Question about Priceline star ratings in Ft. Lauderdale

[mcfaddensfarm]

I am getting ready to bid for a hotel in Downtown Ft. Lauderdale on Priceline. I've spent time in biddingfortravel.com, betterbidding.com and the Priceline wins thread here on CC. So I feel pretty well prepared. BUT, I do have a question about the star ratings on Priceline itself.

 

In the Downtown area, there is a 3* (which typically has won Riverside Hotel or Hyatt North) but there is also a 3.5*....I haven't seen much for wins for this 3.5* category so I'm wondering if there really is any hotel that falls into that category. I figure there must be or they wouldn't have it available. The weird part is that if you click on 3* you get a message that says the median price for a hotel in that category is $121. But when you click on the 3.5* it says the median hotel price is $92. That seems odd.

 

Can anyone give me any insight on what to expect if I bid the 3.5* instead of the 3*? Has anyone seen someone win a 3.5* hotel in Downtown Ft. Lauderdale?

[cruisin36]

3.5 might be the Embassy Suites, however no one has hit on it for a couple of years. Depending on the time of year you can get the Renaissnace (4*) quite reasonable.

[mcfaddensfarm]

We are flying out 9/30/10 & leaving on our cruise on 10/2/10. I'm looking to save as much money as possible on the hotel so I can have more money for the cruise itself. We've stayed in everything from Holiday Inns to Intercontinental. I just don't want us to end up someplace "scary". I figured if I go with a 3* I'm probably pretty safe from the icky hotels. The Riverside has been going for around $50 - $55/night lately for 3*. I figure that's a pretty good deal. Or maybe we'd get the Hyatt Place North by some chance. But I'm okay with either. The 4* hotels have been going for closer to $80/night so I figured that's around $60 we'd save by being happy with a 3*.

But I was curious how much "better" I'd do with a 3.5*....

[fmax]

Not sure if this helps any. Did a google search for 3.5* and this page comes up. Got pretty much the same list if I searched for 3.5* hotel, rather than going through the bidding process. You might be able to work out which would fall under downtown.

 

http://*******.com/329fdyf

 

 

I just won a bid of $99 for W Hotel for one night in december on priceline.

Went for beach or downtown area and bid $89, with rebid at $92, $95 then $99.

[royalcruz]

Not sure if this helps any. Did a google search for 3.5* and this page comes up. Got pretty much the same list if I searched for 3.5* hotel, rather than going through the bidding process. You might be able to work out which would fall under downtown.

 

http://*******.com/329fdyf

 

 

I just won a bid of $99 for W Hotel for one night in december on priceline.

Went for beach or downtown area and bid $89, with rebid at $92, $95 then $99.

 

The link didn't work for me. Expedia rates the Riverside as 3.5*; I don't think Priceline uses this rating according to people getting it as 3*, unless it has been upgraded by Priceline.

 

The W is in the beach zone, 4* and worth every *.

[royalcruz]

Just a possibility...the Crowne Plaza recently opened in Fort Lauderdale near the south entrance of the cruiseport at St Rd 84 and US1. No one has reported winning this hotel, but it is 3.5* on Expedia and would fall just on the edge of the Fort Lauderdale downtown area on the Priceline map. This looks like a very nice hotel but there is nothing around it to walk to.

[fmax]

Sorry about the link. The asterisk should read http://www.*******

 

Hopefully that works for you.

[Host Kewlguy]

Personally I wouldn't bid on anything less than 4 stars. The bidding for travel hotel list has not been updated for a long time. I don't need any unpleasant surprises when I bid. You usually can't go wrong with a 4-star hotel.