This is why Priceline is generally much more useful for 4* or better - It's rare that a 4* bid or upgrade from a 4* will get you stuck in a dumpy Holiday Inn.

But there is no doubt that most 2-2.5* Marriott Courtyards and Residence Inns and Hilton Garden Inns and Hampton Inns are FAR nicer than virtually every "3*" Holiday Inn.

BTW, if you only bid on 5* properties, you'll never get "upgraded" So do I get $5 for the suggestion?

Swearing off of Priceline means you do miss some great Bargains. I'm staying in Sydney in mid-October, at a 4* Marriott for $76 bid a night for 5 nights. I knew in advance that I'd either get nothing, or that specific property. And there was NOTHING I could find using anything other than Priceline, where I could get a comparable hotel for less than $100-110 a night that week. So Priceline clearly saved me $130-150 compared to anything else.