Hotwire Hotel: 4* San Francisco (USE) Westin St. Francis

[doppelg]

I'd like to get something in the Embarcadero. Mabye the Hyatt at 5 Embarcadero. I'd also settle for something near Union Square.

1. I just tried $60 for USE, and was rejected. Should I wait the 72 hours, or try $68 for USE and USW?

2. Why isn't Nob Hill on Priceline?

I'm thinking I can "fall back" on Hotwire (for now)-- they have what I believe is the Hyatt at Embarcadero 5 for $105/night for those dates.

BTW, my name is TJ, and I just found out about this board. I've been using Hotwire for 18 months, and I've had nothing but good experiences. Hi.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Instead of adding USW, which has 4* hotels, why not add a zone that does not have anything greater than 3* properties... this will essential allow you to bid again for just the USE/Embarcadero area (since the zone you're adding doesn't meet your minimum star level requirement). We refer to this as a re-bid and it is explained in more detail here: PRICELINE RE-BIDDING EXPLAINED.

Read the above link and feel free to ask any questions you may have and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board. When bidding 4* in this area you have 5 such re-bid zones available, and yes, i suggest your next bid be $68.

As well, when you have a chance, it would be greatly appreciated if you could add some of your Hotwire purchases to the board (along with the amenities that Hotwire uses to describe them). You can still view all the pertinent information by clicking the MY ACCOUNT link on the top right corner of Hotwire's home page.

Thanks, let us know how you make out with the current bid.

[doppelg]

Thank you for the prompt response. What is the other zone that has 4*? Or is that in another post you can link me to?

[doppelg]

I've rebid $68 and CC

$70 and FW

$73 and CH

...

which others can I rebid with?

[thereuare]

What is the other zone that has 4*?

You want zones that don't offer 4* bidding (or higher).

which others can I rebid with?

The way to check what star levels are available in each zone is to open a Priceline page, check ONLY the zone you are inquiring about, and then proceed to the next page (as if you were going to select a zone)... this will give you the available star ratings in that area. You can then hit BACK on your browser, uncheck the current box, check the next box, and repeat the process. It is important to do this before EACH attempt at adding a zone that you really don't want, as new hotels can be added and the star ratings can change at any time.

It is important that users know how to do this on their own as hotels can be added at any time and hotels upgraded/downgraded which can make a re-bid zone change overnight. Please follow the above paragraph and if you get stuck post the highest star rating in each zone and we'll figure out where you're going wrong. When you go back to the main list to check anothe zone, it is important to UNcheck the zone that you had just selected so that you're only looking at the available star levels for one zone at a time. This is the most common error users make when trying to determine the star levels in each zone.

[TBQ]

Pls. keep in mind that these dates overlap the Academy of Pediatrics convention that we discussed in a previous thread (although the HY Regency is not on the official list for the conference, overall SF room availability may be tighter).

[thereuare]

TBQ, i thought those dates looked familiar but took a quick look and didn't see the mention of the convention thread. In my scan i saw this thread for a CHICAGO CONVENTION period and figured i was just confusing the two! (especially with Hotwire offering a hotel at $105)

For doppelg's benefit, here is the SAN FRANCISCO CONVENTION thread for the same period you are refering to.

TBQ, thanks again for pointing it out!

[TBQ]

Actually, I confused the two myself, and had to stop and go back and re-read the threads :)

Hopefully the fact that the HY Regency is a bit farther away from the Moscone Center will allow doppelg to snag a room.

[doppelg]

The way to check what star levels are available in each zone is to open a Priceline page, check ONLY the zone you are inquiring about, and then proceed to the next page (as if you were going to select a zone)... this will give you the available star ratings in that area. You can then hit BACK on your browser, uncheck the current box, check the next box, and repeat the process. It is important to do this before EACH attempt at adding a zone that you really don't want, as new hotels can be added and the star ratings can change at any time.

Aha! Thanks for the important info. I went up to $73 last night, so I will try $75 now, then, if rejected, wait until Sunday morning and start again from $65.

[doppelg]

No go on $75, so I will try again Sunday... I'll let you know what happens.

[doppelg]

Any ideas on which 4* hotels have been on Priceline recently? And at what price they were accepted?

[thereuare]

You're in the right place.

The PRICELINE SAN FRANCISCO forum is entirely devoted to this area and listed in reverse chronological order, so just pull up that link and browse thru the listings.

We do our best to keep the format uniform so that it's easy to identify the sub-zones, dates, and prices paid.

The problem your experiencing is that these dates encompass the convetion mentioned above, so at this point will likely require a slightly higher bid than normal. If you provide your maximum bid we'll provide a strategy to sensibly take you up to that level.

[doppelg]

Well, since I can get a rate of $105 on Hotwire, my max bid would be $100. Thanks.

[thereuare]

This is how i would proceed:

Select 4* USE:

Bid $68, if rejected add re-bid zone and...

Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone and...

Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone and...

Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone and...

Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone and...

