LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Some hotels are actually housed in
> separate buildings

'Tis so at the Harrah's in NOLA if I'm not mistaken. Casino is across the street from the hotel. Although I think perhaps there is an underground connector.

LisaSTL Wrote:
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> I cannot remember the last time I went anywhere
> near the gaming floor of a casino yet have stayed
> at casino hotels at least a half dozen times over
> the last year. Some hotels are actually housed in
> separate buildings and the ones under the same
> roof usually have all the shops and restaurants
> spread out between the two. Meanwhile the rooms
> are often the equivalent of a 3 1/2 to 4 star
> hotel at the rates of a 2 star. I tend to like the
> security as well. In some you cannot access any
> guest room floors without using your key card in
> the elevator. I took a look at some of my trips
> over the last few years and have gotten rates from
> $25 to $90. Once, at Harrah's in Kansas City I
> booked a room for $38. At check in I asked if it
> would be possible to get a river view. I had no
> idea they had also upgraded me to a room with a
> huge bathroom with separate tub and shower. The
> room, a nice dinner with a glass of wine, tips for
> the bellman and valet added up to what you would
> normally spend for just a room at a 2 star hotel
> and I didn't have to schlep luggage


I couldn't agree more. In addition, they usually have wonderful fitness facilities that are spa-like.

techman01 Wrote:
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> if depends if yours is a corporate owned location
> or
> a franchisee/independent licensee. corp owned
> always
> have lower and most cases substantially lower
> rates.
>
> In August Hertz was(and might still be) offering
> 99 a week
> at some airport locations when usually airports
> are the highest.
> I'll never understand their pricing. Seems so
> random.


We only have 3 national chains here. Hertz, Enterprise, and Budget/Avis. My local Hertz is a franchise and I don't particularly like them. Both times I've rented from them they have tried to charge me $100 or more than the agreed on fee when I returned the car. The Budget people are just stupid and only have like 3 cars. The one time I rented from them they gave me all kinds of hassle because supposedly my PayPal debit card is a "prepaid" card and not a real debit card???? Enterprise, however, is super nice always, they don't give me crap, my fee is always exactly what it says when I rented the car, and they're the only one here with shuttle service.

Really? I've never tried them and really should while on a route. Instead I just make sure to pack some bubble bath and wine

Oops. This was in response to Spork.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/2014 02:56AM by LisaSTL.

bgriffin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> LisaSTL Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Some hotels are actually housed in
> > separate buildings
>
> 'Tis so at the Harrah's in NOLA if I'm not
> mistaken. Casino is across the street from the
> hotel. Although I think perhaps there is an
> underground connector.


it's cheaper to play in the casino for 30 minutes
then it is to pay for parking at the property for a day.
Casino is okay and you are correct there is a connector.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/2014 03:00AM by techman01.

It's small but not tiny. I kind of like them. Last time I played there I was in town for a Mumford & Sons show when they were still playing 500 person venues. Took about $600 of their money when I walked out.

On a related not, never see a show at Republic New Orleans. Second worse venue I've ever been in.

The Harrah's I've stayed at in other cities don't charge anything for parking unless you valet. Sometimes there is a small charge for valet and sometimes it just costs the tip.

bgriffin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We only have 3 national chains here. Hertz,
> Enterprise, and Budget/Avis. My local Hertz is a
> franchise and I don't particularly like them.
> Both times I've rented from them they have tried
> to charge me $100 or more than the agreed on fee
> when I returned the car. The Budget people are
> just stupid and only have like 3 cars. The one
> time I rented from them they gave me all kinds of
> hassle because supposedly my PayPal debit card is
> a "prepaid" card and not a real debit card????
> Enterprise, however, is super nice always, they
> don't give me crap, my fee is always exactly what
> it says when I rented the car, and they're the
> only one here with shuttle service.


When you pickup the car does the rental info print
on small cards or is it on regular paper? If I'm renting
from an unfamilar location I always take pictures of
the car when I pick it up all 4 sides, and when I drop
it off. Plenty of stories out there of rental companies(franchise locations)
trying to charge you for damage you didnt cause.

At hertz corp locations they dont even fill out the
damage/scratches form when I rent anymore. I
guess they dont care because without it they
dont have proof of who would be at fault

It's not cheap in NOLA. $36 a day maybe? Parking in the Quarter anywhere is ridic though.

techman01 Wrote:
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> When you pickup the car does the rental info
> print
> on small cards or is it on regular paper?

Regular paper. It's actually at the AAA location here.

You can also pick up Room Savers books in restaurants near interstates or major thoroughfares or find them online. They usually don't take reservations, but I have been doing this for years and have only been turned down once. This is especially good when you visit off season, but I always use them for overnight stays near an airport where I can get free shuttle service to the airport and the turnover is high.

I used to always book Marriot and they were always ready to satisfy my preferences, even the first time I stayed at a particular hotel. For instance, they always had a refrigerator in the room even when they were not standard. I always saved on meals over a few day stay because there was leftover food in the fridge. And for no additional fee.

You all are my heroes! Really looking forward to meeting some of you at NOLA.

Scratch that, I meant really looking forward to meeting all of you that are attending NOLA.

You may have been right the first time

rovergirl529 Wrote:
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> You all are my heroes! Really looking forward to
> meeting some of you at NOLA.
>
> Scratch that, I meant really looking forward to
> meeting all of you that are attending NOLA.


