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Priceline Hotel: 4* San Francisco (USW) Hilton San Francisco


toSFCA
By toSFCA,
in

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I think I posted on the wrong forum earlier. I apologize if you have had to read this twice.

Dates of stay: 13 June - 16 June.

Amenities listed are -

Fitness Center

Restaurant

Laundry Facilities

Pools

Business Center

High Speed Internet Access

Am wondering if any one can help me identifying the hotels and also wondering if the price will go down any?

Thanks!

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Welcome to BetterBidding!

The above is a match for the Holiday Inn so that would be our best guess.

Nobody can say if the price will go down... or up... between now and your stay, but for more on this subject see the related link in our PRICELINE FAQ.

I will add however, assuming identified correctly, the hotel website is showing over $200/nite for these nites, so how much lower or more of a deal would you expect?

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

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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Please keep all posts for the same stay in the same thread. If you ultimately use PRICELINE we'll move the entire thread to that section of the board.

When bidding 3* in San Francisco you have two re-bid zones available. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.

At this point i would recommend bidding as follows:

Select 3* Fishermans Wharf and re-bid zone1...

Bid $74, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE.

Select 3* Fishermans Wharf and re-bid zone2...

Bid $78, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $82.

Any questions (like confirm your re-bid zones before bidding above) feel free to ask.

Thanks for using our PRICELINE link.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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Welcome to Better Bidding.

A counteroffer is something that happens randomely during Priceline bidding. In your particular case, $69 wasn't enough to "score" a 3-star room in Fisherman's Wharf. Rather than Priceline simply replying that your price wasn't accepted, they instead came back with a counteroffer. As you may/may not know, if you wish to bid again before your 24 hour lockout expires, you have to make a change to either your zone or star level before entering another bid. However in the case of a counteroffer, Priceline is alllowing you to rebid again without any zone, star level or date changes IF you increase your bid to $86.

If you're a seasoned bidder and know/understand the "free rebid" system, then you can usually circumvent paying the full $17 counteroffer as Priceline will generally accept less (typically 50%) than the amount of their counteroffer. But since you're new to Better Bidding, I'm not certain how experienced you are with Priceline bidding, so don't want to get in too deep. Is this your first time bidding for hotels on PRICELINE?

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Hi Beav - Thanks for responding. This is my first time on PRICELINE and HOTWIRE but I am willing to learn and understand for a better deal. In order for me understand this better, I have a few questions.

When I go into PRICELINE now, it still shows me the +$17 offer. Does this offer go away after the 24 hr time, so I can bid for around $77-$78 (according to the 50% logic)? Is this the way to circumvent or do I have any other choices?

I also want to add that HOTWIRE now has this listed at $95 from $89 last night...

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You should be able to go to PRICELINE and start a "fresh" bid... regardless of the previos counter-offer.

If you understand re-bidding (if not we strongly encourage you ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before bidding), i'd go straight to PRICELINE and suggest bidding as per my post above:

At this point i would recommend bidding as follows:

Select 3* Fishermans Wharf and re-bid zone1...

Bid $74, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE.

Select 3* Fishermans Wharf and re-bid zone2...

Bid $78, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $82.

Any questions feel free to ask.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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First off, thank you very much for your willingness to help.

Based on what you guys have explained, I understood my first step as to find zones that did not have any 3* and up hotels. I went to priceline and opened a brand new page for the bid (as if I was going to bid) and figured that the hotel ratings in the bottom were enabled/disabled based on what area I was choosing on the first step. Using that, I narrowed down two areas - Civic Center (1-Star Economy, 2-Star Moderate, 21/2-star Moderate-Plus) and Lombard Street (1-Star Economy, 2-Star Moderate).

Now according to what you suggested, would I do the following? I am doing this so I don't mess this up.

Select 3* Fishermans Wharf and Civic Center

Bid $74, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE.

Select 3* Fishermans Wharf and Lombard Street

Bid $78, if rejected add re-bid Civic Center

Bid $82.

