Hello Bridgebab,

I had heard of these auction sites but haven't used them yet. From what it sounds, you had some pretty good experiences. Thanks for letting us know. I will check it out for my next vacation.

SkyAuction has been around for the past decade and offers some good hotel

deals. Over the past year there were some real bargains at high end San Francisco hotels like Huntington Hotel on Nob Hill, St. Regis, Omni.

There was a period when several Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton hotels around the country were offered last spring. I haven't checked offers lately.

Best to check rates on hotel's website to compare, and set a bid limit to make sure you have a good dea with SkyAuctionl.

Skyauction can be a bad deal if you get into a bidding war and overpay just to "win" the auction. This frequently happens with airfare.

My latest score with SkyAuction was a watch at 25% retail last January. There were luxury watches being auctioned. SkyAuction is worth checking out for holiday shopping this year.

The 7 night time share deals can be a great bargain, especially for Hawaii. For years I have advised people to get their Hawaii tickets and then land a timeshare bargain at the last minute through SkyAuction. I don't think anyone has had the nerve to try it.

Thank you for posting this!  I have never participated in an auction for vacation or anything else really.  It does sound interesting and I will check them out!