slruud

It will usually take the full 48 hours for a comfirm, but at this late date it is very doubtful. Always pay attention to if the booking is "on request" or "Available". There is an option on the left side of the page to only select "Available" hotels. Have you checked to see if there are any "Available" hotels for this weekend?

Oracle OpenWorld 2010 is 9/19 - 9/23. Seeing as any advice I've provided is as worthless as whale snot, I'll be bowing out of this thread.

Not sure where you got the idea about hotels in the Tenderloin area, but all I'm aware of is the Hilton Union Square is on the edge of the Tenderloin but doesn't seem to bother most people that get that hotel. I've stayed in most of the downtown areas, and never had an issue with safety. You can check availability by checking Expedia/Travelocity or similar websites, or check each hotel individually. Are you aware of free rebids and how to use them? If I were in your situation, I would book the Lombard Motor Inn while I continue bidding, but I would check with them first vis-a-vis cancellation policy. I would rather stay there than come in from the airport area daily.

Not sure if you are going to be driving...or renting a car...another option other than downtown is the Lombard Motor Inn. Close to FW, and rooms are going for $130/nite. Check out the reviews on Tripadvisor. I'm not seeing any availability anywhere in FD. Have you tried bidding in either of the US zones or SOMA?

Much quieter than the Union Square or FW area. It's where my favorite restaurant...Tadich Grill...is located, and Tyler Florence's new restaurant Wayfare Tavern recently opened. It's closer to China Town and North Beach. read walking distance. I would check to see if there is any availability at any of the 4* hotels, Hilton FD, Hyatt Embarcadero, or Le Meridien. There is no availability at the Omni for your dates. There are also a couple decent 3.5* hotels, Harbor Court and Club Quarters. Either way, all you can do is bid, but only if there is availability. If not, then it's a waste of your time and might be time to check out the airport area. Good luck.

I would increase my odds by adding USE, USW, Financial District/Embarcadero, and SOMA. Someone else can comment on closeness to Tenderloin, as I prefer the FD/E zone. What is your max per night before taxes and at what star level? I would bid the above zones starting at 4* first, and then lower star level. We'll be staying the night of the 24th at the Omni hotel for free. Didn't realize their rates would be as high as they are, but I'll take free anytime.

Just a quick check on Expedia for your dates shows not a lot of availability at the 3.5* level in the FW area. Did you check rates for some of the hotels in the FW zone before you started your bidding? Hotwire has 4* in the downtown areas from $300 to $500 per nite, which means something big is going on. There is a 3* on HOTWIRE in the FW area, and it's a Hotels.com offering of the Courtyard Fishermans Wharf for $279/nite. Just keep trying, but looks like things are going to be tough. Good luck.

Rates are not too high for your dates, so $85 or under should be possible for a 4*. I would read the FAQ's and get an understanding of free rebidding. I myself am partial to the Financial District/Embarcadero as it is a lot less busy than the Union Square area. The public transportation is more than adequate to get one around easily, so any of your prefered areas would work. Good luck.

Personally, I wouldn't bid on a 2*, but that's just me. Just because rates are high, doesn't mean there is no availability on PRICELINE. Try splitting your dates, and maybe bid a little higher. Good luck.

The Financial District/Embarcadero is also an option. Public transportation is quite efficient so getting to Union Square is a snap. A couple of the hotels in this zone are far superior to some of the USE/USW hotels. Just did a quick search of HOTWIRE for your dates, and rates are quite high.

It worked for me BEAV. Nice to have a little advantage for a change.

Have you checked rates for your dates at any of the 3/4* hotels in the zones you are looking at? A quick look at HOTWIRE show rates fairly high for 4* hotels, but they do have a 3* in USE for $109/nite and also a 3* in Nob Hill for $112. You could try bidding at 30% or so less for 3*, but you might want to try 4* bidding first bidding up to your max. Good luck.

The AT&T Hotel and Conference is not near downtown at all if that is where you want to stay. That being said, the 4* Downtown shows up at $105/nite for me right now. Expedia is offering the AT&T for $103/nite and the Intercontinental for $109/nite, and their "Unpublished" 4* Downtown with the same amenities as Hotwire for $92. It would make it a little easier if HOTWIRE showed the Tripadvisor ratings, cause if I recall correctly, the only 4* rated 3.5/5.0 are the Omni and Intercontinental.

Try bidding up to your limit and see what happens.

BEAV, Just wish the rep this time would just have booked me into the Omni like the previous one. I don't mind paying a higher rate, considering all the free nights I've been getting. Just spent this past weekend in The City, and want to let you know about a new restaurant just around the corner of the Omni, or Le Meridien for that matter on Sacramento. The Wayfare Tavern, owned by Tyler Florence. The place was busy as heck, and no downstream menu. I thought the economy was in trouble, but someone can afford a $18 burger and $22 fried chicken. Right next door is an Irish pub scheduled to open in a couple of weeks. Some very astute restaunteurs, planning for the recovery rather than dwelling on the recession. Happy travels. SteveR

September 24-25.....$169.

simonkey, Just to present you with options in the future, Lastminutetravel.com has what appears to be the Clift for your dates as available for $132/nite.

Twice since the first of the year, I booked what appeared to be the Omni hotel in San Francisco's Embarcadero zone, and got Le Meridien. Le Meridien is supposed to be on my blocked hotel list, and I even called beforehand this time and was told as such. The first time, they booked me into the Omni, I assume via Hotels.com and ate the difference in cost. This time I was told the only hotel they had available was the Hyatt, which did not meet with my plans, so they refunded my booking. The amenities associated with the Le Meridien were, restaurant, busines center, fitness center, and internet. Both Omni and Le Meridien both appear to get 95% ratings, so it looks like no sure thing in this zone, even with a hotel block. I did access HOTWIRE via the link on this site. Thanks.

Not to be snarky here, but if you were willing to bid $150 on Priceline and accept whichever hotel you got, does it really matter the ID of the HOTWIRE hotel? I'm sure some of the professionals will have a good idea which hotel it is. Good luck.

Honeymooner, Not sure what version of Hotwire you're looking at, but I see a 4* USE for $119/nite for 9/23 - 9/28. Lastminutetravel.com has the Hyatt Embarcadero for $112/nite.

Another option is Lastminutetravel.com which is offering a couple 4.5*, their rating, hotels in the Union Square area for $133/$139/nite.

Lastminutetravel.com has what appears to be the Hyatt Embarcadero for $109/nite listed as available. The Hyatt is in a decent location public transportation wise, easily acceptable to California Street cable cars, and Market Street buses, F-line trolley, Muni subway. You could book it as a cancellable backup, $25 cancellation fee, while you bid somewhat lower on Priceline. Good luck.

A lot of those people who wait to start bidding closer to their arrival date end up getting nothing, over paying, or staying in an area the didn't want. I have no problem booking six months out if I'm sure I'll be making the trip. A little low ball bidding will get you familiar with the process, and who knows, you might get lucky. Good luck.

Rates are high for the OP's dates, Hotwire or anywhere. Best I can find is either the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins or Stanford Court on Nob Hill for $143 on Lastminutetravel.com, but "on request" so no guarantees.

Hotwire currently has a 4* in USE for $119/nite, so you should be able to get something on Priceline for $100 or less. Good luck.