Priceline Hotel: *HELP* SD Downtown 4*, 6/3/07-6/8/07

[travelin' man]

I'd prefer not to split.

Just tried 11 re-bids from $93-$125 in $3 increments (last bid went from $123-$125).

Should I repeat this strategy? I could go slightly higher if I need to do so.

Thanks for the help. This website is great.

[thereuare]

Rates are very high at 3 out of the 4 4* hotels i looked at... not sure if there is something going on in town on these date(s) or if it's still just very early. Rates at the Sheraton Hotel and Marina are reasonable and assuming you are committed to this area, i would book that as a cancellable back-up and then continue to try Priceline in the months ahead.

[travelin' man]

Thank you. I'm looking for something in the SeaWorld/Zoo area so Mission Valley, Pt. Loma, Old Town, et al, areas would work as well.

Any suggested 3*s (preferably $150 or less) would be a great help. I've scoured all the travel sites, but I'd love to get another opinion as to what the best hotel for the price would be.

Thanks for the timely response.

[thereuare]

From you topic title it appeared that you only bid for (Downtown-Harbor Island)... did you include all the above zones in your previously failed bids?

Exactly which zones are you willing to bid?

[travelin' man]

Sorry for any confusion. I only bid for a 4* in the Downtown zone... it's the only area with a 4* available that I'd want to stay. I have yet to bid for 3*s, but I could go Downtown/Harbor Island, Mission Valley, Pt. Loma/Shelter Island/Old Town.

I'm really leaning toward Doubletree/Mission Valley, 3.5*, if I can't find a significant discount on a 4*. Found it on the Doubletree site for $179/night (non-refundable). Is there anywhere I could be assured of that hotel for a better price?

[thereuare]

As i mentioned above i would book a cancellable back-up because you are more than 6 months away from your check-in date and availability may simply have not have been released to the opaque suppliers yet.

However, it seems like you're trying to get this done ASAP (nothing else on your plate right now? :) ) If that is the case i would weigh your decision for the Doubletree (a 3* property) vs your desire for a 4*... if you would prefer a 4* (any 4* since you can't choose the property you will receive thru the opaque providers) then i would raise your bid higher than you already have; no sense in taking a 3* (non-refundable) for $179 and not trying to first bid up to that amount for a 4*.

This early i would also sooner book the $199 rate at the Doubletree rather than the refundable $179 rate... this will ensure that you have something in case rates go higher, but also allows you to continue to try the opaque providers as your date gets closer. If rates remain the same and your unsuccessful with alternate sources then you can always cancel your refundable reservation and book the lower non-refundable rate (the risk here of course is that this assumes the non-refundable rate is still available... but this far ahead of your stay i think the potential savings that can be had down the road are worth the risk)

I'd also check EasyClickTravel and HOTWIRE to see if there is anything there that interests you.

If you choose to go with the Doubletree (either refundable or non-refundable) please use our Doubletree link to begin your purchase. I'd also compare reviews of this property to those of the Sheraton we've previously mentioned above (i'm not sure which is nicer or would work better for your plans, but the refundable rates are close enough to each other that i'd consider them both)

Let us know your thoughts and/or what you decide to do or if we can be of further help.

[travelin' man]

I started early because I knew that June would be a peak traveling season and hotels could get booked fast in SD. That and I'm a bit OCD :).

With 4*s on a non-opaque site being a bit out of my range, the Doubletree appeared to be the best affordable option. I will definitely take your advice on booking the refundable Doubletree (with your link), and seeing what I can do down the road on a 4* from PL.

The advantage I found that the Doubletree has over the Sheraton is its proximity to the trolley and shopping centers (both hotels look comparable in price, reviews, amenities). We're going to try to get by without renting a car (we'll use trolly and taxi), so the trolley being across the street was a big plus.

Advice I'd request at this point is the next starting dollar amount and increments to try on a 4* Downtown on PL (first attempt, I went from $93-$125, $3 increments).

Your wisdom has been greatly appreciated.

[thereuare]

With 4*s on a non-opaque site being a bit out of my range, the Doubletree appeared to be the best affordable option.

I wouldn't conclude that the 4* properties are out of your range since your plan was to ultimately spend more on a 3* hotel direct... therefore your 'real budget' is the price of the 3* :) (although read below... i'm not advising you bid that high for a 4* just yet)

Advice I'd request at this point is the next starting dollar amount and increments to try on a 4* Downtown on PL (first attempt, I went from $93-$125, $3 increments).

Honestly, i wouldn't be bidding anymore at this point (or if you're anxious to get this done, maybe bid a tad higher up to $130) but it is too early, imo, to be bidding higher than $130. I'd stick with your current gameplan (but go up to $130) and only bid it once every 2-3 weeks or once per month (depending upon your tolerance level... you don't want to get discouraged this early). You can get a bit more earnest in your pursuit after the first of the year, and then more so in the following months, but i think it's too early before your stay to start bidding north of $130. You can also search HOTWIRE and see that there are no 4* hotels even offered for the above dates... you can monitor that as well to see if/when any 4* properties begin to appear.

Any questions feel free to ask. Keep us updated as to your progress.