Priceline Hotel: 3.5* Los Angeles (Redondo-Manhattan Beaches) Crowne Plaza

[craftymom]

Hi there! New to better bidding on hotels. I have used priceline for rental cars now I am branching out. Lobve the forum and will post my results. Which hotwire hotel does this sound like?

3.5 Lax

Suite

Breakfast

Fitness Center

Pool

Kitchenette

Business Center

trip Advisor 4/5

$78. Night 4/27b -5/4 seven nights total with taxes 595.05

I hate paying to park, silly I know. love free breakfast even if it is not too exciting, free internet a plus. Stayed at Hawyhorn Suites last month for a ridiculous price of 138/night. Would like similiar but nicer for less. LOL! Thanks in advance, Sandee

[AaronJB]

Welcome to the site. :)

This looks to be a match for the Embassy Suites.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE link to start your purchase.

[craftymom]

Dates 4/27-5/4 Bid on Redondo beach area 3 * $45 rejected, added Lawndale and rebid $48 rejected, added culver city 3.5* and bid $52 rejected but got an add $15 and rebid notice. Not sure I want to pay that much and not know what I am getting. I really want a residence inn type hotel (free parking, kitchenette and breakfast.) My Husband is going to be there a week for business and I am meeting him for the weekend. Any bidding advice would be helpful. I tried hotwire and was quoted $78 for what we think is Embasy Suites but I really do not want to be that close to LAX. His job is in Mnahattan Beach area but we would like to do the beaches and tourist stuff too. Thanks for all the great advice on this board I have been reading up a storm. (I also was sure to use the link to bid.)

Sandee (Oregon)

[Colfax]

Welcome to BetterBidding, craftymom.

I really want a residence inn type hotel (free parking, kitchenette and breakfast.)

There's no way to prevent an upgrade to 3.5*, where you'll probably get none of the above. My intuition is that $15 counteroffer to your $52 is an upgrade to a 3.5*, not the Residence Inn.

It's possible Res Inn isn't available on Priceline all seven nights. They might have given Priceline inventory for Fri, Sat, Sun, for example, but not Mon-Thurs. Splitting your stay would improve your chances of getting Res Inn for at least part of your stay, but there's still no guarantee you won't be upgraded to 3.5* on both your shorter bids.

How about bidding for a 2.5*? The four reported 2.5* all have free parking and I think they all have free breakfast. Best Western, Hawthorn Suites, Springhill Suites, Summerfield Suites. If those hotels will also work for your husband I'd suggest bidding $45 for a 2.5*; then add your only free rebid, Lawndale, at $50.

p.s. You added Culver City to your first set of bids. Culver City isn't a free rebid zone for 3* since there are 3* hotels in Culver City. Is Culver City acceptable to you also? If it's not then only use Lawndale as a free rebid.

Thanks for using the board's PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links.

[craftymom]

Thanks for the reply. DH stayed at the Hawthorn Suites last month. He said it was fine. Liked the underneath parking. Never went down for the evening reception (too shy? LOL) and it does not have a pool but wouldn't have used it w/o the kids anyways. He paid $139 a night which I thought was a lot! Would be happy to win this for $50-60 night.

Update: tried 2.5* at $45 rejected, added free re bid zone Lawndale, went up to $50 rejected again. Was offered a counter at $65. Thought I would just wait til tomorrow to try again. UInless you have a nother strategy.

I'll update my results tomorrow. Thanks again for the assistance.

Sandee (Oregon)

[Colfax]

2.5* bids can be upgraded to 3.5*. That $65 counteroffer might be a 3.5*.

When your 24-hour lockout is up I would try $52 for a 2.5*. You were rejected at $52 for a 3* so you know $52 won't upgrade to 3.5* (unless Priceline got new 3.5* inventory in 24 hours, for $52 or less.) You've still got your rebid Lawndale if you want to try $54 or $55 then.

You could also try $45 or $50 for a 2*. I don't know how low down the scale your husband wants to bid in order to avoid pay parking. There's a reported 2* in the zone. Read the reviews at TripAdvisor to decide if that's an option for you.

Good luck!

[craftymom]

Rebid as instructed, 2 1/2 $52, added Lawndale $58, rejected. Waited until today bid 3 star at $55 rejected, bit the bullet and rebid at 2 1/2 at $60. Ended up with the Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach. We are Crowne Rewards members and usually are really happy with these. However the reviews for this hotel are not good. I am hoping for the best. My hubby will be there 7 nights. Of course at half price, He could leave halfway through and go somewhere else. I will send a review. I always try to be nice to the desk clerks and have great success with upgrades etc. I'll post the results he gets. LOL!

Sandee

PS has anyone had success getting into the executive floor here? Some CP will automatically upgrade rewards members.

[yellowdog]

Thank you for sharing your win with the board :)

Can you please comfirm the star rating for this hotel. When you bid at 3* level did you get upgraded? Crowne Plaza is reported frequent as a 3.5* hotel.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE and PRICELINE links to start future purchases.

[craftymom]

I believe it was upgraded to a 3.5. I did use the PRICELINE links provided on the top of page for all bids.

Sandee

[thereuare]

Thanks for the follow-up and for using our PRICELINE links to begin your bidding.

Enjoy your stay.

[Colfax]

If the Crowne Plaza was in any other LA zone besides Redondo-Manhattan people would be delighted to win it at $60, even with $18/night parking and $9.95/night internet. Compared to parking rates in other popular LA zones---Bev Hills, Downtown, Santa Monica, and Hollywood---the Crowne Plaza's $18/night is low. And Crowne Plaza is a near the marina and beach---also hard to find for $60 in LA.

The Crowne Plaza only seems like a bad deal because it's in the same zone as the Manhattan Beach Residence Inn, where parking, breakfast, and internet are free. To my knowledge that Manhattan Beach Res Inn is the ONLY 3* or higher hotel in ANY of the nine LA zones where everything is free. That makes it a very sought after hotel, especially when their Priceline rate is in the $40's.

I hope your husband can get the executive floor he wants.

[craftymom]

I think it will be fine. It is still a lot better deal than booking direct. I noticed on the Redondo Chamber sight , there will be a Jazz festival that weekend. Might be why I could not get a better deal. Or maybe it would be better next time to try for less days and add them after the fact. I am still learning here.

He has to go to this area about every other month for the next 8-10 months for a project he is working on. I will review the hotel after we are there. The reviews I read were all over the place from wonderful to horrible.

We stayed at the Crowne Plaza in Anaheim last June for 6 nights and it was great. Service excellent, rooms spotless and free Disney shuttle. It also got very mixed reviews.

Sandee

[Jasmine]

I've stayed at this hotel many times and usually I'm pleased. There is free parking on the streets running behind and next to the hotel (certain sides are restricted for a couple hours on Thursday and Friday mornings for street sweeping). I've never received a room on the executive level but I find I get rooms with better views when I show my card. They also give members a package on check-in which includes a voucher for one free day of internet. Members can also use the business center for free. As for the lack of a free breakfast, I don't mind that much since there are fridges in the room so it's easy to keep fruit, milk, yogurt etc. handy (there's a Whole Foods just up the street).

[Colfax]

Thanks for the parking tip, Jasmine.