slimsurgery Posted October 10, 2004 Report Share Posted October 10, 2004 Hello,I am new here, and I just happened to stumble to this website and it seems great. Alot of people in here seem to be very helpful, and I am hoping I can get some help here. I was reading the forums on hotwire and priceline, and I figured I try my chances with priceline from what I was reading. Here is whats going on. Me and my girlfriend are planning on going to Vegas Dec 26-28th. We figured this way we get to spend the holidays with our families and still spend time with each other. I was planning on doing this because we have a little girl that was born, she is now 5 months, and she was born in may and we could not take a trip anywhere during the summer, and I figured since she put up with so much, and she takes care of our daughter, and we hardley have time for ourselves, this be a little nice thing to do, so we get time together. And I know vegas is a good place to go because there is a lot to see. I was reading though on the priceline that you give a bid, and they accept it or reject it. Well I went ahead and figured I look for a 5 star hotel since we wont be doing this very often, and I want to try to get the best, without going broke. So I made a bid of $89 then $100 and was rejected by both, and they suggest a amount, but I decided not to go with it. But I was also looking at hotwire, and was looking on the forum here what hotels they offer too. I just dont know what would be my best option. I was looking to spend about max $250, but hoping for less. Like I metioned I want a 5 star hotel with spa and all that. Was hoping for Venician or Bellagio. I just dont know what website or what would be my best option to get a better deal. I figured I reservations in advance to get the best deal. Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. I appreciate the help. Thank you. Link to comment
thesqueegeekid Posted October 10, 2004 Report Share Posted October 10, 2004 When you made the 5-star bid, do you remember the exact amount that they came back with and suggested? We call this a "counter-offer" and it is very useful in knowing how much we should bid next and/or how much is required to win. Link to comment
slimsurgery Posted October 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2004 They came back with the amount $169 as a suggested for me to win. And I know from what I read that that is usually want to get the max possible. But like I said was hoping to get it lower. Thank you for your reply. Link to comment
thesqueegeekid Posted October 10, 2004 Report Share Posted October 10, 2004 Hotwire is listing a 5-star for $157 which is most likely the Venetian ... so, I would bet that you will strike on Priceline between $125 and $135. You have many rebids because no other zones list 5-stars. So, you can also work your way up with $110, $115, $120 etc.You also may want to look at some of the deals listed on www.travelzoo.com ... they have a Venetian suite special listed for certain dates for $125 which includes other freebies. There are also other hotel deals listed too... Just click under the lodging category for Vegas. Link to comment
slimsurgery Posted October 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2004 I bid up to $125 priceline and they rejected it, so I decided to go with travelzoo and I ended up paying a total of $260 for two nights for two people. Do you think they will allow me to upgrade when I get there, I saw they upgraded a few people. thx for your help. Link to comment
thesqueegeekid Posted October 10, 2004 Report Share Posted October 10, 2004 I am glad travelzoo worked out for you... now, for your upgrade question...The trick I am presently using is to make the reservation under the last name "Honeymoon" and use your last name as the first...Basically, it is than up to the person checking you in or who pre-assigns the rooms to catch the unmistakeable word "honeymoon" ... this will melt them a little and get you upgraded with goodies perhaps before you even arrive.In the past, (this worked almost everytime) I always have my girlfriend stand 20 feet away with the bags and than point her out to the front desk clerk sincerely saying, I really want to surprise her with something super-special ... do you have an "ocean-view" ... with no ocean around for hundreds of miles ... they usually laugh and are inclined to find me something nice. In Niagara Falls, I changed it to jokingly asking for a non-existent "mountain-view" ... and got upgraded to a floor to ceiling window fallswiew room with a hot tub.My final trick when I make reservations for friends is to call the hotel in the middle of the night before they check in and say "Hi there, I am the night auditor at the ____ ____ in ____" (you must specify a hotel and be sure to use a different brand ... also, make sure it is clearly lower in quality than their hotel so they feel superior to you) and that I made a reservation for some close friends using Priceline because there were no employee friends and family rates available... do they have an upgrade available... Having worked as a night auditor myself, we always help our own.BTurner's trick was to slip a $20 bill at check-in and ask for an upgrade... that always worked for him.Otherwise, the standard suite at the Venetian is a massive 650 square feet with a King bed ... An upgrade in your case may end you up in an unwanted "Bella Suite" which has two beds. Link to comment
slimsurgery Posted October 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2004 Hey, Thx for the suggestion. Due to the fact that I already made the reservation under my name, I can not due the honeymoon trick, cause I can not cancel the reservation, and then reserve again. So I might due the ocean view trick, hopefully that gets me something real nice for me and my girl. :) Thx for your help. Link to comment
