Hotwire Hotel: 3.5* Las Vegas (Central Strip) Flamingo

[javatini]

Hi, I'm planning a trip to Vegas with family for 3 nights, 4 adults, 11/6(tue)-11/9(fri). I need help with regard to the following. I have a (flexible) budget of $75 per

and would like to stay on the strip.

1. Considering this is not a weekend trip, what is the best star hotel you can get for $75 a night. What would be the budget range for a 3*, 4* or a 5* room

on the strip?

2. Is it a good strategy to book a single room for 2 adults and then look for upgrades (2 queen size beds in one room is okay for our family of 4 adults) at the hotel considering this is not a weekend. I'm open to suggestions.

3. Priceline vs. Hotwire? Pros and cons, suggestions or a link would be appreciated.

You guys rock! Thanks in advance

Javatini

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Please don't double post... keep all posts for this stay in this thread, if you ultimately use Priceline we'll them move the entire thread to that section of the board.

1. Considering this is not a weekend trip, what is the best star hotel you can get for $75 a night. What would be the budget range for a 3*, 4* or a 5* room on the strip?

I'm guessing a higher end 3* hotel... a 4* for a little bit more (closer to $100), but these are just guesses... better to let us know your maximum bid at each star level and we can suggest a strategy for you to follow.

2. Is it a good strategy to book a single room for 2 adults and then look for upgrades

I wouldn't think so... what if you can't get an upgrade, or a room with two beds... how will your family of four handle a situation if you receive a room with only one bed? What if you are given a room with only one bed and in order to upgrade you need to pay as much as $60/nite extra since you're quad occupancy and only booked double occupancy? See the related link in our PRICELINE FAQ for a further discussion.

3. Priceline vs. Hotwire? Pros and cons, suggestions or a link would be appreciated.

Continuing your occupancy issues above, priceline will only allow you to book double occupancy... HOTWIRE will enable you to search for up to quad occupancy. So it depends if you're willing to take the risk or not. As well, the Westin is included in Priceline's South Strip zone, although it is actually slightly off the strip... is this a hotel you're willing to accept?

Let us know your thoughts on the above and we'll take it from there.

[javatini]

1. Considering this is not a weekend trip, what is the best star hotel you can get for $75 a night. What would be the budget range for a 3*, 4* or a 5* room on the strip?

I'm guessing a higher end 3* hotel... a 4* for a little bit more (closer to $100), but these are just guesses... better to let us know your maximum bid at each star level and we can suggest a strategy for you to follow.

"Maximum bid at 4* $90, maximum bid at 3* 75*, I'm flexible in terms of maximum bid, but would like to start at low. Since i have time on my hand,

its okay if i face a 24 hour lockout period, please suggest a suitable strategy beginning with the 4 star hotels."

2. Is it a good strategy to book a single room for 2 adults and then look for upgrades

I wouldn't think so... what if you can't get an upgrade, or a room with two beds... how will your family of four handle a situation if you receive a room with only one bed? What if you are given a room with only one bed and in order to upgrade you need to pay as much as $60/nite extra since you're quad occupancy and only booked double occupancy? See the related link in our PRICELINE FAQ for a further discussion.

"That makes sense, I'd go with a quad occupancy room based on youre suggestion"

3. Priceline vs. Hotwire? Pros and cons, suggestions or a link would be appreciated.

Continuing your occupancy issues above, priceline will only allow you to book double occupancy... HOTWIRE will enable you to search for up to quad occupancy. So it depends if you're willing to take the risk or not. As well, the Westin is included in Priceline's South Strip zone, although it is actually slightly off the strip... is this a hotel you're willing to accept?

"It seems like for quad occupancy, hotwire remains as the only plausible chocie"

[thereuare]

If you do a search on HOTWIRE for your dates, and include quad occupancy, do you see any properties offered within your minium star quality and price range?

