kilee,
I would give Priceline a try. We've used it with great success at least 25 times. The key is flexibility and you stated in your post that if you end up with a room with one bed you'll get an air mattress -- great additude! We always hope for two beds but are prepared to use an air mattress if we have to. Likewise, we prefer a non-smoking room but would consider a smoking room if the smell wasn't too bad. If the smell is horrible, I'd just ask for another room, even if it's a smoking one. Bottom line is that we usually pay about $30/nt. for a really nice hotel (hotels for our upcoming October stay are the 3* Omni Rosen near Universal and 3* Sheraton Safari neard DD) and that is the same $30/nt. we used to pay (or even more) for the Super 8 Motel or something of that caliber. Priceline has allowed us to make trips to WDW and US/IOA at least 2x a year. Before Priceline, we were lucky to get there every 2 years. We've also had success bidding for 2.5* hotels in the Universal and Florida Mall areas. We've gotten the Amerisuites Convention Center, Amerisuites Universal and the Wellesley Inn and Suites Florida Mall and loved those rooms as well.
I would give Priceline a try. We've used it with great success at least 25 times. The key is flexibility and you stated in your post that if you end up with a room with one bed you'll get an air mattress -- great additude! We always hope for two beds but are prepared to use an air mattress if we have to. Likewise, we prefer a non-smoking room but would consider a smoking room if the smell wasn't too bad. If the smell is horrible, I'd just ask for another room, even if it's a smoking one. Bottom line is that we usually pay about $30/nt. for a really nice hotel (hotels for our upcoming October stay are the 3* Omni Rosen near Universal and 3* Sheraton Safari neard DD) and that is the same $30/nt. we used to pay (or even more) for the Super 8 Motel or something of that caliber. Priceline has allowed us to make trips to WDW and US/IOA at least 2x a year. Before Priceline, we were lucky to get there every 2 years. We've also had success bidding for 2.5* hotels in the Universal and Florida Mall areas. We've gotten the Amerisuites Convention Center, Amerisuites Universal and the Wellesley Inn and Suites Florida Mall and loved those rooms as well.