel would be great, but if the finances work out better with 2 rooms, that is also fine. Does anyone have any suggestions as to the zones to bid and prices? We are going to LegoLand for 2 days and the SD Zoo for a day. So, we can be flexible in zones I think, unless it is really a schelp from SD to LegoLand. We are thinking 3*. Right now, there is a 2* in Carlsbad for $68/night through Priceline Express, which seems pretty good, but if we could upgrade the hotel, it would be nice.

Thanks.

[thereuare]

I am looking for something for 4 adults and 2 kids (grandparents and our family). A suite-style hotel would be great...

You can't bid on a suite hotel, all PRICELINE and HOTWIRE reservations are for 'standard' rooms.

Also, note that PRICELINE only guarantees double occupancy, after that it's at the discretion of the hotel, and you could receive a room with only one bed. While you can call the hotel you win and request a room with two beds, the hotel may not be able, or willing, to honor your request. While the area you're visiting (with the parks and zoo) are likely designed to accommodate families, so the risk would be less then in a place like NYC where two beds in the room is less common (or considered an upgrade), it is still a risk you'll need to be willing to accept. If this is not a risk you're willing to accept, HOTWIRE may still be an option as they allow you to search for up to quad occupancy per room and ensure sleeping accommodations for everyone you include in your search (although this usually means two beds, the second 'bed' could be a sofabed, rollaway, etc)

What are your thoughts regarding the above? What star rating and expected budget did you have in mind?

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

[yossarian]

Thanks. I think we can roll the dice on getting two beds, as opposed to a single bed. We would like a 3* if possible. Knowing that I can get a 2* in Carlsbad for under $70, I was inclined to bid around that much for a 3* in the vicinity. I am not sure what the 2* would be, but I am guessing it is a Ramada or maybe a Holiday Inn Express. For our needs, those might fit the bill. I just figured I would give it a shot by bidding since I have a week to go.

I just saw that you can get a Ramada double suite, with 2 doubles and a sofa bed for $119/night. I am not sure I can do better than that through HOTWIRE or PRICELINE.

[thereuare]

Would you need one of two of those rooms at the Ramada? (two double beds for 4 adults is do-able, but certainly not comfortable)

What are the dates of your stay?

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

[yossarian]

I don't care if it is a Ramada or not. I just want the most cost-effective way to find a place for 4 adults and 2 kids. The Ramada room has 2 double beds and a sofa bed. The adults can certainly handle the double beds.

Being near Carlsbad would be nice, but I don't think it is a requirement for us, unless it is really undesirable to drive to Lego Land from San Diego.

We are looking at July 1 and 2.

Thanks.

[thereuare]

I just want the most cost-effective way to find a place for 4 adults and 2 kids.

Which is why i had asked if you needed one room or two at the Ramada... so we could know your total cost of this option and weigh the alternatives accordingly. While industry consider one double bed to be sufficient for two adults, many choose to avoid such a situation as it is a tight squeeze.

If the one room above is sufficient for you then you can try to beat this rate by using PRICELINE for two rooms at a $50-$55 limit as you may be able to get two rooms for close to the same price as the one $119/nite room.

Let us know your thoughts and/or 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.

[yossarian]

Good idea on trying to get the 2 rooms at the Ramada. I will give that a shot.

[thereuare]

If you'd like help with a bidding strategy let us know your minimum star rating and maximum bid and we'll advise accordingly.

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

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[yossarian]

It didn't go so well. I bid $50 for a 2*, seeing only the Ramadas on the Priceline list for Carlsbad and Oceanside. I ended up with a Rodeway Inn in Oceanside at $50, which after taxes was what the hotel would go for on hotels.com. But more concerning was that the bidding guidelines expressly stated that the room I get would be at a hotel with a minimum of a 7.0 guest rating. The Rodeway Inn was a 6.6 on the Priceline site. It took some work, but I was able to convince the folks at PRICELINE that I did not bid on a property that was under a 7.0 rating.

In any event, you might want to add the Rodeway Inn Oceanside to the Priceline hotels list.

[thereuare]

Sorry to hear this didn't go as planned, but glad to see you got the issue resolved with PRICELINE.

Unless they have updated their site already (which isn't very likely, it usually takes more than a few hours for changes like this to take place), it's actually 2.5* bidding that has a minimum user review rating of 7.0... there is no such rating next to the 2* properties (although i can see the possible confusion since the user review rating appears under the star rating, which may make it appear that it is associated with 2* bidding).

Thank you for sharing your win with the board and helping us add this property to the Priceline San Diego Hotel List.

As this thread no reflects the details of your purchase (even though canceled) please start a NEW TOPIC if you'd like help bidding for a replacement stay (or to report a win for a replacement stay).

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

Thanks.