Priceline Hotel: 4* San Francisco (USE) Marriott

[Monarch]

:) Hey all. I must be doing something wrong because all of my bids for a 4 star in San Francisco in the USE are were rejected. I saw that some of the winning bids in this area were under $100, that's why I started low. Here's how it went:

$75 - USE rejected

$80 (added botique) - USE rejected

$95 (boutique)- USE, USW rejected

$100 (boutique) - USE, USW, Civic Center rejected

$110 (boutique) -USE, USW, CC, Lombard rejected

$120 (boutique) - USE, USW, CC, Lombard, Cathedral Hill rejected

$125 (boutique) USE, USW, CC, Lombard, Cath Hill, South San Francisco rejected

It's been a while since I bid, so I figured I must have goofed. When I try again tomorrow, should I start the bid at $90 or so? Thanks.

[thereuare]

Two comments...

I would re-try your bids at the 4* level and not selecting Boutique as there is still some 'controversy' as to whether a Boutique bid will be ugpraded to a 4* property.

As well, it's still early and a lot of time before your stay, so i wouldn't "chase" this one at this point. Do you have a refundable back-up which you have reserved? (use our BetterChecker to assist in your hotel direct rate searches and Quickbook is another good source which has mostly refundable reservations)

Lastly, the Thursday nite is likely more expensive than the Friday thru Monday nites... is SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID an option?

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

[Monarch]

Thanks for the advice. For some reason yesterday when I tried to link through your post, the browser wouldn't open up.

I'll check those 2 sites for rooms, but keep trying with Priceline. I like the thrill of the chase and the feeling that "I got one over on the Man!" I really don't want to split my bid since I'm only there for 4 nights and the possibility of wasting time moving to another hotel doesn't appeal to me. When I went to London, I split my bids because I was there for 9 days and wanted to get the feel of more than one part of the city.

I'll start a new topic when I win my bid.

[thereuare]

Please continue this thread once you have won a hotel and we'll edit the topic title to reflect your purchase.

Do our PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links work for you now?

[Monarch]

I'll do that. The links work now. I'm going to wait a few weeks and try again. From the looks of it, people seem to get a better price when they bid closer to their trip date.

[thereuare]

Keep us updated and let us know how we can be of further help.

Glad to hear the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links are now working for you.

[Monarch]

:) OK, I'm getting really frustrated. I've seen bids for 4* hotels in the USE area around $100, give or take a few dollars. I've been bidding every few days, but no luck. Here's how it went today:

USE $100 rejected

USE & Cath. Hill $105 rejected

USE, Cath Hill, S. S.F. $115 rejected

USE, Cath Hill, S. S.F., Civic Center $125 rejected

USE, Cath Hill, S. S.F., Civic Center, Lombard $135 rejected

What am I doing wrong? Is there something going on that weekend? FYI, since I'm only going to be there for 4 days (9/11- 9/15), I really don't want to split my bid and spend a half day moving. I was thinking of bidding for either the first 3 days or last three and then just paying the rack rate for the 4th night at whatever hotel I win.

I'd really like to stay in the USE area, but I could add USW if you think that would better my chances.

Thanks

[thereuare]

Here is a win posted today for the Westin St Francis.

If you check rates for the date they won, hotel direct rates from the Westin Website you'lll see tha rates were $105/nite... now check them for your own dates and you'll see rates at this property are $349/nite. While this is just one property, you can check other 'low priced wins' for hotel direct rates for the nite(s) they won and compare them to your own rates (i suspect you'll see that most are higher for your dates vs. the dates of the low priced wins on the board)

You could wait it out and hope that rates come down between now and you're stay, but i do think that adding USW coudln't hurt (it certaily won't hurt your chances) and going up to $150 may help as well.

Let us know if you want to add any other zones now and/or increase your maximum bid at this time... we'll then suggest a strategy for you to follow.

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

[Colfax]

The last two nights of your four day stay have been reported won for $120 (after $115 failed) at the Hilton Financial District in USE.

Hilton's regular rate for those $120 nights is $229. Hilton's regular rate for your other two nights is $309/$279.

This is a situation where splitting would probably get you lowest total cost. I know you've said you don't want to split and I'm not trying to convince you.

If you're willing to pay $309 rack rate the first night you might get the last three nights accepted at $120 on Priceline and not have to move. But bidding to $150 for all four nights on Priceline would cost less than paying $309 for one night and $120 for the rest.

Are you still bidding for Boutiques too, as mentioned in your July post?

