Priceline Hotel: 4* San Francisco (USE) Hyatt Regency

[april08]

I am having a really hard time booking a hotel in San Francisco for 5/06-5/10 in USE (ideally) or USW. I have gone as high as $125 a night (which is much more than I wanted to spend) and have done all of the possible re-bid zones (starting as low as $75), as well as attempting to split my bid. I can see from here that people have gotten much better deals that what I am looking to get in the days surrounding my visit, I'm just not sure what I am doing wrong. Is there something going on in San Francisco those days that is making this more difficult? Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Thanks for any help.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

What is the minimum star rating you're selecting?

Did you try SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID for all different combinations or only 2nites/2nites?

What is the best rate you're able to get for these dates outsde of the opque providers? (use our BetterChecker tool to assist in your search)

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

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

[Colfax]

You've still got 16 days to go. I'd suggest trying to $125 once again on Monday, tomorrow, in the late afternoon or evening. Sometimes there's a replenishment of Priceline inventory on Mondays when the decision makers come back to work.

[april08]

We are trying for 4* hotels, and we've only split the bid 2 nights/2 nights so far. It looks like the lowest I could possibly book outside of Priceline would be $210-219.

[thereuare]

The midweek (first three) nites are more expensive than usual... the last nite rates are more 'typical'.

As per Colfax's recommendation I would try again tomorrow afternoon, but you should start considering what you will do as a back-up plan if you are rejected... wait it out (but pick a day when you will switch to Plan :), lower your star rating, raise your bid, etc.

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

Let us know how it geos tomorrow and we'll proceed from there.

[swiz]

I'm new here but have used PRICELINE quite a bit. Not that it matters but I've always had good luck using 9's. For instance I wanted 4* in USE and saw some wins there. I was willing to pay over the last win for at least one of my days, but that ($105) was a very good rate So I went down 10% and rounded down to the 9 - $89 (79, 99, 109,...) and got it. My next price would have been 109 to top the last win that I saw for that date. I don't know why but 9's have good luck. Also don't start too low for 4*, depending on the city but especially San Fran, $80 is dirt cheap. Even if some one got that price I would be willing to pay at least $100, so my first bid will likely be $89. If i go to 3* I lower the price $79 or $69 in the city but even lower at the airports cause they almost always have a room.

My biggest success though is researching prices and/or wins, and then not being greedy. Paying $10 more than the last person, will win more often than trying to get the exact same price. The hotels aren't stupid, they follow these sites too, and one low price will bring bidders and actually increase overall bids in their area - a legal bait and switch. Don't be afraid to ramp it up. $89-109-129?? all great prices in san fran for 4*.

Another strategy if there are few hotels in a certain category is to make a fair bid for 4* then add 3* but lower the price a little. I seem to have luck with this, but again probably more related to putting in fair bids that are likely to be taken serious.

[april08]

Okay so a small update. I split my bid and won they Hyatt Regency Embarcedero for the Friday night (5/09) stay. We made an initial bid of $90, were rejected, added a rebid zone (CH I believe) and then re-bid $95 and it was accepted! We've still been trying for the other three nights without any luck. I will update if we ever have any success!

[thereuare]

april08,

Congratulations on your partial success. If you need help with the balance of your stay please start a NEW TOPIC.

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

swiz,

Many users receiving a win at a given hotel doesn't necessarily increase required bids in a given area. Hotels are competing with each other to be the 'acceptor hotel' in a given zone, and therefor if one hotel is consistently the hotel won, others may actually lower the bid required to receive their property in an attempt to be able to accept more winning bids.

[Colfax]

You're off to a good start, april08!

Do you know about Priceline's Add a Night feature? You can use that to try and win 5/8 at the Hyatt too. On your acceptance page there's a link that says "Click here to extend your stay". Do that and follow the directions if you're interested in staying at the Hyatt one more night.

If the Hyatt has a room available for $90 on 5/8 you'll be booked and your credit card charged.

If they have a room available at a higher rate than $90 you'll be told what the higher rate is and you'll have the option to accept or decline. Your card will NOT be charged unless you accept that higher rate.

If Hyatt has no Priceline rooms on 5/8 at ANY rate you'll be told that too, and of course, no charge.