Washington DC and PriceLine

[lisaross]

Ok never bid on priceline before. Looking to stay in DC for two nights. What star hotel would u recommend bidding? and what do i put in Washington DC? Downtown DC etc.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

oh and how much would u bid?

Lisa

 

[sharbear]

try these websites, biddingfortravel, betterbidding, biddingtraveler. All great websites to help with priceline. As far as star ratings they are what you are comfortable with. If I go to a major city, I like to stay in better hotels, so I would be more comfortable with a 4 star hotel.

With priceline, you need to do your homework and it will pay off.

 

[AllesonWonderland]

Ditto using the research sites. I used betterbidding for a trip last year and they were very helpful coming up with a strategy for me. I narrowed it down to a few areas, bid on 4 star places and got the Renaissance Dupont Circle for a great price. Remember the downtown areas will have parking fees on top of your room price, so if that's an issue you may want to stay in an outlying region and take the Metro in. Again, folks on those boards will answer all your questions and help walk you through everything. Good luck!

 

[NotUrsula]

Something VERY important to remember: PL's policy is that all rooms will accomodate at least 2 guests. That does NOT necessarily mean that there will be at least 2 beds, and this is especially important to remember in older center cities. Some older hotels in the District may have smaller rooms with one double bed that they market to PL.

What this means is that if you are bringing family, or if this is a trip with a friend that you would not want to share a bed with, be cautious about using PL for hotels in the District. If you have a party of more than 3, you might want to stick with Hotwire instead.

As for star level, I'm usually fine accepting down to a 3 star, but I never start with that level. Always go for a 4 star first and then use lower star levels as necessary for rebid opportunities.

Also, be aware that if you use PL to bid suburban areas around DC, you may not get good walking-distance Metro access. One of the places this is pretty likely to happen is Tyson's Corner. The closest metro station is West Falls Church, and from most of the hotels in Tysons, getting there requires a shuttle bus ride because it is presently not a very safely walkable area due to traffic and a lack of sidewalks.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

I 2nd or is it 3rd checking sites like biddingfortravel.com and betterbidding.com for Priceline tips - also check out LMT but 1st check out this fantastic tip from BetterBidding...

 

[lisaross]

i don't mind staying outside of DC and using the Metro - but my fear is that the Metro won't be walking distance from hotel!

We are a family of 4 so perhaps i should use hotwire.

Any suggestions of area in Virginia to put down?

Thanks i will check out those other boards as well!

 

[lisaross]

on hotwire i see hotels for Dupont circle BUT is their a way to know if the hotel would be walking distance to the Metro?

thanks

 

[Donnainnj]

Betterbidding will give you a really good idea of what hotel you are likely to get on hotwire based on the amenities that come up. It is not perfect science, but usually works. Then you would be able to figure out a location.
Donna

 

[DisneyMomma81]

LMT guarantees more than 1 bed if you need it - for our upcoming DLR visit I used LMT to get Stovall's I put in 4 adults *didn't wanna bother with 2A 2K *then their ages* I called the hotel to verify things after booking/payment were final, and was told we'd have 2 Qs!

With LMT since you'd now *using the tip I posted above* what you'd be getting prior to purchase you could google the hotel and see what others *TripAdvisor* have to say before you commit to the hotel...

 

[lisaross]

i was too nervous to book w/priceline or hotwire, so after searching the net for more info, i booked "The Americana" in Arlington, VA it has really good ratings, can walk to the Metro free continental breakfast and free parking for just under 100.00 a night

 

[lisa-upnorth]

I did priceline for the 1st time this May. Went 3 nights for Memorial Day weekend.Took the train into Union Station.
I had bid starting at $75 and 3 1/2 stars near Capital.I won for $90 a night. We called after I won and asked for 2 beds-no problem.The hotel was the Hyatt on Capital Hill and it was GREAT!Walked to everything

 

[The Tabasco Kid]

We went to DC during Spring Break and stayed at the Embassy Suites at Chevy Chase. The Metro is under the hotel and the hotel is part of a shopping center that includes Bloomingdales, AMC Theatre, Cheesecake Factory, PF Changs and Whole Foods was across the street. We called the hotel and asked for their best rate. We asked them to check for all discounted rates (AAA, Entertainment Book, corporate discount, SAMS club and Costco). I think we ended up getting it around $139 or $149/night but it was so worth it. It included a full breakfast (custom omlettes, eggs to order, biscuits/gravy, oatmeal, cereal) and also manager's reception in the evening (one drink and various munchies). The rooms had microwaves, mini-fridge, sleeper sofa in the living room with TV in both bedroom and living room. We were there for 5 nights and enjoyed every minute of it. Oh, there was also a CVS there and so we were able to purchase most of our toiletries and didn't have to carry them in our luggage. As you can tell, we loved our experience.

 

[NotUrsula]

i was too nervous to book w/priceline or hotwire, so after searching the net for more info, i booked "The Americana" in Arlington, VA it has really good ratings, can walk to the Metro free continental breakfast and free parking for just under 100.00 a night

Walking distance is a bit deceptive with that hotel, with any of the ones on that road, really, because Jeff Davis Hwy. is difficult to cross on foot. The nearest metro station is Crystal City, and there are two ways to enter the station, either by walking into the Crystal Gateway Marriott hotel and walking through the tunnel under Jeff Davis Hwy, or by walking south along the Hwy and crossing under it at
15th St., then down around several buildings to the outdoor station entrance on 18th St. Either way the walk is about a 1/2 mile. Jeff Davis is a very busy elevated highway spur right next to I-95; Crystal City is directly opposite Nat'l Airport. It does have good metro access once you reach the station, as it is served by both the Orange and Blue lines. Alternatively, during mall hours you can turn west on 15th street instead and go through the Fashion Center mall to the Pentagon City station instead, but only do that when the mall is open because the station is on the far opposite corner of the mall complex; having to walk AROUND that large mall makes the walk a whole lot longer than cutting through the middle of it. (Pentagon City station is a bit farther away than Crystal City, about 2/10 mile difference.)

I haven't stayed at the Americana, but I have stayed in Crystal City. The walk to the Metro can be quite windy outdoors because of the proximity of the highways and the tall buildings there. If it is really cold, really hot, or raining, you'll probably want to take the tunnel under the Marriott.

 

[lisaross]

thanks for the info. The hotel also has a shuttle - so i guess if the walk seems to long we could go that route!

Walking distance is a bit deceptive with that hotel, with any of the ones on that road, really, because Jeff Davis Hwy. is difficult to cross on foot. The nearest metro station is Crystal City, and there are two ways to enter the station, either by walking into the Crystal Gateway Marriott hotel and walking through the tunnel under Jeff Davis Hwy, or by walking south along the Hwy and crossing under it at
15th St., then down around several buildings to the outdoor station entrance on 18th St. Either way the walk is about a 1/2 mile. Jeff Davis is a very busy elevated highway spur right next to I-95; Crystal City is directly opposite Nat'l Airport. It does have good metro access once you reach the station, as it is served by both the Orange and Blue lines. Alternatively, during mall hours you can turn west on 15th street instead and go through the Fashion Center mall to the Pentagon City station instead, but only do that when the mall is open because the station is on the far opposite corner of the mall complex; having to walk AROUND that large mall makes the walk a whole lot longer than cutting through the middle of it. (Pentagon City station is a bit farther away than Crystal City, about 2/10 mile difference.)

I haven't stayed at the Americana, but I have stayed in Crystal City. The walk to the Metro can be quite windy outdoors because of the proximity of the highways and the tall buildings there. If it is really cold, really hot, or raining, you'll probably want to take the tunnel under the Marriott.