If it seems too good to be true, it probably is, right? Not so with Florida Vacation Auctions. I've been using them for almost a year without any problems. If you bid well, you can get a weekend stay at a really nice hotel for the price of a bucket of chicken.
Just this past Sunday I won a 2 night stay at a The Coombs Inn, a romantic bed and breakfast in Apalachicola, Florida for $30.00. Not $30 per night, I paid $30 for two nights, including tax. My winning bid was actually $105.00, but after they applied my coupon codes and referral credits, the final price was only $30.00. Even at $105.00, the price is fantastic- remember there is no tax. Compare that to the walk in rate. The rooms start at $119.00 per night; then add $21.42 for tax, and the total is $259.42. I only paid $30.00.
The Florida Vacation Auction site works a lot like Ebay. Each week they list about 60 hotels and attractions. The opening bid starts at 20% of the offer's retail value. You must bid in $5.00 increments. It's a good idea to also enter a maximum bid price. Be honest with yourself, what do you really want to pay? Put that as your maximum bid. The bidding ends at 10 PM EST every Sunday night. If you don't win, you pay nothing.
The Florida Vacation Auction website gives you an opportunity to view recent bids. I usually review the recent wins to research what properties are going for. Some properties consistently have high wins, particularly those offering 3 or 4 night stays and those in the Miami area. Other auctions consistently have low winning bids. Take for example, the Belleir Village Motel near Clearwater which recently went for $45.00 for a 3 night stay. It may not be a luxury hotel, but if you need to stay in Clearwater, you can't beat $45.00.
There are, however, a few things you need to watch out for. First, beware of cleaning and resort fees. Not all hotels have extra fees, but some do, and they can be steep. For example, American Vacation Homes in Orlando has an $82.00 cleaning fee. That isn't too terrible for a 3 bedroom home with pool, but when you are on a budget, you don't want any unexpected charges. These extra charges are not unique to Florida Vacation Auction, but a trend by the hotel market itself. Extra fees are disclosed on the auction page, just be sure to review the details of the auction.
Second, make sure the hotel will be available when you need it. All hotels on Florida Vacation Auction have a limited date range in which they can be redeemed. The date range is usually about 3 months. There are also blackout dates. Make sure the date restrictions do not conflict with your travel plans. If you need your room on a certain date, be sure to call the hotel you plan to bid on ahead of time to make sure there will not be a problem. It's not a deal if you can't use it.
If the hotels do not seem like a good option for you, consider bidding on the attraction tickets which start as low as $5.00. Attraction tickets include: Jungle Queen Riverboat, Naples Princess Cruises, Lion Country Safari, Old Town Trolley Tours, Gatorland, and ZooMiami. You are bidding on a voucher for 4 tickets, and winning bids for attractions typically go for less than the cost of 2 tickets.
Save Even More:
Use the coupon code DunhillFebruary and get $20.00 off your win. The credit is good until 3/7/2011.
http://www.floridavacationauction.com/
How the bidding process works
Of course, the trick to staying within your budget while vacationing in places like Tampa is to be willing to choose accommodations that you may have never tried before and are somewhat unconventional for you.
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