Priceline Hotel: San Diego area bidding help

[Brian Hammerhead]

Hello,

I am rather new to Priceline and this forum, but I have tried to read all the advice and numerous postings. If someone more experienced has some suggestions for my situation, I would appreciate it.

We are planning on visiting Legoland, Sea World San Diego, San Diego Zoo, and San Diego Wild Animal Park in one trip. We have six children ranging in age from 4 - 16. Our travel dates are:

Check-in: Friday, May 30

Check-out: Sunday, June 8

My original strategy is to find a central San Diego location, purchase two hotel rooms at once (same hotel of course) and stay at the one hotel the entire time. The advantage is not having to pack up and move mid-vacation. However, I am flexible. If it is better to bid for shorter stays at different hotels, then I am open to that also.

Based on route plans from Google Earth, the optimal central area appears to be Rancho Bernardo. I saw on the forum that there was a previous bid covering one of the weekends that we will be there: $53 for 2.5* at the Courtyard Rancho Bernardo. Based on the information I have been able to gather, these are the Rancho Bernardo hotels that I believe are available through Priceline:

3* Doubletree Golf Resort ($8 self parking, )

3* Holiday Inn (Sleeps 4, microwave and refrigerator, pool, free parking, free wireless, free breakfast)

2.5* Courtyard Rancho Bernardo (Microwave, free internet, free parking, no breakfast)

2.5* Residence Inn REVIEW (Full Kitchen, free internet, free parking, on-site laundry, buffet breakfast, pool)

2* Staybridge Suites

Even though I know it doesn't matter, my preference would be the Residence Inn, then Holiday Inn, then Courtyard. I really don't want the Golf Resort or the Staybridge Suites. Thus, I decided to bid 2.5*. Even though it is not directly relevant, I did a quick check on both the Residence Inn and Holiday Inn home pages and they both have availability during the entire date range for which I wish to stay.

I also note that the following zones don't have greater than 2* hotels (free bids): San Ysidro, National City, East County

So, here is what I have already attempted to bid:

First Day:

Rancho Bernardo, 2.5*, $45 (rejected)

Rancho Bernardo + San Ysidro, 2.5*, $47 (rejected)

Rancho Bernardo + San Ysidro + National City, 2.5*, $49 (rejected)

Rancho Bernardo + San Ysidro + National City + East County, 2.5*, $51 (rejected)

A Couple of Days Later (4/18/2008):

Rancho Bernardo, 2.5*, $51 (rejected)

Rancho Bernardo + San Ysidro, 2.5*, $53 (rejected)

Rancho Bernardo + San Ysidro + National City, 2.5*, $55 (rejected)

Rancho Bernardo + San Ysidro + National City + East County, 2.5*, $57 (rejected)

Note: I was never given the option to offer more money to get a hotel (in case that matters).

I am starting to get the feeling that my large range of dates may be causing me problems. It is possible that I just haven't bid enough, but with the other win at $53, I am getting suspicious that there may just not be any availability.

So, should I try and pick shorter date ranges and split up into different hotels? For those that know the San Diego area, would you suggest a different central location? For those that have large families like me, is the "two rooms at the hotel" plan a good idea, or are there gotchas for which I should be aware?

Thanks in advance for any extra advice.

Oh, by the way, for all the bids above, I used the PRICELINE link found in the postings.

- Brad

PS. thereuare, it appears that I have a typo in the topic heading. I meant to say "San Diego area bidding help". Will you please revise for me? Thanks.

[thereuare]

My original strategy is to find a central San Diego location, purchase two hotel rooms at once (same hotel of course) and stay at the one hotel the entire time. The advantage is not having to pack up and move mid-vacation. However, I am flexible. If it is better to bid for shorter stays at different hotels, then I am open to that also.

How much would you need to save to make changing hotels worthwhile?

I really don't want the Golf Resort or the Staybridge Suites. Thus, I decided to bid 2.5*

Keep in mind that the star rating you select is the minimum that are you willing to accept, so it is possible that your 2.5* bid could be upgraded to a 3* property (so the Doubletree would still be 'in play')

I am starting to get the feeling that my large range of dates may be causing me problems. It is possible that I just haven't bid enough, but with the other win at $53, I am getting suspicious that there may just not be any availability.

