Priceline Hotel: 3* San Francisco (Civic Center) Holiday Inn Golden Gateway

[tiaraparakeet]

Hello, first post! (Have been lurking a bit; this board is a great resource.)

Wanted to book the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway (HIGG) for Wed 06/03 & Thurs 06/04, checking out Fri 06/05. Per HI website: lowest rate for these 2 nights = $103.55/night. Since it's the only 3* listed in Civic Center, I figured I had a decent chance to get it through Priceline cheaper (and was willing to take my chances if some other, surprise hotel came up).

Priceline 'Name Your Own Price' showed median price of $129/night for Civic Center 3* for this period.

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BIDDING HISTORY (06/02/09, c. 2 PM PT):

(1) Initial bid >> Civic Center, 3*, $45 > rejected, but with message that if I upped my bid by $13 (to $58), I could rebid right away.

(2) Instead, added Marina/Lombard St. (free rebid), $50 > rejected.

(3) Added SOMA/Moscone -- not a free rebid, but unlikely to come up for that price/those dates & OK w/me if it did -- $55 > accepted! Sure enough, it was the HIGG.

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As a side note - after my purchase was confirmed, the ADD ADDITIONAL NIGHTS option came up. I didn't need an initial night, but clicked out of curiosity, and immediately got a message saying that the HIGG does not allow nights to be added, and to click to see rates for this hotel - which took me to the Priceline non-opaque booking section and showed me a lowest rate rate of $92.66 for the night of 6/5. I thought it was interesting that I automatically got the 'add a night' option if the hotel never allows it - now I'm curious if Priceline simply always offers this option for every bid...

[AaronJB]

Congratulations on your win and (officially) welcome to the site. :)

This is certainly a great discount off the regular rate, and thank you for sharing your win and bidding strategy. Not sure regarding the extend a night option; I know hotels don't always offer the option for every night, but I'm not sure if there are hotels that never allow the "add a night" option.

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

Enjoy your stay.

[Gallus50]

HIGG is very convenient to the California cable car, so I recommend using it. Also ask for a city view room, facing east, I think. It's a lovely scene at sunset and at night.

[Colfax]

If you're a Priority Club member show your card when you check in. You won't earn points on a PRICELINE stay but showing the card might help get you an east facing room rather than west. The views to the west aren't bad really, but as Gallus50 mentioned the views east are superb.

On Holiday Inn's website I see they're now offering two tiers of view rooms at different rates. For your dates a standard King is $119, King with View is $149, and King with Grand View is $169. I've never noticed the View/Grand View distinction at this HI before.