If you'll be there during the week, the Jewelry Mart, off Pershing Square is a large collection of "wholesale" jewelers in back-to-back shops, with some of the most eye-popping rocks imaginable. We do business there occasionally and it's always fascinating. Some (not all) sell to the public. Closed on week-ends, though.

The hotel's beautiful lobby exudes 1920's Hollywood glamour--you actually feel the history. Have had good lunches a few times in their restaurant, but what I remember most is that gorgeous dark wood ceiling--more detailed than any I've seen before. I think you'll love it!

Thank you all. Perhaps this little blunder will allow us to experience parts of LA that we otherwise would have missed.

How can you go wrong when within a few short miles you can enjoy Phillipe's hot dipped sandwiches. A local hang out with paper plates and the most excellent food for its location. Comme on Guys isn't it the best? Took my old father on Father's day. He loved it reminiscing about past Dodger games.

This is why I save my gambling for a casino.

I do think you'll have an awesome time though. Consider it an adventure. Personally, I love grand old hotels, and this one (though I've never been there) sounds pretty amazing with all the history.

Just tweak your plans a bit and go with it. Sometimes, little surprises (consider it just that, not a mistake) can be a blessing in disguise.

Have a wonderful time and do a report when you get back.

Happy travels!

I once co-hosted a conference at the Biltmore, and out-of-town attendees stayed there. Beautiful public areas-- it's truly a grand old place. The attendees were very pleased with the accommodations as well. You now have a list of great things to see while you're in that area too. You'll be fine!

If you do your research ahead of time, Priceline bidding is not so much "gambling." You'll know before you bid what the going rates are, so you won't bid too high. If you know you can get a 3-star hotel (one of the ones on BiddingForTravel's hotel list) for your dates for $79/night on your own, you'll have a bidding limit already well below that. Being locked into a non-refundable Priceline reservation isn't worth saving only a few bucks, so for me if I can't save a lot of money, I wouldn't bid anywhere near $79/night in this example.

Sounds like KathyM did her research but simply made a mistake which can certainly happen when making any online travel arrangements.

Andrew

Andrew, I beleive you misread my post. Before I bid on Priceline, the cost of the hotel I wanted (which WASN'T listed on Priceline) was $169 a night. I had planned to start at $40 and go up to $90 for a 4 star hotel (bids were being won for btwn. $40 and $90 for those hotels, depending on timing of the stays). After I got up to my $90 limit, I logged off and checked the hotel I wanted originally that WASN'T on Priceline. On Expedia, it had gone down from $169 to $79 (within 24 hrs). So I was bidding in the cost range for what the 4 star hotels were being won at-- it just turned out that the hotel I wanted, which isn't ever an option on Priceline, had gone down on Expedia (and only Expedia- in fact the hotel website was still $179)
So I did not know that the hotel was going for $79 on priceline- it was not even available on Priceline- and the hotels on Priceline in the 4 star range were going for the range I was bidding; it was just when I got to the upper minit of the bidding range that I stopped and rechecked expedia.
I still think you need to know when to fold re what your upper limit is and get off at that point, and recheck your other options.

Well, emd, if the hotel you were checking on Expedia wasn't listed on BiddingForTravel, how would you know Priceline would even rate it at the same star level? Many times I've seen hotels that get rated higher on travel web sites like Expedia than Priceline rates them. The point is, you might not necessarily be getting the same level of hotel - "star ratings" are not uniform. You need to compare apples to apples.

When doing Priceline research, best to price the hotels on BFT's hotel list, because (unless Priceline re-rates them) you are fairly sure these are the hotels you are likely to get. On the other hand, if the 4-star hotel you see on Expedia is at the price you want, maybe you should grab it. Sometimes you can get great hotel deals without Priceline - something else Priceline bidders should keep in mind.

Andrew

Andrew, that's a very good question about the star ratings. I did not mention any ratings at all for the hotel I originally wanted, and which I ended up getting for $79 a night; didn't say it was 4 stars. I would rather do my own research and decide if a hotel is 4 star or not. Even if it is rated 4 star on Priceline, I still check it out myself to see if I want to stay in those 4 star hotels that fall into 4 star on Priceline. I find it much better to assess a hotel by the listing of it's amenities from several places (the hotel website, other sites like expedia, etc.) and reviews on here and on tripadvisor. In this case, a I had posted on this forum asking for help in deciding on a nice downtown Houston hotel, and several people mentioned this hotel as a new hotel, close to the attraction I would be attending, and with good reviews and amenities. I looked it up, and saw that the amenities are good and what I woula consider 4 star by my own standards: 24 hr room service, 2 restaurants and a lounge, 3 phones in each room, hi speed internet in each room, 27 inch TV (premium channels) w/DVD player and CD player in each room, premium bedding, separate bath and shower, in room safe, valet parking, concierge, limosine and town car service provided to downtown areas by the hotel at no charge (within 3 miles, charge for over that), newstand, shoe shine, plush robes, hairdryer, makeup mirror and scale in the bathrooms etc.
By my standards, and from the reviews I found on the hotel (Inn on the Ballpark) I thought it was a 4 star to me, and likely as nice if not nicer than the older Hyatt or the Hilton Americas (new, but getting some bad reviews for service and other things) that are 4 star on Priceline. It just happened that Expedia did rate the Inn on the Ballpark as 4 stars, but I didn't rely on that.
For me, it is important not to get too reliant on any rating system for the stars, but rather to know my own citeria and do the research, even on hotels on Priceline.