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Hotwire Hotel: New to this and needing help/info


JavaJami
By JavaJami,
in

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Hello everyone,

I'm a mom traveling with my middle-school aged child for spring break. My 2nd trip, her first. We are flying in to DCA and will arrive at 9 p.m. Looking for a decent hotel, not necessarily fancy, as I am budget conscious, but not looking for a dive. Would that be a 3-star? Is it realistic to think there are hotels under $100 per night in a decent area, decent hotel?

Looking to take in lots of sights. I welcome any and all advice. Bring it on!

Thanks,

JJ

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Which zone(s) within DC are you interested in staying in?

Since this is posted in the Hotwire section of the board, you can go to HOTWIRE and do a search for your dates and you'll see how they divide up the zones as well as prices for the various hotels they're offering for your dates of travel. From there you can either choose to try to beat those rates on Priceline or we can try to help you identify any properties that you are interested in.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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I don't have a preference as long as it's not dangerous. Way back in 98 I stayed in the Crystal City area and it was great. I'm truly interested in safety and budget!

Since I'm so new to this posting stuff, should I post the question in a different area of the forum?

Thanks again,

JJ

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No, keep all posts for the same stay in the same thread. If a different service (Priceline in this example) is ultimately used we'll then move the entire thread to that section of the board.

However, you'll need to do a little research on your own first. I don't know what you consider to be "safe"... i may find a given zone perfectly acceptable while you or somebody else may not (or vice-versa). As well, some people are perfectly happy with 2.5* rated hotels, others find major faults with 4* properties... everyone has a different opinion of 'clean'.

You should start (as i mentioned above) by going to HOTWIRE and looking at a map to determine which zones you're comfortable staying in and also the prices for the various star levels in each of those zones. From there, you can look at the Hotwire Hotel List to get a feel for what hotels are rated at each star level (and some have reviews linked next to them as well). From there you can decide if you'd like to move forward with a HOTWIRE offering (we can try to help you ID it before your purchase) or if you'd like to give priceline a try, and we can give you a strategy to try that route.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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Thanks for the information. I'm searching based on your Hotwire info. I can tell you that any hotel on New York Avenue in DC has reviews of being in an unsafe neighborhood, more than one reviewer (traveladvisor.com), including bulletproof glass at the front desk as well as other businesses using precautions. Now that's what I call "not safe." Of course they were inexpensive hotels but listed on NY avenue.

Sigh, I was hoping for something under $100 per night, but so far no such luck! :)

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I can tell you that any hotel on New York Avenue in DC has reviews of being in an unsafe neighborhood

Not being from the area, i dont' know what zone(s) New York Avenue cuts through. What are the zone(s) you are willing to accept (by Priceline and/or HOTWIRE name... each uses different boundaries)

What is the minimum star level you are willing to accept?

Priceline and/or HOTWIRE will typically be your least expensive routes to book... what will you do, where will you stay, and how much will it cost if you're unsuccessful with the opaque suppliers up to $100?

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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I can tell you that any hotel on New York Avenue in DC has reviews of being in an unsafe neighborhood, more than one reviewer (traveladvisor.com), including bulletproof glass at the front desk as well as other businesses using precautions.

New York Ave. is quite long, and the the bad 1 to 2* hotels with the bulletproof glass are toward the far end of it, leading out of the City, in a completely different part of town from any of the Priceline zones.

I generally wouldn't worry about safety when bidding in Washington. Although using some extra caution late at night might be advisable if staying at some of the hotels in the Downtown/White House or Convention Center/Capital Hill zones - but no big deal.

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I've searched the Hotwire zones/areas and I would be willing to stay in just about any area. I dont have a preference since my budget is no more than $100 per night (staying 4 nights 3/14-1/18). I'd be willing to stay in the Bethesda/Silver Spring or Falls Church suburbs since it seems easy enough to ride the metro in to the sights.

I have read reviews on Expedia, travel advisor sites and can't seem to find anything that offers all that I am looking for. I'm looking for clean, not necessarily new hotel selection. Anything that Hotwire is showing now is limited. :)

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When I saw this request, it reminded me of my situation and I felt compelled to respond. :)

I traveled with my 12 year old son this past November alone to Washington D.C. I am a mom, and wanted to take only him as he is studying the US Constitution this year.

We stayed at a Marriott Courtyard that was given a Priceline rating of 2.5* in Alexandria, Va. I paid $46 and it was the best hotel for us! We had to rent a car and paid $15 for a midsize car on Hotwire. The hotel was extremely clean and recently renovated. I was a little leery of some of the ratings I saw in the past on this particular hotel, but since Marriott took over, they really turned this hotel (which used to be a Sheraton) to a complete 180 degree turnaround. I would rate this hotel a 3* as it was very nice, clean, and had complimentary in-room Internet. I am a very choosy person when it comes to hotels and was pleasantly surprised.

I felt safe in this hotel. I wouldn't walk at night, but the garage was secure and staff was friendly and helpful. We took the Metro one day and had the hotel shuttle take us on a complimentary ride to and from the station. I didn't even wait to be picked up. Plus the Pentagon City Metro station has a big mall to wait in a very safe area just in case the shuttle takes a while to get back to pick you up.

Here is the info for the Priceline Courtyard By Marriott Alexandria Pentagon South

Let me know if you need any more assistance. Best of luck to you!

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  • 2 weeks later...

You can not bid on a specific hotel... if you could, nobody would book direct anymore.

The deeply discounted prices we often see here are for being flexible in your plans (which includes flexibility in regards to which hotel you will receive)... if you only want a specific hotel then priceline may not be your best option. You can try to search HOTWIRE to see if any of the offerings match what has previously been reported for the property above (if previously reported)... but even then there are no guarantees.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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Hmmm.. I thought my previous posts made it pretty clear that I am flexible. I also searched this site and see where others have given details about how they were able to secure a bargain, which was why I was asking for tips on how to secure said bargain.

I realize one cannot book a specific hotel. However I was able to find out a good bit of information from the Mom who traveled in Nov and stayed at the renovated Courtyard. So I was hoping for more definitive direction and guidance.

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I don't always re-read the entire thread when a new post is added, so when i see:

How should I go about trying to bid on the Marriott Courtyard Alexandria Pentagon South?
i re-iterate that you can't bid on a specific hotel.

If you want to try for a hotel in this area, what zone(s) are you willing to bid (Alexandria-Old Town?) and what is your maximum bid ($100?)? I assume you're minimum star rating is the 2.5* level?)

Let us know the above and we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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Rates at both Courtyards in this zone, as well as the Residence Inn, are high for these dates. However, rates drop substantially over the weekend, is SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID an option?

If so, i think you have a pretty good chance at getting a good deal for the last 2-3 nites of your stay... you can then try take some of the money saved and apply it towards your budget for the first (or first two) nites.

Also, if your plans are flexible and you don't want to change hotels during your stay. i think you can likely do very well for a complete stay if you begin and end your trip one day later (3/15-3/19).

Let us know your thougths and if any of the above is do-able.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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