Weekend rates, for which the other user won the Courtyard for $53, are cheaper than midweek rates, which is probably the issue you're currently facing... which goes back to the first question above as to how mcuh you'd need to save to make SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID worthwhile? What is your maximum bid for this stay?

for all the bids above, I used the PRICELINE link found in the postings.

Thank you :)

Let us know the above and we'll advise accordingly.

[travelAlot]

Howdy,

Just thought I'd chime in with a few general observations/tips that may be helpful. I'm somewhat experienced at PL's nuances and have been studying San Diego for a future trip. I wouldn't be able to give you a specific bidding strategy per se (not gigantically knowledgeable about every SD zone)

#1, make sure that every time you rebid, the zones' star categories are the same as when you bid the previous day (i.e. a zone that shows at a max 2.5-star could have a Holiday Inn renovated to a Crowne Plaza tomorrow and thus become 3-star overnight)...so you need to double-check each individual zone before doing any rebid strategy (I just saw an online posting of someone who added what he thought was a free a SD PL rebid zone and he got burned with a 30+ mile commute from Carlsbad to his intended area). This website's FAQs address this and the how-to's.

#2, along the lines of star expectations, please keep in mind that PL can always upgrade you to a higher-class property -- i.e. you bid 2.5 stars and there's a 3-star in PL's inventory for the same acceptable zone, yes you can be awarded the Doubletree Golf Resort that you're trying to avoid. I live in Denver and we have a horrific "downtown" Denver 3-star (Red Lion) that is by a stadium in a non-residential area two miles from downtown, and folks who've bid 2.5 stars (the former Holiday Inn and also the Courtyard by Marriott in the heart of dt) were "upgraded" to this property. Same goes, especially with gas prices and many folks wanting better-mileage cars, with bidding on a compact/midsize and being upgraded to fullsize on car bids etc. Also, 4-star hotels can be upgraded to a Resort

#3, Given the size of your family and your hope for two rooms to accommodate all 8 of you (6 kids plus you and your other half), are you prepared to receive an accepted PL bid and then find out that you received two rooms, each with one queen bed? That's PL's obligation -- for every hotel room that is awarded via winning bid, PL's rules state only that each hotel room is promised to accommodate up to 2 people total. I've personally, depending on hotel occupancy, had luck in getting a room to my desires (i.e. 2 double beds or 1 king, etc) but you're at the whim/business needs of a hotel that released certain unsold rooms to PL to sell on its behalf. Especially during the beginning of vacation season (kids out of school etc so lots of families needing rooms with two beds in touristy places) in a desirable tourist destination, this is a great risk; sometimes the hotel will offer to upgrade you at no charge, other times anything different than the Pl room type will be an extra set amount/night (i.e. $20, $30, $40 etc) and could be substantial based on 2 rooms for 8-9 days. As such, I would highly recommend that you consider Hotwire because you can specify the number of adults and number of children in your original search, and the pricing will be based on accommodating that number of people with sufficient bedding etc. Hotwire may even tip you on which property is available, based on the icons for the properties showing.

I apologize if these thoughts/ideas mess up your strategy at all, I would just hate for you to get the one ornery hotel that gives you a hard time at checkin and ruins what sounds like a very exciting vacation. Perhaps thereuare would have additional insight/ideas. Either way good luck and have an awesome trip!

[jrnyman04]

Lots of good info in the 2 previous posts. I have stayed at the DoubleTree and the Courtyard before.

There's nothing to not like about the DoubleTree other than the parking fee. The rooms are huge and nice in a villa like setting. It has free wireless internet and also has on-site laundry machines next to the pool.

I think the Courtyard has refrigerators also in the rooms.

I think Staybridge is currently a 2.5* on Priceline. It appears the smallest configuration they have in this hotel is a studio suite with 1 queen bed and it doesn't look like they have sleeper sofas in those rooms as the hotel website lists max 2 people for these rooms. I have stayed at other Staybridge suites where the smallest configurations had sleeper sofas.

If you want to try the Hotwire method to try for the rooms, please note that Rancho Bernardo does not show up in their San Diego searches. You have to look for hotels in Rancho Bernardo.

Sorrento Mesa also may suit your needs.