dave Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Hi thesqueegeekidJust curious, when your "girlfriend standing 20 feet away" trick works do you usually still give the front desk a tip for their favor? :) Link to comment
slimsurgery Posted October 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Yea, thats true, did u still slip them a $20 or somthing? Link to comment
thesqueegeekid Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Hi thesqueegeekidJust curious, when your "girlfriend standing 20 feet away" trick works do you usually still give the front desk a tip for their favor? :) Tip??? I never tip!!! ... I try to get by with just the trickery.That was what another board member (BTurner) used to do ... and it worked really well. He usually got upgraded to a suite ... and for a five day stay, the $20 was worth it.There is a past topic on this board about tipping ... and his "20 dollar trick".Sadly, he recently passed away otherwise he was one of the most fequent posters on the board and a pro on the subject. Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Here is the thread:TIPPING AT PRICELINE HOTELS. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
slimsurgery Posted October 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 Hey,Thx everybody for the great and useful info. Now I am trying to decide which method is best for me. If I should when I arrive at the hotel due the ocean view thing, or should I do the $20 trick or both together. Or should I fax the I forgot what its called but it was named on that one link "thereuare" posted, to where I tell them what is the deal. Cause what I am trying to do is get a nice room, with a spa in it hopefully, and I would like it to be on the higher floors the room, facing the strip so you can look out and see the strip. So thats why Im just thinking which one I should do, I know I got plenty of time, just want to get the ideas going in my head how Im going to do it. Im very excited to go to the Venitian, since i have never stayed in a fancy hotel in my life, most of the time its the motel 6, and this will be a great treat for my sweetheart, since she has not really got some time rest since the baby. I was also planning on popping the question that night in vegas so.....I want it to be special, thats why Im trying to figure out how to make it the best. Link to comment
dave Posted October 12, 2004 Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 thesqueegeekid - thanks for the tips! Much appreciated.BTW - i can't use your night auditor trick cos my non-local accent would give me away :) Link to comment
thesqueegeekid Posted October 12, 2004 Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 I was also planning on popping the question that night in vegas so.....I want it to be special, thats why Im trying to figure out how to make it the best. Wow ... congrats!!!I say you call the hotel/front desk manager directly to tell him your plan (mention your present reservation) ... and ask him if there is a special room that would be suitable for your occasion ... or just say you want to propose in the hot tub. That probably has your highest chance of working.Otherwise, the Venetion is just too massive to rely on the other tricks or even a $20 tip.Pretend to be a best friend or a brother and call saying ___ plans to propose ... that way the manager won't ask for more money etc. Link to comment
slimsurgery Posted October 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Thx for the great advice, I will try to do that tommarow, see what they say. Hopefully they can get me into a room with a hot tub and a view to the strip that would be great and perfect. Also I checked online for the deal I got and it has gone up on the venitian site site to $199 so good thing I reserved when I did, thx for the heads up "thesqueegeekid". I will let you know how it goes, if you have any further advice before I call maybe what else I can say, or stuff to say to help me out, I would greatly appreciate it, but I will call tommarow afternoon and let you know how it goes. thx Link to comment
thesqueegeekid Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 I know I suggested the manager first ... however, I now think you should try a regular front desk clerk first and that way, if your first shot fails, you can also try the night shift, than finally a manager. The key is to get one of them to actually plug in a upgraded room number right from now.Also, you could even say you girlfriend made the reservation on her credit card and you need an upgrade because you are proposing. Whatever you feel most comfortable with... Link to comment
slimsurgery Posted October 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Well I called, the bastards said no. I told them that my girlfriend made the reservations and put it under her cc and I was planning on porposing to her in the hot tub or looking into the strip. I let the lady know that she put the reservation under my name but did use her credit card, but was hoping if she could do me a favor and hopefully get it upgraded to a room with a view of the strip or one with a hot tub. She informed me that I got the room under promotion and that there was no rooms for the strip and they diddnt have hot tubs they had jacuzzi's. She also informed me that it would be $30 more a night for a upgrade to view the strip, or it would be $429 a night for a room with a jacuzzi. :) So I said, but I dont want it to be charged to the card, cause she paid for it on her cc. She said that this was the best she could do. I dont want to pay more, cause I barley had enough to pay for those two nights, cause it came out to $280 total, and I dont have more then that, I barely had that, and thats with saving, and plus the ring, it cost a nice set of change. But I want to do this, if not the jacuzzi, which would be great, at least the view to the strip, that would be the next best thing. I dont know how to approach this, or what to say so I wont get charged more. Plus I get a little nervous on the phone, so my voice starts shaking up a little. But any more suggestions I would greatly appreciated, it would be much appreciated. Link to comment
