jrnyman04

Check the availability by each day. The problem could be the last two or three days of your stay as the US Open Golf Tourney is that week in Torrey Pines.

I am also looking for hotels in San Diego for July, but my dates are July 2nd week. There's not much (2.5*,3*) inventory w/ PRICELINE at the moment. I am going to wait for my dates to fall within a month before I change my strategy. I also have a (cancellable) 2* hotel as a backup for a part of my stay where the location is important. Good luck to you!

Congrats! Thats very well done!!! They key to winning good rates in San Diego seems to be to be patient and wait till your dates get inside of a month sometimes. I am still trying for my mid-July dates, no luck so far.

2.5* Merced (Merced) Courtyard $43 ... 5/2/08-5/3/08 Started the bid at $40, received a counter offer for $12 more. Used one of the free re-bid zones instead and raised it to $43. Started the bidding from the forum's PRICELINE link.

1. fri, sat and sun nights are considered weekend nights, so you may want to split your stay into 3 - 4 - 2 days and try. 3. Generally its the same rating for both. If you are going to bid 2*, there will be no free re-bid zones. I would like to hear others opinions on whether you can use a zone like Coronado w/ its expensive 3 and 4* hotels can be used as a free re-bid zone.

Lots of good info in the 2 previous posts. I have stayed at the DoubleTree and the Courtyard before. There's nothing to not like about the DoubleTree other than the parking fee. The rooms are huge and nice in a villa like setting. It has free wireless internet and also has on-site laundry machines next to the pool. I think the Courtyard has refrigerators also in the rooms. I think Staybridge is currently a 2.5* on Priceline. It appears the smallest configuration they have in this hotel is a studio suite with 1 queen bed and it doesn't look like they have sleeper sofas in those rooms as the hotel website lists max 2 people for these rooms. I have stayed at other Staybridge suites where the smallest configurations had sleeper sofas. If you want to try the Hotwire method to try for the rooms, please note that Rancho Bernardo does not show up in their San Diego searches. You have to look for hotels in Rancho Bernardo. Sorrento Mesa also may suit your needs. Sometimes you have to be patient and wait to get rooms thru PRICELINE. Hotels may not release rooms till the dates get closer. Maybe you can keep trying till the first week of May before changing your strategy. If you are going to wait, its recommended to have a cancellable reservation as a backup. I am looking for mid-july dates in San Diego and at the moment there's absolutely nothing (2.5-3*) in Priceline's inventory. Good luck!

Never mind! I see this is a post from 2005!

HOTWIRE has a 3* hotel in Monrovia/Arcadia for $46 for those dates at 76% savings off rack. My guess is that its the Courtyard. If that location is ok, then check it out.

2.5* San Diego (Rancho Bernardo) Courtyard Rancho Bernardo $53 ... 5/31/08-6/1/08 Was trying in the Sorrento Mesa for a 2.5* for a while and bids up to $75 were rejected. I checked the San Diego calendar and saw a Marathon that weekend with a few hotels in the downtown and Mission Valley already sold out. So, I decided to try other areas rather than wait. First bid in the RB area was for $50 and was countered w/ $14 more. Raised the bid to $53 and was accepted. This is a decent hotel, so its ok. Used the forum's PRICELINE link to start the bidding.

2.5* Orange County(Anaheim Hills) - Ayres Suites Yorba Linda $50 ... 3/28/08-3/30/08 Forgot to report this as I had to bid the 2 days separately and did not win the 3/28 night till very close to the trip. Used the Forum's PRICELINE link to start the bidding for both the nights.

Pickup in San Diego, Drop off in LAX. $20/Day. First bid accepted. I saw rates for this high, in the $40+/day range and started at $20. Guess I should've started lower. Should've taken a cue from the local San Diego rates. Used the Forum's PRICELINE link.

2.5* San Diego (Sorrento Mesa) Country Inn and Suites $51 ... 4/5/08-4/6/08 Started at $45 and went up in $3 increments. Maybe its $50 on the weekend these days. On my first bid of $45, I received a counter offer for $13 more. Used the forum's PRICELINE link to start the bidding.

3* Inland Empire (Ontario) Marriott Ontario Airport $42 ... 3/27/08-3/28/08 First bid 2.5*, $40 received a counter offer of $12 more. Wanted to keep it low enough to avoid the 3* upgrade, so added Corona and upped the bid to $42 and got the 3* Marriott. Wasn't happy w/ it, but it will do. They seem to charge $12 for parking and also internet access doesn't seem to be free. The reviews also mention noise from the trains and the planes. Oh well, will avoid Ontario next time. Used SavingsBarn.com to access Priceline. Didn't know about the new PRICELINE access link on this forum prior to my bid, I will use that from now on.

2.5* Orange County(Anaheim Hills) - Ayres Suites Yorba Linda $50 ... 3/1/08-3/2/08 Here's a new hotel for our list. Got it on the first try. I wanted to try something different from the regular 3* hotels in the Irvine area, most of whom charge for parking and/or internet. The reviews look good for this hotel and there seems to be free breakfast. Maybe I could've started a little lower. I doubt if it can be had for lower than $45. Rack rate is $108. One other bid I tried was $48 for 2.5* in the Fullerton area, which was rejected. Used SavingsBarn.com to access Priceline.com.

2.5* LA-San Fernando Valley (Warner Center-Woodland Hills) Staybridge Suites Chatsworth $48 ... 2/29/08 Used SavingsBarn.com to access Priceline.com. And it was the first bid.

Are you sure this is a 2.5*? I still see it as a 2* on priceline.com.

2.5* Staybridge Chatsworth has been coming up in PL recently, mostly on weekends. I am not sure what other 2.5* are there in that region. I am not sure if thats something you want to consider. Location wise its a few miles north of the Hilton.

2.5* LA-San Fernando Valley (Warner Center-Woodland Hills) Staybridge Suites Chatsworth $48 ... 2/15/08 Used SavingsBarn.com to access Priceline.com. Previous failed bid was $47.

3* Inland Empire (Ontario) Hilton Ontario Airport $45 ... 1/4/08 bid for 2.5* and was upgraded to 3*. Previous failed bid was $44. Would've preferred something in the Corona area, but $50 for 2.5* there was rejected. Used SavingsBarn.com to access PL. This probably is my last bid on this trip. I wish all of you Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year 2008!!! Talk to you all next year again! Finally, thanks for a great website!

3* Phoenix (Tempe - ASU) Sheraton Phoenix Airport Tempe $35 ... 12/29/07 Got it on the first try for 2.5* in Tempe. Used SavingsBarn.com to access PL.

2.5* San Diego (Sorrento Mesa) Country Inn & Suites $64 ... 12/30/07 - 1/1/08 After a few days of my initial booking for 1/1/08, I tried to add 12/31, was rejected and offered at $71. I started a separate bid and got it at $65 and the last bid that failed was $60. After a few days I tried to book for 12/30 and got it for $63, previous failed bid being $60. I could've gotten some 3* for 50 something, but w/ free parking, free internet and free breakfast, I felt the Country Inn is a good option. Used SavingsBarn.com to access PL for both the bids.

2.5* San Diego (Sorrento Mesa) Country Inn & Suites $45 ... 1/1/08 - 1/4/08 Used SavingsBarn.com to access PL. I am behind in reporting some as I have been on the road.

2.5* Riverside (Riverside - San Bernardino) Courtyard Riverside $42 ... 12/26/07 Got it on the first try. Used SavingsBarn.com to access PL.

Yes!

Added an extra night to this, 12/27/07.