Early in 2003, Toronto-Downtown was nearly the ideal zone for Bidding for Travel (BFT) participants and mesage board lurkers seeing bargain 3* accommodations. (BFT -- www.biddingfortravel.com -- is the website that savvy Priceline bidders use to exchange Priceline winning and losing bids and to share bidding strategies.)

During the first three months of this year, BFT members were posting 3* winning bids of $30-$35/night (US dollars) that were accepted by Marriott Eaton Centre (rated 4* by AAA/CAA) and by Courtyard by Marriott (rated 3* by AAA/CAA).

These Toronto-Downtown bargains began fading on 2/11 with the following ominous BFT post: "3* Toronto DT -- Strathcona $30 -- 02/09 -- TERRIBLE! I got this on the first bid at $30. This sounds like a bargain BUT in the end this was no bargain. We had to pay $20 to 'upgrade' to a room with two beds. The 'room' was so small you could not open the closet -- we had to pile luggage in a corner to have space to walk. Parking was two blocks away at $13 a day. No valet. I would think twice before bidding 3* again ... BE WARNED!"

This post triggered a flurry of more than a dozen similar posts from other BFT members relating their own negative experiences with the Strathcona and/or expressing their concerns with the Strathcona 3* Priceline rating. Since then, BFT posters have related that their e-mail complaints to Priceline have drawn only "canned" responses.

Priceline's credibility rests primarily on the integrity of its hotel star ratings. Its customers bid on hotel rooms based only on a Priceline zone (there are nine in Greater Toronto) and a hotel rating (1* to 5*). Winning bidders only learn the name of their assigned hotels after making nonrefundable purchases.

Thus, it is easy to understand why accurate hotel star ratings are crucial to the credibility of Priceline's bidding system.

Clearly, BFT members are now avoiding 3* Toronto-Downtown bids because of the Strathcona situation. The Strathcona, rated only 2* by AAA/CAA, is only one of two properties among 95 Toronto hotels, motels and bed-and-breakfasts listed in the current AAA/CAA tour book that do not have on-site and/or valet parking. Also, the Strathcona's website indicates that only its "corporate rooms" and "executive suite" are internet-wired, not so for its more common "guest rooms." In fact, websites for all of the other 3* and 2* Priceline Downtown hotels posted by BFT members indicate that all of those hotels' guest rooms are internet-wired.

From 4/28 through 6/10, BFT members have posted only five winning bids for Toronto-Downtown -- three for the Strathcona and two for the Marriott Eaton Centre. Meanwhile, the Priceline zone-of-choice for BFT posters has shifted to the Don Valley zone, where the Crowne Plaza (CP)has accepted 11 bids, ranging from $25 to $31/night during the same period. The CP provides ample free parking, nearby access to the TTC Eglinton bus line, high-speed internet service in all guest rooms and an easy 10-minute drive to Downtown Toronto.

Primary losers in this continuing saga are the Toronto-Downtown Marriott hotels and many BFT message board participants and lurkers who would bid for 3* Downtown hotels, even with the additional parking costs, if Priceline were to downgrade its Strathcona rating to 2* or lower.

Meanwhile, Priceline has lost nothing except its credibility.

Well, I'm confused.

Are you saying that Priceline puts the Marriott Courtyard, and the Strathcona, in the same category?

If so, that's nuts.

But, at the same time, am I reading that people are whining about paying for a hotel in the heart of downtown Toronto the same price they'd pay for a Day's Inn with stained carpets and dripping taps in some industrial suburb of Indianapolis?

The Strathcona is a exconomy hotel for visitors watching their budgets, with an excellent location. If you want valet parking and internet connections and luxury-sized suites, pick somewhere else.

The closest (in physical proximity and luxury -- or lack of luxury -- level is the Hotel Victoria, on Yonge Street, a couple of blocks away.

The Courtyard Marriott is clearly a step up from the Strathcona, but I'd argue that if you leave early in the morning and comeback late at night and just use thehotel for sleeping, the Strathcona location may be enough better to make it a better choice.

And the Eaton Centre Marriott is another step up, as I gather the rating system shows. I've put big time corporte big shots into the EAton Marriott, but would not do so in the Courtyard.

Is the Executive Motor Inn on the list? If so, how's it rated?

But maybe people should get real about prices. $30 is nothing. Move up a notch in the rating system to some price that sounds reasonable as a bargain for a downtown hotel in a giant city.

Now, as to the Don Valley stuff...

Crowne Plaza is a nice hotel. When doing the math, assume $5 a couple for each trip on the public transit, so that's ten bucks, more or less, from the hotel to downtown and back for a couple. If you drive downtown, park a block or two out of the downtown core, and parking is, depending on how busy the lots are, $8-12 max until 6 pm, and another $5-8-10-15 from 6 pm until the next morning, depnding on what's going on.

If there's a ball game, live theatre, and a convention, expect $15. If there's no ball game and nothing at the convention centre, evening rates can be much lower during the week. Higher on Friday and Saturday.

If you park in the heart of downtown, under the bank towers, just sell your house and bring all the money with you and give it to the parking attendant. Well, $20 - 40 a day until 6 pm.

