Priceline Hotel: San Francisco (Embarcadero bidding help)

[the_godfather]

I've tried a few unsuccessful bids on a 4* in this area...think I've went up to mid $80s, which is probably a little low. But I'm a little concerned the 3.5* Club Quarters hasn't accepted when I change star levels. Is anything going on in mid-September that would cause hotels to jack up prices? I was looking at 9/16 thru 9/22.

I think Hotwire is showing a 4* in Embarcadero for around $125, which makes me think I'm not that far off. Just wanted to get some ideas though.

Thanks!

[bogdan]

Hi,

I'm wondering the same thing as I just tried unsuccessfully to bid for 4* in all SF areas (except for San Mateo & the airport) and bid up to $95 for 2 rooms on Sept 13-15. Was also rejected when I added 3.5* to the re-bid but only tried that at $71.

Regards,

bogdan

[yellowdog]

bogdan

The board would be happy to help you. But please start a new topic for your own stay as this thread will be used to reflect whatever member the_godfather ultimately does for his/her stay.

Yellowdog.

[Colfax]

the_godfather,

How high have you bid for a 3.5* in Embarcadero zone?

Your length of stay--six nights--might have something to do with your rejections. There's a good chance some of your six nights are available at the mid-$80's you've already bid but that no hotel has all six nights available at that price now. Are you willing to split your bid and possibly switch hotels once in order to get the lowest rate?

If you don't want to split you'll probably need to bid a little higher for a 4* ($90? $95?) or consider an additional zone. PRICELINE usually beats HOTWIRE on price so you can probably get a 4* in Embarcadero for less than $125.

Please use this PRICELINE link for your purchases.

[the_godfather]

I think I've went up to $85 when I've included 3.5* I'll try a couple more times for a 4* and see what happens. I'd prefer to stay in the same hotel in that area all 6 days, but if necessary, I'll switch to a different region.

I've gotten 4* under $80 in a couple other major cities, but apparently SF is a little more expensive.

[thereuare]

Is the Embarcadero zone the only accepted area or might other Downtown zones also work for your needs? If budget is a primary concern, including more acceptable zones enables more hotels the chance to accept your bid.

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

[the_godfather]

I'd prefer Embarcadero since it's close to the bay (I'll be traveling to Oakland for a few nights) and Chinatown. I just bid $88, for 4* and 3.5* and was turned down again. I changed from 6 days to 5 and still no dice. I'll go up to mid-$90s, then give up and try another area if that doesn't work. Budget isn't a huge deal, but I'd hate to fork a ton of money too since I'll be there for nearly a week.

Thanks for the help.

[the_godfather]

Anyone know what the 2.5* and 2* hotels are in this area? They're listed on Priceline but not here. Wondering if they even exist.

I may try the 3* Harbor Court. It's about a mile from Chinatown but I preferred the other hotels since they were a few blocks closer. I won't have a car, so location was pretty important. :)

[akathelorax]

If you don't have a car and will be traveling to Oakland then you should be fine if you are close to a BART station (which I highly suggest utilizing). Anything in USE is going to be very close and you'd still be very close in SOMA or USW.

[Gallus50]

I second what akathelorax said. As long as you're near BART, you'll be fine. And you'll almost surely be near in USE and SOMA. USW might be a little trickier because you could end up on Nob Hill, which would be a bit of a hike. But if you did, you could take the cable car down California and catch the BART right there at Embarcadero.

[the_godfather]

Well I tried splitting bids and still no luck for $90. I went ahead and booked a room on another site, near Chinatown, and got a good deal.

I probably could've won something on PRICELINE if I tinkered with the dates more, but I'd hate to end up possibly switching hotels midway through the trip.

And yeah, I'll definitely be using the BART. I'll be going to some concerts that could potentially end late. Just hope I don't get stuck in Oakland! :)

Thanks for all the help!

[thereuare]

Thanks for 'closing' this thread with what you decided to do for this stay.

What hotel did you decide upon?

[the_godfather]

The Grant Plaza Hotel. It's cheapish, but I read a lot of good reviews. The price, proximity and internet access made it ideal and I'm not particularly picky when it comes to hotels anyway. The only negative is it's non-smoking, but I suppose that's common in a lot of places these days.

I ordered through getaroom.com, which I'd never used before. It has a no-charge cancellation policy, so I might try a low-ball 4-star PRICELINE bid once more just to see what happens.

[BEAV]

The Grant Plaza Hotel. It's cheapish, but I read a lot of good reviews. The price, proximity and internet access made it ideal and I'm not particularly picky when it comes to hotels anyway. The only negative is it's non-smoking, but I suppose that's common in a lot of places these days.

I ordered through getaroom.com, which I'd never used before. It has a no-charge cancellation policy, so I might try a low-ball 4-star PRICELINE bid once more just to see what happens.

Since your stay is still 3 weeks away, I would continue bidding on PRICELINE routinely two or three times a week right up until the cancel period kicks in on your retal reservation at the Grand Plaza Hotel. I believe your six night stay might be the single most thing deterring you from getting a winning bid this far out. But, believe me, 3-4 weeks is a LONG time away in the PRICELINE world!

Also, one piece of advise if you're bidding both 4 and 3.5 star categories. Make sure your 3.5 star bids are seperate (independant) from your 4 star bids. Often times people start out bidding 4 stars, let's say at $80, get declined, drop down to 3.5 star and bid $90. Whatever you do, don't lower your star level while raising your bid price simultaneously. Doing so can cause you to overbid at the 3.5 star level. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!