Hotwire Hotel: 3* Las Vegas (Center Strip) Exacalibur

[drjbo3]

My husband and I are flying in a couple of days before my business meeting and now need to book a room for a few additional days. We are staying at the Platinum during the conference, but I didn't want to plunk down another $500 for two additional nights there...especially since we will be arriving after midnight on July 21st. We would like to stay at a location that has a casino for those nights (20,21) since the Platinum is casino free.

My question is...what is the best strategy for booking a nice room (3* or better) at the best price? Bid early??? or wait until closer to the date. I know the rates are higher for a Friday or Saturday stay, but would be willing to gamble ...a little...to get a good deal on a room, although would ~really~ hate to miss a good deal now. :-)

I know...this is kinda how I feel about playing "craps"...I love it when I win, but HATE when I lose. :-)

Any suggestions?

TIA,

J Bo

[thereuare]

Bid early??? or wait until closer to the date.

See the related link in our PRICELINE FAQ.

What is your maximum bid for this leg of your stay. Did you only want to stay on the Strip or is your only requirement that the hotel has a casino?

[drjbo3]

I would like to pay 100-150 per night, and am fairly flexible about where to stay. I would prefer the strip but off strip and downtown would be just fine. Your hotel listing is very helpful for hotel identification.

I prefer to use Hotwire over Priceline as I feel I get a better idea of what specific amenities are available. I recently lucked out waiting longer for a hotel in North Carolina, because my plans were not firm and got the Homewood Suites for $50 a night. I'm going over to check on the prices now using your HOTWIRE link. :-)

[drjbo3]

Follow-up:

FWIW, I ended up booking the Excalibur using the BB HOTWIRE link last night for $149. I could identify it based on the 3* South Strip location and "Customer Favorite" status. It was listed earlier, for $129, so my indecision cost me another $40 for my two night stay. However, it was as high as $159. There were other lower and higher cost options, but thought the Excalibur would be a safer bet.

My observational adviced based on this experience is to book when you see a good rate at a place you want to stay, especially if your stay will include a Friday or Saturday night. If you are going on Sunday through Thursday, you may want to gamble a bit more.

J Bo

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your win!

Glad to hear you found a deal that you are happy with.

Can you please add the amenities shown before your purchase to this thread. You can still view this information by going to HOTWIRE and clicking the MY STUFF link near the top of their home page.

Thank you for using our HOTWIRE link to begin your purchase.

Enjoy your stay.

PS- since you're arriving after midnite, it's a good idea to call the hotel and have them put a note in the system that you will be arriving after midnite... this way they don't think you're a "no show" if you don't show up by 1am or later

[drjbo3]

Oh, certainly...I believe it is consistent with your description from the listings posted. It was also listed for $139 when I just checked. I was wondering if I would have gotten two different rates if I had done one night at a time.....Hmmm...I'm going back to check.

Anyway, here are the amenities as listed:

South Strip Hotel "Customer Favorite"

This Hotel features the following amenities:

Casino

Property offers a full-service casino accessible from the lobby.

Fitness Center

Guests have access to exercise equipment; an additional charge may apply.

Pool(s)

Property offers at least one pool area; hours and dates of operation may be seasonal.

Restaurant(s)

Property offers at least one restaurant on the premises; hours and days of operation may vary.

Golf Nearby

Property is located within walking distance or a short drive of at least one golf course; an extra charge typically applies.

Tennis Nearby

Property is located within walking distance or a short drive of at least one tennis court; an extra charge typically applies.

Spa Services

Guests have access to a spa facility or spa services; an extra charge typically applies.

[thereuare]

Thanks for adding the amenities... we request that all HOTWIRE wins include the amenities within the post. It serves as a good reference point if/when the amenities change and/or when there are inconsistencies with a new post and amenities which are different than when previously reported.

As far as the price changing, HOTWIRE uses a variable mark-up in order to help increase opacity, so you can see prices change ($1-$20) from search to search and from one day to the next. However, note that the fee would be slightly higher as well if you made two separate purchases.

Enjoy your stay.

[drjbo3]

Yes, the price was $119 for Friday night, but $198 for Saturday...

So, overall the $149 is OK....although not the best "win" I have had using Hotwire. :-)

It is still $139 today...hotwire is just playing with me, but again....this is Vegas!

Your site has been a tremendous help. Thanks again.

[drjbo3]

Follow up:

The Excalibur was just OK...more like a 2 1/2* than a 3*. We got an unrenovated room (no surprise), but the room was really spartan. no coffee maker, minibar and worse...no TUB in the bathroom...only a shower. After walking around in 105 degree temperature, I really wanted to soak in a tub.

The location is very convenient...right next to NYNY and across from the MGM. There is a tram that will take you to the Luxor and Mandalay Bay...although we didn't have time to check them out. To get to the Monorail, you have to walk through the MGM, which is HUGE! No real problems during the stay. Sherwood Cafe was very nice for breakfast, never did make it to the pool though.

FWIW, there is shuttle service from the airport to the hotel, although this is not listed as an amenity on Hotwire. Since we arrived at 1 AM we took a cab instead. I didn't investigate if the shuttle was free or not.