Hotwire Hotel: I'm so lost! Book hotel in San Diego

[kellinette]

Hi, I'm new to this site, priceline and hotwire. What exactly do I need to do, look for? I've clicked on the link to HOTWIRE on one of the admin's signatures. Then what should I do? My travel dates are Mar. 18-22, 2011 for 2 adults. Thanks very much for the help!

[Colfax]

Welcome to BetterBidding, kellinette.

Priceline usually costs less than Hotwire. Hotwire's advantages are 1) you can reserve a room with two beds, which you can't do on PL and 2) from Hotwire's icon clues you can often figure out which hotel you're getting before you purchase.

If one bed will be enough I suggest trying Priceline first.

Do you know what area of San Diego you want to stay in? When you look at Priceline's San Diego map which zones are acceptable to you?

What quality level are you looking for? (e.g. 4*, 3*, 2*)

And what's your general hotel budget per night?

With that info someone can provide a strategy.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links for your purchases.

[kellinette]

Thank you so much for your help! This is my first time ever going so I really have no idea about the zones. We do plan to see a few attractions and enjoy the city. The zoo, seaworld, the beach...I think there's an aviation museum? I don't want to spend a lot, no more than $85/night I'd say. Can I find a good hotel for that? So maybe at least 3*...my impression is I could possibly find a 3* for this price. Again, thanks! Oh and I just need one bed.

[Colfax]

Yes, I think it's very possible you can find a 3* or higher for $85 or less in a good area. I'll mention that most San Diego hotels in the popular tourist areas charge for parking, which isn't included in your Priceline bid. If that affects your bidding limit let us know.

San Diego's attractions are spread out so wherever you stay you'll be doing some driving. My suggestion is to try for the Downtown-Harbor Island and Coastal zones first, and if you can't get anything in those two then Mission Valley as a backup.

Do you want to bid up to $85 for a 4* first, then if rejected try up to $85 for 3.5*, then $85 for 3*?

Or do you want the least expensive 3* or higher available in DT-HI or Coastal?

To put it a little differently, if both were available would you prefer a 4* for $85 or a 3* for $65?

[kellinette]

Gotcha. Yes, I'd prefer a 4* for $85. I want the nicest for the budget! :) And the parking will not affect the current budget. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I figured most would charge. Being in the Midwest and have not had the luxury to travel much, I was so surprised when I went to LA in October and had to pay everywhere!!

[Colfax]

I grew up in the Midwest too and we only paid to park when we visited the "big city" Chicago. When I moved West it took me a long time to get used to pay parking at hotels, and in fact I'm still not completely used to it. There are some "free parking" zones around San Diego but they're further away from the main attractions. Some visitors are willing to drive farther for free parking and so I like to ask.

When bidding for a 4* in San Diego you have 13 rebid zones. Those are zones that ONLY have hotels with lower quality than you're seeking. Since you want a 4* your rebid zones are those that only go to 3.5* or less.

Figuring out your rebid zones is the hardest thing for Priceline newcomers. Please look at the following thread and see if you can figure out your 13 rebid zones. It takes a little while to get it, but once you do you'll quickly become a Priceline Pro.

Priceline Re-Bidding Explained

Feel free to post the names of the 13 rebid zones if you want confirmation or ask if you have other questions.

Once you've got your rebid zones down someone will offer a strategy.