slimsurgery Posted October 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 No success it seems today, so no more ideas then I guess from anyone, or anyone able to help me out? Thx again for the help. Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 14, 2004 Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 I would try the "$20 Trick" asking for a room with a strip view.If the room of choice aspect fails, there are certainly some great places throughout the city to propose.... i would probably choose the VooDoo lounge at the Rio. Go at sunset/dusk at which point there should be no cover (call ahead to find out when the cover charge begins) and it should be very empty, maybe 20 people in the whole place (so it will seem like you're almost there alone, yet still people around who will have a story to tell that they watched somebody get engaged). I would unwind up there with a drink and talk with your g/f as you watch the sun set and the lights of the strip begin to glow. Then pop the question... but don't be too close to the edge, you don't want that ring to get knocked out of your hand and go over the side!Other good choices would be on top of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris hotel, in front of the Bellagio fountains, and still good (but not my first choice) on top of the Stratosphere. If you really wanted to propose at the Venetian you can do so on a gondola ride too (although depending upon your tastes, some would say this is 'cheesy') Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
slimsurgery Posted October 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 Yea, I was really hoping though that I would be able to get a strip view from the hotel, I mean jaquzzi would have been great, but strip view is still good enough and I am wondering if the $20 trick would actually work. Cause like "Otherwise, the Venetion is just too massive to rely on the other tricks or even a $20 tip." is what 'thesqueegeekid'. So, but hopefully I can get one of those without paying more. Just worried to that they might not have a room with a view by that time. But thx for the advice, I might check those other places to purpose if I dont get what I want as far as the room goes. Link to comment
thesqueegeekid Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 There's to times to be thrifty and times not .... Slimsurgery, you may have to cough it up ... and I don't mean the strip-view ... I say look up hot-air balloon flights etc (cost me $300 and worth every cent) .... OR,As thereuare suggested ... find something/somewhere else tres cool and memorable around the strip.You'd have better luck it seems getting the Stratosphere hotel's roller coaster operator to pause at the top for you to propose than getting the upgrade at the Venetion.If you like the flight idea, the best way to get up there cheap is to call flight schools ... they offer reduced rates for going up with a student trying to clock their hours.Our upgrade tricks seem to work at the smaller 140 room outfits. Sorry for not coming up with any other solutions for you. Link to comment
slimsurgery Posted October 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 Hey, well thx for the advice and help, I will look for other options, would have been nice to get a room at the view of the strip. I appreciate the help alot, thank you. Link to comment
darlinerene Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 slimsurgery, I've stayed at The Venetian, and I believe that all of the rooms are very nice. The bed is in the first part of the room and then you step down into the "living room", so it's almost a two-room suite. Even if you don't have a "view room", it will be nicer than most any other room you would have found on the strip. I've always found that it's better to schmooze the front-desk person once you're actually checking in, than calling them in advance, and even if you don't succeed, the lobby of the Venetian is a masterpiece in itself. So don't worry, it will be perfect- and you'll have a great time- I promise. Good luck. Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 I have posted pictures of the room at RealHotelPhotos.com Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
slimsurgery Posted October 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 Yea, Ive checked out the pictures before. Thats what made me actually cough up a little extra money and choose this hotel. Cause I was actually thinking of going to MGM, but when I saw pictures of the Venetian, I was like I got to go there, after I saw the room pictures that were posted. Also I ended up e-mailing them, letting them know my specail occasion, and they said due to the fact that I diddnt want the extra charge to go to my gf cc, that it could only be a request, which would be subject to availability, and could not be guaranteed but the special occasion is noted on the reservation. So we will see how it goes, Im actually very exited for the trip, and nervous about asking her..... :) but Im sure all will good good :) thx for the help and advice, and Im sure I will enjoy my stay. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Register now, we have a huge community of travel enthusiasts to answer any questions you might have.
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountAlready have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now