Related to all this, I'm curious what the Toronto tourism officials think. If people can get into the Courtyard Marriott for $0 or so, and be happy, maybe the city tourism association should nudge Priceline to revamp the rating of the Strathcona.

BAK

LOL! BAK, that would be a REALLY good price for the Courtyard Marriott.

BAK: Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying, and, as you observed, it is nuts! Priceline shot itself in the foot with its Strathcona 3* rating.

Historically, BFT participants have identified the following Priceline Toronto-Downtown participating hotels and their Priceline quality ratings: 4* -- Park Hyatt, Sutton Place, Le Royal Meridian King Edward, Hilton Toronto and Metropolitan Hotel; 3* -- Sheraton Centre Toronto, Westin Harbor Castle, Marriott Bloor, Renaissance Toronto, Radisson Admiral, Marriott Eato Centre, Courtyard by Marriott, Novotel and The Strathcona; and 2* -- Quality Hotel Midtown. Priceline, which, for obvious reasons, doesn't provide a listing of its participating hotels, indicates on its website that it has participating hotels in its Toronto-Downtown zone at the 4*, 3*, 2* and 1* levels.

You may wonder why there has been only one BFT-posted hotel at 2* and none at the 1*level. If it is likely that a Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, Hyatt, Novotel, Hilton, etc. might be available in the $30-$35 (US) range, what would be the relative value of bidding a couple of dollars lower for a 2*or 1* hotel?

Priceline rates are extremely fluid because of bed availabilty. For any given day, a participating hotel may set a half-dozen different Priceline rates that increase as projected bed availbility decreases.

As for the Strathcona's amenities, parking is a major problem for any guest arriving by car. That's why my stay at the Strathcona several years ago will be my last. I remember driving around for about 3/4 of an hour trying to find a parking lot with an available space and finally parking about five blocks from the hotel. The Strathcona lacks its own parking facility, and its website only recommends that guests try parking at a facility 2.5 blocks away.

As for your questions regarding the Executive Inn, this facility became a Travelodge several months ago following its extensive renovation. I've stayed there many times in past years and found it it be a real bargain because of its King/Bathurst location and free in-and-out parking. The Travelodge website indicates a "manager's special" rate of about $81 (US) based on the current currency exchange rate.

In fact, I considered bidding *2 on the possibility that the Travelodge might be participating, but a Priceline quirk put an end to that idea. Since a Priceline 3* hotel can automatically upgrade me from a 2* or a 1* bid by accepting my bid, I could end up with the Strathcona anyway. (For example, a BFT poster recently termed his upgrade from a 2.5* to a 3* as a "bummer." The reason: Frequently Priceline 2.5* hotel in many cities are extended-stay hotels designed to accommodate business travelers -- in-room highspeed internet service, expanded work areas and substantial free continental breakfasts for guests.)

While I have an affinity for the former Executive Inn, Priceline and Hotwire provide "more bang for the buck" whether loonie or greenback. As points of reference, since 1/1/03, BFT posters have reported 7 winning bids for Toronto-DT 4* hotels, ranging from $59 to $85 and averaging $65. At the 3* level, the two most recent bids were the Marriott Eaton Centre and (groan) the Strathcona, both at $35. On Hotwire, a random check for 9/15 indicates a choice of 4.5* at $74, 4* at $58, 3.5* at $50, 3* at $45 and 2.5* at $71 ($71 -- not a typo). What are these hotels? Who knows other than Hotwire. Like Priceline, Hotwire doesn't reveal the name of your hotel until you make a nonrefundable purchase. Those are the rules of the game.

In regard to your TTC expense calculations, I'm surprised that you apparently are unaware of one of North Americas best public transit bargains -- TTC's Day Pass for $7.75. The Day Pass provides unlimited travel Mondays through Fridays after 9:30 a.m. until 5:30 the next morning. On Saturdays, the pass becomes effective at 5:30 a.m. for a full 24 hours. It gets even better on Sundays and satutory holidays -- unlimited travel for 2 adults alone, or with up to 4 chidren under age 19 or for one adult alone, or for one adult with up to 5 children under age 19!

Well, some of that sure seems nuts to me, too.

I went into the Victoria to see what it offers. It is not a priceline hotel I was told, and rooms start at $100 cdn.

Parking is up to the traveller, in lots a couple of blocks away.

About the day pass on the TTC. I think you need to be at a subway station or other special place (i,.e not on the bus) in order to buy this.

As to the $0 rate. Well, it was a typo, but some travellers did get the rate this week. Their car was robbed in the Courtyard Marriott parking lot, so the hotel let them stay for free while they got money from home, new clothes, etc.

That 3 star list is very weird. I've been in the Sheraton Center all week, and it is miles above the Strathcona. L:eaving now to go back to the Sheraton for a drink, in fact.
BAK

Geo, honey, a little perspective. You are paying $30 for a hotel room. If your life is vulnerable that vacation can be ruined by a bad hotel gamble, then you have completely lost perspective.

Yes, it's a shame. Yes, I would avoid Priceline (that's why I use Hotwire), but a little persepctive. PLEASE.