Sometimes you have to be patient and wait to get rooms thru PRICELINE. Hotels may not release rooms till the dates get closer. Maybe you can keep trying till the first week of May before changing your strategy. If you are going to wait, its recommended to have a cancellable reservation as a backup. I am looking for mid-july dates in San Diego and at the moment there's absolutely nothing (2.5-3*) in Priceline's inventory.

Good luck!

[thereuare]

I'll add to the above that i misread your first post... thought you were six people total which would have meant 3 people in each room, but now that i see you're eight total you may want to consider HOTWIRE over PRICELINE.

PRICELINE only allows guarantees double occupancy, after that it's at the discretion of the hotel. With three people in each room, and not necessarily in a large, downtown, city area it might be worth the risk, but with quad occupancy in each room it could be a little more difficult, especially if the Staybridge has been upgraded to 2.5*.

HOTWIRE will allow you to search for up to quad occupancy in each room, ensuring that you have sleeping accomodations for everyone in your family. I'd start by doing a HOTWIRE search for your 'true' occupancy and see if anything is offered within your budget and/or minimum star quality and take it from there.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

[Brian Hammerhead]

thereuare, travelAlot, and jrnyman04,

You guys are super! Thanks for taking the time to write excellent and detailed suggestions.

Let

[thereuare]

So, in summary, our priorities are:

----

2) Amenities: Kitchenette, suite, free internet, free parking, free breakfast, free laundry

----

Are the above needs or wants... as you can't guarantee any of the above with PRICELINE.

If you need the above, then HOTWIRE is the way to go since you can tell if any/all of the above are offered based upon the amenities that are shown before your purchase.

Did you try a HOTWIRE search (for both 2rooms/2adults/6children and 2rooms/2adults/0children) to see if anything within your budget (and hopefully with the amenities above) was offered?

[wsj3200]

I really like the Country Inn and Suites in the Sorento Mesa area. It's freeway close to downtown SD (15 minutes) about 1/2 way between downtown and Legoland. The hotel is easy to get, has free parking, has a free breakfast that is about the best I've had for the price, nice pool and spa areas. It would be a 3* except it lacks a full time restaurant. It's in the price range your looking for. Plenty of free bids. Most areas closer to downtown can be used as free bids as they are much more expensive. Just bid areas you'd like to stay in case one of those areas hits. Stay away from the areas that offer only 2* hotels. They do not have a kitchenette. Chili's is a short walk away. Plenty of fast food in the area. Rancho Bernardo is a nice area but is a farther from downtown.

[Brian Hammerhead]

Are the above needs or wants... as you can't guarantee any of the above with PRICELINE.

If you need the above, then HOTWIRE is the way to go since you can tell if any/all of the above are offered based upon the amenities that are shown before your purchase.

Did you try a HOTWIRE search (for both 2rooms/2adults/6children and 2rooms/2adults/0children) to see if anything within your budget (and hopefully with the amenities above) was offered?

The amenities are wants. I understand that no amenities are guaranteed. I plan on looking at Hotwire, but since price is our major factor, then I figured that Priceline would be the better option; however, maybe my assumptions are mistaken. Is HOTWIRE ever cheaper than PRICELINE?

[Brian Hammerhead]

Did you try a HOTWIRE search (for both 2rooms/2adults/6children and 2rooms/2adults/0children) to see if anything within your budget (and hopefully with the amenities above) was offered?

I did some searching on HOTWIRE for Rancho Bernardo (2 rooms/2 adults/0 children) and didn't find anything that looked more promising than Priceline. Since this isn't the Hotwire forum, I probably shouldn't post details here; however, there was a 2* in Vista-Escondido for $55, but then the prices jump to $89, $102, $110.

I repeated the search with 2 rooms/2 adults/6 children and that eliminated the 2* in Vista-Escondido. The $89 is still there for a 2.5* hotel in San Diego North - Poway - Rancho Bernardo (breakfast, pool, internet). A little out of the price range, but I'll keep checking back to see if the price drops or if other options apear.

I will also try some other areas.

Thanks again for all the tips.

[Brian Hammerhead]

I really like the Country Inn and Suites in the Sorento Mesa area. It's freeway close to downtown SD (15 minutes) about 1/2 way between downtown and Legoland. The hotel is easy to get, has free parking, has a free breakfast that is about the best I've had for the price, nice pool and spa areas. It would be a 3* except it lacks a full time restaurant. It's in the price range your looking for. Plenty of free bids. Most areas closer to downtown can be used as free bids as they are much more expensive. Just bid areas you'd like to stay in case one of those areas hits. Stay away from the areas that offer only 2* hotels. They do not have a kitchenette. Chili's is a short walk away. Plenty of fast food in the area. Rancho Bernardo is a nice area but is a farther from downtown.