Bid $95.

There is a more complex approach to get you up to $100 on this round of bidding, but with so much time before your stay i don't think it's necessary to complicate things

Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

(you probably can't bid this until after your 72 hours wait is up)

[doppelg]

I went up to $85 and still got rejected, so I did some more research and booked the Westin St. Francis thru Hotwire for $109/night for these October dates.

I probably paid a little more than if I had waited and went thru Priceline on Sunday (which I still haven't actually completed a purchase through yet) but I talked it over with my wife, and we've always wanted to stay at the Westin St. Francis, so we're happy.

I will try using Priceline again on my next stay (now that I know how to use it.)

Should I make a post to the Hotwire forum regarding this purchase?

[thereuare]

Just list the amenities shown before purchase (can still be viewed by clicking the MY ACCOUNT link on the top right corner of Hotwire's home page) and i'll then edit this title and move it to the Hotwire section of the board.

Thanks for the follow-up.

[doppelg]

Union Square East

(4 star Hotel)

This Hotel features the following amenities:

Restaurant(s)

At least one restaurant is located on the premises. Restaurant hours may vary.

Fitness Center

Exercise equipment is available for guest use. An additional fee may apply.

Business Center

Guests have access to business equipment/services.

[doppelg]

I just want to follow up that my wife and I were not at all pleased with the service we received at the Westin St. Francis. When we checked in, we asked for a king sized bed. The manager, Kevin Chan, called me a "schemer" for using Hotwire to book our room. I told him I overheard one of the other reception agents treating a guest very nicely and asking him if he wanted to move or stay-- bring very cordial. The manager immediately encouraged us to try and change our reservations. I asked him why we were being treated differently, and he responded that the other guest had paid more for his room. I immediately told him that his explanation was bullsh*t. I took his name down and am disputing the charge on my Am Ex. I doubt they will rescind the charge, but I was furious at how he treated us like second class guests. He also put us in a room right above the ubiquitous protesters constantly chanting "check out! don't check in!" from 7:30 am to 10:00 pm each day of our stay.

The maid service was terrible. One day, they didn't leave us any washcloths. The next day, they took an expensive bottle of my after shave lotion. Another day, they threw a pillow behind the bed. We were going to retrieve it, but then we noticed the area behind the bed (a Murphy drop down bed) hadn't been cleaned in a long, long time, and the pillow was covered in disgustingly greasy dust bunnies! The carpet was dirty. Some of the lightbulbs were burnt out. The concierges didn't know anything about the area around the hotel (!)

We were in room 621.

We'll never stay at the St. Francis again.

Still, apart from our terrible hotel service, we had a great vacation.

[BEAV]

I'm really sorry to read about your experiences at the St Francis. Although I've yet to feel discriminated against at any hotel because I booked through either Priceline or Hotwire, my turn will no doubt come. What I don't understand is why some hotel employees, such as the one you encountered, are so vocal in their discrimination of Priceline/Hotwire guests. By their comments, you'd think their hotel was forced to participate w/Priceline and/or Hotwire. And we all know that's not the case......

[WillTravel]

By their comments, you'd think their hotel was forced to participate w/Priceline and/or Hotwire. And we all know that's not the case......

I think this sounds horrible too.

It's possible an individual hotel manager doesn't want to participate, but is "forced" by higher-ups in Starwood. But if he has that strong an objection, obviously he should quit his job.

[BEAV]

P.S.

Does disputing the charge w/AMEX mean you're disputing Hotwire or Starwood? Something to think about...

I'd strongly encourage you to contact Hotwire about your experience. They need to know whenever a hotel manager calls a Hotwire customer a "scheemer" because they booked the room through them. Hotwire, as a company, shouldn't tolerate such treatment of their product, and would no doubt contact Starwood about the incident. Having the employee's name, as you do, adds validation to any claim of poor customer service.

[doppelg]

I'm disputing it with AmEx, and they'll figure out who to dispute the charge with. If they do nothing (which I fully expect them to do) I will continue to pursue it through both Hotwire and the St. Francis directly. I'll update here.

[thereuare]

I would sooner contact Hotwire and/or the Westin rather than Amex.

[BEAV]

I just read a recent review at TripAdvisor from someone who stayed here during the strike (about two weeks ago, I believe). They reported that room service has been suspended, as well as access to the minibars. I'm not sure what Hotwire's criteria is, but I believe room service is an amenity which is required to attain a 3* status w/Priceline. Was room service affected during your stay, doppelg?

Attitude of the front desk aside, I can't help but wonder if Hotwire (or Priceline, for that matter) would offer any compensation for the lack of room service on a completed stay. Or also let you "out" of the contract if your upcoming stay is within a few days (assuming the hotel is still being struck).

[lols71]

greetings fellow travelers,

doppelg, I am wondering, what if any respone you have recieved from westin? I'm checking in this friday, and after reading your post, I'm concerned with that manager "kevin chan" who gave you such shoddy treatment.

regards

ed