First person to figure out who I am gets a prize!

This thread has excellent advice - thanks to all. I am not in a position to do a route that would be beneficial to rent a car due to time restraints, but I will in the future. Definitely will refer back to this.

CANADAMOMMY Wrote:
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> Glad you have money to waste... $6 is $6.
>
> bgriffin Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Personally? I'd pay the $5.95 and be done with
> > it. I save so much money on Priceline I can
> eat
> > an extra $6 cost here and there.


But is $6 worth all the time and aggravation spent? Not to me.

Yet another reason to just pay the $6 and be done with it. Your rise in blood pressure isn't worth saving $6.

LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Really? I've never tried them and really should
> while on a route. Instead I just make sure to pack
> some bubble bath and wine
>
> Oops. This was in response to Spork.

Definitely, I love to work out, then change into my swimsuit and do a few laps in the pool, I finish by either using the sauna or the steam room- Female only,please...and they usually are gender separate. The saunas or steam rooms often smell great, like eucalyptus or sandlewood. Head up to your room, crawl into your bed, and enjoy a glass of wine or herbal tea before you drift off to sleep. Heaven.

Resort fees are very common and it's generally shown pretty clearly on most booking sites.

Spork Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Definitely, I love to work out, then change into
> my swimsuit and do a few laps in the pool, I
> finish by either using the sauna or the steam
> room- Female only,please...and they usually are
> gender separate. The saunas or steam rooms often
> smell great, like eucalyptus or sandlewood. Head
> up to your room, crawl into your bed, and enjoy a
> glass of wine or herbal tea before you drift off
> to sleep. Heaven.

What's wrong with co-ed steam rooms and saunas?
Everyone generally acts appropriately. The only
exception being when both me and bgriffin are
there, then all bets are off.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/2014 11:16PM by techman01.

We agreed never to speak of it again.

Back to the original question...I always get annoyed when I call an 800 number in or out of the country with a real issue and all they keep saying sweetly is they are sorry but never do anything at all to help. And then at the end of the conversation they ask...is there anything else I can help you with? when they never helped me at all on the first issue. I understand completely being pissed over $5.95 or $500.95, doesn't matter to me. But you have learned a lesson about priceline. The lesson I discovered is that often the "tax" rate is the same for a $29 room as it is for a $129 room so check that too before you agree to the price you offered. On a lowball offer the added tax may be a flat rate that is as much as your room.
Recently I used priceline's equivalent for a hotrate on hot wire where the rate is fixed for one hotel but they do not tell you. I could tell from the description which hotel it was and the price was great. It is also a place I know does not have a resort fee. So I paid $39 and when I arrived they upgraded me for free to two queen beds.
It is shameful to me that a 2 star hotel would charge a resort fee. These are not resorts and there are no extras at a true 2 star place that you could possibly be paying for. AT some point when people get mad enough the government will probably step in and make sure the true price is advertised like they did with airlines (including the tax in the advertised price) a couple of years ago.

Sandyf,

I guess the reason I went thru the roof was the fact that I did not get the opportunity to decide if I wanted to stay at that particular hotel because I was using the bid portion of priceline. If I had selected that particular hotel and been shown the additional fee prior to booking, I would not have been irate. And the fact that they kept telling me over and over and over they were sorry sent me over the edge. The kicker for this entire incident - the dump of a hotel had the best internet speed I have seen! Videos were all completely uploaded before my head hit the lumpy pillow! Go figure.

Same thing happened to me on a recent trip. Cheapest and crappiest hotel I stayed at was the only one that I was able to upload video for. About 8GB worth of video that I had not been able to upload at the 3 hotels previously. That one spit it all out in like 3 minutes.

There's actually some reasoning for this. A lot of those type hotels use just a basic business internet connection from their local internet company. It's a significantly more direct route to the internet than the high overhead systems many of the higher priced chains used. Coupled with a lower percentage of users having needs for robust internet connections means faster wifi.

Yeah, the cheaper places often have perks that are better and free than the more expensive places...free parking, free internet, free bfast etc.
Just read all the fine print on priceline before agreeing. I have had great luck with hotels but never found a good deal on cars and airfare...I stop bidding when it gets to a price that makes no sense to me to not know where I am going or what car or airlines and it is only 20% below the price I can get without priceline. I need to save a lot to use them.

Speaking of Priceline. Had a reservation at a Fairfield for next Wednesday night. Finally got my schedule completed for next week and knew it was the hotel I would get if I Pricelined. Reservation was 99.68 total. Priceline receipt was 58.16.

Hotelcoupons.com has paper books at all dennys. Now downside is no resrvations but upside better rates then priceline or hotels.com or any site I have seen. Also for American Poolplayers Association members go to poolplayers.com discounts at rental cars places and hotels. I have used it for 7 different hotels and only 1 asked to see card. Saves up to 15% off windham and 20% off redroof inn.

So, when you rent a car for MS'ing purposes, you write off the cost of the rental on your taxes but what about the mileage? I keep track of mileage on my personal vehicle using the federal reimbursements. Do I do the same for a car rental or is it handled different because I am not paying for the maintenance on a rental car?

For a car rental you deduct actual expenses (car cost, gas cost)

Five ninety-five really isn't that much and a lot of those "cheapo rate" sites do stipulate that they have extra fees. They have to make their money somewhere in order to continue to offer those deals AND make the profit to run the business.