Thanks for the excellent suggestion. I searched the forum for "sorrento" and found your bid win last year for $40!!! I would love to get a price like that!

I didn't find any other bid wins listed. Perhaps I'll give this a shot for my next round of bids.

One point of clarification - you said "Stay away from the areas that offer only 2* hotels." If I understand correctly, the Country Inn is a 2.5*. If so, shouldn't I use areas that only offer 2* hotels as "2.5* hotel free bid zones"?

[wsj3200]

You can certainly use the 2* only area as free bids, just don't select the 2* option for hotel level as you will surely get a hotel in an undesirable area. In San Diego, there are many areas contained in a relatively small geographical circle that are much more expensive than your bidding range and closer to most of your activities. You can use these areas as free bids also. These more expensive areas are not likely to produce anything at the level you are bidding, but if they do, you have hit the jackpot.

[Brian Hammerhead]

Thanks again for all the helpful suggestions. I have just a couple of outstanding questions if anyone happens to know the answers.

1) If I were to split up my bidding, which day of the week is the best day to split?

thereuare stated above that "Weekend rates are cheaper than midweek rates", so I would guess that maybe Monday or Tuesday would be best on the front end of the week and maybe Thursday or Friday would be best at the end of the week. However, someone with more experience than I probably knows the best days of the week.

2) Has anyone ever seen a situation where a Hotwire win was cheaper than a Priceline win for the same dates and property?

3) If an non-opaque Priceline property has a 2.5* rating, does that mean that the same property in the opaque Priceline will have the same 2.5* rating?

If it is of any help to others, I have bid up to $59 in Rancho Bernardo for the dates listed above and it was still rejected.

[Colfax]

Welcome to BetterBidding, Brian Hammerhead. Lots of good suggestions have been offered. Here are my thoughts:

1) Rancho Bernardo isn't the best area for a family vacation.

It might be the geographic center on Google maps but it's not very near any of the attractions you're visiting. San Diego is very spread out and you'll be driving long distances in bad traffic every day. And bidding for a 2.5* in RB there's a good chance of getting upgraded to a 3* with a parking charge, which you don't want. And Rancho Bernardo is nowhere near the ocean. (Don't your kids want to spend time at the ocean?)

2) If you want to stay in one hotel all nine nights without moving I agree with the others who suggest 2.5* in the Sorrento Mesa zone. It's a central location within the county. Both reported 2.5* in Sorrento Mesa zone include free breakfast....especially useful for a family of 8. And there's no possibility of upgrade to 3* in Sorrento Mesa, since there are none. But I don't think you'll win nine nights there for $60, which brings me to....

3) I think your $60 limit for a 2.5* is too low.

In areas of San Diego where you'd want to stay with children you can't even get a two-bed room at Motel 6 for $60 in summer. Several of the Motel 6's are over $80 on summer weekends.

There might be subsets of your nine days that you can win for $60 or less on Priceline---two days here, three days there---but the odds of winning a nine day stay in June for $60 are small. Of course you should try bidding to $60 to see, but ultimately I think you're going to have to raise your limit, break your stay into smaller pieces, or bid for a 2*. You might have to do all three of those things.

[jrnyman04]

1. fri, sat and sun nights are considered weekend nights, so you may want to split your stay into 3 - 4 - 2 days and try.

3. Generally its the same rating for both.

If you are going to bid 2*, there will be no free re-bid zones. I would like to hear others opinions on whether you can use a zone like Coronado w/ its expensive 3 and 4* hotels can be used as a free re-bid zone.

[thereuare]

I would like to hear others opinions on whether you can use a zone like Coronado w/ its expensive 3 and 4* hotels can be used as a free re-bid zone.

Unless i'm willing to stay in that area at a higher rated hotel for the amount i have bid i DON"T use such areas as re-bid zones... too risky, and i usually plan far enough in advance so that i don't need to take any unnecessary risks.

[wsj3200]

I would like to hear others opinions on whether you can use a zone like Coronado w/ its expensive 3 and 4* hotels can be used as a free re-bid zone.

