Priceline Hotel: Realistic bids for USE/USW/Fisherman's 08/05-08/08

[bozack]

Howdy,

I'm in the SJC area for business and decided to extend my stay for the weekend in SF since i've never been there before.

Only problem now is that I can't seem to get a winning bid for 08/05 to 08/08 for $100-$135 in USE/USW and Fisherman's wharf.

I'm assuming I'm being a bit too optimistic about price - I'd be open to spending a bit more and/or moving to another location as long as it was fairly central. Just unsure how much more to bid.

Any tips?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[Colfax]

For which quality levels did you bid up to $135? 4*? 3.5*? 3*?

Please use these HOTWIRE and PRICELINE links for your puchases.

[bozack]

For which quality levels did you bid up to $135? 4*? 3.5*? 3*?

Please use these HOTWIRE and PRICELINE links for your puchases.

my bad - i tried 4* and 3.5*. i also used the betterbidding link :-)

thanks!

[Colfax]

I think it could take something like $130-160 to win a 3* in USE/USW/FW for these very expensive dates.

Before you raise your bid or drop your quality level you could try up to $135 for 4*/3.5* in the other two Downtown zones: SOMA-Moscone and Embarcadero.

The third night of your stay, a Sunday, has good availability and I think you can probably win a 4*/3.5* on Sunday alone for less than you've already bid. It's Friday/Saturday that are the problem.

Any interest in going someplace else for the weekend (Monterey? Napa?) then SF on Sunday? Or stay at SFO airport Fri/Sat and move downtown Sunday?

[bozack]

thanks for the inputs colfax. agreed - this is a very expensive weekend so i need to start adjusting my bids accordingly.

i appreciate the ideas to save some money, but friday night is looking to be the best time to meet with some friends.

i will do as you suggest and try for some other areas.

what's your opinion of 3* in SF rather than 3.5? any areas to avoid at that level?

thanks again!

[slb]

I too am looking for 8/5-8/9 downtown San Fran for a wedding. Holy toledo - it's expensive!!! I live in a very pricey resort town and rooms here for 3* & 4* are cheaper this weekend. Of course, we don't have bad neighborhoods to stay away from, which is my concern in the big city. I'm almost wondering if I might find a walk in rate somewhere in the city once I'm there. If you find anything, please post here, so I can 'use the betterbidding.com link' and avoid sleeping in the street.

Cheers!

Sheryl

[Colfax]

what's your opinion of 3* in SF rather than 3.5? any areas to avoid at that level?

It's hard to generalize because there are so many different 3* that might come up. Many or most are early century European style hotels, smaller and more intimate than the chain 4*. Several 3* are managed by Kimpton or Joie de Vivre and have good reputations and solid reviews. A few 3* are more contemporary, like the Donatello or Courtyard (in SOMA zone).

A few of the 3* in USW are close to the Tenderloin, but that's true of the 4* in USW too.

People have different standards and opinions, but mine is that you can feel comfortable bidding 3* in all the four core downtown zones (USE, USW, SOMA, Embarcadero). None of the known 3* in those zones is a "nightmare hotel". At the 2.5* level there start to be some hotels with issues (but also some pretty good 2.5* like the King George).

Basically you can't be too picky on busy dates like these. A 3* for $140-160 looks like a relative good deal. Of course try to your limit for a 4* and 3.5* first.

Thanks for using the board's PRICELINE link. Good luck and please keep us posted.

[thereuare]

I too am looking for 8/5-8/9 downtown San Fran...

slb please:

1) read your messages

2) follow-up your previous Hotwire Denver thread with whaever you ended up doing for that stay

3) start your own NEW TOPIC for your upcoming trip.

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

Thanks.