My husband and I decided to stay at the Hilton on Harbor Island Drive during January, 2003. We do not want to pay $13 per day for our rental car parking. Any suggestions for parking close by?

In San Diego? You have chosen to stay on the outskirts of downtown, where $13/day is a pretty good price. In most of SD, you can park at meters for free sundays and holidays. Down at the waterfront though the port district controls the meters and they are enforced every day...same in Del Mar. On the plus side, you have a great view and 2 really good restaurants next door to you as well as a few more behind you, in Little Italy.

Harbor Island is pretty isolated. There is no free overnight parking on the island because if they allowed that then it would be full of RVs and people who live out of their cars. You can't walk off the island to anywhere because you're on a major thouroghfare (Harbor Island Dr) and there's nothing but airport right accross the street. If you're really cheap you can park in a private off site airport parking lot ($6-10) take their shuttle to the airport and then take the free Hilton shuttle from the airport to the hotel. C'mon $13/night is nothing given that you probably got a good rate/deal at the Hilton.

Well I happen to agree that $13/day is crazy, it's "not nothing" - it all depends on one's income. Another good reason not to use Priceline unless you do major research on the hotels and the "add on" prices, i.e. parking. I'm going to SD over the holidays and was shocked at the prices charged for parking - from $10-upwards. I do not make that kind of money, so I decided to stay at a Clarion Suites along Hotel Circle. Ok, so it is not beachfront or bayfront, but I can afford the place ($80 and no parking fees).

Unfortunately you are probably locked into Priceline at this point, but next time do yourself a favor and shop around.

Sorry I meant Quality Suites, not Clarion.
Either way - no parking fees