Hotwire Hotel: When to reserve hotel in SF

[OV01]

This is the first time I am booking through hotwire. I have read alot of reviews (wish I would have stumbled on it last yr when we went to Orlando)

Even though I have learned alot I still have few questions.

we are 2 adults and 1 toddler going to SF end of April, will be staying for about 1 week. I looked up for room reservation for these particular days for a 4 star hotel in USE and USW. I was getting a price from 109 - 119$. but if I change the dates to 04/13/08 - 04/19/08 I was given 80 - 100 $ price range.

Is it common for the hotels to drop their prices at the end? Should I wait and book it in the middle of April?? Any advice will be appreciated.

We are thinking to rent a car to visit cities around SF. Can I get a better price through hotwire/priceline then through the rental company. Anyone who had a good exprience in it...?

Thanx once again for this wonderful site for novice ppl like me.

[OV01]

This is the first time I am booking through hotwire. I have read alot of reviews (wish I would have stumbled on it last yr when we went to Orlando)

Even though I have learned alot I still have few questions.

we are 2 adults and 1 toddler going to SF end of April, will be staying for about 1 week. I looked up for room reservation for these particular days for a 4 star hotel in USE and USW. I was getting a price from 109 - 119$. but if I change the dates to 04/13/08 - 04/19/08 I was given 80 - 100 $ price range.

Is it common for the hotels to drop their prices at the end? Should I wait and book it in the middle of April?? Any advice will be appreciated.

We are thinking to rent a car to visit cities around SF. Can I get a better price through hotwire/priceline then through the rental company. Anyone who had a good exprience in it...?

Thanx once again for this wonderful site for novice ppl like me.

[dahammer]

Welcome!

room rates can fluctuate and tend to increase as occupancy rates go up. If your plans are firm, and the rates are within your budget, you should book now.

Please use this HOTWIRE link if you proceed

[AaronJB]

Waiting on booking a room is like rolling the dice in Vegas. One of my favorite stories on this subject occured a couple of years ago. I was helping a woman book a hotel in June for a trip in Chicago in October - a set of dates where a convention was occuring. I told her to book ahead of time, but she decided to wait. Guess what happened in October - she was asking for help again, but now she was frantic because the $125-150 rates she passed on had doubled. I was able to help her find something, but that still stands out to me as the ultimate downside of what could possibly happen if you do not book in advance.

In terms of this trip, you have to look at what rates are in San Fran and be realistic about prices. If I look on HOTWIRE right now for these dates, there is a 4* in the Union Square West area for $89. Being realistic, one has to imagine that the "floor" for a 4* price in San Francisco in the early days of Spring is likely not much below that price - that's a very good rate for San Fran, especially for a string of nearly 7 days in a row. The listing on HOTWIRE is a 4* in USW with fitness, business, restaurant and internet for icons. You may see a slightly different price than $89. The listing would be a likely match for Parc 55 or the Clift (although Parc 55 is probably more likely.)

Given the HOTWIRE prices in Union Square West for a 4* ($89) and USE for a 4* ($99), you could attempt bidding for a 4* in either of those areas on PRICELINE. I would start bidding at $70 for a 4* in the USW zone on PRICELINE, or $75 for a 4* in the USE area on PRICELINE. Keep in mind that HOTWIRE is offering low rates, so you wouldn't be going much higher if $70/$75 isn't accepted on PRICELINE.

Given the prices right now, waiting until closer to your trip wouldn't be a good idea. I would have to say there's very limited downside to the prices I've listed above, and potentially a fair amount of potential upside if you wait and don't start trying to book now.

Many have had very good experience using the rental car service on PRICELINE, but keep in mind, if you're using a car to get around San Fran, you're going to encounter high parking rates. I would try to use public transit around San Fran and then rent the car for after you're done in San Fran, if possible.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE and PRICELINE links to start your purchases, and let us know if you have any questions prior to starting the booking process.

[Colfax]

I'll second AaronJB's view that 4* rates on HOTWIRE aren't likely to drop much lower than $89, and it's likely you can beat that $89 rate for a 4* on PRICELINE.

We are thinking to rent a car to visit cities around SF. Can I get a better price through hotwire/priceline then through the rental company. Anyone who had a good exprience in it...?

You can probably get a better car rental rate on Hotwire or Priceline than through the car companies.

If you're only going to use the car a couple days though you might consider renting a car in Union Square just for the days you need it. That way you'll avoid Union Square's high parking charges---over $50/day now at some of them! Cabfare from SFO to Downtown is about the same cost as one night's parking charge.

Priceline offers "Name Your Own Price" bidding in Downtown SF. It's one of the few cities where you can bid Downtown. As far as I know noone's reported a winning bid in Downtown SF yet.

If you want help with you car rental bid please start a thread for that in the Car Rental section of the board.