If you want to stretch things a little, in addition to searching for 4adults/0children, you can also try searching for 2adults/2children as sometime that will show different hotels and/or a different price (not changing the price at all or charging less for the children than if they were adults). This would still involve a risk but it would be substantially less, imo, than booking for just double occupancy and hoping that the bed situation works out ok. If you book 2adults/2children... just have one or two people go to check-in while the others browse the lobby/shops elsewhere in the hotel.

Let us know if your HOTWIRE search reveals anything attractive and we'll try to confirm or help you identify it.

[javatini]

These are the results from my preliminary search for 2 adults, 2 children for 3 nights. The search was narrowed to North, South and Central Strip.

1. 3 star hotel in north strip $44 a night.

2. 4-star hotel in Central Strip $125

3. 3.5-star hotel in Central Strip $124 *Customer favorite

4. 3.5-star hotel in South Strip $149

I'm surprised it only showed up 4 hotels. Any ideas on the hotels and suitable strategies for getting a 3.5/4 star for $100. Help is appreciated!

[thereuare]

Any ideas on the hotels...

If you'd like help IDing the above properties please include the amenities HOTWIRE associates with each one. However, are you willing to pay up to $125(#2), $124(#3), or $149(#4) per nite for this stay?

...and suitable strategies for getting a 3.5/4 star for $100.

While ensuring quad occupancy?

[javatini]

1.IDing would be great. I did search again and the rates have dropped for one of them!

a) 3 star hotel in north strip $44 a night => Resort, fitness center,restaurants, golf nearby, casino, pool, laundry facilities, spa

:) 4-star hotel in Central Strip $125 => casino, fitness center, pool, restaurants, business center, high speed internet, spa services

c) 3.5-star hotel in Central Strip $101 ($124 earlier) *Customer favorite => casino, fitness center, pool, restaurants, business center, high speed internet, golf nearby, tennis nearby, spa services

d) 3.5-star hotel in South Strip $149 => resort, casino, fitness center, pool, restaurant, business center, high speed internet access, golf nearby, tennis nearby,spa services.

e) 4 start hotel in South Strip $123 => casino, pool, fitness center, restaurant, business center, golf, spa services.

2. Suitable strategies for 3.5/4 star while ensuring quad occupancy. Is that possible to get a 4* for $100 a night.

I'd start bidding as soon as I get some suitable strategies.

[thereuare]

1.IDing would be great. I did search again and the rates have dropped for one of them!

...are you willing to pay up to $125(#2), $124(#3), or $149(#4) per nite for this stay?

2. I'd start bidding as soon as I get some suitable strategies.

There is no bidding on HOTWIRE, and priceline won't guarantee more than double occupancy per room... so what 'bidding' do you intend on doing?

[javatini]

Oh. I thought there was bidding on Hotwire. But I stand corrected. In that case, I'd just book on Hotwire the regular way. Can you help me in IDing? I can pay upto 145 but it would be nice to know which properties are these.

[thereuare]

Best guess on the properties above...

1) Stratosphere

2) Planet Hollywood (previously Aladdin)

3) Ballys

4) Monte Carlo

5) NYNY

Please use this HOTWIRE link to begin any purchases you make.

Good Luck and let us know what you decide and how it goes.

[javatini]

Made reservations through HOTWIRE link at Hotel Flamingo = 3.5 star

Booked the 3 night stay for 1 room(s) @ $104.00 per night x 3 night(s): $312.00

11/6-11/9

Taxes recovery charges and fees:$36.79

Hotel subtotal:$348.79

Thanks for your help!

[thereuare]

Thank you for sharing your results with the board.

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

Was this the same 3.5* that you posted above. Two days ago we did guess that this would be Ballys, but yesterday i also posted in this thread that i has reason to believe that the Las Vegas Flamingo was upgraded and has the same amenities as Ballys. Can you confirm this?

Hopefully this should still work well for your needs (should as the hotels are almost next door to each other)

Thanks for posting your results and for using our HOTWIRE link to begin your purchase.

Enjoy your stay.