Am I going to be safe this way and get only 3* in Fisherman's wharf and NOT get stuck in Lombard street or the civic center areas?

Thanks again!

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Yes, you have it correct... just make sure to check your two re-bid zones again just before bidding to make sure that no higher rated hotels have been added since the last time you checked.

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

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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I think I have an issue here..see below for my comments....

Select 3* Fishermans Wharf and Civic Center - did this

Bid $74, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE. - It was rejected, so did this also

Select 3* Fishermans Wharf and Lombard Street - I wasn't able to JUST select Fishermans wharf and lombard, it made me add lombard to the fishermans wharf AND the already existing civic center. Did I miss anything here? Did I just mess it all up?

Bid $78, if rejected add re-bid Civic Center - I bid this and this got rejected also but now I do not have any options. HELP

Bid $82. - Never got to this step

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After your initial Fisherman's Wharf/Civic Center bid of $74, it sounds like you "piggy backed" on your next bid rather than closing your browser and accessing Priceline again from scratch. By "piggy backed" I mean that PRICELINE remembered your FW/CC bids and all that was left was to select (or add) Lombard St. With this method, Priceline continues to bid for you in all the previously-bid zones, including Civic Center, which you didn't want the second time around. By closing your browser completely and starting all over from scratch, Priceline wouldn't remember your previous bid history, which would have enabled you to select any zone you wish (in this case FW and Lombard St). Yes, it appears you are out of bidding options until your 24 hour lockout expires. If the Fisherman's Wharf zone was the only zone you bid yesterday when you received the counteroffer, you should be able to rebid ONLY the FW zone whenever that 24 hour lapse expires. And when Priceline says 24 hours, they dont mean 23 hours and 55 minutes! It's all timed. As to rebidding using FW/CC and/or Lombard zones, you need to wait 24 hours from the time you made those bids today. Look at the bright side....Priceline's "lock out" period used to be 72 hours!

I tihink you've got the concept of your "free" rebid zones. And, yes, as long as you check the quality level of EACH zone before you place your 3* bid, there is no way to get assigned a hotel in Civic Center or Lombard because they have no participating 3 star hotels with PRICELINE.

Continued good luck.....

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I think I am out of luck here..

I went up to 105$ and still no luck in getting the room..I think the prices may have gone up or the hotel must be out of priceline/hotwire rooms because when I now look in Hotwire, the same hotel that was listed at $89 on Monday is now listed at $159. I think I waited too long or something. Now I feel like I should have taken priceline's counter offer of $86.

Disappointed......

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Hang in there as hotel inventory is constantly changing (as you're discovering the hard way). As of this writing I'm seeing 3.5 star on Hotwire for $139 and 3 stars for $126. This is for check-in June 7, check-out June 10. Am I entering the right dates?

My advice would be to book a cancellable back-up, and continue trying the Priceline/Hotwire process. With regard to the Hotwire jump from $89 to $159, are you certain you were seeing the same hotel in both searches? It is very possible for two (or more) hotels to have the same star level rating and amenity displays, so there is no guarantee the hotel Hotwire was displaying on Monday is the same you're seeing today.

An example of ever-changing price & inventory would be my own experience in SF last weekend. I was looking for a one-night stay for Friday, May 23. I wasn't necessarily looking to book Priceline or Hotwire, but rather focusing on a few specific hotels on Expedia and other websites. I started price checking on Monday, and checked every day up through Friday. The prices changed every day (dropping, for the most part, as the week progressed). On Thursday, the hotel I was focusing on was charging $175 for Friday night. When I checked again Friday morning (for check-in that day) the price had dropped to $125 and I booked. A $50 drop overnight. As the hotels adjust their own pricing, so do they adjust their HOTWIRE / PRICELINE rates.

So hang in there and keep trying!

