Travlhappy

Hope you can help me. We are going to be driving to San Francisco for 3 days next week (following 2 days in Lake Tahoe). I have a reservation in the city, but don't want to keep it (really BAD location). If I can't find what I'm looking for in the city, what areas outside the city would be good for family of 4 (safe; restaurants; etc.)?

Thanks!

easytraveler

This is a perfect situation for Priceline. Have you ever bid on Priceline before?

If not, check out biddingfortravel.com first and then see if you can't get something really great for about $65 plus $20 parking.

Read biddingfortravel.com and then come back for more input from Fodorites.

This is the best way to save money and stay in a safe location in San Francisco.

Otherwise, if you want to pay full price, try Fisherman's Wharf. Lots of family type hotels, but kind of blah hotels.

pegcook

Won't have feedback until a couple of weeks from now, but we are going to be staying at the Castle Inn (based on rec's from people on this board) in the I think Russian Hill neighborhood. Not too expensive, parking, and allegedly you can walk down the hill to Fisherman's Wharf.

I got serious advice from people here to avoid Oakland. SO we are sucking up the extra cost and staying in the city.

We'll see.

PC

Kal

peg,
Please do let us know about Castle. It's just a short stumble from one of my fave SF watering holes, Shanghai Kelly's...or as I like to call it "Cheers West".

We've walked many a times down Polk to FW. You come out right by Aquatic Park Ghr'deli/Sqr. Pretty much safe. Some nice restaurants in that area too.

T'happy.
We use P'line or Hotwire for about 99% of our non-business SF visits.

Get some good hotels in safe locations for under $100. Fish Wharf, Union Sq East/Embarcadero.
We got the Club Quarters (3.5*) in Embarcadero for $85/night for an upcoming visit. Nice place. Stayed there a few times on business. Smallish rooms but modern and clean.
Near Embarcadero Centers...short walk to Ferry Marketplace...and The London Wine Bar!
Lotta good restaurants near both locations.
Good luck!

Travlhappy

Thanks for the input.

"Easytraveler", I have never used Priceline. Will definitely check out biddingfortravel. My biggest problem is that when we travel, we generally stay in 2-room suites; I HATE having my kids sleeping 2 feet from me - must have a door between us. If I can get 2 rooms at $65/nite, I will be happy to stay in the city. Otherwise, just trying to find a suburb with easy access to the city, but with enough around it to find something to do outside the city.

At this point, if I can't find a 2-rm suite or 2 rooms in my budget, I am considering changing the trip plans and doing SF next summer and making reservations well in advance.

Thanks again for the input!

Kal

T'Hap,
you may want to look at biddinfortravel and see if there are any nice hotels out in Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill that are near a BART station.

We've stayed at the Emabassy Suites in WalCreek and hopped BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)and go into SF.
The BART station is right across the parking lot.

ElendilPickle

We've been looking at the Cow Hollow Motor Inn in the Marina district for a trip in 2007. Suites have a full kitchen and dining area and look quite nice. This place gets good reviews from other Fodorites.

Another possibility in the same area is the Hotel del Sol, which has some 1-bedroom suites.

Lee Ann

easytraveler

Hi, Travlhappy!

I just checked biddingfortravel.com for San Francisco.

It looks like you could possibly get a 4 star Hyatt for $75 on up in the heart of San Francisco.

Let me give you an example on bidding:

1) Priceline has the hotels in San Francisco divided into different areas. You pick Union Square East.

2) Then you pick a star level - 4 star being the highest (these stars are Priceline's own star rating)

3) Then you name a price.

So you pick USE (Union Square East) for a 4 star for $65. Let's say you've entered all the other information: credit card, address, etc. You wait.

4) You fail at $65. Now what? You can wait 72 hours and bid again or you can change the parameters.

5)To continue bidding by changing the parameters in the above example, all you have to do is to add another area. Pick one with NO 4 star level hotels. Let's say you pick South San Francisco where the highest rating is 3 star.

Now you are bidding both USE and SSF areas for a 4star hotel, but since only USE has 4 star hotels, you are essentially rebidding the USE area. You also have to up the price. You can do so by $5 increments. However, let's say you rebid at $75, because you've read biddingfortravel.com and you know the price at which a bid can be successful. You wait.

6) You win! The credit card that you provided is immediately debited for $75 plus the other Priceline charges, for a total of about $90 per room.

You are now stuck with a bill for $90 -- UNLESS you checked the box for insurance and purchased insurance for an additional $5. Buying insurance allows you to cancel. Without insurance you can't cancel.

So much for bidding.

Now for which areas to bid: bid USE first and if you are not successful at the 4 star level, stop bidding. Open up another Priceline bid and bid a 3 star at Fisherman's Wharf. [At the top of each page of listed bids is a line "San Francisco Area Hotels List" or something to that effect. Click on that and you'll see a list of the hotels participating on Priceline and the star level that Priceline has assigned to them.]

Do NOT bid Union Square West or Cathedral Hill.

If you want to get something REALLY inexpensive, bid San Francisco Airport. You can get the 3 star Doubletree or Marriott for about $35; or the Hyatt Regency for about $55.

For about $40-$45, you can get the Homewood Suites in South San Francisco or the Courtyard in San Mateo. Both of these are south of the City.

Above and beyond the price you bid, you also have to pay for fees and such of about $15 - $20 per room. Also an additional charge is parking. In City runs about $30 - $30 per car; at the airport hotels about $12- $15.

Well, good luck! Kal is right, you can get some fantastic deals and great hotels!