Priceline Hotel: 3* Philadelphia (University) Sheraton University City

[MelP]

Going down to Philadelphia for one night on 10/23 for a concert at the Tower Theatre just over the city line in Upper Darby. I've been bidding for a hotel for a week now.

At first, I was bidding for a 3* in Downtown Philadelphia only - started at $55, then went $60, 70, 80, 90, to no avail. Hotel rates do appear to be quite high for that night and some options, like the Hilton Garden Inn and others, were showing that they had no rooms available according to their web sites.

I'd been noticing that Hotwire had a 3.5 star in their City Center West zone that includes University City for $89 for that night (just checked and it is $99 now) and that is pretty sure is this Sheraton, so I switched tactics and started bidding 3* in the University zone, adding Downtown as the rebid, since that zone is on the way to the concert. First round I bid $60 - rejected, added DT and raised to $65, still rejected. Tonight I started at $70 for University, which was rejected but I got a counteroffer to increase my bid by $22. I rejected that, added DT and bid $75...accepted! My details:

Sheraton University City Hotel

Check-In Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Check-Out Date: Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Your Offer Price: $75.00

Number of Rooms: 1

Number of Nights: 1

Subtotal: $75.00

Taxes and Service Fees: $18.39

Total Charges*: $93.39

I'm relieved! For awhile there I was worried I wasn't going to get anything cheap and possibly have to either not stay and take a bus/train home in the middle of the night or not go at all. Thanks to this board for all the references.

[dahammer]

if you don't feel like driving and the hassles of parking, you could take the Market Frankford EL to 69th street and walk a few blocks to the Tower. :)

[MelP]

I don't drive (I'm a New Yorker :) ), so that's exactly what I'm doing. :)

[dahammer]

If you have time before the show, check out the White Dog Cafe for dinner, its a short walk from the Sheraton.

[MelP]

Thanks for the tip, I'll see. :) Not sure what time I'm going down or what else I'm doing yet.

BTW, any idea what's going on there that day, nearly every hotel in Center City is sold out.

[dahammer]

I'm not sure, I checked the convention calendar and there are no big events going on for this day.