reservations

[two2go]

Hi -O-
We have found the same to be true with all of the LL properties that we bought. If you get in the habit of calling before bidding, at least you know exactly where you stand regarding dates. Sometimes you may have to compromise a little, as you did, but at the end everyone wins with luxury accommodations at a super price. It has already happened to us that we reserved a date, then had to change it. I was a little reluctant to call because the new date fell during the blackout dates. To our surprise the dates were available, and they agreed.
two2go

[marolyn]

We wanted to use one of our trips at the very end of the available window of time...and maybe go a day or two over the last dates. A phone call to the property was quite successful in getting the dates we really wanted, even though the dates were a wee bit beyond the stated deadline. The properties seem to value the LL connection and those of us who win the trips. Cheers...Marolyn

[kyshel]

funtimes wrote:

I also find LL properties to be accomodating. We try to book additional nights with properties, tip well and /or eat in their facilities to show the LL community in the best light. It is only fair when we've been given these GREAT DEALS! Calling in advance to guage availability before bidding works well - One property was actually cheering me on to win the bid - when I called back to say I got it - to my amazement they upgraded us!!! Great news that LL is reaching some truly wonderful people and places. Happy Travels...Funtimes

That is so cool!
I just requested general dates avail info from a resort in Bali. They emailed back that of the 2 months I asked about they recommended one. Then they wished me good luck, "win the best price" and let them know asap about our date choices. They look forward to serving us.
That's what I call an important aspect of luxury!

[JEBindhammer]

You can prepare to bid with two strategies in mind:

1. Very flexible in your travel plans: Knowing it is an auction and knowing that you may get the deal of the century, this option affords less stress and concern. You bid, you call the hotel/service provider and then select from the specific dates they have available. Basically, you are planning your vacation timeframe on the back-end of the process. Remember its an auction and half the fun is not knowing where you might end up until the winning bid is announced.

2. Set schedule: You know your vacation dates. In this case, you will definitely want to read through the bid packages available, being sure to read the availability and blackout clauses and exclusions. THEN, you open another window in your browser and head straight to the hotel/service provider's website. Plug in your desired vacation dates and see what comes up. If there is an opening, great! The possibilities of getting the service when you want it is increased. If nothing comes up, obviously, don't even consider bidding. Just move on to the next option.

In case #2, you may also want to call the hotel and double check that there is availability, even if their website indicates a room is available before bidding. Talking to a real person will allow you to ask further questions - how quickly rooms fill up, high season vs. off-season, etc. (always good to know), as well as any scheduled meetings/weddings being held in, or near, the hotel, etc. All of these will factor into availability for this auction.

I was in this situation, so I understand. I had firm dates I had to be in SFO and wanted to extend my stay. Found a fantastic package that I could attach to the week I was there. I decided to double check the hotel website and I am definitely glad I did. There wasn't a room to be had for weeks! This one move, purely by chance this time, saved me from a big inconvenience.

Good luck and enjoy!

[omegaet]

JEBindhammer...your points are well made. We have found the keys to success in being a regular consumer for LL products is simply "COMMUNICATE." We have found emails to the property work(we are very direct and to the point in disclosing that we are participating or considering participating in an auction with LL for a package they are offering). In some cases, we havebeen advised the properties are fully booked or their allotment of LL package rooms are not available for the time frames in which we are interested. This type ofinformation can help toavoid a lot of potentialunhappiness. In some cases, we simply pick up the telephone and invest a few dollars in a direct call to the property (better to lose a couple of dollars than get stuck with something you can't use and get agitated and upset).We have found most of the properties participating with LL are extremely accommodating and will workwithrather than against the "interests" of the auction buyers.

[lippincottfarm]

I've used LL on numerous occasions for our vacation plans. I almost always check ahead of time to see if the packages are available if my dates are limited. I email or call the hotel making sure that I write down the name of the person I talk to or I save the email. As a rule, my husband and I eat at the hotel at least once and we make sure we buy drinks at the bar. We also let the hotel know that we will tell LL about the nice time we had. Most of the hotels are very accommodating regarding dates. Last year I bid on a package at the Black Point Inn in Maine. I had to change the original dates bookedbecause of work. The hotel was accommodating, but I could not go until after the dates set to use the package. I think I was one week outside of the time frame. I told the hotel I didn't care if I got the same category of room set forth in the package. The hotel allowed me to book outside of the time frame. When we were driving up from the airport, my husband asked if I knew what kind of room we were getting. I said, I don't care if we are getting a broom closet, just remember they are letting us use the package outside of the time frame. Happily, we gotthe category of room we bid on, and we had a great time. We recently bid on a package at the Inn at Eagle Creek which we are going to use next month.I emailed and was told that the two weekendsI picked in April were not good, but the entire May was free. I bid on the package and got it. I then emailed with dates in May. To my horror, the two weekends I gave them were no good. We aren't free in June, and July is booked with trips to Italy. SoI thought, well onepackage down the tubes. The next day, the hotel called me and left a message for me to call and try to work out some dates in May. I did and told them I don't care if we get the same category of room, but we could not arrive in June or July. They worked out one of the weekends when I was free, and I believe we are getting the category of room we bid on. All in all, I think the hotels really try to please LL members.LL member should, in turn, eat and have a couple or drinks or buy some spa packages at the hotels. I also try to post to fodors and tripadvisor if I had a good time. Now I also post to LL. The only package we really had problems with was the package still being offered in Puebla, Mexico. The cooking school was fun, the meal package was good. They are two sister hotels in Puebla. When we arrived, we were not put in the hotel I requested. One hotel is much closer to the main part of the city with the bars and city action which we like to do in the evening. After I apolitely sked to be moved to the correct hotel, they told me I was wrong. I then whipped out my emails, which showed they were wrong. Theystill didn't want to move us (there were four of us, two packages total). They explained that the beds in the rooms they originally were going to put us in were sold. I kind of believed this in that the web site said the furniture was for sale. Finally they agreed to move us the next day, and then stuck us in the worst rooms they had - no windows,there was noair, my husband sat on on the couch and it broke. You had to sit on the bed when you were in the room. The couple we were with werealso put in a room with no window, no air, no circulation. I decided to shut up and acceptour fate. The last night we were there, we were the only four in the hotel. We walkedaround and looked at all the rooms in that they don't lock the doors of the unoccupied rooms, guess what? All rooms had beds. The package also claimed to provide transportation but that meant they reimburse you for transportation. This, they also conveniently forgot to do. I would never stay here again. If this had been my first package with LL, it probably would have been my last. Thank goodness it wasn't, and I have never had another bad package. Ihave bought somewhere in the range of twenty+ packages. Several of these hotels we have bookedoutside of LL whenwe have gone back to the area in that we were so pleased with the rooms and services.

