Summary of Winning Bids on Priceline/Hotwire et al

4 star

10/31/14

Downtown Miami

Hyatt Regency $135 plus taxes

Tried numerous bids - more than we have ever paid for this hotel, maybe because of Halloween and FLL boat show...

Priceline $89 Sheraton Beach Resort Fort Lauderdale 11/6-11/8.

Got that price today.

I'm trying to get 4 star downtown Miami and so far I'm up to a $110 bid being rejected for January 10th. There are some of the 3 star hotels I'd be willing to stay at, but some of them I would not, so I'm afraid to allow them in my bid.

If they included both airport and cruise port shuttle I would take an airport hotel but I'm not interested in paying high taxi fares twice and Priceline does not make any guarantees in that regard. Plus there's not much to do near the airport.

It seems hotel prices double on January 1st, which is the first day of high season. They really seem to follow the high season dates strictly.

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Last Minute Travel Club, which you can get a free promo code to sign up with through a google search, has a few options for your date.

Holiday Inn Express Miami Springs 118.13 rated 4/5 on Tripadvisor

Regency Hotel Miami Airport 114.36 4/5

Element Hotel 118.64 4/5

Best Western Plus 118.64 3.5/5

Don't know about shuttles to the port, but I believe they all have shuttles from the airport. Good luck.

Last Minute Travel Club, which you can get a free promo code to sign up with through a google search, has a few options for your date.

 

Holiday Inn Express Miami Springs 118.13 rated 4/5 on Tripadvisor

Regency Hotel Miami Airport 114.36 4/5

Element Hotel 118.64 4/5

Best Western Plus 118.64 3.5/5

 

Don't know about shuttles to the port, but I believe they all have shuttles from the airport. Good luck.

Taxi-cabs from the airport to the cruise port are very expensive. There are reasonably priced shuttles (about $15) that take you from the airport to the local area hotels but there is no reasonably priced shuttle from local area hotels to the cruise port so I've always made it a point to either stay at a hotel that has transfers to the cruise port included or stay at a hotel close to the port. Another reason I'm not fond of the airport area hotels is I've had difficulty finding stores to buy last minute items in that area. If I stay at a hotel whose location requires that I use a cab to get to the cruise port it would cost about $20 greater than the usual transfer expenses plus the price of a bottle of wine on the ship ( about $23) as I would be unable to find one locally. So basically the $110 that I bid on Priceline would have to cost about $40 less to cost me the same amount. So before I go that route I'll see if there's a downtown hotel that is only $40 more than those.

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I'm trying to get 4 star downtown Miami and so far I'm up to a $110 bid being rejected for January 10th. There are some of the 3 star hotels I'd be willing to stay at, but some of them I would not, so I'm afraid to allow them in my bid.

If they included both airport and cruise port shuttle I would take an airport hotel but I'm not interested in paying high taxi fares twice and Priceline does not make any guarantees in that regard. Plus there's not much to do near the airport.

It seems hotel prices double on January 1st, which is the first day of high season. They really seem to follow the high season dates strictly.

 

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Have you tried 3-1/2 star downtown? Also, sometimes prices are better if you can wait awhile.

Taxi-cabs from the airport to the cruise port are very expensive. There are reasonably priced shuttles (about $15) that take you from the airport to the local area hotels but there is no reasonably priced shuttle from local area hotels to the cruise port so I've always made it a point to either stay at a hotel that has transfers to the cruise port included or stay at a hotel close to the port. Another reason I'm not fond of the airport area hotels is I've had difficulty finding stores to buy last minute items in that area. If I stay at a hotel whose location requires that I use a cab to get to the cruise port it would cost about $20 greater than the usual transfer expenses plus the price of a bottle of wine on the ship ( about $23) as I would be unable to find one locally. So basically the $110 that I bid on Priceline would have to cost about $40 less to cost me the same amount. So before I go that route I'll see if there's a downtown hotel that is only $40 more than those.

 

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One last suggestion.....the Comfort Suites Miami Airport North is rated 4.5/5 on TA with a 90% thumbs up. They have free shuttles from the airport and to the cruise port. On their website....152 + tax for 1/10/15. Don't know if there is a liquor store within walking distance so you would be able to pick up your "last minute item" and not have to pay 23.00 on board.

