@Eric - you're just being argumentative without reason here. The statement was: "$300/night doesn't get you a really nice hotel room in Silicon Valley on a normal night." That is completely and utterly untrue. I chose hotels near SFO because it handles more flights than San Jose, though visitors could use either (or Oakland). And it's 30 miles away, not 45 - a straight shot on the 101.
Want closer hotels? No problem. Lots of 4-star hotels under $200, including ones just blocks from Levi's stadium. Would the rates for the very close hotels be higher that weekend? Sure. Are there literally dozens of other places to stay for under $300 within a 30 minute drive? absolutely.
Okay. Good job. You've proven without a doubt that it's cheap to get a really nice hotel room near the Super Bowl, as long as it's not Super Bowl weekend.
If a really nice hotel room is an airport hotel.
You guys are taking this argument to ridiculous levels. Clearly I've shown that the original statement ($300/night doesn't get you a really nice hotel room in Silicon Valley on a normal night.) is clearly false. You can find four-star hotels for under $200/night throughout Silicon valley on a 'normal night' - both close to and away from the three major airports. They're 4-star hotels. It's ok to admit when you've misspoken when making an assertion.
As for superbowl weekend - the SF Metropolitan area is home to about 7MM people with over a thousand major hotels, not to mention Airbnb rentals and smaller boutique hotels. The SuperBowl barely moved the needle, especially since early Feb. is smack in the 'dead time' for tourists. I've already agreed that you could spend upwards of $1,000/night if one was so inclined, but to continue to claim that it was necessary to spend >>$300/night is just absurd.
No, you introduced a false equivalency. I lived in Silicon Valley for more than a decade and travel there for work on a regular basis. I cannot recall the last time I got a room in a "really nice" hotel for $300. I took "really nice" to be in the context of someone who spends $30,000 on Super Bowl tickets. You decided that "really nice" means a fine hotel, in whatever location. That's just not what I'd consider really nice in the original context.
Glad to know we've both been long-term residents of Silicon Valley. I guess what still baffles me is your classification of what "really nice" is. We've already established that $30,000 would purchase just four 'mid-level' seats at SB50.
Personally, i consider a 4-star hotel to be 'really nice,' and there are dozens to choose from for under your $300 threshold, including chains like the Westin, Fairmont, Four Points and Sheraton.
Not swanky enough? Want something away from the airport? There's 5-star hotels like the
Four Seasons Palo Alto,
Fairmont SF and Palace Hotel.
The list, literally, goes on and on. Just 5 minutes of googling travel websites will show you lots of various options for 4 and 5 star hotels, whether you want to be near the airport or in Downtown San Jose, SF, Palo Alto, Los Gatos etc.
If you want to say "someone splurging on SB tix
might spend $1,000+ a night for a premium hotel suite" I would have no objection. You absolutely can spend this kind of money in the Bay Area. But you introduced this by claiming you can't get a really nice hotel for under $300 during a
normal time, and then you just doubled-down by saying
"I cannot recall the last time I got a room in a "really nice" hotel [in Silicon Valley] for $300" I question why you are even on this forum if your standards are so high (or your willingness to look for deals even in luxury items is so low).