I am looking for a hotel room for an elderly, single lady visiting from France. She is very fit and loves to walk. She is also very frugal and wants to stay 5 nights in San Francisco alone for the cheapest rate possible. She will be using public transportation and walking. I want her in a safe area. Help!!!

The Mosser is a bargain in price. The rooms are small; some share hall bath and some have private baths. A great location. They have very low prices if you stay for 7 nights, cheaper than 5 nights.

We paid $75 a night in March for a queen with private bath. The specials are a little to find on website, but they are there.

TheMosser.com

Deb

You have to put in the dates for the stay, click check availability and then when that page comes up, click "Promotional Rates" and then from there click weekly rates.

Deb

Check out Pacific Heights Motel.

San Remo down in the North beach Area

It may not be as inexpensive as your friend/relative would like, but you might consider the Washington Square Inn in North Beach.

I suggest that when you decide which is the safest area, that you check Pliceline (name your own price) for their offerings if you want the cheapest rate.

Priceline if a great suggestion - if you know how to use it!

Right now you can get a 4* hotel at Union Square East for $90 on up plus taxes and fees. (Do NOT use Union Dquare West for her).

The best deals are at Fisherman's Wharf where she can get a 3* hotel for $60 plus taxes and fees.

If you have not used Priceline before, PLEASE come back and ask. There are a few essential steps to using the site successfully adn there are lots of very helpful folks here on Fodors.

Good luck!

Are her dates flexible? Or rather, I should ask, when is her visit?

She flies home from SFO on May 14. She would like to stay in the city for the 5-7 days prior to her departure. Thanks for the help. I am looking into the hotels suggested.

I went to Priceline, but I have never used it. Do I just choose the areas, like Union Square West and Fisherman's Wharf? How many stars should I ask for?
Thanks so much again!

emsmom:

Those of us who have been able to use Priceline successfully first read biddingfortravel.com.

It's kind of like the flashlight that shines a light into the dark for us. It gives us an idea of what were the successful bids in which areas.

Priceline's greatest benefit is the huge savings in cost.

It's negatives have to be watched out:
a) worst is that you BUY the room at the time your bid is accepted. This is set in concrete. Say, you bid for a room for May 1, 2008 and you are successful. This means that you PAY for the room TODAY and that you are stuck with that room. You can't cancel it or exchange it for another day.

so, this means that you have to VERY CERTAIN of the dates that you want the hotel room because you would have paid for a room for 5-7 days. Even if you don't use the room, you still have to pay ahead of time and can't get a refund.

b) Location is very important. That's why we look at biddingfortravel because it gives us an idea of how Priceline divides up a city into different zones.

If you want to bid in the Union Square area, do bid USE (Union Square EAST), much safer zone.

Otherwise, you can bid the Fisherman Wharf's zone.


My suggestion, besides urging potential bidders to read biddingfortravel, is to make an experimental bid first.

Go and bid $1 as a dry run. You'll never get a room for $1, but you'll have gained some valuable experience on the bidding process.

so, emsmom, go and read biddingfortravel and then make an experimental bid. Then come back and talk to us again. Don't make a real bid for a room before coming back to talk to us, 'K?

Good luck!

Galleria Park is an nice location and is usually one of the Boutique or 3 in USE/Embarc on P'line.

Mrs Kal got The Triton last month on P'line. Another nice hotel, good location and good service.

www.hotelastoria-sf.com

Thank you all! She is at the Hotel Astoria and is VERY happy. I got her a room for $69 a night including breakfast!
Thank you Fodorites

Wow, good job. She's lucky she had your help. She will love San Francisco. If she gives you her reactions to S.F., it would be interesting if you could post them.
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