[omegaet]

lippincottfarm....we suspect you are talking about the Meson Sacristia da Capuchinas Puebla Cooking package (in which hotel did you actually spend your stay).

Prior to bidding in the auction, we investigated the location on the Internet and actually communicated with several individuals through tripadvisor.com who had recently stayed there. Werealized the two properties are historic buildings which have been renovated and converted into small hotels. Some travelers enjoythe "charm" and "experiences" of staying in renovated structures and some do not (we tend to be 50/50 on the matter and prepare ourselves for the worst). We have learned through first hand experiences, that many of the renovated and "charm filled"historic hotel of Colonial Mexico often leave much to be desired.


We enjoyed the accommodations (A/C was provided by a mobile floor unit) and the staff was very attentive to our needs and requests. The chef even rewrote several of the recipes to accommodate us (we are vegetarians). The cooking classes were fun.....but then, we big fans of Mexican dishes. We spoke with another couple stayingat the property,who took the Talavera pottery classes, and they seemed to have a great time.

We were met at the Pueblaairport by a driver(the outside contractor guide for the hotel) and were also driven back to the Puebla airport for our early morning flight to Houston.

We have some friends to whom we would recommend this package and we have friends we would caution regarding this package.

[lippincottfarm]

Hi Omegaet, We originally were put in the Meson Sacrista de la Capuchina where they actually hold the cooking classes. The rooms were nice but I had specifically picked the sister hotel because we like to drink and walk at night. I was told that the Compania has entertainment at night and of course it has a bar. As you know, the sister hotel, Sacrista de la Compania, also is right in the action with the bars on the square. When we were there, the Capuchina area left a little to be desired. We also like renovated old places to stay and enjoy places with character. We took the bus from Mexico City to Puebla. I was told that they would reimburse us for the bus tickets and the taxi to and from the hotel. When I inquired about that after our arrival, I was told we would receive either the money or a credit to our bill. We paid with pesos whenever we ordered drinks or lunch because there were four of us so its hard to charge to the room. So we did not have a bill at the end. We did not receive a refund, and I was so glad to be leaving the hotel after spending the nights sweating and listening to my husband complain because he had no place to sit and he was hot, that I never said a word. As I wrote earlier, the cooking school was a lot of fun. We had a great time eating our work and drinking wine at lunch. We also liked the town. Was Audrey still there when you were there? She interpreted for us at the cooking school. Both my girlfriend and myself bought several paintings at the art area of town. We enjoyed the tour with Carlos, and the only thing we hated was returning to the rooms at night. My girlfriend said they also laid in bed praying for sleep so that they could forget about the lack of air. There were rooms in the front which had windows and doors to the outside. Why they did not give us one of those rooms is beyond me in that the place was not full. The thing that really got my goat was that they first tried to tell me I was wrong and then said the beds were sold when they obviously were not. Every room had a bed when we went through the hotel. We laugh about it now but both of us always say there were the worst rooms we ever had through LL.

[lippincottfarm]

Omegaet, I also see that you stayed at the Marignolle Relais & Charme outside of Florence. We did that package one year around Thanksgiving. I'm glad the tour worked out for you in that we enjoyed it very much. Did you stop at the end and overlook Florence when the sun was setting? That was awesome. We enjoyed that hotel and the facilites very much. We are talking about going back to Florence next year in that it rained so hard when we were there that we didn't see alot. There also was a taxi strike for two nights so that put a monkeywrench in our plans. The first night we literally begged for a taxi to take us back to the hotel. I offered to pay any amount the driver wanted, no limit. We stayed in the second night and allowed the hotel to cook dinner for us which was nice. I think that this time we will stay in the city just so we can walk at night. Italy is so beautiful.

[omegaet]

lippincottfarm....then you might recognize this entrance!