BEAV

I think that's a good strategy .. just keep bidding every few days or a couple times a week and don't bid over $100. Also, continue to monitor regular rates on the hotel websites as well as on HOTWIRE a few times a week. If you notice rates start to drop for your travel dates, chances are so also will PRICELINE rates. Good luck!

A few thoughts and comments since my last post on this subject: This thread is now nearly two months old. A lot has happened since then with regard to the price of oil and gas at the pump. IMO the psychological impact of $4 a gallon gas is pretty substantial. People in my office, who can easily afford $4 a gallon gas, can do nothing but talk about how they are making cutbacks in their spending, leisure driving, etc, in an effort to counterbalance higher fuel costs. A local newspaper article quoted a restaurant owner who said business was still good, however went on to say that the European tourists were ordering high end wines like crazy, and while Americans were still coming, they were scrutinizing their selections, looking to cut a few bucks here and there. With regard to full airplanes, keep in mind airlines are cutting back their frequency of flights as well as operating smaller jets. While you flew in a 100-seat 737 last year, your next flight between the same two city pairs might very well be in a 70-seat regional jet. Yesterday, for the first time in years, I noticed a very high end resort, the Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley, CA, pop up on Hotwire. I have long wanted to stay at this property, but didn't want to pay $400+ per night to do so. Now you can pick up a room here on Hotwire for $242. Coincidence or sign of the times? You decide!

Since your stay is still two months away, I wouldn't bid over $100 this far out. Just my advice! Keep in mind the whole concept of PRICELINE & HOTWIRE is for the hotels to liquidate unsold rooms they haven't sold at regular prices. Sort of a "distress sale" mentality, if you will. At this stage, many hotels might still be banking on selling rooms in mid-late August at regular prices, and might not "resort" to giving PRICELINE inventory until a little later when that "pipe dream" doesn't pan out!

Do a Hotwire vacation package search (air + hotel) entering June 29 and July 1 as your check-in/check-out dates. You will see the 3.5 hotel is a match for the Casa Munres Hotel and the 3 star a match for the Holiday Inn Express @ Monterey Bay. The vacation package product is a valuable tool for unmasking the identity of many hotels displayed in the hotel-only opaque product. Note to thereuare: The VP displaying different amenities for the Casa Munres than what is currently on the hotel list. Current amenities: Near Beach Smoke-Free rooms Fitness Center Pool Restaurant Business Center The same amenities are also displaying in the hotel-only product blizz1 reported. Good luck!

In my opinion, $143-$149 is an awesome rate for a full week's stay. Hotel stays of this length are often both difficult to bid on PRICELINE as well as find on HOTWIRE. I've stayed at the Le Meridien a number of times and I think you'd find it very acceptable and comfortable for a week's honeymoon. I would jump on this if I were you before it goes away! Good luck and congratulations on your wedding & honeymoon.

Welcome to Better Bidding! Please post your exact travel dates, in addition to the rack rates for the 4 star hotels in USE, USW and Fisherman's Wharf. Knowing the rack rates for your dates will help in determining a bid strategy.

Judie, Thanks for clarifying. It just goes to show inventory is always changing. HOTWIRE will always display the lowest-priced hotel within the same category. What this probably means is that since the time you saw the Intercontinental for $199 for 6/19-6/22, a different 4 star hotel has entered into the picture and given Hotwire access to their inventory for $175 for the same dates. If/when all the rooms that the other hotel has allocated to Hotwire for $175 were to sell out, it would be conceivable for the Intercontinental to display again, assuming they still have allocated rooms to HOTWIRE for $199. Have you tried bidding PRICELINE 4 star Monterey-Pacific Grove zone for your dates? It is assumed at this point the opening of the Intercontinental is why we're now seeing 4 star bidding available in this zone. For years, this zone has only gone as high as 3 stars. Might be worth a shot to give it a try on PRICELINE in order to save a few bucks...

The Hotwire rate you see on the first page is pre-taxes & fees. Once you click a selected hotel and advance to the purchase section, you will see the taxes & fees added to the base rate displayed on the first page. The 4* on Hotwire I'm seeing is not a match for the Intercontinental. It's displaying amenity icons complimentary breakfast & hi-speed internet. I'm also seeing a Hotwire price of $175 per night (pre tax) for June 19-22. Are you seeing a different display for these dates, judie?

Substitute the word higher for lower! The window of time to edit my post ran out!

Since it's only a 24 hr sale, I doubt the hotel would adjust their Priceline (or Hotwire) rates accordingly. Keep in mind that both PRICELINE & HOTWIRE don't determine price and inventory at any given hotel, but rather that is the function of each individual hotel's revenue management department.

michrn The Intercontinental website is displaying a rate of $153 for your travel date. HOTWIRE has a price guarantee program if you find a lower price than you paid within 48 hours of purchase. If approved, Hotwire will refund you double-the-difference between the $173 rate you paid and the $153 rate on the Intercontinental website. In other words, you are entitled to a $40 refund under this program. To apply for the refund, log onto HOTWIRE and go to the "my accounts" section. Locate your Intercontinental purchase, and on the booking information page click the link to "low price guarantee". Fill out the form listing the price and web address of the lower rate and submit your claim. Good luck!