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This is for check-in June 7, check-out June 10. Am I entering the right dates?
The dates are check-in June 13, check-out June 16.
My advice would be to book a cancellable back-up, and continue trying the Priceline/Hotwire process.
I am currently in the same process of booking a cancellable backup.
With regard to the Hotwire jump from $89 to $159, are you certain you were seeing the same hotel in both searches? It is very possible for two (or more) hotels to have the same star level rating and amenity displays, so there is no guarantee the hotel Hotwire was displaying on Monday is the same you're seeing today.
The reason I concluded it the same hotel is because, hotwire says it has 3 hotels in the fisherman's wharf, so I equated that to mean it is one for each category (3*, 3.5* and 4*). But that does NOT actually mean the 3* on Monday was the same hotel as the 3* today. It could have been a different hotel with the same ameneties but I didn't come across the same ameneties on the hotel list on this site. All these things led me to the assumption that it must have been the same hotel. Interesting thing is for the dates I am looking, on hotwire, the 3.5* has a lower rate than the 3*
So hang in there and keep trying!
I will keep looking and trying and keep this forum posted on my success/failure :)
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Sorry about the date confusion on my part. I was assisting another poster who's dates were 7th to 10th and I got them confused with your dates!

You are correct 6/13-6/16 is displaying a lower rate for 3.5 stars than 3 stars. This is not all that unusual .. we see it a lot around here! When it comes to Priceline, quite often we see lower priced 4 star hotels in the Union Square zones than 3 star hotels. 4 star hotels are typically larger, chain-type hotels with larger inventories than the smaller 3 star independant and/or boutique style hotels.

As to Hotwire saying they have 3 hotels in Fisherman's Wharf for your dates, yes, they are displaying one each in the 3, 3.5 and 4 star categories. This does NOT mean they have only one participating hotel in each category. It just means they have availablity at 3 hotels for your travel dates. You will never see Hotwire offer two different 3 star hotels in the same category for the same date(s). They sell and display the lowest priced hotel first. If/when inventory is depleted at that particular hotel, then you will see them display a higher priced hotel in the same category if/when a different property provides Hotwire with inventory. As to the hotel list here at Better Bidding, it is merely a compliation of reported Priceline wins and Hotwire purchases. It's a constant work-in-progress as people report new hotels all the time. Because there are no two hotels with equal star ratings & amenities on the hotel list does not mean that possibility doesn't exist. Hotwire is known for constantly tweaking their star rating & amenities. They do a good job of keeping us guessing!

Take a deep breath and hang in there!

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3-star hotel in Civic Center South - Hayes Valley for $89 on HOTWIRE

Check-in June 13, Check-out June 16

Ameneties - Smokefree, Fitness, Restaurant, Business Center, Highspeed Internet

Any ideas on what this might be? My research got me nowhere.

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3-star hotel in Civic Center South - Hayes Valley for $89 on HOTWIRE

Check-in June 13, Check-out June 16

Ameneties - Smokefree, Fitness, Restaurant, Business Center, Highspeed Internet

Any ideas on what this might be? My research got me nowhere.

Finally, an easy one!

If you do a Hotwire Vacation Package search (air+hotel) for 6/13-6/16, you will see this is a match for the Hotel Whitcomb. Hotwire vacation package searches can be a great tool for unmasking their opaque hotel-only product.

Also, when you look at this property in the Hotwire opaque hotel-only product, you will see a 3.5 TripAdvisor customer satisfaction rating. If you bring up the Hotel Witcomb on TripAdvisor, you will see it has a 3.5 customer satisfaction rating, so that makes it a match as well.

Edited to add: Note the vacation package is listing different amenities for the Whitcomb than what appears on the hotel list here at Better Bidding. This is just another example of how Hotwire continually tweaks amenities and keeps us all on our toes around here.

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toSFCA,

What about bidding for a 2.5* in Fisherman's Wharf on Priceline? The Holiday Inn Expresss is the 2.5* that comes up most often (although other hotels are possible) and the HIE gets good reviews. Some people prefer it over the 3* Holiday Inn as the HIE is a newer hotel and includes free breakfast.

Since you're looking at hotels in Downtown zones now too I'll mention that the $105 you've already bid in FW might be enough for a 4* or Boutique in USE or USW. Do you prefer the FW location? Or are other zones equally acceptable? If the latter someone can offer a strategy for trying up to $105 in USE and/or USW.

