Priceline Hotel: San Francisco Airport 4* no win

[Beachmiles]

Sept 23 arriving for one night ( maybe two) SFO Airport. Bid $68 for a 4* , hoping to get the Hyatt. not accepted. I added South SanFrancisco and went up to $75 , still no win. This is my first time on Priceline. I'll reconsider tomorrow. I've also got to find a room in Napa for 3 or 4 nights.

I did use this sites link to PRICELINE.

[Colfax]

Your dates are during the Oracle convention. Many hotels are sold out and those with rooms are sky high.

On 9/23 Hyatt SFO is $364 and Sheraton SFO is sold out.

On 9/24 Hyatt is sold out and Sheraton is $359.

Hotwire has nothing 4* or 3.5* at the Airport for either night, which means that PRICELINE might not either. HOTWIRE has a 3* for $223 or a 2* for $179.

To get something near the Airport on Priceline you'll probably need to try for 3* and raise your bidding limit significantly.

Are you in town for the Oracle convention? The city is very booked up that week too.

[Beachmiles]

Thanks Colfax. No We're not in town for the convention. Just thought we'd use up some USAirways frequent flyermiles and take a bargain trip to Nothern California. Our flight gets in at 8:00PM , tuesday sept 25th. I just thought it would be easiest to get a room near the airport and head out in the morning. But we may have to do some driving upon arrival.

How far reaching is the convention? How far might we have to drive to avoid it's impact? Our goal is to head to Napa , but could spend a day in San Francisco, or somewhere along the way, to the Wine Country.

We could also use an airport room the following week, for our return flight. maybe they will be gone by then.

[Colfax]

Beachmiles,

It's bad luck for you but this is one of the busiest hotel weeks of the year in San Francisco. It affects Downtown and Airport areas both.

Checking the Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins I see nobody has reported a win in any SF zone next week, five nights in a row. That's rare.

HOTWIRE has six Downtown zones. In all six zones they only have one available hotel on 9/23, a 2* for $349 in Civic Center South. Rates are just crazy high. The Downtown Travelodge is $384!

Are you able to drive to Napa first, for Tues, Weds, Thurs, then spend the weekend in downtown SF? The convention will be over by then. Napa hotel rates can be cheaper on weekdays than weekends too, and the wineries less crowded.

If you don't want to do that some areas where you might be able to get reasonable rooms on 9/23 include Santa Rosa, or further south down the peninsula in San Mateo or Palo Alto. Or maybe spend a night in Half Moon Bay?

Sometimes with big conventions like this there are cancellations at the last minute and PRICELINE gets rooms in the days right before. There's no guarantee that will happen but if you feel like gambling you could hold on and see if anything opens up over the weekend.

[Gallus50]

Good advice, Colfax. I'd certainly try to stay out of town on those days, with prices that high. Yikes!

[Colfax]

That Downtown logjam on 9/23 might be starting to break a little. HOTWIRE has four hotels Downtown now. Three days ago they only had one.

That 2* has dropped from $349 to $269, and now there are a couple 3* and 3.5* available that weren't there before. Best price now is a 3* in Civic Center South for $239.

If you still want to stay Downtown on 9/23 I'd hang on another day or two and see if availability doesn't get better yet.

[Colfax]

That 3* in Civic Center South has dropped from $239 to $196 on Hotwire. Still no HOTWIRE 4* Downtown.

[Colfax]

That 3* Civic Center dropped again, from $196 to $169.

How low will they go?

It appears to be the Whitcomb.

[Colfax]

Now $129. :)

[Colfax]

As so often happens, availability and pricing improve a day or two before a big convention starts. Last minute cancellations.

Today HOTWIRE has these three hotels, plus four more options Downtown:

4.5* Embarcadero $185

4* Nob Hill $193

3* Civic Center South $95

Also there's a 4* in Airport South for $122 and a 3.5* for $114. When this thread started Hotwire had nothing 4* or 3.5* at the Airport.

I don't know if you're still with us, Beachmiles, but if you still want to try for your original plan...a 4* at the Airport for $75, if might be worth bidding again now.