Although it is rare for Hotwire to be higher than the price on a hotel's website, it does happen as you've discovered. Good detective work on your part! But to answer your question, if you see what appears to be the Intercontinental display on Hotwire for your travel dates, by all means go to the hotel's website and compare pricing so that you don't "overpurchase" as is the case in this instance. As a general rule of thumb, in circumstances where Hotwire's price is higher than the rate on the hotel's website, it's safe to say Priceline will often come in 10-15% below Hotwire's rate. In the case of the poster staying 7/22 at the Intercontinental, he/she qualifies for Hotwire's double-the-difference price guarantee program. If you find a price lower than the price paid on Hotwire, they will refund you double-the-difference. So in this case, Hotwire would refund $40, bringing the true purchase price down to $133.

I love the get-together idea as well, however living on the Left Coast, I don't have current plans to travel to the East Coast! Should we meet in the middle somewhere, say, Topeka, Kansas? !! :)

Always good to unravel a mystery. Shall we call today Monterey Intercontinental day? :)

Glad to help. What are your travel dates, Judie?

To save any possible confusion, Hotwire is listing a 4 star property for Sept 14-16, loulady, however the property displaying is not the Intercontinental, but rather is a match for the Hyatt Regency Monterey. Beware that Priceline rates the Hyatt Regency 3 stars, but Hotwire rates as 4 stars. Luckily, the amenities between the Hyatt and supposed Intercontinental are different. Here are a few key things to help differentiate between the Hyatt Regency and what is probably the Intercontinental: 1. 4* Hotwire listing for 9/14-9/16 claims the hotel has a 3.0 customer satisfaction level on TripAdvisor.com. This score is a match for the Hyatt Regency. The Intercontinental is currently rated 4.5 on TripAdvisor. 2. Hotwire listing advises the property imposes a resort fee. This is another match for the Hyatt. The Intercontinental website does not list anything about a resort fee during the reservation process, nor is it located in a resort setting like the Hyatt, which is set on a golf course. In the future as inventory changes, Hotwire may well display the supposed Intercontinental over the Hyatt for 9/14-9/16. One of the key things to look for is the Oceanfront icon, which is a dead giveaway for the Intercontinental. Although I'm sure you'd prefer to snag the Intercontinental on Priceline, I mention all this Hotwire stuff so that if/when it displays, the HOTWIRE price might act as a guage for your PRICELINE bidding. Good luck!

I'm not sure about the upgrade 4 stars to resort, so I think you're wise to not go any further at the moment. Personally speaking, I wouldn't want to wind up at the Marina Dunes Resort when I'm really trying for Monterey proper, not to mention hopefully the Intercontinental. But you've got a lot of time in your favor since your dates are in September. I would bid about once a week for the next couple of months before you get real serious in your bidding. Also check Hotwire to see if they display a 4 star in Monterey over the next couple of months. You might want to keep your eyes posted for Intercontinental deals on Travelzoo. They already ran one at the new Monterey hotel that has currently expired. However, they might run more in the future. A new Intercontinental opened in San Francisco in March and Travelzoo has run two or three promos for that property.

Judie: The Intercontinental is also suspected to be on Hotwire. If I were you, I'd check Hotwire for your travel dates and see if the 4 star is displaying. If it is, PRICELINE will usually come in a little cheaper than HOTWIRE. Refer to this thread: Hotwire Monterey

Priceline is now offering 4 star bidding in the Monterey-Pacific Grove zone (Monterey-Carmel, CA). A variety of date searches of Priceline's vacation package reveals none of the current 3-star hotels on the Better Bidding hotel list have been upgraded to 4 stars. I would suspect 4-star bidding availability is the result of the newly-opened Intercontinental Clement Monterey Hotel.

I did a Priceline vacation package search for Monterey for your dates and the Hyatt Regency is still listed as 3 stars, so we know it hasn't been upgraded. Although only an educated guess, I fully expect the addition of 4 star bidding in this zone means that the newly-opened Intercontinental Clement Hotel is participating w/PRICELINE. Again, only a hunch. Good luck! http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/intercontinen...siclientid=1911

You're the early bird that catches the worm, slruud! I just sent you a PM about this sale -- only to find you already know about it! :)

Another good Expedia 24 hour sale (Tuesday, June 10) at the SF Fairmont. This time 65% off. The first date I'm finding availability is June 15 and the last date is December 26. I've found availability on random date searches every month between June & December. Some dates not available, however many more that are. YMMV. Prices vary by date, however here is a sampling for July 3: Fairmont Room - $339 now $119 Fairmont Exterior - $369 now $129 Deluxe View - $409 for $143 Signature Bay View - $459 for $161 Main Bldg Suite - $609 for $213 Tower Suite - $809 for $283 Bonus: Pay w/Mastercard and book a two night stay to receive a $25 prepaid gas card. Book a three night stay (or longer) and receive a $50 prepaid gas card. Good luck!

Congratulations on your success and I'm glad to hear everything worked out well for you, including your downtown SF bids. Have a great trip! Note to thereuare: Move to Priceline SF forum?

Bump for thereuare. And also to add: 4-Star bidding is also no longer available in the Newark-Fremont zone (San Jose, CA area). Either the 4 star W Silicon Valley no longer participates or has been downgraded. This change enables another free rebid when bidding 4 star category in San Jose, Cupertino/Campbell and Sunnyvale/Santa Clara zones.

toSFCA, Although it's not Monday quite yet, I thought I'd let you know HOTWIRE is displaying 4* Nob Hill zone for $119 for your dates. This is a match for the Mark Hopkins Intercontinental, and is pretty close to your limit of $105. This is also a good neighorhood and is centralized between the downtown Union Square area and Fisherman's Wharf.