Thanks for the tip. I tried to get a downtown location cheaper than what they're currently offered by bidding on Priceline and even at $145 bid or lowering to 3 stars I still couldn't get accepted bid so I looked at Comfort Suites as you suggested. The rate was $158 hundred and fifty eight unless you stay multiple nights.

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Thanks for the tip. I tried to get a downtown location cheaper than what they're currently offered by bidding on Priceline and even at $145 bid or lowering to 3 stars I still couldn't get accepted bid so I looked at Comfort Suites as you suggested. The rate was $158 hundred and fifty eight unless you stay multiple nights.

 

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I'm trying to get 4 star downtown Miami and so far I'm up to a $110 bid being rejected for January 10th. There are some of the 3 star hotels I'd be willing to stay at, but some of them I would not, so I'm afraid to allow them in my bid.

If they included both airport and cruise port shuttle I would take an airport hotel but I'm not interested in paying high taxi fares twice and Priceline does not make any guarantees in that regard. Plus there's not much to do near the airport.

It seems hotel prices double on January 1st, which is the first day of high season. They really seem to follow the high season dates strictly.

 

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We cruise this December. Normally I use Priceline or Hotwire, but prices were much higher than normal for our date--apparently there is some event going on that takes lots of hotel rooms.

I used Last Minute Travel to book the 4* (4.5* on Hotwire) Intercontinental, which is close to Bayside Market. It cost about $145 plus taxes, which is hard to take as I have gotten it for $89 before, but was still cheaper than other options. We like the location a lot.

Taxi prices aren't that bad; $25 to the hotel, $12 to the port, approximately.

On LMT you can figure out the hotel name, if it's hidden, by pretending to rent a car; when you get farther along in the process the hotel name shows up.

It's hard if not impossible to find Downtown hotels with shuttle service both ways, especially on Priceline where that is not guaranteed.

 

On LMT you can figure out the hotel name, if it's hidden, by pretending to rent a car; when you get farther along in the process the hotel name shows up.

 

Thanks for this very useful information for using Last Minute Travel!

On LMT you can figure out the hotel name, if it's hidden, by pretending to rent a car; when you get farther along in the process the hotel name shows up.

Ocean Sky Hotel and Resort for $150 plus tax ($181) for The Saturday of the first weekend in April. 3 or 3.5 star, depending on which site says what. Right on the beach. I'm happy.

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You can also do a google search for the free promo code to join the LMT travel club. In the club, all of the hotel information is on full display, nothing is opaque.

And the club is less $.

Priceline.

$70 plus tax.

Radisson Resort at the Port (Cape Canaveral)

January 2, 2015

Priceline Express three stars $57- Four Points by Sheraton Cocoa Beach 11/23 to 11/24.

Priceline Express three stars $57- Four Points by Sheraton Cocoa Beach 11/23 to 11/24.

Could you give a few more details on that ??? Such as amenities and whatever . Am looking at that area for Feb see a 3 star but not that price.

Could you give a few more details on that ??? Such as amenities and whatever . Am looking at that area for Feb see a 3 star but not that price.

You won't see any S. Florida hotel priced in Feb.the same as Nov. :o

Use betterbidding.com to get lists and hints for possible hotel.

Love this thread!!!!!!!!!!

Looking for 3 nights before our Feb 7 cruise. Looking expensive at this point, any advice?

I would check out deals on hotwire and priceline and choose a hotel west of the port area that would be substantially cheaper and combine it with a car rental. At this late date anything close to the port will be 200 or 250 per night, whereas you could get a decent place for under 150 further away and you would have the flexibility to sitesee because of the rental car.

Looking for 3 nights before our Feb 7 cruise. Looking expensive at this point, any advice?

Start a thread OFF this sticky for help.

Sorry. Wrong thread.

Anyone know what the 2** is on Fort Lauderdale Beach area is? Amenities include: parking, wifi, laundry, pool. 80% recommended. It's listed for around $100 per night in March 2015.

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Anyone know what the 2** is on Fort Lauderdale Beach area is? Amenities include: parking, wifi, laundry, pool. 80% recommended. It's listed for around $100 per night in March 2015.

 

 

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What specific night in March are you looking for?