Priceline Hotel: 4* San Francisco (Union Square West - Nob Hill) Hilton

[mcallen]

Hi,

I've been trying for over a week to bid on a 4* star hotel in the Union Square West district (USW) in San Francisco, but haven't had any luck at all.

I would actually prefer to get Hotel Monaco or The Prescott Hotel, but I know you can't really pick and choose. So what I've done is checked on here for a long time to see what bids were being accepted for the 4* hotels in that USW area. And most seem to be around the $75 to $90 range.

I've tried several combinations, both starting lower (around $65) and then also trying to start higher (around $85), and then increasing accordingly... going all of the way to about $110. And I've used as many possible rebids as I can (with 3 free rebid zones).

The dates I'm trying to reserve are for April 20 to April 23. (4/20 - 4/23).

Does anyone know why I haven't been accepted, or even receive a counter-offer? Should I wait until the dates get closer?

From my understanding, i don't think anything real big is going on in San Francisco those days... and to top it off, those days are Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights so it shouldn't be overly crowded.

I would appreciate ANY help here because I'd love to use Priceline, but it doesn't seem to be going all that well this time.

thanks!

Matt

[slruud]

What are some of the rates for some of the 4* hotels in the USW zone? Hotwire is not showing any availability for 4* in the USW zone, but that can change anytime. Hotels tend to fill up with business types from Sunday through Thursday nights. A new Intercontinental Hotel is openning any day now, and it is located South of Market, but I'm not sure what zone it would be in. Sometimes new hotels will throw a few rooms Priceline's/Hotwire's way. Good luck.

[Colfax]

mcallen,

4*/USW rates aren't high for your dates, which are still two months away:

Hilton $164

Parc55 $165

Rejected to $110 I'd say you're bidding too early, not too low. Unless you're willing to bid another zone now (like USE) or another quality level in USW (like Boutique) I'd suggest waiting a week, then try again, from about $75 to $100.

If you don't want to wait there are some deals on Expedia for 4/20-4/23:

Sir Francis Drake $104

Westin Market Street $119

Serrano $119

And HOTWIRE has a 3.5* in USW for $109 that looks like Warwick Regis.

Any thoughts?

[mcallen]

HI,

I'm trying to figure out what hotel this could be, but I can't seem to do it.

Any ideas?

Hotel: 3.5-star hotel in Union Square West

Check in: Apr 20, 2008

Check out: Apr 23, 2008

Hotel Amenities:

Restaurant(s)

High-speed internet access

Business Center

TripAdvisor Rating:

(3.5 out of 5) > Based on: 60+ customer reviews

Last Reviewed: December 2007

Thanks for the help! You have all been a great help.

Matt

[drnzyme]

could be the warwick regis or hotel rex if it is a boutique

[Colfax]

I agree with drnzyme that the 3.5* in USW looks like Warwick Regis.

[mcallen]

Colfax - thanks for that last post!

I was thinking that bidding may be a bit early... I'll wait until next week.

As a general rule (for your personally), what do you recommend as far as when to bid, since you said this may be a bit early? I've read the PRICELINE FAQ about this, but would love to hear your opinion too. :)

Thanks!

Matt

[Colfax]

I usually don't bid for a hotel more than 2 or 3 days in advance. I've won many hotels the day of my stay or the night before. That's just a personal preference though, not a bidding strategy or a recommendation to others.

With rates low and almost two months to go I would sit tight and try again in a week, unless you like one of the current HOTWIRE options. If you fail again in a week it will be a good idea to book a cancellable backup reservation somewhere.

[Colfax]

Also, in your initial post you mentioned that you hope for either Prescott or Monaco. Those hotels are Priceline 4*'s but they don't come up often. On Kimpton's website Prescott has a low prepaid (nonrefundable) rate of $119 for your dates. Is it worth that extra money to you to get one of the hotels you prefer, as opposed to maybe winning the Hilton or Parc55 for $75-$100 on Priceline?

[mcallen]

I ended up getting reservations right near Union Square at the Hilton Downtown for only $80/night.

I bid $60 first > then increments of $5 increases. Made it up to $75, and then countered with $80.

Thanks all!