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toSFCA,

What about bidding for a 2.5* in Fisherman's Wharf on Priceline? The Holiday Inn Expresss is the 2.5* that comes up most often (although other hotels are possible) and the HIE gets good reviews. Some people prefer it over the 3* Holiday Inn as the HIE is a newer hotel and includes free breakfast.

Since you're looking at hotels in Downtown zones now too I'll mention that the $105 you've already bid in FW might be enough for a 4* or Boutique in USE or USW. Do you prefer the FW location? Or are other zones equally acceptable? If the latter someone can offer a strategy for trying up to $105 in USE and/or USW.

toSFCA,

You can be glad Colfax has arrived on the scene to provide some fresh and new perspectives. Colfax is our resident SF expert. He can (and will) provide super deluxe service, whereas I only provide service!

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toSFCA,

What about bidding for a 2.5* in Fisherman's Wharf on Priceline? The Holiday Inn Expresss is the 2.5* that comes up most often (although other hotels are possible) and the HIE gets good reviews. Some people prefer it over the 3* Holiday Inn as the HIE is a newer hotel and includes free breakfast.

Since you're looking at hotels in Downtown zones now too I'll mention that the $105 you've already bid in FW might be enough for a 4* or Boutique in USE or USW. Do you prefer the FW location? Or are other zones equally acceptable? If the latter someone can offer a strategy for trying up to $105 in USE and/or USW.

Colfax - Is HIE 2.5* in Priceline? What other hotels come into this zone on priceline? I see HIE and Courtyard by Mariott. Are these the only two options? I looked and HIE has stuff available for check-in June 13, check-out 15 but not for the last day (check-out 16). I wonder if I should weigh in options of switching hotels the last night. Cab ride to the other hotel etc.

I am mostly looking at a FW location because of its close proximity to things (esp. because we are catching an early morning train to Sacremento from the bus station) but other locations are acceptable as long as the area is safe to walk at night etc. Some reviews I read were scary - drug dealers, homeless people etc. Don't want to deal with all that early in the morning or late at night...

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I am mostly looking at a FW location because of its close proximity to things (esp. because we are catching an early morning train to Sacremento from the bus station) but other locations are acceptable as long as the area is safe to walk at night etc. Some reviews I read were scary - drug dealers, homeless people etc. Don't want to deal with all that early in the morning or late at night...

With regard to convenience catching the Amtrak bus, there are 3 Amtrak pick up points for Sacramento within the City:

1. Pier 39: This stop falls within both Hotwire & Priceline's Fisherman's Wharf zone

2. Embarcadero (main Amtrak-staffed station): This stop is located at 101 The Embarcadero. This location falls within Hotwire's Embarcadero zone and Priceline's Union Square East/Embarcadero zone.

3. 835 Market St - Westfield Shopping Centre - This stop straddles the border between both Priceline & Hotwire's USE and USW zones.

As to the seedy/homeless situation in San Francisco, I would discourage you from booking the Hotel Whitcomb in the Civic Center/Hayes Valley zone we discussed earlier. Hotwire's Embarcadero zone is probably the most immune from this problem as it lies primarily in the Financial District. Next best zone would be Hotwire and Priceline's USE. Once you enter the USW zone (both Hotwire & Priceline) you find yourself dealing with these obstacles. The Fisherman's Wharf zone is mixed, in my opinion. What you cannot get away from, however, in most any downtown area of SF are panhandlers. Yes, they can be irratating, however are harmless, but unavoidable!

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Thanks Beav for the great tips. This will be my first time in CA and although I grew up for 21 years in a place where panhandlers and beggars are VERY common, its been a while since I have lived in such a place. You have exactly my thoughts about Hotel Whitcomb, it looked like a great hotel but it looks like it falls in between the 6th-9th streets of Market that people are telling me to avoid walking on at nights....that would also put the Westfield Shopping Centre location in the avoid zone...

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