San Francisco - bidding help, 13 nights Options

[dniven]

Hi there,

I have used HOTWIRE / PRICELINE for short breaks when visiting USA in the past, wer are going to san fransisco for 13 nights 23rd Sept to 6th Oct. Can you give me some tips, ie is that too long a period to try for on PRICELINE?

Ideally looking civic centre area with pool but open to other areas.

Thanks

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Unless you want to stay in different hotels, it's always worthwhile to first try bidding the entire stay together.

As far as a pool, you can't guarantee this with PRICELINE. If a pool is important to you for this stay then HOTWIRE may be a better option as you can choose a hotel that shows a Pool icon as one of the hotel amenities. HOTWIRE usually costs a little more than PRICELINE, but in this instance you will stand a better chance of getting an amenity that you're looking for.

Also, not sure of the purpose of this trip, but are you familiar with San Francisico and this zone? It's not really bid as frequently as the other "downtown" or "tourist-y" zones, so i'd just make sure that this works for your needs this trip.

What is your desired star rating and maximum budget? (per nite before taxes and fees) Are you willing to commit to a non-refundable reservation 6+ months before your stay?

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[Gallus50]

Hey dniven - If you're going to be in SF for 13 days, I would seriously look into an apartment type property. You'll save $$ by getting a weekly rate, you'll have more room, and you'll have at least a semi-kitchen where you can make breakfast and heat up leftovers. The specific properties I'm thinking of are The Grosvenor Suites Hotel, The Donatello, or the Gaylord Suites. Grosvenor is a bit up Nob Hill, the others are closer to Union Square. There is also an Oakwood Corporate Suites, too. They all have websites, so check them out.

You could even get an apartment for a week and a hotel for the rest. I just know I wouldn't want to be in a hotel room for that long. Let us know what you decide.

[Colfax]

Ideally looking civic centre area

Is budget the main reason why Civic Center is ideal or is it also most convenient for you?

Will you have a car?

[Gallus50]

BTW - I don't recommend Civic Center South. Of all the SF zones, I find it to be the most rough - not especially pleasant when you're walking around, day or night.

That being said, CCNorth/Japantown isn't bad, especially the HI-Golden Gateway.

[BEAV]

If you're looking for a 13 night stay, it may pay you to check out Priceline's Vacation Package (air + hotel). Even if you don't need flights, or you already have them, you could use LAX as your origin point. A round trip ticket from LAX to SFO would probably run $125-$150 for one person added to the cost for 13 nights hotel. You can simply toss the unused plane ticket without it having any effect on the hotel booking as the two are not tied together. Using this method, you can even select the hotel you want rather than going through the bidding process, which can be difficult as Fall is one of the more peak travel times in SF.

[BEAV]

Since you supplied your travel dates (thank you) I took a look at Priceline Vacation Packages. The best deal within the City of San Francisco is the 3 star Holiday Inn at Fisherman's Wharf. For $1121 (using LAX as the point of origin) you can get this hotel which has a heated pool as well as self-service laundry facilities. With the airline ticket this breaks down to $86 per night, including taxes. As info, the lowest rate, currently, at this property is $190 per night on the Holiday Inn website. However, if you want to try your luck at bidding, I'd suggest starting around $65 for 3 star in Fisherman's Wharf zone based the current pricing of the Vacation Package.

[WillTravel]

I have found the pool icon is not very helpful for Hotwire. Based on my recollection of weather in San Francisco, it doesn't seem terribly likely that outdoor pool usage would be happening during your stay. The Hotwire pool icon will display even for Canadian properties in winter that do not have their outdoor pools in service. Of course, if you felt confident as to the identity of the property, and knew the pool was indoors, it would be fine.