San Francisco Priceline hotel help
 

Hi, I want to bid for a hotel in San Fran through Priceline but am trying to figure out what is the safest/best area to bid for? I like nearby transportation, shopping, restaurants. Not sure if I should pick Downtown - Union Square West <BR>Union Square East - Embarcadero <BR>South of Market/Convention Center <BR>or<BR>Fisherman�s Wharf.<BR><BR>What is your opinion of the most upscale, safe, fun area? Thank you!<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>

I can't help you as far as safety but there is a website, biddingfortravel.com that gives you information as to what hotels fall under what zones and star rankings. This can make you feel more confident with bidding....good luck.

Given your criteria, I'd choose Union Square East/Embarcadero. It's near transportation, shopping, and restaurants. It's also a safe area. West of Union Square the neighborhood goes downhill. East of Union Square you will be fine.

Based on your preferences, I recommend in order: 1)Union Square East/Embarcadero; 2)Union Square West; 3) Fisherman's Wharf; and 4) South of Market.

Please be aware that people on this forum are VERY sharply divided on the safety and desirability of the Union Square area (referred to as Union Square West on Priceline). I suggest you do a text search on Union Square to review the opinions.

Fisherman's Wharf is a very crowded touristy area, but convenient if you want to go to Pier 39, Alcatraz, Ghiradelli Square, take a Bay cruise, or take the ferry to Sausalito. The areas you have selected are fairly close in proximity, and all are easily accessible by public transportation.

Hi Karebear,

I hope this is not too late. My first pick would be Union Square East which includes 4* hotels such as the Westin St. Francis, the new Omni hotel, and the about 3 Hyatt hotels.

South of Market 4* hotels on priceline includes the swanky W Hotel and the Marriott Hotel.

This all depends on the inventory Priceline may have at the time you bid, but you can't go wrong with any of the choices listed.

I'm not sure I'd use the word &quot;swanky&quot; to describe the W San Francisco. It's got a retro-ish somewhat austere high style lobby. Its rooms are pretty tiny and the bathrooms very plainly furnished with relatively inexpensive materials. (The beds are great).
But there's nothing swanky I can think of about the W.

gplimpton,

When I walked into the W Hotel and saw all the employees in black suits and headsets, the lobby adorned with understated, modern elegance, the word swanky came into my mind. It's a very fashionable hotel and definitely has a sense of modern elegance to it.

The rooms and the bathrooms are plain, but the W chain is known for being plain. The bed is all white with dark wood headboards,and there were green granny smith apples in the room when I was there.

Swanky to me!

Like the great Italian philospher, Wattsamatta, used to say &quot;One person's Swanky is another person's Swiney&quot;.
Hey! It's been a looong week.

The past umpteen times we've been to SF we've had good luck staying in either the Embarc and FW areas.
It's nice because you don't have to drive thru D'town where you never know if you'll run into a traffic snarling protest or all the bike riders stopping traffic during Critical Mass.

The designated &quot;B&quot; Boutique hotels for P'line an Hotwire we've been getting the past few times were the Harbor Court Inn in Embarc and in FW, The Tuscan Inn, two very nice facilties.

A lot of places to eat nearby to both or only less than a $10 taxi ride away, or a nice walk along the Embarcadero.

Kal

karebear
I bid 80.00 for a three star in Fishermans Wharf and got The Radisson Fishermans Wharf which is directly across the street from Piers 41 and 39 and we loved it! Our room was partial bay view, free parking and if we left our window open we could hear the seals barking all night. We either took the cable cars or walked all over SF. Took the Blue and Gold tours to Alcatraz (on Pier 41) loved the clam chowder and crab cakes at the Peir Market on Pier 39 and had great access to HWY 101 N to Muir Woods and Saucilito(sp?)and wine country or S to Santa Cruz. Great location for what we wanted from SF. I would go back to Fisherman's Wharf but not all agree with me. Have a wonderful visit!

Hotel prices for San Francisco on Priceline are really low right now.
If you check out www.biddingfortravel.com you will be amazed at the price of rooms in SF. People are paying $47 to $55 for the 4* Hyatt Regency and Park Hyatt. Who would have thought this was possible? 8 months ago we were happy to pay $70 a night. The best deals appear to be 4* hotels in USE.

It sounds like the Hyatt Regency is what you are looking for, so I would bid the USE/Embarcadero area and hope that you are lucky enough to get it. It has been going for very low prices and is a very nice hotel. The Embarcadero shopping center begins right next door and has plenty of shopping and restaurants. For better restaurants, two of the city's best (Boulevard and One Market) are within a block. Also right outside the door you have every type of Muni transportation (cablecars, buses and the subway). I just stayed there last week after getting the hotel on Priceline for $50 a night.

Thank you for your responses everyone! I bid and got the Park Hyatt for $58 in Union Square East Embarcadero.

I have heard that this is a nicer hotel than the Hyatt, though probably notquite as convenient for public transportation. The Park Hyatt is located right next to the Embarcadero Center which is a series of five buildings, the fifth being the Hyatt Regency. Each of the builing has shopping and restaurants on the first three floors and all are connected by walkways on the second or third floors. At the Park Hyatt, you will be only a block away from the California Street cablecar which runs right through Chinatown and is a couple of blocks from Union Square. If you get off on Powell St. you can catch one of the north bound cable cars there which can get you down to the Wharf area. Or you can also get there by catching one of the F buses on Market street. They run from Castro St and Market all the way down to the Wharf. Also, for nice restaurants, I have read good things about Zare and Rubicon which are on Sacramento and should be real close to the PH.

I second Rubicon. Also try the Park Grill located in the hotel. They have great food and the best salads there. Aqua is another great restaurant very close to the hotel.

The Park Hyatt is nicer than the Hyatt Regency (as of my last stay at PH 3 years ago). It's always on sale it seems. Makes me wonder if Hyatt will sell it eventually.

karebare, You get this price for a weekend or weekday?
It is a nice place and great price.

I have to go back soon for business on a weekday and if I can get the PH for that price, the heck w/ The Club Quarters, the company's choice for me!
Thx,
Kal

Hi Kal,
I got it for 2 weekdays.

Got this hotel thru PL for $60 and stayed 4/22 -23 weekdays. We also took advantage of their town car on 2 occasions, due to cool rainy weather. The driver was most informative and friendly. Car service was complementry.
Great hotel enjoy

k'bear and dj, thx.
I may take a shot at it and if the company gets mad because I save it around $50/night, I'll sell all my stock right now because that ain't good biddness!

Here's a heads-up on priceline winning bids: they do not include parking, which set me back another $35 a night when I stayed at Union Square. I understand this is a common charge.

z2, Good call.
We got the Westin St Francis for $45 one night...and parking was $35.

We knew we had to pay extra for pkg but almost the price of a room? Funny!

&quot;Priceline Parking&quot;?? Hmmmmm.
&quot;Biddingforparking.com&quot;?
Kal

We just tried Priceline for the first time. Got the lay of the land from Bidding for Travel and then went for it. First choice was SOMA but 2 bids at $80 &amp; $85 were not accepted. It ceases to be a bargain after that!! So, we switched areas to Union Sq. East-Embarc and bid $65 for a boutique hotel. We were delighted to end up with Harbor Court Hotel which seems to be in a great location and a fab hotel. Hope it's as good as it seems but at $65, I won't complain too much!! We just were brave and wanted to try it. Bon Chance.

ttt