[Monarch]

I'm sticking with 4* at this point. After my last failed bid, I decided to add USW. Walking never hurt anybody. :) I'm, also going to start out at $150. Paying less than $200 a night is still a sight better that $309. I'd like to have this wrapped up by Labor Day, for my own peace of mind.

To get an idea, I checked the rates at a few places and the Garnd Hyatt has a special (25%) until the 26th. At that rate, they list the smallest room at $247 (Thurs) and $217 for the Fri-Mon. Why is it that Thursday nights are higher? I would think the weekends would cost more.

Since I don't do this very often, I'm wondering if I am getting the maximum amount of free rebids or is there something else I should be doing? I can rebid again at 9 pm.

Thanks in advance.

[thereuare]

Why is it that Thursday nights are higher?

Like everything else with a price, it's suppy vs. demand driven... it doesn't matter why demand is higher for that nite (most likey business travelers), just that it is, and that effects prices.

If you're going to add a 'new' zone now (USW) i woudln't start at $150. Please confirm your current parameters:

4 star

USE or USW

Max bid $200/nite

Let us know if the above is correct and we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow.

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

[Monarch]

Thereuare, those are correct parameters. I really want to keep my bid as low as possible, though. Thanks so much.

[Monarch]

Foiled again.....

USE $135 - rejected

USE, Cath Hill $140 - rejected

USE, Cath Hil, Civic Center $145 - rejected

USE, Cath Hill, C.C., USW $150 - rejected

USE, Cath Hill, C.C., USW, So. S.F. $155 - rejected

USE, Cath Hill, C.C., USW, So. S.F., Lombard $160 - rejected

Here's what I propose to do. Chart Thursday and Sunday night prices for each 4* in both the USE and USW area. Based on which night has the majority of cheaper rates, I'll drop that night and bid for the other 3. I'll start my bid around $100. Once I win ( :) ) a hotel, I'll book the 4th night at the same hotel myself.

Keep your fingers crossed for me. I'll report back tomorrow.

[Colfax]

Here's what I propose to do. Chart Thursday and Sunday night prices for each 4* in both the USE and USW area. Based on which night has the majority of cheaper rates, I'll drop that night and bid for the other 3. I'll start my bid around $100. Once I win ( ) a hotel, I'll book the 4th night at the same hotel myself.

When you split your bid you want to drop the most expensive night, not the cheapest night. The most expensive night probably also has the highest Priceline rate. Bidding high enough to win the most expensive night will probably result in an overbid for the other cheaper nights.

You already know your last night, a Sunday, is cheaper than your first, a Thursday, because $120 has been accepted for Sunday while $160 has been rejected for dates that include the Thursday. If you drop Sunday, the cheapest day, you'll probably still have to bid higher than $160 to get the other three days accepted because it wasn't the cheap Sunday that was causing your rejections.

[thereuare]

One additional risk is that the hotel you decide to book direct (because you won the previous 3 nites there) is sold-out or prohibitively expensive.

Of course you could win 3 nites and then make a decision of the cost of the extra nite is/isn't worth changing hotels after that solo nite... then use PRICELINE again for the lone nite if the hotel is sold-out or just too expensive.

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

[Monarch]

:) Finally! I won the Marriott Downtown. I bid for 9/12 - 9/15.

USE $100 - rejected

USE, Cath Hill $110 - rejected

USE, Cath Hill, Civic Center $120 - Accepted

I couldn't get 9/11 with the "Add a night" feature, so I went directly to the Marriott's website. Unfortunately, there are no rooms available.

I started a new bid for 9/11, but started a bit higher due to the cost of Thursday night.

USE $120 - rejected

USE, Cath Hill $130 - rejected

USE, Cath Hill, Civic Center $140 - rejected

USE, Cath Hill, Civic Center, Lombard $145 - rejected

USE, Cath Hill, Civic Center, Lombard, S. San Fran $150 - rejected

I found out that there are several conventions in town that weekend, with the ADA being the largest. So, instead of driving myself crazy, I just booked the one night at the Grand Hyatt for $225. It's a few blocks away, so I'll just get up and ready for the day and drop my bag off at the Marriott and continue on my merry way.

Thanks for all the help and info.....I used the PRICELINE link to do all of my bidding.

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Glad to hear you were ultimatley successful and it appears you're happy with the results... sorry to see the hotel was sold-out for the additional day you needed, but it appears you found a viable alternative.

Thanks for sharing your win with the board and using our PRICELINE link to begin your bidding.

Enjoy your stay and hav a great trip.