Priceline Hotel: 4* San Francisco (USW-Nob Hill) Hilton San Francisco

[Colfax]

This was a 3* bid upgraded to 4*.

I bid the night before my stay for a 3* in USW. I was hoping for one of the Boutique-type hotels like the Rex or Serrano, and got upgraded to the 4* Hilton, which is about an un-Boutique as you can get. Priceline eliminated Boutique bidding in SF over a year ago and downgraded most of the former boutiques to 3*. Since then the Boutique properties have pretty much fallen off the Priceline radar, at least in SF, and are rarely reported as wins anymore.

$63/3* was rejected. $64 accepted with upgrade.

Hilton's best rate was $209. Hotwire had a 4* in USW for $111.

Hilton was playing host hotel to the The American Sociological Association's annual convention and the lobby was mobbed with sociologists day and night. There's plenty for the sociologists to study right outside the Hilton's front door.

Bids placed through the BetterBidding PRICELINE link.

[yellowdog]

Congratulations on your success!

Thank you for sharing your win with the board and using boards PRICELINE link to begin your bidding :)

You have all the luck Colfax, a great deal on the room and free sociological education. Hard to beat :)

Hope you had a pleasant stay.

Yellowdog.

[Gallus50]

OK, so you didn't get your poufy little boutique hotel. You DID get a 4* for approximately a quarter of the rack rate!!

You were also in the same neighborhood as the Rex and the Serrano - you could have gone and sat in the lobby to soak in some of the boutique-y vibe.

Some of us have clearly been spoiled by this slow economic, low-bid climate .....

[Colfax]

LOL, Gallus50. It DOES sound like I'm whining about getting the Hilton for $64. No gratitude, I guess. I just prefer smaller hotels usually, boutique or not, over really big hotels and the Hilton is HUGE...over 1,900 rooms.

If I'd won the Rex or Serrano I'd probably be complaining about the little room I got with the little bed. At least small rooms aren't an issue at the Hilton.

I'd never stayed at the Hilton before and to my surprise I liked it, or liked it well enough that I ended up trying Add a Night for the next night. Add a Night got rejected with a $90 counteroffer, which I didn't take.

When I walked in the Hilton I thought it was going to be bad. The lobby was packed. It looked like a busy airport more than a hotel. So many sociologists. I had to push my way through to the registration desk where a long line, about 20 people, was waiting to check in. The line moved fast though.

It was 1pm and the desk agent said my room wasn't ready yet, but maybe she could find something better than what was reserved. (Or I could wait an hour for them to clean a Priceline room?) My room was on the 18th floor. I took the nearest elevator to 18, only to find out I was in the wrong building. Had to go back to the lobby and walk to Elevator Bank #3, which is like a city block away. Then back to 18, but in Building 3.

Found my room finally. It was an interior courtyard view, overlooking Hilton's large and very nice outdoor pool and spa area on the 16th floor. It was a hot day--mid-80's downtown--and I got to swim and tan outdoors. Couldn't have done that at the Rex or Serrano.

So it all worked out and I got to try a new place.

As far as that $64 rate goes...I was lucky. I was in SF three days and I bid the three days separately. $64 only came through that one night, 8/11. Higher bids than $64 were rejected in USW for 8/10 and 8/12.

I don't see myself seeking out the Hilton. But if it comes up again now I won't fear it.

[Gallus50]

So glad you can take a joke. But you are giving me another case of Priceline envy. For Sept, I've paid $78 a night for a walk-in closet that Club Quarters calls a hotel room ....

[Colfax]

$64 only came through that one night, 8/11. Higher bids than $64 were rejected in USW for 8/10 and 8/12.

I wrote the dates wrong there. $64 on 8/10. Higher bids rejected for 8/9 and 8/11.

And remember, Gallus, I only won the $64 because I was willing to bid my three days one at a time and switch hotels every day if necessary. Most people don't want to do that.

I've never stayed at Club Quarters but I know someone who won it on PRICELINE and got a room with two beds. There's at least one decent sized room in that hotel. Fingers crossed!