This is the beauty of bidding in the San Diego area. Although there is almost no chance that the more expensive areas like Coronado will hit, if they do, you have hit the jackpot as they are in the most desirable parts of the city for visitors, close to everything. The pricey hotels are in a pretty small geographical area. If one has the patience, I have bid up the 14 times in one sitting. Unfortunately, I have never been successful getting the better zones at the prices I was willing to pay.

As far as weekday/weekend rates, you can get an idea what days might require a higher bid amount by going to a generic hotel web site and putting in the dates you want for the Country Inn and Suites. For any given period, you will see some nights higher, some lower. Usually two tiers is all you'll see. You'll also find out their room availability. BTW, if there is limited inventory for the night you want, they are not likely to release any Priceline rooms for those dates. This can change at any time however. This may help you in determining the days you'll need to bid higher. For instance at business hotels like the Country Inn, weekend rates Friday - Sunday are lower. This may also be an indicator of the bid level they are willing to accept during that time period. Hotels that cater to tourists, will be more expensive on the weekends, but if they are having trouble filling rooms during the week, they may put in a lower bid point do to expected occupancy levels.

[mixstar]

I just wanted to let you know that I stayed at the Country Inn and Suites at the beginning of April. I got a price of $50 and the hotel was perfect for a family. We are returning to San Diego in August and will need 3 rooms (three families). I asked at the front desk about the possibility of getting the same rate and they said I'd have to book through PRICELINE. However, the woman that I spoke to said that as soon as I got the booking to call her and she would make sure that we got rooms with 2 beds and no smoking. She was incredibly friendly and helpful. I didn't feel less valued because I was a priceline shopper.

This hotel includes a full breakfast buffet every day which helps a lot with a family. I think you should try for the Sorrento Mesa area and start around $40. Take several days, if necessary, to see if you can get the room for $50 or less. If you feel like you're running out of time, just go as high as $60, I think you'll get it (I'm hoping for $45 for our trip). There is no charge for parking and the area is really safe. There isn't anything to do within walking distance, but tons of places very close. Even if you don't get this hotel, the odds are good that you'll get the Staybridge Suites... both offer free breakfasts and you should get either for $60 or less.

Good luck!

[Brian Hammerhead]

Our goal is a two week trip to San Diego with our family. Our goal was to pay no more than $60 per night for a room. With help from the Better Bidding community, we accomplished our goal.

See: San Diego are bidding help, Large family, long trip.

For those that may be interested, here is my complete bidding history

[Brian Hammerhead]

Our goal is a two week trip to San Diego with our family. Our goal was to pay no more than $60 per night for a room. With help from the Better Bidding community, we accomplished our goal.

See:

2.5* Holiday Inn San Diego Mission Bay (Point Loma), $49 ... 5/26/08-5/40/08 - San Diego Trip Part 1

2.5* Country Inn and Suites - San Diego (Sorrento Mesa), $54 ... 5/30/08-6/1/08 - San Diego Trip Part 2

2.5* Marriott Courtyard Rancho Bernardo - San Diego (Rancho Bernardo), $51 ... 6/1/08-6/6/08 - San Diego Trip Part 3

For all bids, I used the PRICELINE link.

Special thanks to thereuare, travelalot, jrnyman04, wsj3200, colfax, and mixstar for all their suggestions.

Here are some lessons learned:

1) Look for previous BB posts to determine the hotels in a given area.

2) Look on the hotel website to find out if their prices go up or down on the weekend, and to determine availability in some cases.

3) Prices in San Diego go up DRAMATICALLY on June 1 for hotel rooms almost across the board. We adjusted plans and went a week earlier so only our last week was in June. Note in the bid history that I was searching many San Diego zones after June 1 and wasn't finding anything in my price range.

4) For best prices, split your trip into weekdays and weekends. You may move a bit during your trip, but some hotels are tight on weekend and others are tight on weekdays.

5) BB posters are incredibly helpful and friendly!!

Now to plan the rest of the trip. Anyone have any tips for SCUBA at La Jolla Cove? :)

[jrnyman04]

Congrats! Thats very well done!!! They key to winning good rates in San Diego seems to be to be patient and wait till your dates get inside of a month sometimes. I am still trying for my mid-July dates, no luck so far.