Priceline Hotel: 4* Los Angeles (Downtown) Omni Hotel

[Rhodium]

Going to Digestive Disease Week in L.A. (Friday) 5/19/06-5/23/06 (Tuesday) ... Originally, unsuccessfully bid for the entire trip starting at $51, with five additional rebids at $5 increments up to $76....

Then checked hotwire to see what there best deal was ... a 4* hotel in downtown L.A. @ $80 for 5/19/06-5/21/06 (Hotel Amenities = Restaurant(s), Pool(s), Fitness Center, Business Center). After researching the helpful threads in the L.A. Hotwire forum, I figured that this would be the Omni Hotel.

So, I decided to split the trip, in hopes of nabbing the Omni cheaper on priceline.com.

Initial bid: 5/19/06-5/21/06 for Downtown L.A. was $51 -- REJECTED

Added Rebid zone #1 -- bid @ $56 -- REJECTED

Added Rebid zone #2 -- bid @ $61 -- REJECTED

Added Rebid zone #3 -- bid @ $66 -- BID ACCEPTED!

Check-In Date: Friday, May 19, 2006

Check-Out Date: Sunday, May 21, 2006

Hotel Name: Omni Los Angeles Hotel

251 South Olive St

Los Angeles, California 90012-3002

213-617-3300

Your Offer Price: $66.00

Number of Rooms: 1

Number of Nights: 2

Subtotal: $132.00

Taxes and Service Fees: $27.30

Total Charges: $159.30

Any advice on landing a good deal on a 4* or 3* hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, Beverly Hills - West Hollywood, or Hollywood for the remainder of our stay 5/21/06-5/23/06?????

[photomikey]

First of all, I laughed out loud at the first line of your post. I hope you have a real blast at Digestive Disease Week!

Try adding a night to your priceline stay, using the link in the e-mail priceline sent you, or by logging into your account, if you have one. The rack rates for the night of 5/21 are similar to the Fri/Sat night rates.

Even if you're denied, I'd go back and bid this one again on 4* in priceline. I bet your price will be very close.

The next night, 5/22, the Omni is booked solid. (Must be a big digestive disease blowout going on that night.) What you do next depends on your flexibility -- and I don't have enough knowledge of the area to do anything that you can't do here -- which is to kick the tires of various hotels on hotwire and via the forums, and see which areas are reasonable.

A few suggestions over the weekend:

If you have to park, don't use the hotel's valet ($25/day), use one of the $5 lots across the street, or the meters, which are free on weekends. If you go to Hollywood, use the train -- it's a short walk from the Omni to the underground. which will drop you right where you need to go. Surprisingly, the train is reasonably efficient, if you're staying downtown.

When you're at the hotel, walk across the street from the entrance, and down the world's longest flight of stairs. In front of you will be the coolest looking market in all of LA. It looks like Seattle. Lots of cool ethnic foods... along with flowers, fruits and veggies... a real market! (While you're down there, rest. That flight of stairs goes up, also.)

Before you get to the Omni, sign up for their guest rewards program. You won't have time to get whatever they mail you, but when you check in, give them your guest rewards number (write it down), and they'll send you a free beverage and muffin every morning. And, after you break in your guest rewards number, they'll mail you a free suite-upgrade coupon when you get home.

This hotel is a great bargin... the weekends are SO CHEAP via priceline. You got a great deal. (Even if you do end up paying through the nose on your final night!)

Have fun.

[Rhodium]

Hey photomikey,

Thanks for your feedback ... OMNI was an awesome hotel ... We had a great time in L.A., not such a great time at Digestive Disease Week. We ended up staying with my brother in law who lives in L.A. for the remaining days of our visit.